PHILADELPHIA — Fans of the Presidents’ Conference Committee trolley car, we direct your attention to Route 15 on the SEPTA system. This fall six refurbished PCC cars will return to the route occupied by buses since 2020, according to an AXIOS Philadelphia story. The PCC cars were to begin operating this week, however, SEPTA is […]
LOS ANGELES. — Santa Fe steam locomotive No. 3751’s appearance at last weekend’s Los Angeles Union Station Train Festival 2023 saw multiple firsts. It was the first public outing for the locomotive this year, the first visit to the passenger terminal since 2017, and the first public night photo session since returning to service in […]
TREGO, Wis. — A rainbow formed in the sky as work neared completion on putting the five-car set of the shovel-nose streamliner Mark Twain Zephyr back on its rebuilt truck sets at the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad yards Monday. When the power car Injun Joe, No. 9903, was trucked here 3 years ago, after the […]
CASS, W.Va. — Former Western Maryland Railway geared steam locomotive No. 6 (“Big Six”) has recently completed its FRA 1,472-day inspection and boiler recertification. According to the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad (DGVR), the massive Shay-type will undergo final break-in runs and adjustments before returning to excursion service on the Cass Scenic Railroad. “Big Six” […]
Builder: Baldwin Locomotive Works Wheel arrangement: 2-8-2 Mikado Build date: March 1923 Why it’s important: Grand Canyon Railway’s 4960 was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. The O-1A class 2-8-2 Mikado No. 4960 was ideally suited for powering fast freight trains across Burlington’s mostly level Midwest routes. With the arrival […]
New Mexico Railroad Days ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Santa Fe No. 2926 will be under steam to attend New Mexico Railroad Days at Albuquerque’s downtown Rail Yards – a former ATSF facility with sections redeveloped for venue purposes, and future home for the restored 4-8-4. Organized by the locomotive’s owner, the New Mexico Steam Locomotive & […]
The caboose Steel caboose No. 3674 was built in 1941 for the former Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, originally numbered 90091. It was rebuilt in Grand Rapids’ Wyoming Yard by 1970 and brought up to the railroad’s modern standards, renumbered as 3674. After 16 years along the rugged main line between Russell, Ky., and Huntington, W. […]
ELBE, Wash. — Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad has begun offering a limited excursion schedule for September and October as stated on its website. The train trips come at least a year or two ahead of the railroad’s timeline for returning to operation [see “Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad scheduled to reopen by 2025,” Trains, December 2022]. […]
MINERSVILLE, Pa. — Central Railroad of New Jersey No. 113 is scheduled to operate during the fall and holiday seasons. The heavy 0-6-0 switcher is in its centennial year, having been built in June 1923 by the American Locomotive Company in Schenectady, N.Y. Railway Restoration Project 113 — the nonprofit organization that owns the locomotive […]
ABILENE, Kan. — Santa Fe No. 3415 returned to service on the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad during the Labor Day weekend. The 4-6-2 received a month-long break and extensive work in August that included check-valve maintenance and a routine firebox cleanout, according to Ross Boelling, the president and general manager of the A&SV. “No. […]
WILLIAMS, Ariz. — Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel’s No. 4960 was at the head of Sept. 2’s round trip from Williams to the south rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The busy Labor Day weekend resulted in a 16-car excursion train that maxed out the platform length at the Williams Station, according to Eric Hadder, […]
Privately owned caboose Welcome to the world of privately owned cabooses. The craving for a cab is a continuing urge for Americans. So, let’s probe this topic deeper. Matt Bumgarner, noted railroad author, publisher, and driving force behind the Southeastern Narrow Gauge and Short Line Museum in Newton, N.C., answers the following questions about his […]
