Monticello Railway Museum adds IC switcher to collection

Blue switcher with painted-over company name

MONTICELLO, Ill. — The Monticello Railway Museum in Central Illinois is adding to its collection with the donation of former Illinois Central SW14 No. 1407. Following a career in private lease service, No. 1407 was graciously donated by GATX Locomotive Group. The unit, now GMTX No. 526, is currently stored in Lexington, Ky. No. 1407 […]

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East Broad Top sells out Winter Spectacular

ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. — The East Broad Top Foundation posted a sold-out Winter Spectacular celebration Feb. 18-19, with 10 internal-combustion-powered trips over its restored main line between Rockhill Furnace and Colgate Grove and tours of the roundhouse and station archives. This year’s winter event built on the success of the Foundation’s first Winter Spectacular in […]

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Rare Fairbanks-Morse locomotives looking for new home

Black and white photo of train in mountains with three diesels

CALGARY, Alberta — The Locomotive & Railway Historical Society of Western Canada is seeking homes for three Fairbanks-Morse locomotives that will become homeless later this year. The locomotives are Canadian Pacific FM H16-44 No. 8554, part of Canadian Pacific’s former historical collection, and a pair of Canadian Pacific FM CPB16-4 B units built as CP […]

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Ten unusual locomotive paint schemes in North America

Ten unusual locomotive paint schemes: white locomotive with black cowprint

These ten unusual locomotive paint schemes are a sight to behold. Railroads usually spend a lot of money and time to create an image. Lettering, a paint scheme, a “look” is all important for consistency and brand identification. So, here are a few examples of locomotive paint schemes that were either derivations of the original […]

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How the ‘Golden Spike Centennial Limited’ came to be

End of blue passenger train with sign highlighting railroad spikes

The Golden Spike Centennial Limited was born, in promoter Ross Rowland Jr.’s mind, as a reaction to the Association of American Railroads’ not planning anything special to mark the 100th anniversary of the nation-uniting event on the new transcontinental railroad at Promontory, Utah, in 1869. The apathy was perhaps typical of the Class I railroads […]

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Pere Marquette No. 1225 to undergo extensive running-gear work

black steam locomotive with large smoke plume on a clear blue sky day

OWOSSO, Mich. — The Steam Railroading Institute has retained FWM Solutions to perform the most extensive running-gear work on Pere Marquette 2-8-4 No. 1225 since prior to the steam locomotive’s retirement in 1951. In work underwritten by grants and donations, the locomotive will be lifted so 30 tons of drivers, axles, and wheel assemblies can […]

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