Olympia & Sand Creek, Episode 5 | Updates and wiring

This time around, our intrepid host lets anxious viewers see all the progress he’s made to prepare the O scale (1:48) Olympia Logging Co. On30 layout for the next big step! From backdrop to tabletop to trackwork to scenery, David shares the extent of his off-camera efforts — all to get things into place for […]

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Krauss-Maffei close-up

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Rio Grande 4001, a diesel-hydraulic built by Germany’s Krauss-Maffei, fills the window of a caboose cupola on Oct. 11, 1963. The exotic unit was testing in helper service between Denver and the Moffat Tunnel. R. P. Parsons photo […]

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Rotary snowplow clears Cumbres Pass

Of all the forces that can bring trains to a halt, snow has to be one of the fiercest elements that Mother Nature can throw at a railroad. Keeping the tracks clear is a never-ending battle in the winter months. Depending on the severity, plows and flangers can do a good job winning the battle. […]

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Scenic Limited observation car

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Passengers fill the rear platform of the observation car on Rio Grande’s Scenic Limited at Denver Union Station in about 1928. Those folks have the best seats in the house for the climb up the Front Range. George Beam photo […]

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Amtrak cancels more trains as winter storm advances

Passenger train with BNSF locomotive leading four other diesels under signal bridge

CHICAGO — As predictions of high winds and subzero temperatures move east, Amtrak has cancelled all service on some regional and long-distance routes while maintaining reduced service on others. Amtrak had originally planned to maintain full service on Friday, Dec. 23, after projecting cancellations for Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday [see “Amtrak cancels Empire Builder, thins […]

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Navajo-owned coal company sues BNSF for breach of contract

Logo of Navajo Transitional Energy Company

BILLINGS, Mont. — A Native American-owned coal company has sued BNSF Railway for breach of contract, claiming the railroad’s preferential treatment of other mines cost it more than $150 million in revenue and $15 million in demurrage penalties in 2022. In a suit filed Monday in federal district court in Montana, Navajo Transitional Energy Co., […]

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Big Skies & Iron Rails, Timelapse Trek to the Tracks

In this extra-long, extended-length, timelapse video (1 hour 20 minutes!), our intrepid railfan/professional photographer Tom Danneman has a long way to go, but makes a point to enjoy the entire journey to, about, and from his favorite trackside destination – Big Sky Country! You’ve seen Tom’s meticulous preparations to his trail-rated 4×4 truck in previous […]

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Big Skies & Iron Rails, Timelapse Trek to the Tracks

In this extra-long, extended-length, timelapse video (1 hour 20 minutes!), our intrepid railfan/professional photographer Tom Danneman has a long way to go, but makes a point to enjoy the entire journey to, about, and from his favorite trackside destination – Big Sky Country! You’ve seen Tom’s meticulous preparations to his trail-rated 4×4 truck in previous […]

Read More…

Big Skies & Iron Rails, Timelapse Trek to the Tracks

In this extra-long, extended-length, timelapse video (1 hour 20 minutes!), our intrepid railfan/professional photographer Tom Danneman has a long way to go, but makes a point to enjoy the entire journey to, about, and from his favorite trackside destination – Big Sky Country! You’ve seen Tom’s meticulous preparations to his trail-rated 4×4 truck in previous […]

Read More…