DURANGO, Colo. — Full Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad service to Silverton, Colo., will resume today (Friday, June 28), the railroad announced Thursday afternoon. Service to Silverton, the railroad’s northern endpoint, has been suspended since the morning of June 22, when a rock slide was discovered that had covered the tracks at milepost 485.9, […]
Railroad: Tourist Railroad
Durango & Silverton disruption from rock slide continues
DURANGO, Colo. — Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad service to Silverton, Colo., remains suspended as a result of a rock slide last week, according to an update on the railroad’s website. The heritage railroad had hoped to be able to restore service by midweek after a slide discovered on Saturday, June 22, covered the […]
Rock slide blocks Durango & Silverton route
DURANGO, Colo. — Trips to Silverton, Colo., on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad could be disrupted until at least Wednesday, June 26, after a rock slide was discovered Saturday morning, the Durango Herald reports. The slide, near Milepost 486 north of Needleton, was reported at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. It occurred sometime after the […]
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad adds two Alco diesels
PENINSULA, Ohio — The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad announced it has acquired an Alco FPA4 and an FPB4 from the Grand Canyon Railway, and aims to purchase one more of each unit from the Grand Canyon. The two diesels will join three FPA4 units already on the Cuyahoga Valley roster and are part of what […]
Five Shays run in Cass Scenic Railroad’s fifth annual Parade of Steam
CASS, W.Va. — Some 3,000 spectators descended on the tiny mountain town of Cass on Saturday, June 15, to see, photograph, and record all five of Cass Scenic Railroad’s operational Shay locomotives in the fifth annual Parade of Steam. Beginning on the inner station track with Shay No. 11 (Construction No. 3221, 1923; Class 90-3, […]
Riverside & Great Northern Railway: A Grand scale visit
In the Wisconsin Dells, tourism is the region’s life blood. The Riverside & Great Northern Railway, located just one mile north of the downtown area, is one destination worthy of a Grand scale visit. Yes, it is grand scale (well-known for park railroading) and operates on 15-inch gauge track, but the smaller size is fitting. […]
Catskill Mountain Railroad converts locomotives to biodiesel fuel
KINGSTON, N.Y. — The Catskill Mountain Railroad has converted its locomotives to run on 100% biodiesel fuel and says it is the first heritage railroad in the country to do so, the railroad has announced. The railroad operates with a pair of Alco locomotives. RS1 No. 401 was built in March 1950 for the Illinois […]
Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad receives grant to restore track to operation
ELBE, Wash. — The Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad has received a $50,000 grant from the Port of Tacoma Local Economic Development Investment Fund for track expansion and restoration between Elbe and New Reliance, Wash., the railroad has announced. The 5.5-mile project will almost double the Mt. Rainier’s operable mileage and move it closer to its […]
Friends of EBT reaches $1 million in donations since 2020
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. – Already powering past its current-year fund-raising goal, the volunteer Friends of the East Broad Top group has hit another milestone, announcing this week that since the historic East Broad Top Railroad was reopened in 2020, the group has raised $1 million in donations. The 33-mile-long narrow gauge EBT, a National Historic […]
Guest whistle and summer launch spotlights Grand Canyon No. 4960’s May-June excursions
WILLIAMS, Ariz. — Grand Canyon Railway steam locomotive No. 4960 has transitioned to its regular, once-a-month schedule after a busy April of public and private excursions [see “Grand Canyon No. 4960 concludes April operations…,” Trains News Wire, April 25, 2024]. The 2-8-2 was called on for two days of the “First Saturday” excursion in May […]
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad CEO announces retirement
PENINSULA, Ohio — Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad President and CEO Joe Mazur will retire from the heritage railroad as of Sept. 30, the railroad announced Thursday. Mazur joined the railroad in March 2017 following a career in arena management and as President/CEO of International Soap Box Derby, the Akron, Ohio, organization where he had worked […]
Young Guns in Preservation: Russell Heerdt
Railway preservation is important for museums and tourist railroads. But each non- and for-profit approaches this differently. For Special Events Coordinator Russell Heerdt of the for-profit Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, keeping the doors open, lights on, and wheels turning is a juxtaposition between individual organizations. How did you get involved in rail preservation? […]