DURANGO, Colo. — The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has completed expansion of its shop facilities to accommodate contract work, and is seeing enough demand as a result that the railroad is looking to add five welders and machinists. The Durango Herald reports the $3.25 million, 10,000-square-foot shop expansion was completed at the end […]
Train Topic: Narrow Gauge & Industrial
By caboose to Silverton and back
It does not matter how many times you have traveled the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad between its namesake cities. Every time you ride is a new adventure. The scenery evolves over time and is dependent on the season at hand. The people you ride with change. The purpose of the ride is different. […]
OmniTRAX to serve P&G plant in Ohio
LIMA, Ohio — Rail and logistics firm OmniTRAX has been selected to provide switching for Procter & Gamble’s laundry-products factory in Lima, the third P&G manufacturing served by the OmniTRAX network. The new agreement became effective Nov. 1. OmniTRAX affiliate OmniTRAX Lima Industrial will switch daily inbound cars to the plans and return empty cars […]
White Pass & Yukon runs train with all-female crew
SKAGWAY, Alaska — The White Pass & Yukon Route Railway marked a milestone in its well over a century of operation earlier this month when it operated a train with an all-female crew for the first time. The event occurred on Oct. 15 with a crew of Lindsay Breen, the railroad’s first woman engineer; conductor […]
Friends of EBT opens art exhibit, mine-tour path, extends railbike run
ROBERTSDALE, Pa. — While the Friends of the East Broad Top volunteers received lots of praise for over-the-top fundraising and aggressive track restoration at the group’s recent Fall Reunion, they’re pressing ahead with a dizzying array of other projects. All of it goes hand-in-hand with the EBT Foundation’s goal of restoring an entire 33-mile narrow-gauge […]
Iowa provides $5.1 million in loans, grants for rail projects
DECORAH, Iowa — The Iowa Transportation Commission has approved loans and grants totaling $5.1 million for six rail infrastructure and development projects under the state’s Railroad Revolving Loan and Grant program. The agency says the projects will support creation and retention of 55 jobs within the three years of project completion. Receiving funding as Targeted […]
Knoxville Locomotive Works delivers Tier 4 switcher for ADM facility in Texas
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Knoxville Locomotive Works has delivered a Tier 4 switcher to agricultural firm ADM for use at the company’s Corpus Christi facility, a locomotive funded by a state grant to address emissions reduction. “KLW is pleased to deliver the first successfully integrated a Cummins Tier 4 QST 30 Module to power a […]
EBT reopens more track; chairman confirms full-restoration goal
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa.— As East Broad Top trains last weekend christened 1.3 miles of restored mainline track that had lain dormant since 1956, EBT Foundation Chairman Henry Posner reiterated the nonprofit group’s resolve to rebuild the tourist line another 18 miles up to the coal-mining region that gave the narrow gauge line its reason for […]
Museum restores Erie Mining hi-rail car
DULUTH, Minn. – The Lake Superior Railroad Museum has restored a former Erie Mining hi-rail car — a 1957 Pontiac — to service. The Pontiac Chieftain station wagon was put into service in 1957 on Erie Mining Co.’s 74-mile main line between Hoyt Lakes and Taconite Harbor. The vehicle traveled an estimated 110,000 […]
East Broad Top 2-8-2 No. 16 is back in service
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. – After being out of service for eight months, East Broad Top Railroad narrow-gauge 2-8-2 Mikado engine No. 16 (Baldwin Locomotive Works, 1916) will resume hauling tourist passengers tomorrow (Friday, Aug. 30). The engine will pull regularly scheduled EBT trains on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Oct. 27, plus additional special runs […]
East Broad Top reopens two grade crossings on dormant main line
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. – Pressing its drive to restore a narrow gauge main line that has lain dormant for 68 years, the East Broad Top Railroad this week reopened two long-paved-over grade crossings south of here. Following up on earlier work to install track panels by the joint EBT Foundation and Friends of the East […]
Durango & Silverton adds additional Highline Express trips
DURANGO — The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has added Wednesday departures to its evening Highline Express train beginning this week, adding four more trips to the new 3½-hour steam excursion introduced on July 1. The new offering, currently planned only for July, now will operate Mondays through Wednesdays, departing Durango at 4:30 p.m. […]