Harold Borovec, a significant figure in steam preservation in the Pacific Northwest, died June 10 at age 96. Borovec, born in 1927 in Chehalis, Wash., served as an engineer and mechanical officer for several steam tourist operations in Washington state, including the Puget Sound & Snoqualmie Railroad, the Camp 6 logging exhibit in Tacoma, the […]
Visit the Golden Spike National Historic Site where the Transcontinental Railroad was completed with the driving of a golden spike on May 10, 1869. Promontory Summit has been preserved by the National Park Service much as it existed over 150 years ago and includes a visitors’ center, several miles of preserved right-of-way, and two full-size, […]
On the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, three-foot-gauge trains, pulled by original Baldwin steam locomotives, operate through mountains and deserts over tracks laid down in the 1880s. This 64-mile line, once part of the Denver & Rio Grande Western, is America’s longest and highest narrow-gauge railroad and features steep grades and magnificent vistas of western […]
Steam, diesel, and electric power from rail lines across the Midwest operate side-by-side at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Ill., which is located 90 minutes northwest of Chicago along a former interurban line, the Elgin & Belvidere. The campus is home to over 450 pieces of railroad equipment and includes 27 steam locomotives, 50 […]
The Big Boy Men William M. Jeffers, Union Pacific Railroad president, and Otto Jabelmann, vice president — research and mechanical standards, began their careers in the lowest ranking positions. Both men were known for their tempers and a belief that the only way to get a job done was to do it with their own […]
The museum recreates the experience of Midwest branch line railroading as it existed decades ago. Visitors first take a train ride aboard restored 1915 steel passenger cars pulled by a diesel locomotive over the former Chicago & North Western “Rattlesnake Line.” Afterward, there are numerous indoor and outdoor exhibits to discover on the spacious museum […]
THOMASTON, Conn. — The Railroad Museum of New England will host the “Night on the Naug” photo event on June 24, a fundraiser to repair damage to the museum’s Maine Central snowplow sustained during a recent vandalism incident. All proceeds will go to the museum. The event is scheduled to begin with an evening briefing […]
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is taking significant steps to address potential traffic issues during the upcoming closure of a 90-year-old highway tunnel, offering free service on the Blue Line subway and lowering fares on the Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail route. Those changes will come July 5 through Aug. 31, when the Sumner Tunnel […]
PALESTINE, Texas — The Texas State Railroad, a heritage railway in East Texas, will receive $10 million under the budget passed last month by the state legislature. The Palestine Herald-Press reports funding will go toward capital projects that could include tie and ballast work, replacement of 100-year-old rails, railcar maintenance, safety improvements, and other projects. […]
PHILADELPHIA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is moving to add service on three Regional Rail lines following the collapse of a bridge today (Sunday, June 11) on Interstate 95, a problem that could snarl commuting and impact other traffic on the East Coast’s primary north-south highway for months. The bridge collapsed following a fire […]
The Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad offer a 4-mile ride behind a 15-ton, 2-foot-gauge steam locomotive. Trains depart from the restored Bull Hill depot in Cripple Creek and follow the Midland Terminal Railway right-of-way south through the foothills of the “World’s Greatest Gold Camp.” The train steams through Poverty Gulch, where gold was […]
The Black Hills Central Railroad 1880 Train offers scenic rides in the heart of South Dakota’s Black Hills. The steam-powered trip between Hill City and Keystone, S.D., features steep grades and sharp curves, as well as beautiful vistas of Black Elk Peak, the highest point in North America east of the Rocky Mountains. Choices The […]
