CHEHALIS, Wash. — The president of the Chehalis-Central Railroad and Museum has resigned as the railroad deals with its shutdown because of a lack of insurance, saying in an email that the “organization is doomed to fail and I will not be a part of that failure.” The Centralia Chronicle reports that James Folk, who […]
Train Topic: Preservation
Age of Steam Roundhouse, Trains Magazine offer exclusive photo event May 20
SUGARCREEK, Ohio — Age of Steam Roundhouse and Trains Magazine will sponsor an exclusive day of photography May 20 at the venue that houses the late Jerry Joe Jacobson’s extensive steam locomotive collection. The day will begin with the operation of Moorhead & North Fork 0-6-0 No. 12 and then move inside, where locomotives ranging […]
Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society saves equipment from former museum sites
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Three locomotives and four other pieces of rolling stock have been saved for preservation by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, thanks to a generous donation and the assistance of two Indiana communities. The equipment had been left behind and was in deteriorating condition at former locations of the Indiana Transportation […]
Sugar Express sets steam excursions for April 9-10
CLEWISTON, Fla. — U.S. Sugar’s Sugar Express will operate its restored Alco 4-6-2 steam locomotive, No. 148, on two days of train rides between Clewiston and Moore Haven in April. Two-hour round trips on April 9-10 will depart Clewiston at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 4 p.m. each day. Each trip will feature No. 148 […]
Accident losses led to end of insurance for Washington state heritage railroad
CHEHALIS, Wash. — Documents detailing more than $1 million in losses over a 6-year period led to the inability of the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum’s inability to obtain liability insurance, the heritage railroad’s insurance broker explained earlier this week at an emergency meeting of the railroad’s board of directors. The lack of insurance has forced […]
Kentucky Steam, Pueblo Railway Foundation swap parts for steam locomotive restorations
RAVENNA, Ky. — Part of a Santa Fe engine is heading East to help return a locomotive to operating condition, thanks to a creative collaboration between two unlikely preservation partners. Two non-profit organizations, the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. and the Pueblo (Colo.) Railway Foundation, will swap locomotive components, bringing one 78-year-old locomotive’s restoration closer to […]
Preservation group claims state owns aging North Dakota rail bridge BNSF seeks to replace
BISMARCK, N.D. — In a new twist to a lengthy battle by a preservation group to save a BNSF Railway bridge over the Missouri River between Bismarck and Mandan, N.D. — which has thwarted railroad efforts to build a new structure — the Friends of the Rail Bridge is claiming the bridge in question actually […]
Washington state heritage railroad suspends operations
CHEHALIS, Wash. — An inability to obtain insurance has forced the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum to suspend passenger operations until further notice, and perhaps for good. The heritage rail operation posted a notification on its Facebook page Saturday that it would halt operations, saying it was “looking to resume operations as soon as we are […]
Waterloo Central GMD1 locomotive debuts in new paint scheme
ELMIRA, Ontario — A rare GMD1 locomotive donated by Canadian National to the Waterloo Central Railway in April 2021 has emerged in new paint. The former CN No. 1437 made its first appearance on the heritage railway on March 5, 2022, as WCR No. 1012. “It’s all because of the volunteers; they did an amazing […]
Tourist railroads poised for a strong rebound in 2022: Analysis
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — People are vacationing again, and travel spending is close to pre-pandemic 2019 levels. This means as more Americans travel in 2022, tourist and heritage rail attractions can focus on what is normal: selling seats and injecting much-needed cashflow into tourist rail and preservation. This year is likely to be the first season […]
Preserved Santa Fe SD45-2 restored to bicentennial scheme
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mid-America Car of Kansas City has completed the cosmetic restoration of former Santa Fe SD45-2 No. 5704 — donated to the Southern California Railroad Museum in Perris, Calif., in 2021 — to the eye-catching bicentennial paint scheme it wore in the mid-1970s. Mid-America’s craftsmen took several months to recreate the appearance […]
Last Baldwin steams again in preview of 2022 season
CUMBERLAND, Md. — Western Maryland Scenic Railroad and Trains Magazine kicked off the 2022 steam season at the Cumberland, Md.-based tourist railroad with a three-day photo charter featuring former Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 No. 1309, the last Baldwin built for domestic service and now the world’s largest operating Mallet. Some 100 enthusiasts were on hand […]