Back to business travel aboard Amtrak

Travel aboard a long-distance train for business? Before you set your time machine back to 1951, you might want to consider the perks of booking an overnight trip on a present-day Amtrak train! That’s precisely what Trains.com staffers did when they needed to get themselves, plus all their photography and video gear, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, […]

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Back to business travel aboard Amtrak

Travel aboard a long-distance train for business? Before you set your time machine back to 1951, you might want to consider the perks of booking an overnight trip on a present-day Amtrak train! That’s precisely what Trains.com staffers did when they needed to get themselves, plus all their photography and video gear, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, […]

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Nevada Northern Railway’s 2-8-0 No. 81 in steam

Steam locomotive with white smoke plume seen from a low angle.

In Fall 2021, Nevada Northern Railway celebrated the return of 2-8-0 Consolidation-type steam locomotive No. 81 after sitting cold for decades. No. 81’s return also coincided with the 81st anniversary of Trains Magazine, whose staff cancelled most celebrations in 2020 because of the on-going pandemic. Join Trains Editor Jim Wrinn, Nevada Northern crews, and a […]

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Rocky Mountaineer Colorado Adventure

In the fall of 2021, Trains.com staff rode Amtrak train no. 5, California Zephyr from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Denver, Colorado, with the expressed intent of capturing seasonal operations of Rocky Mountaineer’s Colorado-Utah excursion. While best known for day treks into the Canadian Rockies, this new Rocky Mountaineer route offers patrons a similar mountain canyon experience […]

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Remembering Milwaukee Road locomotives

Broadside of streamlined steam locomotive in valley

Milwaukee Road locomotives All through November, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the multi-faceted Milwaukee Road. Please enjoy this photo gallery of Milwaukee Road selected from the image archives of Kalmbach Media’s David P. Morgan Library. The Milwaukee Road operated with steam, electric, and diesel motive power in its Midwest-to-Northwest service area. There are examples in […]

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Excursions to begin on New Mexico short line

Locomotive with elaborate purple dragon paint scheme

SANTA FE, N.M. — A group of entrepreneurs who purchased the old Santa Fe Southern Railway in 2020 plan to begin offering excursions Dec. 3. “Every train ride will be embedded in entertainment,” Sky Railway co-owner Bill Banowsky told the Santa Fe New Mexican in announcing plans for the new attraction. Santa will be aboard […]

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Milwaukee Road freight trains photo gallery

Streamlined electric locomotive leads freight train with four diesels through mountain valley in snow

All through November, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the multi-faceted Milwaukee Road. Please enjoy this photo gallery of Milwaukee Road freight trains selected from the image archives of Kalmbach Media’s David P. Morgan Library. In its history, the Milwaukee Road operated freight service from as far as Louisville, Ky., west to Tacoma, Wash., and Portland, […]

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Diesel hydraulics: Diesels that didn’t

Gray and red diesel locomotive pulls stock cars

North American railroads never found a broad use for freight service diesel locomotives with a hydraulic drive, making them another case of the “diesels that didn’t.” Germany was the early leader in developing and building diesel locomotives that utilized direct-drive transmissions. Those early models in the 1930s incorporated torque converters and gears in lieu of […]

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Amtrak ‘Winter Park Express’ set to return in January

Passenger train on curve in snow

WINTER PARK, Colo. — Amtrak’s Winter Park Express ski train service will return in January, launching 12 weeks of Friday-Saturday-Sunday service between Denver and the Winter Park Resort. Service begins the weekend of Jan. 14-16 and will continue through the weekend of April 1-3, with one-way fares beginning at $29, and fares for kids ages […]

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