OMAHA, Neb. — It will take several more weeks for Union Pacific to fully recover from California wildfires that disrupted service on its I-5 and Feather River corridors. “Everyone here is focused on ensuring that we can get the system ramped back up,” says Eric Gehringer, UP’s executive vice president of operations. “It is not […]
Railroad: Union Pacific
Rocky Mountaineer debuts excursions out of Denver
DENVER — Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer launched its first all-U.S. route Sunday with the first departure from Denver of the “Rockies to the Red Rocks” daytime excursion to Moab, Utah. The train utilizes leased Union Pacific SD70 locomotives pulling SilverLeaf coaches, former Canadian National cars from the 1950s which have been remanufactured with larger windows and […]
Union Pacific hit by washouts in Southwest
OMAHA, Neb. — The weather-related service disruptions just keep mounting for Union Pacific. Already hit hard this summer by fire-related closures, the railroad on Saturday informed customers of a series of washouts caused by torrential rains in Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas. “Our engineering teams are actively working to restore service to areas which […]
Coast Starlight to resume full-route operation Aug. 23 (corrected)
OAKLAND, Calif. — Amtrak will resume operation of the Coast Starlight over its full Seattle-Los Angeles route, beginning with departures from both endpoints on Monday, Aug. 23, following completion of bridge work between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, Calif. However, the train’s sleeping-car inventory currently remains limited for more than a month after its […]
Union Pacific Big Boy differences from the 2019 tour
Union Pacific Big Boy differences from its 2019 tour are subtle, but you can still see them. Here are some of the most visible changes to the engine that you can spot as the engine rolls by or during one of its display stops. Big Boy cylinder head and piston head covers Big Boys had […]
Big Boy Hot Spot: Dexter, Mo.
BIG BOY HOT SPOT Location If you’re for Union Pacific Big Boy Hot Spot this summer, don’t miss the Dexter, Missouri, community. Dexter is situated in the rural southeast corner of Missouri in Stoddard County, about halfway between St. Louis and Memphis. It is surrounded by fertile soil, vast row-crop farmland, and straight, high speed […]
Locomotives on Big Boy’s 2021 route
These are the steam locomotives on Big Boy’s 2021 route. In August and September 2021, Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 will travel from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to New Orleans through Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, among other places. Classic Trains offers this photo gallery of steam locomotives from railroading’s high-period, showcasing those […]
Analysis: Union Pacific bridge repairs show how railroads get the job done
Independent analyst Anthony B. Hatch is fond of saying that one of freight railroads’ enduring advantages is owning and maintaining their own infrastructure. Nothing could drive that point home better than the repair blitz that Union Pacific launched after its 1,200-foot Dry Canyon Bridge sustained heavy damage from a wildfire. The 150-foot-tall span in Hotlum, […]
Big Boy excursion from New Orleans nears sellout
NEW ORLEANS — Limited tickets remain for the Aug. 22 excursion from New Orleans to Plaquemine, La., to be pulled by UP Big Boy No. 4014. The excursion, the only one planned on this year’s Big Boy tour, is a fundraiser for the Union Pacific Museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The trip along the Mississippi […]
County officials accept donation to fund Palestine, Texas, suit against
PALESTINE, Texas — County officials have accepted a donation of more than $14,000 for the court case seeking to keep Union Pacific from closing its car shop in Palestine, per an agreement that originated more than a century ago. The Palestine Herald-Press reports the Anderson County Commissioners Court has accepted $14,500 raised by an online […]
Western Pacific Railroad: passenger trains
All through August 2021, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the history and legacy of the Western Pacific Railroad. In this article, please enjoy a photo gallery of Western Pacific Railroad passenger trains in their prime. This gallery was first published in July 2016. Only from Classic Trains! […]
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern working to clear intermodal congestion
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern told federal regulators today that congestion in their busiest international intermodal terminals has been due to disruptions that are beyond their control. Both railroads have taken steps to limit the flow of containers, particularly to their terminals in Chicago, where bottlenecks have arisen from an unprecedented combination of […]