Four F7s and a GP9 are reflected in the Colorado River as they roll a Denver & Rio Grande Western freight east through Glenwood Canyon in October 1960. George G. Speir photo […]
Freight in Glenwood Canyon
Type of Train: Diesel Locomotives
Amtrak to order 50 more long-distance Siemens Chargers
CHICAGO — On the day Amtrak placed its first Siemens ALC42 locomotives into revenue service — although not without some problems — the company announced it will acquire more of the locomotives. In a event at Chicago Union Station, Amtrak Vice President and Chief Mechanical Officer George Hull used the operating debut of the two […]
Continental Divide
Five black-and-gold Northern Pacific F units lift a freight up the west slope of the Continental Divide at Elliston, Mont., in the 1950s. The NP relied on F units for both freight and passenger service. R. V. Nixon photo […]
General Electric passenger U-boats — Diesels that didn’t
The General Electric passenger U-boats filled a niche in the 1960’s locomotive market. Santa Fe, like many Class I railroads at the time, was still proud of its passenger service. But its roster of suitable diesel locomotives was getting old and any thought of Amtrak was still years away. Keeping its aging fleet of silver […]
Arizona museum acquires former Santa Fe U-boat rebuild
WILLIAMS, Ariz. — The Arizona State Railroad Museum Foundation in Williams, Ariz., has acquired the sole U.S. example of the SF30C rebuild program from Santa Fe’s Cleburne (Texas) Shops. No. 9501 was built as a U36C by General Electric in March 1973 as construction No. 3990 and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe No. 8728. It […]
9 oddball diesel locomotives in North America
9 oddball diesel locomotives: Just when we think we understand the rationale behind particular railroad locomotive fleets, they like to throw us a ringer or two. Standardization is the key to a streamlined and efficient operating department, and while an endless parade of one particular model may become a little monotonous for fans, railroad accountants […]
Alco diesels in the Berkshires
Three New York Central Alco FAs lift a westbound freight up Washington Hill on NYC’s Boston & Albany line in western Massachusetts in September 1949. R. E. Toby photo […]
Sierra Railroad acquires former Fillmore & Western equipment
FILLMORE, Calif. — Sierra Railroad of Davis, Calif., announced today it has purchased the majority of the remaining locomotives, rolling stock and other assets from the former Fillmore & Western Railroad operation in Ventura County. The Montalvo-to-Piru line, owned by the Ventura County Transportation Commission, has been operated by Sierra Railroad’s Sierra Northern Ventura Division […]
Add batteries, sound, and radio control to a large-scale Bachmann rail truck
I bought a second-hand Bachmann rail truck at a good price and wanted to convert it to battery power and radio control. I needed access to an on-off switch, fuse holder, charging plug, volume control, and programming jack. The truck is small and limited as to places to add these items, so I decided […]
Remembering Norfolk & Western Railway locomotives
Classic Trains editors are celebrating the history, heritage, and style of the Norfolk & Western Railway all through January 2022. So, please enjoy this photo gallery of Norfolk & Western locomotives selected from the archives of Kalmbach Media’s David P. Morgan Library. Norfolk & Western locomotives served in the coal fields and later on high-speed freight […]
N scale locomotives Amherst 2022 in review
See what products manufacturers are featuring in January 2022 at the Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show, including N scale locomotives Amherst 2022. Bachmann Trains Siemens SC-44 and ALC-42 Charger diesel locomotives Siemens SC-44 and ALC-42 Charger diesel locomotives. Pre-production sample shown. SC-44 Charger: Amtrak (Cascades, Midwest [two road numbers], and Pacific Surfliner). One number […]
Lionel locomotives at Amherst 2022
Lionel locomotives at Amherst 2022: Check out these locomotives featured by Lionel at the Amherst Railway Society’s Railroad Hobby Show held Jan. 29 and 30. Lionel Norfolk & Western class A 2-6-6-4 steam locomotive Norfolk & Western class A 2-6-6-4 steam locomotive. All-new tooling. Multiple road numbers with different detail configurations to match the changes […]
