By 1935, it would have been sensible to consider the 4-4-2 Atlantic-type steam locomotive all but obsolete, at least insofar as new construction was concerned. In the U.S., the design could be traced back to the 1880s, and ultimately about 1,900 of the type were built. Its heydays were the years surrounding World War […]
UNION, Ill. — The Illinois Railway Museum is currently auctioning off surplus items ranging from a former Chicago & North Western steam locomotive tender to a pickup truck to tools and artwork. A total of 112 items are available and are listed here. The auction ends Friday, Jan. 17, at 10 a.m. CT. Items are […]
BIG STONE GAP, Va. – A three-week exhibition of railroad watercolors and photographs by author and Trains contributor Ron Flanary is scheduled to begin Jan. 17 on the campus of Mountain Empire Community College. Titled “The Tracks of my Years,” the display of 30 pieces consists of about two-thirds photos and one-third paintings, all made […]
SOUDERTON, Pa. — Norfolk Southern has awarded a $10,000 grant to the Railroad & Industrial Preservation Society Inc. for its restoration of the last intact diesel from the Lehigh & New England Railroad. The funds will be used to rehabilitate the traction motors of Alco S2 No. 611, built in September 1948 and operated by […]
Metal railroad heralds in cereal boxes offered boys and girls during the 1950s one more way to show their fascination with trains, whether full-size or miniature replicas. Kids, eager to discover the premiums packed inside boxes of their favorite breakfast food, had no hesitation about begging their parents to buy box after box of Sugar […]
The decades-long effort to advance the design and technology of steam locomotives constantly circled back to the idea of “make it bigger.” Articulated engines took that notion and doubled it both figuratively and literally. The results were roughly 3,000-built machines of epic proportions with the strength and flexibility to haul either slow drags through mountainous […]
Strictly speaking, Grand Trunk Western is not a “fallen flag.” GTW still reports to regulators as a separate Class I railroad, but since Jan. 1, 1996, GTW has been submerged in the identity of its parent, Canadian National. These days, operation and management of GTW are integrated with the 2,650-mile former Illinois Central and […]
CAÑON CITY, Colo. — The Royal Gorge Chamber Alliance has purchased the former Denver & Rio Grande Western depot in Cañon City and plans to make it “a hub serving businesses, residents, and tourists.” The 1909 structure is located at 816 Royal Gorge Blvd., the intersection of U.S. Route 50 and State Route 115. “We […]
Let’s travel abroad During a Trains Magazine photo charter at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in fall 2024, a group of British and European photographers decided to travel abroad to the U.S. to join Trains staff at the D&SNG and, in the days following, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic with Pete Lerro of […]
NEW YORK — The gold spike from the 1923 ceremony marking completion of the Alaska Railroad, in private hands since it was driven by President Warren G. Harding, is up for sale. Auction house Christie’s announced plans for a January sale of the spike in a social media post earlier this month. A listing on […]
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 […]
