MADRID — The King of Spain, King Felipe VI, and his top government ministers have officially opened a new railway line linking the northern province of Asturias to the rest of the Spanish high-speed network, traveling on Nov. 29 in a specially operated high speed train between Madrid and Gijon on the northern coast of […]
CASS, W.Va. — The Mountain State Railroad & Logging Historical Association, founded in 1982, which played a key role in support of the Cass Scenic Railroad, will conclude operations, its president has announced. Association president Matt Wilson informed members in a Nov. 24 letter that the organization will become part another group, Friends of Cass […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has launched a “free companion” sale for roomettes on its long-distance routes, allowing two people to travel in one of the two-bed sleeping-car accommodations for the price of one. The sale began Thursday, Nov. 30, and runs through Friday, Dec. 8, and is good for travel between Wednesday, Jan. 3, and Wednesday, […]
DENVER, Colo. — Tickets are now on sale for the 2024 season of Amtrak’s Winter Park Express ski train service, which will operate on weekends beginning Jan. 12. Trains will operate Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays on weekends beginning Jan. 12-14 and concluding the weekend of March 29-31. Added this year are service on two holiday […]
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Railroading Heritage of Midwest America’s Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 No. 261 made its second run of 2023 today (Thursday, Nov. 30) operating from its home base in Minneapolis to St. Paul Union Depot. Friday through Sunday, Dec. 1-3, the locomotive will run short “North Pole Express” trips at the depot in what […]
TORONTO — Canada’s VIA Historical Society has launched a major fundraising campaign to acquire its first locomotive, former VIA Rail Canada FP9A No. 6539, to be used as part of the organization’s touring exhibition train to celebrate VIA’s 50th anniversary in 2028. The organization is seeking to raise C$250,000 to purchase, move, restore, repaint and […]
I don’t keep bucket lists, but one thing I’d been hoping to visit one day was the famed Oyster Bar, the historic restaurant that’s been operating in the catacombs of New York City’s Grand Central Terminal nearly continuously for 110 years. I finally got my chance a couple of weeks ago during a short research […]
Metra’s new six-axle power CHICAGO — Metra has used one of its SD70MACH locomotives to lead a revenue service train for the first time, with locomotive No. 507 powering train No. 2135 on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 29, from Chicago Union Station to Fox Lake on the Milwaukee District North line. Metra F59PHI No. […]
Mark Gurries, a noted expert in the use of NCE’s DCC system, passed away on November 25, 2023, after health complications. He was 62 years old. Contributing editor Tony Koester had this to say about his passing: “Mark was a very bright and extremely helpful individual who helped many of us with thorny little, sometimes […]
WASHINGTON — More than 28 million passengers rode Amtrak in its 2023 fiscal year, the company today in announcing results for the year that ended Sept. 30. “Amtrak ridership continues to set post-pandemic records thanks to our customers who were anxious to travel again and attracted to the many benefits of train travel,” CEO Stephen […]
Lionel brass hybrid Strasburg 90 2-10-0 The history of Strasburg RR No. 90 starts with the Great Western RR, which purchased the standard light 2-10-0 Decapod from Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1924. After 40 years of traveling through the mountains of Colorado, the steam engine was sold to the Strasburg RR in 1967 for $23,000, […]
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Amtrak Cascades service between Seattle and Portland, Ore., will expand by two daily round trips as of Monday, Dec. 11, increasing service to six daily round trips between the two cities, as well as changes to service to Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, British Columbia. Under the new schedules, the first trains each […]
