URHS unveils U-Boat restoration, shop at open house

Dark blue diesel locomotives with white center stripe outside shop building

BOONTON, N.J. — With persistent rain canceling both the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey’s annual Museum-for-a-Day event and the town’s street fair, the group quickly shifted on Sunday, Sept. 24, to a no-frills open house, showing off two newly painted historic diesel locomotives in their first public display. Live music and other attractions […]

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EBT wins $10,000 federal grant to preserve archives

Steam locomotive with four passenger cars and caboose

ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. – The East Broad Top Railroad has won a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to fund an 18-month program for long-term protection of the road’s thousands of maps, drawings, photographs, and artifacts. The grant is one of 280 awarded nationally in the August round of NEH funding, totaling […]

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S.S. Badger awarded grant from U.S. Department of Transportation

Large ship.S.S. Badger awarded USDOT grant.

LUDINGTON, Mich. — The historic Great Lakes car ferry, S.S. Badger will receive a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD). The contribution will go towards an ongoing feasibility analysis to convert the coal-fired steamship into a zero-emission ferry vessel, according to the DOT press release on Sept. 21, 2023. “The […]

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Yucatán Railroad Museum redeveloping at Mérida’s new great park

Steam locomotive being lifted by crane. Yucatán Railroad Museum redeveloping at Mérida’s new great park.

MERIDA, Yucatán — Described in the Yucatán Times as a new “Central Park” for Mexico’s Yucatecan capital, Mérida’s Gran Parque La Plancha [La Plancha Great Park] is a recreational development to the downtown’s former railyard of the Ferrocarriles Unidos de Yucatán [United Railways of Yucatán]. Amongst the new green areas, pathways, an artificial lake and […]

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Nevada Northern Railway Museum to host Iron Horse Symposium

Black and white photo inside a railroad shop with steam and diesel locomotives. Nevada Northern Railway Museum to host Iron Horse Symposium.

ELY, Nev. — A longstanding tradition for the Nevada Northern Railway Museum will be held again this fall. The 2023 Iron Horse Symposium is scheduled from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1 as an immersive experience with steam locomotives Nos. 81 and 93 in operation alongside the museum’s other historic equipment, including vintage Alco and Baldwin […]

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Swiss Spectacular, Part 13: Steaming up the mountainside

Steam locomotive and one car on curving line on mountainside, as seen from above

LUCERNE, Switzerland — We went up another mountain today. Once again, our view from the top was almost completely obscured by clouds. And once again, no one minded much. This time around, the Trains/Special Interest Tours “Majestic Switzerland” tour made its way up the Brienz-Rothorn Bahn, a 7.6-kilometer, 800-mm gauge, steam-powered rack railway (that’s 4.7 […]

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Ontario tourist railroads you must visit

Streetcar decorated with holiday lights at station

Ontario tourist railroads you must visit include a locomotive shop-converted museum, a scenic destination only accessible by train, and everything in between. From the Tourist Trains Guidebook, here are the tourist railroads, museums, and historic sites you must visit across this Canadian province. Ontario Tourist Railroads and Museums Bruce Peninsula, Southern Georgian Bay and Lake […]

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Swiss Spectacular, Part 10: Steam and a summit

Cog railway train rounds curve with clouds in background

ZERMATT, Switzerland — Finally getting back up to date on events on the Trains/Special Interest Tours “Majestic Switzerland” tour: Sunday, Sept. 17 This was our longest day, leaving Chur at 6:25 a.m. and getting to Zermatt at 6:14 p.m. Those times were dictated by our trip on the Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway, the all-volunteer steam […]

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PCC cars return to the streets of Philadelphia (updated)

Cream, green and maroon PCC trolley car running in street. PCC cars return to the streets of Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA — Fans of the Presidents’ Conference Committee trolley car, we direct your attention to Route 15 on the SEPTA system. This fall six refurbished PCC cars will return to the route occupied by buses since 2020, according to an AXIOS Philadelphia story. The PCC cars were to begin operating this week, however, SEPTA is […]

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Santa Fe No. 3751 stars at LA Union Station Train Festival

Steam locomotive on turntable.

LOS ANGELES. — Santa Fe steam locomotive No. 3751’s appearance at last weekend’s Los Angeles Union Station Train Festival 2023 saw multiple firsts. It was the first public outing for the locomotive this year, the first visit to the passenger terminal since 2017, and the first public night photo session since returning to service in […]

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