Diesel and steam on the L&N

20160504

Louisville & Nashville RS3 150 passes “Big Emma” 2-8-4 1980 at Baileys, Ky., in July 1954. The Berkshire will couple to the rear of the RS3’s freight for the climb over Emanuel Hill. W. A. Akin Jr. photo […]

Read More…

Berkshire blast-off

20160524

Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 No. 750 gets under way at Bellevue, Ohio, with a westbound freight in September 1955. Philip R. Hastings photo […]

Read More…

T&P steam revival

20160517

Texas & Pacific ended regular steam operations in 1952. When Red River flooding near Boyce, La., became too deep for diesels to wade through in 1957, T&P borrowed a 2-8-2 from the Fort Worth & Denver to haul trains in the high water. In January 1958, T&P bought a different FW&D Mike, No, 410, and […]

Read More…

MTH HO scale PRR H10s

MTH HO scale PRR H10s

MTH HO scale PRR class H10s Consolidation Pennsylvania RR modelers will be glad to see MTH’s latest HO scale offering on their hobby shop shelves – an authentically modeled PRR class H10s Consolidation, complete with that railroad’s characteristic Belpaire firebox. Thanks to its die-cast boiler and traction tires, this hefty hauler musters enough drawbar power […]

Read More…

Auxiliary tenders

TRNAT0314_01

Southern Railway 2-8-0 No. 630 on a Norfolk Southern excursion carries 10,000 gallons of water in its tender and an additional 12,500 gallons in its auxiliary tender to negate the need for additional water between stops. Allyson Praytor Q I saw a television show where steam locomotives were operating with two tenders instead of just […]

Read More…

Team to restore a ‘Dixie’ 4-8-4 NEWSWIRE

Nashville1

Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis 4-8-4 No. 576 Trains: Jim Wrinn NASHVILLE, Tenn. — One of the rarest members of “the greatest generation” of modern American steam has languished in a Nashville park for more than six decades. Multiple efforts to bring it back to life have come and gone. Now, though, steam buffs hope […]

Read More…

CN 2-8-0 in the rain

20160414

In a 1957 view from a crossing watchman’s tower at Burlington, Ont., elderly Canadian National 2-8-0 2647 passes in heavy rain with a Hamilton–Toronto local freight. Philip R. Hastings photo […]

Read More…

The Erie’s super locomotive

TRNAT0214_01

Erie No. 2603, later No. 5014, was built in 1914 by Baldwin in Philadelphia. None of these 850,000-pound-plus locomotives were preserved. Herb Broadbelt Q With so much talk about Union Pacific’s Big Boy, I was wondering about other North American “big steamers.” Do you know the current location of any of the Erie Railroad’s three […]

Read More…

Thomas’ newest friend is an Aussie 4-8-4 NEWSWIRE

520throMtBarkerJCT1994

South Australian Railways No. 520, a 4-8-4 Northern-type 520-class steam locomotive traverses track in Australia in 1994. Toy-maker Mattel is introducing “Shane,” a new friend of Thomas the Tank Engine, based on the locomotive. Courtesy: Peter Michalak MOUNT BAKER, Australia — More promotional pictures released by Mattel reveal that one of the new characters soon […]

Read More…