A bad week for the California Zephyr

Passenger train with bilevel cars at station

CHICAGO — Amtrak’s westbound California Zephyr has been cancelled this Sunday, Sept. 25 — continuing a week of disruptions for the service between Chicago and Emeryville, Calif. The sequence that led to Sunday’s cancellation began with the westbound departure of Monday, Sept. 19, which sustained delays totaling 16 hours, 35 minutes on its way to […]

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Three injured in Denver-area light-rail derailment (updated)

Damaged light-rail train in roadway

AURORA, Colo. — Three people were taken to local hospitals with injuries after a Regional Transportation District light-rail train derailed in Aurora on Wednesday afternoon, the Denver Post reports. The accident occurred about 3:45 p.m. on a tight curve through the intersection at South Sable Boulevard and East Exposition Avenue. That location is about a […]

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Burlington Northern locomotive one-offs

Black-and-white photo of end-cab switcher at diesel servicing track

Burlington Northern locomotive one-offs. Burlington Northern (BN) had more than 2,000 diesel locomotives on its roster. With a fleet of that size, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there were more than a few Burlington Northern locomotive one-offs. Paint scheme variations, wreck rebuilds, and test subjects were among the examples I found when searching […]

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A Big Boy adventure photo gallery

Steam shooting from a large black articulated steam locomotive as it pulls its train.

“Been there. Done that.” In no way does this saying apply to standing trackside as Union Pacific No. 4014 — Big Boy — rumbles by. Every trip taken by the world’s largest operating steam locomotive is a new adventure. Here is a spectacle that doesn’t get old. It’s time for a Big Boy adventure. Although […]

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Amtrak insider travel tips from Marc Magliari

Trains.com Director David Popp sits down with Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari for a casual conversation about traveling aboard Amtrak’s Empire Builder, one of America’s premiere, long-distance passenger trains. On the Empire Builder route between Chicago, Ill., and Seattle, Wash./Portland, Ore., passengers get to experience bustling urban centers and the natural beauty of two mountain ranges. […]

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Amtrak insider travel tips from Marc Magliari

Trains.com Director David Popp sits down with Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari for a casual conversation about traveling aboard Amtrak’s Empire Builder, one of America’s premiere, long-distance passenger trains. On the Empire Builder route between Chicago, Ill., and Seattle, Wash./Portland, Ore., passengers get to experience bustling urban centers and the natural beauty of two mountain ranges. […]

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Utah’s FrontRunner adds new station

Commuter station platform under cloudy skies

VINEYARD, Utah — The Utah Transit Authority has opened the first new station in a decade for its FrontRunner commuter rail service, with ceremonies Friday marking the opening of the stop in the fast-growing community of Vineyard. The Salt Lake Tribune reports Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, appearing at Friday morning’s ceremony, noted the commuter rail’s […]

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A Mikado out West, a Reading diesel in Pennsylvania, and a UP freight on the Plains

An Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 2-8-2 Mikado steam locomotive pulls a short freight through a Southwestern desert landscape

September 2022 Trackside Photos   Send us your photos Trackside Photos is a showcase for the work of Model Railroader readers. Send your photos (digital images 5 megapixels or larger) to: Model Railroader, Trackside Photos, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612; or upload them to fileupload.kalmbach.com/contribute. For our photo submission guidelines, contact senior associate editor […]

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A northwest mountain garden railroad

two model trains at a station

A northwest mountain garden railroad: The Pacific Northern Railway was formed when the Northern Pacific and Great Northern Railroads merged in the early 1960s. I chose the name “Pacific Northern” because it included parts of the names of both of the original railroads. The two-tone green passenger-train colors were used because famous designer Raymond Loewy […]

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Big Boy draws big crowds

Large steam locomotive pulling a passenger train around a curve. More of the Big Boy story.

DENVER—In what will most likely be its sole trip of 2022, Union Pacific No. 4014 — Big Boy — is attracting large crowds during a three-day excursion between Cheyenne, Wyo., and Denver. The proceeds from Sunday’s ticketed excursion will support the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Leading a 12-car train, including an […]

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