GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A former Amtrak station in Grand Rapids is for sale, but if you’re interested in buying, be prepared for a big dent in your budget. The news site Mlive.com reports the building, on a 0.6 acre lot, is being offered for $1.5 million by developer Jonathan Bryant of the firm Underground […]
For a fifth straight year, the revival of the much-loved narrow gauge East Broad Top Railroad in Pennsylvania has made Trains News Wire’s year-end Top 10. The rebirth of this 33-mile-long coal-hauler turned preservation tourist railroad began in 2020 with the formation of the nonprofit EBT Foundation, Inc. by industry leaders Henry Posner III, Wick […]
In general terms, America is not a country with great affinity for nationalization. The machinations of the American economy are diametrically opposed to the principles of nationalization. However, that doesn’t mean that the U.S. has never dabbled in the practice. The United States Railroad Administration (USRA) is an example. In the interest of clarity, I’ll […]
HARRIMAN, Wyo. — Union Pacific has demolished an at least 70-year-old water tower on its Harriman Cutoff line over Sherman Hill, the news site Cowboy State Daily reports, to the dismay of locals who say they would have mounted a preservation effort if given the opportunity. On Wednesday, Dec. 17, UP spokesman Mike Jaixen told […]
Our 2023 rail preservation review illustrated a focus on new and renovated museum facilities. In 2024, focus shifted to activities involving locomotives and rolling stock. Of the 79 preservation stories on Trains News Wire this year, 47 relate to locomotives or railcars. Still, buildings did play a role in preservation this year; one of the […]
When mourners gather Thursday for services at the Church of Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Auburn, Calif., it will mark a special occasion for anyone associated with the once-upon-a-time Southern Pacific Railroad: a moment to appreciate a true SP hero, James C. Mahon, known from Sacramento to San Antonio as “The Bear.” Railroaders in charge […]
CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Nevada State Railroad Museum has acquired a 1907 Virginia & Truckee Passenger car from the Southern California Railroad Museum, with the car arriving at the museum in Carson City last week. Coach-Smoker-Baggage car No. 20 was the last new passenger car acquired by the Virginia & Truckee, the museum said […]
The silver and gold bonanza of the late 19th Century led to a boom in narrow gauge railroad startups across Colorado. But out of the plethora that’ve come and gone, which left an impact in the Centennial State and sparked our enthusiasm to visit what’s left today? Let’s find out by reminiscing about five prolific […]
Burlington Route diesel locomotives showed a strong loyalty to Electro-Motive Division, located in the online community of LaGrange, Ill. The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy was a diesel pioneer with its Zephyr passenger trains in the 1930s, and the railroad began dieselizing mainline freight trains with EMD FTs in 1943. The CB&Q continuing dieselizing with a […]
CHICAGO — The Pullman National Historical Park and State Historic Site has secured its first Pullman railcar for display at the site of the factory that produced rolling stock for decades. The Historic Pullman Foundation announced in November that it has completed a Letter of Intent to Donate with owner David Hoffman for a wooden […]
Saluda Grade There is a right way to build a railway up a mountain. The Swiss, for example, have covered their country with curvy, winding rack railways that start in the valleys and reach for the snow-capped peaks. There is a wrong way to build a railway up a mountain. The Porterfield & Ellis Railroad, […]
Amtrak SDP40F diesel locomotives were derived from the best-selling SD40-2 platform but were far from a success on their own. The SDP40F shared its 72-foot, 4-inch frame with the predecessor passenger unit FP45 from 1967. Internally, however, it was akin to a 3,000 hp SD40-2 with a steam boiler added. That should have been a […]
