TENINO, Wash. — Over the last year, the residents of the small western Washington town of Tenino have become accustomed to the sounds of saws and hammers coming from 1920s-era Great Northern caboose X549. The caboose restoration is a joint venture between the town of Tenino and the Tenino Historical Depot. The caboose was purchased […]
Train Topic: Preservation
East Broad Top sets ‘Winter Spectacular’ for Feb. 20
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. — The narrow gauge East Broad Top Railroad has announced details for a one-day revival of its “Winter Spectacular” on Saturday, Feb. 20. The Winter Spectacular was an annual railfan event in south-central Pennsylvania from 1966 to 1981, held each President’s Day weekend. It started with the 1927 gas-electric car No. M-1 […]
Digest: Oregon commuter rail operation costs $108 per passenger, news report says
Still more Tuesday morning rail news: News report says Oregon’s WES commuter rail now costs $108 per passenger to operate Portland, Ore.,-area commuter rail operation Westside Express Service, with already low ridership hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, now costs nearly $108 per passenger to operate — more than 10 times the figures for transit […]
B&O Museum celebrates restoration of first Electro-Motive streamliner
BALTIMORE, Md. — Baltimore & Ohio Railroad No. 51, the first Electro-Motive Corp. streamlined diesel locomotive, was placed on display in the B&O Museum’s historic roundhouse on Jan. 29 following completion of the locomotive’s restoration. The 1937 EA model set the standard for art deco locomotive design by EMC, which later became the Electro-Motive Division […]
Digest: New agreement allows BNSF Bismarck bridge project to move forward
Still more Monday morning rail news: New agreement allows BNSF Bismarck bridge project to move forward without final decision on current bridge BNSF Railway’s long-running effort to replace its 138-year-old Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge over the Missouri River can continue to move forward after a new agreement between the railroad, the U.S. Coast Guard, and […]
Monticello, Ill., museum offers throttle time on rare RS1325 (corrected link)
MONTICELLO, Ill. — The Monticello Railway Museum is offering aa chance to operate its recently acquired former Chicago & Illinois Midland RS1325 No. 31, one of just two such locomotives built. The museum is selling tickets for an hour of throttle time, with participants running the locomotive under direction of a museum locomotive engineer. Those […]
Rio Grande Southern steam locomotive returned to service in Colorado
Follow along with Trains Editor Jim Wrinn as he gets a close look at Rio Grande Southern No. 20 — a newly restored narrow-gauge 4-6-0 steam locomotive now homed at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, Colo. Before 2020, No. 20 had not steamed since the 1950s and required more than a decade of […]
Rio Grande Southern steam locomotive returned to service in Colorado
Follow along with Trains Editor Jim Wrinn as he gets a close look at Rio Grande Southern No. 20 — a newly restored narrow-gauge 4-6-0 steam locomotive now homed at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, Colo. Before 2020, No. 20 had not steamed since the 1950s and required more than a decade of […]
Narrow gauge Denver & Rio Grande Western caboose restored to operation
Colorado’s magnificent Georgetown Loop Railroad rebuilt a unique caboose in 2020. One of a small number of surviving Rio Grande cabooses with eight wheels, the Loop’s caboose adds a new element to this spectacular railroad. Join us for a ride with the man who headed up the restoration. […]
Narrow gauge Denver & Rio Grande Western caboose restored to operation
Colorado’s magnificent Georgetown Loop Railroad rebuilt a unique caboose in 2020. One of a small number of surviving Rio Grande cabooses with eight wheels, the Loop’s caboose adds a new element to this spectacular railroad. Join us for a ride with the man who headed up the restoration. […]
Heisler geared steam locomotives in operation today (2020)
One of the big three of geared steam power, the Heisler was a favorite of loggers and miners from the late 1800s through the 1940s. Propelled by two cylinders powering a crankshaft running under the locomotive, the Heisler provided power and more speed than its competitors, the Shay and the Climax. We’ll look at […]
Heisler geared steam locomotives in operation today (2020)
One of the big three of geared steam power, the Heisler was a favorite of loggers and miners from the late 1800s through the 1940s. Propelled by two cylinders powering a crankshaft running under the locomotive, the Heisler provided power and more speed than its competitors, the Shay and the Climax. We’ll look at […]