Rio Grande engines 773, an elderly Alco 4-6-0, and 1710, a modern Baldwin 4-8-4, lead the westbound Scenic Limited along the Arkansas River in rugged Royal Gorge in June 1937. M. C. Poor photo […]
‘Scenic Limited’ in Royal Gorge double-header
Zone & Region: Mountain West
MxV gears up operations at new Pueblo testing facility
PUEBLO, Colo. — MxV Rail, the former operator of the Federal Railroad Authority’s Transportation Technology Center, is building a new testing and training facility a few miles south of its former home, and recently hosted Trains News Wire for an exclusive tour of the under-construction facility. MxV, formerly known as TTCI, operated the TTC under […]
Denver-area light rail line remains shut down at site of September derailment
AURORA, Colo. — More than a month after a derailment disrupted service on the Regional Transportation District’s light rail R line in Aurora, service has not been restored through the accident site. And, as of Sunday, a bus bridge around the site has been discontinued, ending the ability to use the route for through service […]
UP plans move of Challenger, other donated equipment Nov. 11-19
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Union Pacific has announced plans for its “Heritage Donation Special,” moving two steam locomotives, its Centennial diesel, and other equipment, from Cheyenne to the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America facility in Silvis, Ill., Nov. 11-19. The schedule was announced in an email to UP Steam Club members. The train will include Challenger […]
Utah agency selling Comet commuter cars
SALT LAKE CITY — If you’ve ever wanted your own Comet, here’s your chance. A Comet commuter coach, that is. KSTU-TV reports the Utah Transit Authority is selling its 25 ex-NJ Transit Comet commuter cars at auction. TNT Auction is offering the cars in an online auction through Nov. 1, with an opening bid of […]
Rio Grande F7s on a freight
An A-B-B-A set of Denver & Rio Grande Western F7s heads west out of Granby, Colo., west of the Moffat Tunnel, with a train heavy with refrigerator cars in 1959. D. J. Davidson photo […]
Cleanup continues after shortline derailment in Idaho
TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Cleanup continued Thursday after about a dozen cars of an Eastern Idaho Railroad derailed Wednesday night, KMTV reports. No injuries or hazardous-materials situation were reported as a result of the accident, which blocked Hankins Road in the southern Idaho community. The Eastern Idaho Railroad, a Watco property, operates 385 route-miles in […]
OmniTRAX finalizes deal for San Luis & Rio Grande
DENVER — OmniTRAX has completed an agreement to purchase the assets of the bankrupt San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad, which will become the company’s 26th short line. Bankruptcy trustee William Brandt had said last month that the company had signed an agreement in principle to purchase the 155-mile Colorado railroad, a former Denver & […]
ENSCO to test Stadler equipment at Pueblo facility
SPRINGFIELD, Va. — ENSCO Rail will conduct operational testing on new Stadler diesel multiple-unit trainsets at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colo., ENSCO has announced. The new trainsets are being built for Dallas Area Rapid Transit for its Silver Line (also known as the Cotton Belt Corridor), a 26-mile rail line from DFW Airport […]
BNSF’s new Sandpoint, Idaho, bridge nears opening
SANDPOINT, Idaho — BNSF Railway’s nearly mile-long second bridge across Lake Pend Oreille near Sandpoint is now structurally complete and tracklaying has begun. BNSF spokeswoman Lena Kent says, “The new bridge will have trains operating over it by the end of November.” Initially, the second main will be laid from a point near the northwest […]
Savage to open new transload facility in Southern Utah
CEDAR CITY, Utah — Logistics and supply-chain firm Savage will open a new transloading facility in Southern Utah, the company has announced. The Savage Railport-Southern Utah will be northwest of Cedar City in Iron County, Utah. Served by Union Pacific, it will provide transloading for agricultural products, construction materials, and other commodities. The new facility, to […]
BNSF derailment in Montana leads to gasoline spill
BRIDGER, Mont. — Residents near Bridger, Mont., were issued an evacuation warning late Friday night after a BNSF derailment that spilled about 31,000 gallons of gasoline, KTVQ-TV reports. Fifteen cars were reported to have derailed in the accident at about 11:30 p.m. about a half-mile east of Bridger. No injuries were reported. In addition to […]
