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WASILLA, Alaska — After more than 500,000 volunteer working hours, the 557 Restoration Co. successfully fired the last Alaska Railroad steam locomotive on Nov. 8, 2025. The rebuild is now 95% complete, “ … with all the expensive and labor intensive stuff behind us,” says Patrick Durand, 557 Restoration Co. president. The locomotive was pulled […]
2026 Alaska by Rail Experience the “last frontier” by rail in the colorful month of September. Enjoy incredible scenery through Denali National Park and down the Kenai Peninsula. 10 Days, 9 Nights September 4-13, 2026 Experience the full length of the Alaska Railroad in Goldstar Class. Kenai Fjords Boat Excursion Denali National Park Excursion For […]
JUNEAU, Alaska — A resolution calling for federal funding for two extensions of the Alaska Railroad network is dead for this year after failing to advance out of a Senate committee. The Senate Rules Committee voted 14-6 on May 20 against advancing House Joint Resolution 14. Features of the resolution include a call for the […]
Interested in riding the railroad? One of the best windows on the railroad world are passenger trains, and you have plenty of options. Amtrak, a government corporation that took over nearly all U.S. intercity passenger trains from private railroads in 1971, today operates a 21,000-mile network that includes 500 stations in 46 states served by […]
The rumble of Canadian Pacific’s 4-6-4 Empress No. 2816 and Union Pacific’s 4-8-8-4 Big Boy No. 4014 echoed across thousands of miles in 2024. What made these journeys truly remarkable and deserving a brighter spotlight? Both locomotives were equipped with fully compliant, standalone Positive Train Control (PTC) systems. This means they can independently navigate their […]
JUNEAU, Alaska — An Alaska state legislator has reintroduced a bill that would require the state to sell the Alaska Railroad. House Bill 120 was introduced late last month by Rep. Kevin McCabe (R-Big Lake). It would require the state’s governor to request proposals to purchase the railroad and related assets by June 15, 2026, […]
JUNEAU, Alaska — Gov. Mike Dunleavy has signed legislation approving a bond package for the Alaska Railroad to build a new cruise ship dock in Seward, Alaska. It is the second straight year the state legislature approved the funding, which Dunleavy vetoed last year because the House of Representatives vote took place after a constitutional […]
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An Alaska museum and city, with help from donors including the Alaska Railroad, have won the auction for a 14-karat gold spike that was part of the railroad’s completion ceremony in 1923. The Anchorage Museum and city of Nenana will take turns displaying the spike, which was purchased for $201,600, according to […]
NEW YORK — The gold spike from the 1923 ceremony marking completion of the Alaska Railroad, in private hands since it was driven by President Warren G. Harding, is up for sale. Auction house Christie’s announced plans for a January sale of the spike in a social media post earlier this month. A listing on […]
Okay let me be the first to say, I am childless. However when a friend of mine told me that he and his wife were expecting, I immediately started to wonder what they would name the child. The next day I brought up the idea to a colleague and said that I thought Norfolk would […]
The Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA) announces some Lionel custom-run products. To celebrate Lionel Trains’ 125th anniversary, the LCCA is releasing a VisionLine 4-6-4 Hudson locomotive. The engine features operation via Legacy, TMCC, or conventional mode with a standard transformer. It also features Bluetooth control and Lionel Voice Control. Minimum curve requirement is O-54 […]
Welcome aboard the Trains–Special Interest Tours 2024 Alaska by Rail holiday. Please join us as we travel on the Alaska Railroad for 9 days from Sept. 8 to 17, heading south from Fairbanks to Anchorage, Alaska. Today is a travel day. Our group dined together last evening to wrap up the trip. Today we are […]
