An engineer’s life: Mojave Green

train on track with sun shining on one side

Mojave Subdivision You have heard me mention in a couple of previous stories that I’m proud to be qualified on three different mountain grades; Stampede Pass (former Northern Pacific), my home territory, Stevens Pass (Great Northern), and Tehachapi Pass (Southern Pacific/Santa Fe) on the Mojave Subdivision. How did I end up in southern California, far […]

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The 1,000th issue of ‘Trains’ Magazine

man with glasses holding issue of Trains

Trains Magazine (1940-today) At a chaotic time in history — World War II, atomic bombs, the birth of the Cold War — founder Al Kalmbach published the first issue of Trains Magazine. Many great things were happening in the 1940s alongside the many bad. For instance, the Slinky was also invented around this time. Trains […]

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Steam locomotives returning to service for the full 2024 season

Steam powered passenger train crosses trestle bridge with fall foliage in the background.

A plethora of steam locomotives made comebacks in late 2023 after being out of service for extended periods of time. Expect these primed-and-ready locomotives to return to service for the full 2024 season. Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad No. 8419 As a reminder of the twilight of steam locomotive manufacturing in the world, No. 8419 […]

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Northern Pacific Slenderella Salad

man with fork on Trains Live with Slenderella Salad

Trains LIVE — Northern Pacific Slenderella Salad Trains LIVE — 1-4-2023 — Happy New Year and welcome to 2023. Did you know that of the top five New Year’s resolutions made annually, three of them involve fitness, health, and a better diet? Our resolve regarding our resolutions fades quickly, however. In 2022, surveys indicate that […]

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New England Fall Colors by Rail (2025)

New England Sign up for the New England rail tour: Special Interest Tours and Trains Magazine bring you a rail excursion tour like no other. From Oct. 2-9, join rail enthusiasts and Trains Senior Editor David Lassen on a fully private-car adventure. Enjoy spending the colorful 2025 fall season exploring the best of New England’s […]

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Reading & Northern again sees significant freight, passenger growth

Green and yellow locomotives lead freight train

PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Reading & Northern saw double-digit growth in both freight and passenger traffic in 2023, the second consecutive year with such increases, the railroad said in a year-end business review. The Pennsylvania regional railroad handled more than 37,000 cars of freight, up from 33,000 in 2022. Growth was boosted in particular by […]

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