The Wabash’s Chicago–St. Louis Banner Blue rolls through Chicago Ridge, Ill., in August 1948. Carrying the markers is a classic open-platform parlor-observation car. The Banner Blue would remain an all-heavyweight train until 1960. Bob Borcherding photo […]
Zone & Region: Midwest
Second structure of Hamilton, Ohio, station set for move on Tuesday
HAMILTON, Ohio — The second structure of Hamilton’s former Baltimore & Ohio depot is slated to be moved on Tuesday, joining the first building that was relocated in December, the Hamilton Journal-News reports. The one-story building will make a roughly 1,100-foot journey along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard from CSX Transportation property to a city-owned […]
Arizona man sentenced for phone threats to UP headquarters, other sites in Omaha
OMAHA, Neb. — A 42-year-old Arizona man has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for calling in threats to Union Pacific headquarters and other Omaha locations in April 2021. The Omaha World-Herald reports Andrew Isaac Abrams of Tucson was sentenced for transmitting threats through interstate commerce on Friday, Jan. 13, according to a […]
Small-town IC depot
The Illinois Central’s depot at Emery, Ill., 9 miles north of Decatur on IC’s original line down the center of the state, served as a train-order station and also had a small freight room. Note the Western Union telegraph sign at the corner of the building. Classic Trains coll. […]
Steam in the snow
There’s just something special about witnessing steam trains working through winter weather. Watching as huge clouds of hot exhaust condense into steam in the cold air. Come with us for a quick trip across the United States, as we look back on some of our favorite Steam in the Snow moments. If you want to […]
Garden Variety Railroad Show | Snow Week Special
One of the most appealing aspects of garden railroading is the fact it can be enjoyed year-round in the great outdoors! And with the proper equipment at hand, large scale trains can even run in a moderate accumulation of fresh, crystalize precipitation. In this video, you’ll see the efforts a few resilient railway owners made […]
Rehab My Railroad | Rehab Effort Recap, Episode 16
Work on the HO scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy (MR&T) Jones Island project has come to a close, so it’s prime time for David Popp and Eric White to survey the 14 x 3-foot finished layout section! Follow along as the two hosts, along with Cody Grivno and Ben Lake, point out specific scenes and […]
Rehab My Railroad | Rehab Effort Recap, Episode 16
Work on the HO scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy (MR&T) Jones Island project has come to a close, so it’s prime time for David Popp and Eric White to survey the 14 x 3-foot finished layout section! Follow along as the two hosts, along with Cody Grivno and Ben Lake, point out specific scenes and […]
Community resistance meets Norfolk Southern effort to expand Chicago rail yard
CHICAGO — Norfolk Southern efforts to expand a rail yard on Chicago’s South Side have run into resistance from local residents concerned the railroad has not followed through on promises of job opportunities, as well as on the effects of the surrounding neighborhood. Local news site Block Club Chicago reports the railroad is continuing work […]
DeKalb, Ill., funds study on possible Metra service
DeKALB, Ill. — The DeKalb City Council has voted to fund a transportation study aimed at determining the feasibility of bringing Metra commuter rail service to the city. At its meeting earlier this week, the council voted unanimously to fund a $98,379 study by Sam Schwartz Consulting LLC “to identify potential ridership, capital costs, and […]
Iowa Interstate acquires Iowa City land for transload facility
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa Interstate Railroad will purchase 30 acres in Iowa City’s Industrial Campus for a new rail-to-truck transloading facility, the railroad and city have announced. In addition to being adjacent to the Iowa Interstate mainline, the facility, set to open this summer, is close to Interstate 80 and U.S. routes 6 and […]
Sedalia celebration
Workers at Missouri Pacific’s Sedalia (Mo.) shops line up in a “V for victory” formation in August 1942 in a ceremony to commemorate the last of 25 Sedalia-built 4-8-4s. Missouri Pacific photo […]