Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society acquires depot

Weathered wooden railroad station being passed by steam locomotive

PLEASANT LAKE, Ind. — The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society has acquired the 141-year-old railroad station in Pleasant Lake to serve as headquarters for the Indiana Rail Experience, the tourist rail partnership of the society and the short line Indiana Northeastern Railroad. The acquisition was made possible through a grant to develop a station and […]

Read More…

From the Cab: Freight locomotives on passenger trains

A dark-colored freight engine is coupled ahead of a silver Amtrak locomotive next to a concrete walkway.

Freight locomotives on passenger trains can happen for a variety of reasons and make for memorable images. Early in Amtrak’s history, locomotives painted in the colors of freight-hauling railroads were common. In Amtrak’s “rainbow era” days, 50 years ago, the then-new National Railroad Passenger Corporation operated with leased or hand-me-down equipment, inherited from — and […]

Read More…

Walkway Over the Hudson in railroad history

Three black diesel locomotives on tall bridge over water with boats in foreground

The Walkway Over the Hudson state park has an illustrious railroad history dating back to the opening of the massive Poughkeepsie Bridge at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in 1889.     From its creation in 1872 until it was merged into the Penn Central 97 years later, the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (familiarly known […]

Read More…

The Lionel No. 2055 Hudson

Lionel No. 2055 Hudson

The Lionel No. 2055 Hudson was prominent in the parade of 4-6-4 steam engines in O-27 outfits from 1950-56. Others in that notable group, including the 2046, 2056, and 2065, thrilled the many kids who received freight and passenger outfits at the peak of the postwar era. When the editorial staff of Classic Toy Trains […]

Read More…

8 examples of freight locomotives in passenger service

Blue-and-white freight locomotives in passenger service

Freight locomotives in passenger service were the exception to the rules. They required passenger cars that were self-contained, the use of separate head-end power generator cars, or some understanding passengers. However, they often offered the best value for the railroads using them who may not have wanted to invest scarce capital in dedicated passenger power […]

Read More…

S.S. Badger season ended by loading-ramp failure

Large ship.S.S. Badger awarded USDOT grant.

LUDINGTON, Mich. — Loading-ramp damage has brought an early end to the 2023 season for Lake Michigan car ferry S.S. Badger. “We have made the difficult, and unfortunately unavoidable, decision to suspend our daily crossings for the remainder of the season,” Mark W. Barker, President of Interlake Maritime Services, parent company of the Lake Michigan […]

Read More…

Bicentennial Santa Fe locomotive to make California public debut

LOS ANGELES — Santa Fe No. 5704, the SD45-2 locomotive cosmetically restored to its bicentennial paint scheme, will make its California public debut at Los Angeles Union Station’s Train Festival 2023: A Celebration of Past, Present & Future on September 9-10. The locomotive, which was donated by BNSF to the Southern California Railway Museum in […]

Read More…

Union Pacific’s General Electric U50C locomotives

Yellow General Electric U50C locomotives in yard beneath mountain peaks

Union Pacific’s General Electric U50C locomotives were the last double-diesel model to join the roster, beginning in late 1969. They were, however, the least successful of the three production models the railroad acquired.     GE built 40 U50C locomotives for UP between September 1969 and January 1971. (Their production dates largely mirrored those of […]

Read More…