The Golden Spike Centennial Limited leaves Kansas City (Mo.) Union Station on May 14, 1969, St. Louis-bound via Norfolk & Western. Don Wood photo […]
Golden Spike Centennial
Zone & Region: Midwest
Foraging for model railroad scenery materials
It’s no secret that model railroading can be expensive. Big-ticket individual items, such as locomotives, can carry price tags which climb north of $500. For good reason, too; it’s all too easy to forget how far model locomotive technology has come in recent years, with detail better than ever thanks to simultaneous advances in scanning, […]
CPKC announces schedule, performers for 2024 Holiday Train
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific Kansas City has released the schedule and list of performers for the annual CPKC Holiday Train, which begins its tours through the U.S. and Canada on Nov. 20. The railroad’s holiday train will also continue to include the Holiday Express, originated by Kansas City Southern, which will make a 13-stop […]
Ready for the spotlight: New York Central 3001
The steam community is in a happy state of shock this week with the news that New York Central 3001, one of the NYC’s famed 4-8-2 Mohawk engines, might be restored to operating condition by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, operators of famed Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 No. 765. The announcement came Oct. 9 […]
New York Central Mohawk No. 3001 joins Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society fleet for potential return to steam
ELKHART, Ind. — The stage is set for a new partnership between the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, the City of Elkhart, and the National New York Central Railroad Museum, announced in a press conference at the museum campus today (Oct. 9, 2024). The society — owner and operator of Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 No. […]
Iowa provides $5.1 million in loans, grants for rail projects
DECORAH, Iowa — The Iowa Transportation Commission has approved loans and grants totaling $5.1 million for six rail infrastructure and development projects under the state’s Railroad Revolving Loan and Grant program. The agency says the projects will support creation and retention of 55 jobs within the three years of project completion. Receiving funding as Targeted […]
G&W’s Ohio Central donates diesel to Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum
SUGARCREEK, Ohio — Genesee & Wyoming’s Ohio Central Railroad has donated a diesel locomotive, GE B23-7R No. 4092, to the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum, the museum has announced. Museum funder Jerry Joe Jacobson had a particular fondness for this locomotive model, which played a key part on his railroad, the Ohio Central System. A […]
MTH RailKing EMD FP45 diesel locomotive (2024 version)
The FP45 diesel was a passenger locomotive first produced in 1967 at the request of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. Only 14 units were made, nine for AT&SF and five for the Milwaukee Road. By the early 1980s, all but one were out of service or scrapped. Six survive in museums today. The first […]
How Amtrak’s long-distance capacity affects pricing: Analysis
WASHINGTON — It’s more expensive than ever to get into a bedroom or roomette on Amtrak’s overnight long-distance trains — if the accommodations are available at all on the preferred travel date. Coach passengers also endure high prices and sellouts when their destination is served by a once-daily, limited-capacity train that has an especially busy […]
Metra O’Hare shuttle sees minimal use during Democratic convention
CHICAGO — Only about 2,400 people rode Metra’s shuttle service between O’Hare International Airport and Chicago Union Station during the special service operated in August during the Democratic National Convention, the commuter operator says. That’s only about 120 per day during the Aug. 11-30 operation. Still, Metra would like to make the service permanent. Metra […]
News photo: Iowa Interstate Family Days train
BLUE ISLAND, Ill. — Iowa Interstate Railroad operated a Family Days passenger train from Blue Island, Ill., its Chicago-area gateway, to Mokena, Ill., on Saturday, Oct. 5 to celebrate the railroad’s 40th anniversary. Railroad President Joe Parsons was on handle to welcome families and employees past and present, and thank them for their dedication. The […]
Indiana’s Rochester & Erie doubles carload business in first year of operation
ROCHESTER, Ind. — It was spring 2023 when Eric Thurlow received an unexpecting phone call asking him if he’d want to become part owner in an Indiana short line. At the time, Thurlow was assistant vice president of sales and marketing at Genesee & Wyoming. On the other end of the phone was Corey Tumpane, […]
