CSX unveils L&N heritage locomotive

Locomotive with blue cab and gray long hood

WAYCROSS, Ga. — CSX has released its latest heritage diesel, this time honoring predecessor Louisville & Nashville. The ES44AH locomotive will wear number 1850, which the railroad explains signifies the year the L&N was chartered by the state of Kentucky. The railroad later became part of the Seaboard Coast Line, then part of Chessie System […]

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185-year-old ‘Rocket’ moving to Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

Early four-wheeled steam locomotive in museum building

PHILADELPHIA — One of the oldest surviving steam locomotives in North America – also distinguished as the oldest former Reading Railroad engine – is getting a new home, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, Pa. Imported from England in 1838 for the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, the 8-1/2-ton, 25-horsepower Rocket recently left its home […]

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Donation will help Steamtown restore SW1 to operation

Dark red end-cab switcher in need of repairs

SCRANTON, Pa. — The Steamtown National Historic Site has received  what it terms as “a generous donation” from the estate of rail enthusiast Eric J. Yankovich to help fund the restoration of SW1 locomotive No. 1901, an Atlantic Coast Line diesel switcher build by Electro-Motive Corp. in 1939. Steamtown is one of six railroad museums […]

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Bachmann HO scale J-3A Hudson

Screen capture from Bachmann HO scale J-3A product review video.

A Bachmann HO scale J-3A Hudson steam locomotive visited our Wisconsin & Southern staff layout to lead an employee special. Model Railroader editor Eric White and senior editor Cody Grivno talk about the features on the New York Central prototype, demonstrate some of the sound and light functions, and run the train between Troy and […]

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Norfolk Southern to restore its popular heritage locomotive fleet

Yellow and black diesel

Norfolk Southern’s heritage locomotive fleet will get a refresh in the coming years, the railroad announced when it shared a video of a shiny Virginian SD70ACe No. 1069 rolling out of the paint shop at Juniata, Pa. “Drumroll pleaseeee….. the Virginian restoration is complete! It took 10 carmen 550+ hours to restore and repaint NS1069. […]

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Enlarging an L&N turntable

Louisville and Nashville Railroad Kentucky engine terminal

In 1948, construction crews at Louisville & Nashville’s engine terminal in Hazard, Ky., work to enlarge the turntable to accommodate new class M-1 2-8-4s being built by Lima. The 98½-foot-long “Big Emmas” were the L&N’s largest locomotives. L&N photo […]

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Doubleheaded K4’s on the Northern Central

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Two Pennsylvania Railroad class K4s Pacifics hurry a train from the Midwest south on the old Northern Central Railway between Harrisburg, Pa., and Baltimore, Md., in about 1940. The first engine, No. 2445, was on the commuter train that derailed at Woodbridge, N.J., on Feb. 6, 1951, killing 85 people. Frank Clodfelter photo […]

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