A Dakota Southern SD7 sits on rebuilt track at Chamberlain, S.D. Pat Malone CHAMBERLAIN, S.D. — A shortline railroad is boosting its grain business after reopening more than 40 miles of main line in South Dakota. The Dakota Southern started hauling unit grain trains to the Wheat Growers Cooperative in Kennebec, S.D., earlier this harvest […]
An on-time eastbound Empire Builder pauses at Minot, N.D., for servicing on Aug. 20, 2014. Bob Johnston RUGBY, N.D. — Snow and ice are burying much of North Dakota this week, but Amtrak’s Empire Builder soldiers on. While national TV news and published reports recounted how thousands of flights were cancelled, trucks jackknifed all over […]
Union Pacific 4-8-4 Northern-type No. 844 pictured at LaSalle, Colo., in 2009. The famed locomotive made a triumphant come back in 2016 after repairs and a 1,472-day overhaul. Bruce A. Daugherty WAUKESHA, Wis. — When Union Pacific 4-8-4 No. 844 returned to the rails under its own power this year, we were reminded of what […]
Ron Ziel as he appeared in 1975 for a wedding announcement. The announcement includes a note that he and his wife, Elizabeth McAtic, had no time for a real honeymoon since they were about to spend six weeks in Africa imaging steam locomotives. Ron Ziel IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Ron Ziel, whose book “The Twilight […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — Progress Rail is shipping the first two production SD70ACe-T4s to Union Pacific this week. They will be the first EMD Tier 4 units ordered by a customer to be placed in revenue service. The locomotives, UP Nos. 3012 and 3014 were shipped from Bombardier’s Sahagun, Mexico, plant, arriving in Laredo on […]
A special Brightline train is set to complete its more than 3,000-mile journey from California to south Florida this week. The train was on Florida East Coast rails for the first time today in Jacksonville, Fla., with FEC milepost 0 immediately behind the train. Eric Hendrickson JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The first new trainset for a […]
Former Southern Pacific Budd rail diesel car SP-10 on a flat car in Texas on Nov. 17. RDC SP-10 Facebook page GALVESTON, Texas —Somewhere in the West this Thanksgiving, there is a Southern Pacific Budd rail diesel car on its way home. RDC SP-10 began the long journey from the Galveston Railroad Museum back to […]
Viewliner II dining car Annapolis deadheads on the rear of the southbound Silver Meteor at Kissimmee, Fla., on Nov. 18. Scott A. Hartley MIAMI — Amtrak employees will soon train in the newest dining cars on the continent now that the first of 25 new Viewliner II dining cars has arrived at Amtrak’s Hialeah Maintenance […]
NEW YORK — The Federal Railroad Administration will continue to move forward with its proposed rule requiring two-person locomotive crews despite the changing political climate in Washington and mounting criticism from the rail industry. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to reduce government regulations. But elections don’t change the FRA’s mission of improving safety, Robert Lauby, […]
Cummins Inc. No. 1919 on display in Indianapolis on Nov. 9. Chris Guss INDIANAPOLIS — Cummins Inc. and the Indiana Rail Road recently unveiled a testing program featuring Cummins new QSK95 engine on the Midwest regional railroad. The railroad and Cummins hosted an event at the railroad’s terminal in downtown Indianapolis on Nov. 9. Cummins’ […]
Nickel Plate Road 2-8-2 No. 624 as it appears in Hammond, Ind. The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society is slated to preserve the locomotive and possibly restore it to operating condition. Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The sight of two gleaming, steaming Nickel Plate Road freight locomotives at one place and […]
Santa Fe Alco PA No. 59L at the Museum of the American Railroad in Frisco, Texas, is the 2016 winner of the Trains annual preservation award. Museum of the American Railroad SAVANNAH, Ga. — Trains magazine has awarded its $10,000 2016 Preservation Award to the Museum of the American Railroad for the restoration of the […]
