No. 844 will join No. 4014, shown at Pomona, Calif., in 2013, on its inaugural run. Trains: Jim Wrinn CHEYENNE, Wyo. — When Union Pacific’s westbound steam doubleheader leaves Cheyenne on May 4 in the inaugural run of Big Boy No. 4014, the 4-8-8-4 will lead 4-8-4 No. 844, a UP spokeswoman tells Trains News […]
Chinese workers load rail onto a tracklaying car from the piles left by the morning’s supply train. Sixteen rails, a keg of spikes, a keg of nuts and bolts, and 32 splice bars, along with the crew made the load. Horses to pull the car stand ready. The location is Granite Point, Nev., in late […]
Grading on the Central Pacific was done by hand, relying primarily on Chinese using picks, shovels, and horse-drawn dump carts, though black powder was freely used to break hard soil and move rocks aside. This scene is the 170-foot deep excavation at Prospect Hill, Calif. It dates from summer 1866, when more than a thousand […]
Notable U.S. and Canadian railroad completions Trains: Rick Johnson Promontory Summit, Utah, may have hosted North America’s most famous final-spike ceremony, but the event on May 10, 1869, was not unique. Not all railroads had a completion “moment:” the New York Central is an example of a railroad formed through a series of mergers and […]
Railroad spike diagram Rick Johnson SPIKE dimensions are precise and have been set by such groups as the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association for decades. Spikes are made of relatively low-carbon steel, which is softer than the steel used in rail and spike mauls. This is important because when a spike is driven, it […]
Will No. 4014, No. 844, or diesel power a July 15 excursion from Omaha, Neb., to Boone, Iowa? Trains: Jim Wrinn OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific will operate an excursion from its headquarters city of Omaha, Neb., to Boone, Iowa, traveling across the famous Kate Shelley Bridge on July 15, the UP Museum confirmed Monday. […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Enjoy this unique 3-D rendering of the around-the-wall HO scale model railroad David Popp developed in his multi-part “Designing a layout” planning series for MR Video Plus. […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Enjoy this unique 3-D rendering of the around-the-wall HO scale model railroad David Popp developed in his multi-part “Designing a layout” planning series for MR Video Plus. […]
Operating changes at Union Pacific will include shutting down the humps at two yards, and moving funding for the Brazos Yard to Sunset Route improvements. Union Pacific OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has stopped building its new classification yard in Texas, idled the humps at yards in Oregon and Arkansas, and plans more yard rationalizations […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific reported record first-quarter operating income on Thursday despite the impact of severe winter weather and historic flooding that crippled key routes and resulted in volume declines. “I am extremely proud of the men and women of Union Pacific and applaud their heroic efforts to safely restore our rail network,” CEO […]
Workers who built the first Transcontinental Railroad, by hand, in the late 1860s labored through grueling heat, biting winter cold, snow, attacks from Native American tribes, and long, long work days. Learn how they did it with this excerpt from one of Trains’ newest DVD’s, Journey To Promontory, available from the Kalmbach Hobby Store. EXCERPT TRANSCRIPT: Dave Seidel, […]
OAKLAND, Calif. — Union Pacific has joined with the maritime industry in expressing concerns over the proposed location of a new ballpark for the Oakland Athletics, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The ballpark would be built at the current site of the Charles P. Howard Terminal, a container facility on Oakland’s Inner Harbor. One side […]
