Five mind-blowing facts — Golden Spike Ceremony

On May 10, 1869, the first Transcontinental Railroad was completed during the Golden Spike Ceremony. Yes, every rail enthusiast and elementary school student has this date ingrained in their mind. The rail enthusiast probably remembers the date better than the elementary school student, but nonetheless, it is a significant date in U.S. history. However, for […]

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News photos: The Empress needs a raincoat

Steam engine and tugboat on Mississippi River

Canadian Pacific Railway Class H1-b Hudson No. 2816 continued its Final Spike Steam tour on Thursday,  May 9, operating over former Milwaukee Road trackage into Iowa following a display day in Franklin Park, Ill., on Wednesday. The 4-6-4 and the CPKC executive train rolled west across the former Milwaukee Road D&I (Dubuque and Illinois) Division […]

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MR&T HO buffer car

Color photo of HO scale covered hopper painted gray with black and yellow graphics.

Price: $27.99 Manufacturer Produced by Accurail, available from Kalmbach Hobby Store KalmbachHobbyStore.com Era: 2015+ Comments: A Milwaukee, Racine & Troy (MR&T) HO buffer car is the latest addition to the Kalmbach Hobby Store. The injection-molded plastic kit, produced in the United States of America by Accurail Inc., uses the manufacturer’s 6500-series Pullman-Standard 4,750-cubic-foot capacity three-bay […]

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BNSF bridge at Fort Madison, Iowa, reopens after barge strike

Train with orange locomotives rounds curve

FORT MADISON, Iowa — BNSF Railway’s bridge across the Mississippi River between Fort Madison and Niota, Ill., was briefly closed today after having been struck by a barge, but has been reopened, according to authorities. The Hancock County (Ill.) Sheriff’s Office reported the closure at about 1:40 p.m.; police in Fort Madison posted on Facebook […]

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