The layout at a glance Name: Santa Fe Hereford Subdivision Layout owner: Sammy Carlile Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 25 x 25 feet Prototype: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. Locale: between Amarillo, Texas, and Clovis, N.M. Era: summer 1995 Style: multilevel walk-in Mainline run: 225 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: […]
Zone & Region: Mountain West
Remembering Great Northern passenger trains
All through September 2020, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the history, grit and grandeur of the Great Northern Railway. Please enjoy this Great Northern Railway passenger train photo gallery, originally published in September 2018. If you like this gallery, please take a look at an article on the history of the Great Northern, here. […]
Digest: Proposed Colorado rail line could carry 3 million passengers per year
Still more Monday morning rail news: Front Range rail line could carry 3 million annually New projections suggest the proposed passenger service along Colorado’s Front Range could carry nearly 3 million passengers a year, Colorado Public Radio reports. The line between Fort Collins and Pueblo, Colo, could carry 9,200 people each weekday, according to projections […]
Digest: Commuter rail builders seek $111 million from Denver RTD
More Wednesday morning rail news: Builders of Denver commuter rail lines seek $111 million in lawsuit The consortium that built and maintains most of the commuter rail lines for Denver’s Regional Transportation District, has increased to $111 million the amount it is seeking from the RTD in a lawsuit set to go to court in […]
Geeps on Tennessee Pass
A GP35 and three GP30s lead a 47-car freight up the west side of Denver & Rio Grande Western’s Tennessee Pass at Mitchell, Colorado, in September 1969. Indicative of the severity of the grade, four F units and two older Geeps are cut in as mid-train helpers. […]
Early unit grain train
In 1968, the Great Northern loaded 50 of its new Big Sky blue covered hoppers in Wolf Point, Montana, in an experimental unit train move to an export elevator in Portland, Oregon. In this posed photo, a crewman signals from the train’s modern wide-vision caboose. Photo by Great Northern […]
Digest: Durango & Silverton won’t run to Silverton this year
Saturday morning rail news: Durango & Silverton won’t reach Silverton in 2020 The Durango & Silverton has given up hopes of operating to Silverton this summer, and will continue operating excursions between Rockwood and Cascade for the remainder of the 2020 season. The Durango Herald reports the railroad will offer a minimum of five daily […]
Amtrak reroutes, UP shutdown continue because of Colorado fire (updated)
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — Amtrak’s California Zephyrs were again detoured through Wyoming on Thursday as traffic remains shut down on Union Pacific’s ex-Denver & Rio Grande line between Denver and Grand Junction, Colo., because of a fire near Glenwood Springs. As of Thursday, UP was reporting the Grizzly Creek Fire was threatening a bridge 9 […]
Lighting your garden railroad for nighttime running
I’ve enjoyed some of the most peaceful times on my railroad after the sun has set. Most of us likely have a porch light we can turn on to offer some light in the back yard. If yours is anything like my light, it gives off enough light to make sure your dog does his […]
Virtual garden railroad visits during quarantine
We’ve kept close to home since quarantine and social distancing guidelines have been issued. Club meetings have been canceled; events and open houses have been put on hold. Our hearts go out to anyone affected by COVID-19. Time at home has spawned creative moments, though. I’ve refurbished structures, maintained locomotives and rolling stock, and looked […]
Virtual garden railroad visits during quarantine
We’ve kept close to home since quarantine and social distancing guidelines have been issued. Club meetings have been canceled; events and open houses have been put on hold. Our hearts go out to anyone affected by COVID-19. Time at home has spawned creative moments, though. I’ve refurbished structures, maintained locomotives and rolling stock, and looked […]
Digest: Las Vegas high speed rail project gets bond OK from Nevada
More Friday midday rail news: High speed rail project gets OK for activity bonds from Nevada XpressWest, the Brightline/Virgin Trains subsidiary planning a high speed rail line from Southern California to Las Vegas, has received unanimous approval from the Nevada State Board of Finance for allocation of $200 million in tax-exempt private activity bonds. The […]