ABILENE, Kan. — Kansas now has an official state heritage railroad and a state steam locomotive. House Bill 2481, which bestows the railroad honor on the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad and the locomotive distinction on the railroad’s Santa Fe Pacific No. 3415, was one of seven bills signed into law on Thursday, April 18, […]
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TREGO, Wis. – The Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad has added a steam locomotive to its expanding roster. Former Duluth & Northeastern 2-8-0 No. 27 will be moved from its display site at the Carlton County Fairgrounds in Barnum, Minn., where it has been displayed since 1968. Wisconsin Great Northern, known for its ongoing restoration of the […]
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FORT STEELE, British Columbia — A steam locomotive that has been a longtime attraction in southwestern British Columbia has been sidelined for a safety review, raising doubts about its future operation. Concerns over the age and increasing maintenance costs of 2-6-2 No. 1077, built in 1923 by Montreal Locomotive Works for Vancouver Island logging operations, […]
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The “Jacobite” or “Harry Potter” steam train, running from Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, will resume operations as of Monday, April 15, operator West Coast Railway announced today. Initially, the train will operate just once a day, instead of the two daily trips planned previously. The train has been subject of a long-running debate […]
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WILLIAMS, Ariz. — In its second round trip of the 2024 season, Grand Canyon Railway No. 4960 performed well on Saturday, April 6, with its first of three April excursions. Along the rugged line between Williams and the South Rim, the 2-8-2 and F40 diesel-helper No. 4128 lugged the 16-car train with 900 passengers aboard, […]
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MILWAUKEE, Wis. — After 63 years operating at the Milwaukee County Zoo, steam locomotive No. 1916 Harry J. Grant went back home to the Riverside & Great Northern Railway in Wisconsin Dells. The Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works built the 15-inch gauge 4-4-2 at what is now the R&GN shops in 1960-61. Today, a crew […]
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KINGSTON, New York — The Catskill Mountain Railroad will use three grants from the New York State Department of Transportation to build a new engine house and connecting track, a new terminal at Basin Road, and an upgrade to reduce diesel locomotive emissions, the railroad has announced. The grants, totaling $4.485 million, were among those […]
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LONDON — British passenger charter train operator and car leasing company West Coast Railways has announced it is suspending operation of the world-famous “Jacobite” train between Fort William and Mallaig on Scotland’s west coast, popularly known as the “Harry Potter train” for the train’s role in the popular movies. The decision, announced just a week […]
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DURANGO, Colo. — The final chapter of the long history of coal-powered trains on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad came Saturday, March 23, with a round-trip excursion between Durango and Cascade, Colo., handled by a Baldwin Class K-36 2-8-2 No. 481. The locomotive will now be converted to oil firing, completing conversion of […]
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CHEHALIS, Wash. — The Chehalis-Centralia Railroad and Museum will resume excursion train operations April 6 after a lengthy hiatus, the organization has announced. The Centralia Chronicle reports Saturday and Sunday excursions are scheduled through Sept. 29, plus Polar Express trains that will begin Nov. 9. The heritage operation halted operations in March 2022 after losing […]
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CHAMA, N.M. — The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad has named Ed Beaudette as general manager for the 2024 season, the railroad announced Friday. He replaces Steven Butler, who resigned earlier this month. Beaudette, who worked for many years as the railroad’s manager of engineering and operations, currently serves on the board of the Friends […]
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MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Dieselization came late to the Milwaukee County Zoo’s railroad, but it has arrived. The zoo announced today (Thursday, March 14), that it has sold the two steam locomotives for its 1.25-mile, 15-inch gauge railroad — No. 1916, the Henry J. Grant, a 4-4-2 built in 1961, and No. 1924, a 4-6-2 built […]
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