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 […]
Train Topic: Preservation
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 […]
Nashville Steam sets fundraising record, meets matching goal for 576 restoration
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The drive to restore Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis 4-8-4 No. 576 to operation has been boosted by a record-breaking, year-end fundraiser that raised $200,000 total. With over $26,000 raised on Giving Tuesday alone and an additional $74,000 raised between November 2021 and January 2022, the non-profit organization successfully met a $100,000 […]
Rare Fairbanks-Morse locomotives looking for new home
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 […]
Cumbres & Toltec’s 2021 was good by most measures, and 2022 is shaping up nicely
CHAMA, N.M. — After weathering the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns of 2020 and 2021, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad ridership rebounded to within 11% of 2019 ridership, railroad President Scott Gibbs tells Trains News Wire. With most restrictions lifted by July 1, 2021, the railroad carried 37,735 riders for the year versus 42,451 in 2019, Gibbs […]
Ten unusual locomotive paint schemes in North America
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 […]
How the ‘Golden Spike Centennial Limited’ came to be
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 […]
Port Jervis Transportation History Center sets festival for grand opening
PORT JERVIS, N.Y. — After more than two years of planning and development, the Port Jervis Transportation History Center is set to celebrate its grand opening Memorial Day Weekend with the first Port Jervis Transportation Festival. Also, the Dining Car Society has announced it will move its collection of seven historic passenger equipment from Scranton, […]
News photos: Nevada museum picks up former Fillmore & Western equipment
FILLMORE, Calif. – Former Fillmore & Western Alco S6 1059, a heavyweight passenger car, and a detrucked Pacific Fruit Express wood-sheathed refrigerator car left Fillmore on Tuesday by low-boy trucks for their new home at the Virginia & Truckee Railroad in Virginia City, Nevada. The diesel, former Southern Pacific No. 1059, was numbered 1229 in […]
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic commission votes to restore Rio Grande K-37
CHAMA, N.M. — We may yet see a Rio Grande K-37 climb Cumbres Pass once more. On Saturday, the two-state commission that oversees the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad voted to restore a Rio Grande K-37 2-8-2, returning that model to the 64-mile narrow gauge railroad for the first time since 2002 when No. 497 […]
New boiler will allow Buffalo Creek & Gauley No. 4 to run again
CASS, W.Va. — Buffalo Creek & Gauley Railroad 2-8-0 No. 4, the last steam locomotive in revenue service on the fabled West Virginia short line, will steam again, thanks to a plan to obtain a new boiler for the Consolidation. John Smith, CEO of Cass Scenic Railroad and West Virginia Central Railroad operator Durbin & […]
Pere Marquette No. 1225 to undergo extensive running-gear work
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 […]