Grand Canyon excursion honors late Trains editor

Side view of black steam locomotive

WILLIAMS, Ariz. — Arizona’s Grand Canyon Railway honored late Trains editor Jim Wrinn during a Saturday, April 23, excursion to mark Earth Day, adding a message, “Steam on, Jim Wrinn,” to the tender of 2-8-2 No. 4960. The locomotive is an appropriate one to use for an Earth Day event because the locomotive, built by […]

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News photo: Changes coming for Shore Line East?

Electric multiple-unit trainset passes through station, as seen from overhead

WESTBROOK, Conn. — A Metro-North/Connecticut Department of Transportation Kawasaki M8 electric multiple-unit trainset passes through Westbrook on Saturday, April 23, during training runs for Amtrak crews to operate the equipment. The qualifying runs between New Haven and Old Saybrook, Conn., are reportedly in preparation for use of the M8s on Connecticut’s Shore Line East commuter […]

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News photos: Reading & Northern hosts RDC excursion

Rail Diesel Car exiting tunnel

PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Mileage from four of the railroads which helped form today’s Reading & Northern were featured on a Saturday, April 23, excursion by R&N Rail Diesel Car. Trackage from the Reading Co., Central of New Jersey, Lehigh Valley Railroad, and Lehigh & New England were included in the fundraiser for the Railroad […]

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New Colorado passenger rail board holds first meeting

Logo of the Front Range Passenger Rail District

DENVER — The effort to develop rail service along a corridor between Fort Collins and Pueblo, Colo., entered a new phase on Friday with the first meeting of the Front Range Passenger Rail District board, created by legislation in 2021 to plan, develop, finance, and operate rail service in that corridor. Colorado Newsline reports state […]

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Trains return to California’s Santa Clara River Valley

Silver and blue cab-unit diesel on train

FILLMORE, Calif. —  Sierra Northern Railway’s Ventura Division began another step to introduce itself to local communities by operating a photo freight from Fillmore to Santa Paula and return. The train, powered by EMD F7A 100, consisted of a variety of freight cars with a heavyweight coach bringing up the rear. The railroad is aggressively […]

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The Shay Locomotive: An Illustrated History book review

The Shay Locomotive book review

The Shay locomotive was a widely used North American geared steam locomotive, built to the patents of Ephraim Shay, who is credited with the popularization of the concept of a geared steam locomotive. Shay’s early locomotives differed from later ones, but there is a clear line of development that joins all Shays. Shays were especially […]

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STB seeks to amend rules on emergency rail service

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation is proposing to amend its emergency service regulations to allow immediate relief for shippers in situations requiring such action, including clarifying that the board may act on its own initiative to require emergency service. “The rail service challenges shippers are currently experiencing are amplified by certain recent conditions but are […]

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Union Pacific postpones Big Boy tour to Northwest

BigBoy_Speer_Wrinn

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Union Pacific has postponed its planned tour this summer for Big Boy No. 4014, citing a need to “focus on efforts to ease supply chain congestion.” The trip to the Pacific Northwest via Northern California had been scheduled to begin June 26. The railroad said it would announce updated plans once service […]

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HO scale skeletal logging truck by KR Models

logging truck

HO scale details and accessories Skeletal logging truck: It is a generic skeleton logging truck. You can order just the truck, or with 3 logs or 6 logs. Logging railways used three basic types of log cars, the disconnect, skeleton and the flatcar. Skeleton cars were the most common, basically consisting of a wooden reach […]

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