Great Smoky Mountain Railroad to restore Southern No. 722 to operation

Steam locomotive with green paint scheme and passenger cars

Southern No. 722 BRYSON CITY, N.C. — The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad has announced plans to restore operation Southern Railway No. 722, a 2-8-0 built by Baldwin in 1904. Plans are to convert the locomotive from coal to oil firing in a process estimated to be completed in 2026, the railroad said in a press […]

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Maine legislature seeks to end confidentiality for rail shipment of hazardous materials

Derailed locomotives and freight cars

AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Legislature is considering a bill that would repeal an earlier act that created confidentiality for information about hazardous material transported on railroads. LD1937, sponsored by House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland) and co-sponsored by Sen. Richard A. Bennett (R-Portland), would repeal the bill passed in 2015. The Bangor Daily News, […]

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News photos: A PA arrives in Pa. (updated)

Blue and white locomotive with four gray and white diesels

SCRANTON, Pa. — Alco PA Nickel Plate 190 has arrived at its new home. Completing its cross-country journey from Portland, Ore., the locomotive is now in Scranton, handed over to new owner Genesee Valley Transportation by Norfolk Southern this evening. GVT and the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad will restore the locomotive, which has an operable prime mover […]

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Vintage railcar with Elvis connection at Pullman Railroad Days this weekend

Interior of vintage passenger car, with photo of Elvis Presley on seat nearest camera

CHICAGO —The Historic Pullman Foundation’s annual “Railroad Days” open house at Pullman National Historical Park on Saturday and Sunday will again host passenger cars that were built at the plant on Chicago’s South Side. Cars displayed this year, at Metra’s 111th Street station, date from 1923 to 1950. Heavyweight business car New York Central #3, […]

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My first model railroad operating session

MyfirstoperatingsessiongradeD

My first model railroad operating session: One morning each month I join the Old Codgers, a group of mostly retired model railroaders, for breakfast followed by an operating session at one of the group’s home layouts. I hosted the Codgers on my N scale layout for the first time this past August, having given myself a year […]

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Union Pacific announces Big Boy trip to Omaha

A Big Boy locomotive leads a yellow passenger train through the Great Plains.

Big Boy trip 2023 OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 will travel to Omaha, Neb., for 11 days of display during the NCAA College World Series baseball championship tournament, the railroad announced today. The locomotive and its train of heritage passenger cars will depart Cheyenne, Wyo., on the “Home Run Express Tour,” […]

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Norfolk Southern debuts new emissions report tool for customers

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has launched a Rail Emissions Report tool that, in an industry first, uses fuel burn data directly from locomotives. “Fuel burn can be applied to each shipment based on the weight as it travels across the Norfolk Southern network,” a railroad spokeswoman says. “Combining fuel burn with other estimates for yard […]

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UP promotes Jalali to executive vice president

Man in blue coat and white shirt

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific is promoting Chief Information Officer Rahul Jalali to executive vice president, effective June 1. He joined UP in 2020 and has most recently been a senior vice president and chief information office, and is credited by the railroad with a pivotal role in the company’s modernization efforts and leading development, […]

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Genesee Valley Transportation provides viewing area for PA’s arrival

Men shaking hands in front of blue and white diesel locomotive

SCRANTON, Pa. — Genesee Valley Transportation and the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad plan to provide a public viewing area for the arrival of Alco PA Nickel Plate 190, scheduled for today (Friday, May 19). GTV posted Thursday on its Facebook Page that the locomotive is expected to arrive about 5:30 p.m. and the viewing area will be […]

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Midwest Central Railroad profile

Midwest Central Railroad logo

The Midwest Old Threshers Reunion is the largest of its kind in the U.S. Farmers and old tractor enthusiasts gather for fun and demonstrations of steam tractors, early gas tractors, and other period farm implements. In 1959, a group of Old Threshers Board Members wanted to establish a steam railroad at the site. A separate […]

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