Thirty years after its grand opening as a unit of the National Park Service, Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pa., is at a crossroads. Whether you admire or disdain it, know nothing about it, or simply hope for its survival, it remains a significant railroad preservation effort. Steamtown has the potential to expand the […]
Given the dangers inherent in the railroad industry, it’s no surprise the slogan “Safety First” has a long history with railroading, appearing on posters, signs, and other safety materials — and even turntable bridges like this one in the western Nebraska community of Chadron. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the first recorded use of […]
Freight on the Iron Range The Canadian-owned Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific line (now part of Canadian National) links the Midwestern United States with the CN’s east-west line in Ontario and provides CN with a direct route to the Port of Duluth on Lake Superior. According to The Historical Guide to North American Railroads, Third Edition […]
HARTFORD, Wis. — The 2025 debut of Soo Line 2-8-2 No. 1003 on Saturday, Aug. 23, marked its first summer run since a 2022 trip to Chicago for a Metra family days event [see “News photos: Soo Line No. 1003 makes road trip …,” Trains.com, Aug. 8, 2022]. The 1913-built Mikado made a non-passenger round […]
LARAMIE, Wyo. — Jim Ehernberger, 88, has now been retired longer than his time working for the Union Pacific. Yet, Ehernberger still considers himself a railroad man. Over the years, he has amassed a collection of documents, maps and photographs detailing western U.S. railroad activity. While he previously donated a portion of his collection to […]
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. — The family responsible for saving the East Broad Top Railroad has been honored by the EBT Foundation for its role in preserving the narrow gauge line. In a Saturday ceremony, the EBT dedicated a monument to Fannie and Nick Kovalchick and their family. The Kovalchicks, who operate a scrap metal firm, […]
Railfanning spots with heavy rail traffic can be a magnet for enthusiasts and casual observers. The constant parade of one train after another with minimal lulls in between is alluring — and a stark contrast to places where waiting on a single train for hours can feel like watching paint dry. For those who don’t […]
Time capsule When construction of Pennsylvania’s iron ore and coal-hauling East Broad Top began in 1872, more than 150 years ago, its builders decided it would be a narrow gauge line, with rails set 3-feet apart instead of the North American standard gauge of 4-feet, 8.5-inches. Narrow gauge offered significant advantages, as the smaller locomotives […]
BUTTE, Mont. – Turn off Harrison Ave. into the parking lot of the Butte Civic Center and there between the asphalt and the Town Pump gas station next door sits Northern Pacific No. 25, one of 13 2-8-0s built in 1899 by the Schenectady Locomotive Works for the railroad. No. 25 lugged freight and passenger […]
Steam over Cumbres Pass On a sunny June morning in Antonito, Colorado, Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad’s 4-6-0 No. 168, built by Baldwin in 1883, is readied for another run over the mountains. Its relatively tall 46-inch drivers made it suitable for fast passenger service. Carl Swanson The 64-mile-long Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is […]
CUMBERLAND, Md. — The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad has acquired former Conemaugh & Black Lick Railroad SW7 locomotive No. 111, a fully functional EMD end-cab switcher which the railroad plans to use on some of its seasonal excursion trains. The locomotive built in 1949 is the last of 25 such locomotives that served the railroad […]
EAST TROY, Wis. — The East Troy Railroad Museum recently announced a $10,000 donation from the Canadian National Railway’s Community Giving Program. The funding will support vital infrastructure improvements, specifically the replacement of wooden ties along the museum’s main line between East Troy and Mukwonago, Wis. “This 7-mile line is the last remnant of an […]
