West Coast passenger trains

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What you’re seeing here is a transformation that’s nothing short of remarkable. Twenty years ago, a map of West Coast short-haul passenger trains would’ve been little more than a blank page. Back then, Amtrak provided minimal service between Oakland and Bakersfield, Calif., and between Portland and Seattle, though it did field 14 San Diegans a […]

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Rare BL2 locomotive moving to New York NEWSWIRE

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Saratoga & North Creek No. 52 already in operation on the railroad. John Sesonske NORTH CREEK, N.Y. – Iowa Pacific Holdings will soon add another rare EMD BL2 to its operating diesel fleet. The company is moving former Bangor & Arookstock BL2 No. 56 to its Saratoga & North Creek Railway, where it will join […]

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Chasing 4014: Part III

This video segment covers the time from when Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 first reached Covina, Calif., in the early morning hours of Jan. 26 to mid-morning in Bassett, Calif. Follow along as Steve Sweeney, Howard Bunte, and Brent Lane chase the 4-8-8-4 locomotive switch from the Metrolink main line to Union Pacific tracks. […]

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Chasing 4014 Part II

This second installment of videos from Trains’ zany chase of Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 from Pomona to West Colton, Calif., takes off minutes from where Part I ended: with the Big Boy on the Metrolink main line at 2:30 a.m., and Steve Sweeney, Howard Bunte, and Brent Lane in hot pursuit. Enjoy! […]

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New railroad in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula NEWSWIRE

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The Mineral Range Railroad. Dave Schauer ISHPEMING, Mich. – For years, the railroad news out of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has been one of contraction and abandonment, as mines and paper mills closed. Now there is a positive story: the new Mineral Range Railroad. Owned by Mineral Range, Inc., a privately held corporation, the company purchased […]

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Train-watching in Bellevue, Ohio

Railroad enthusiasts from across the country flock to Bellevue, Ohio, for its train-watching opportunities. The city offers many safe locations to view the action, endless variety on Norfolk Southern and Wheeling & Lake Erie trains, and a small-town atmosphere that’s hard to beat. This video shows a sampling of train-watching in Bellevue, including NS and […]

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Photo gallery: Amtrak’s Michigan Line track improvements

FULL SCREEN Ties await installation on the unused brick platform at Chelsea, Mich., east of Jackson. FULL SCREEN A Norfolk Southern tie gang finishes up for the day east of Chelsea. FULL SCREEN One mile further east, a tamper pushes gravel under and around newly installed ties at Chelsea, Mich. FULL SCREEN A laser beam […]

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Colorful variety

It’s a warm Oct., 1, 2013, morning as CSX train K931-01 is coming off the Plymouth Subdivision in its namesake Michigan city with 52 empty stone hopper cars from Lansing behind BNSF No. 4992. In the distance, CSX No. 2741 waits for open track. Photo by Chris Paciocco […]

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Great Photography in Bad Weather

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FULL SCREEN Mark Llanuza The headlights of an eastbound Metra train slice through the rain and heavy fog setting in over Elgin, Ill., in November of 2012. FULL SCREEN Mark Llanuza An early morning mix of rain and sleet greets commuters as they board a Metra train at the Bartlett, Ill., station in 2012. FULL […]

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