NORTH CONWAY, N.H. — The Conway Scenic Railroad will launch its popular Mountaineer excursion train to Crawford Notch earlier than usual in 2022, beginning with a special Railfan’s Mountaineer photography special on Sunday, May 22. The train, to be hauled by a combination of locomotives including 470 Club’s former Boston & Maine F7A diesels, is […]
PETALUMA, Calif. — Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit will add five weekday round trips beginning June 13 as part of a new schedule restoring service discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new schedule includes three added morning trips in each direction — from Sonoma County Airport at 4:39, 6:38, and 7:42 a.m., and from Larkspur at […]
FILLMORE, Calif. — Following on the heels of a successful freight photo train April 22, Sierra Northern Railway’s Ventura Division operated a second train, this time with seven streamlined passenger cars between Fillmore and Santa Paula, on Thursday, May 5. The train was stopped numerous times for the railroad’s company photographer. The train was significant […]
CHICAGO — Herman E. Crosson, a veteran safety official for short line and Class I railroads, will be come chief safety and compliance officer at Anacostia Rail Holdings Co., effective May 9, the company has announced. Crosson succeeds the retiring Thomas A. Leopold, who has been with Anacostia since 2006 and will continue to serve […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Comet Industries, which specializes in sales of new and reconditioned freight car parts, will acquire Seneca Railroad and Mining of Bellevue, Ohio, which manufactures insulated rail joints, rubber plates, and pads used for railroad crossings, turnouts and switches. “We are pleased to add the Seneca team and their offers to our […]
Burlington Northern caboose prototype: If you’ve been involved with model railroading for a while, you’ve most likely heard the expression “There’s a prototype for everything.” On my way to the National Model Railroad Association Thousand Lakes Region convention in Grand Forks, N.D. back in 2004, I made a stop in Hillsboro, N.D. The community of […]
Unusual rolling stock: There is no doubt that today’s trains are just not as colorful as those of a few decades ago. But just when you’re cradled into thinking variety is a thing of the past, a piece of rolling stock pops up to make you take a second look. Here’s a few samples of […]
Diesels with trolley poles: Interurban railways usually had some form of freight traffic supplementing their passenger business, but almost none could come close to the Pacific Electric Railway, Southern California’s premier streetcar system. A subsidiary of Southern Pacific, even after the company gave up hauling passengers, freight service continued at a brisk pace up to […]
60-foot bulkhead flatcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $39.99 (Primed for Grime, $44.99); three-pack, $99.99 (Primed for Grime, $111.99) Era: Late 1960s to 1990s (era varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com 60-foot bulkhead flatcar features: Injection-molded plastic body Separate, factory-applied end details and brake wheel 33” machined […]
EMD DDA40X: In 1968, Union Pacific purchased 50 20-cylinder, 3,600 hp EMD SD45s for high-speed service. However, the units did not meet management’s expectations in that role. So, UP commissioned EMD to design and build a locomotive that would develop more horsepower than the DD35, U50, or C855 models. The result was the largest double-diesel […]
ANGOLA, Ind. — The Ft. Wayne Railroad Historical Society has announced plans for “The Indiana Rail Experience,” a series of trips featuring Nickel Plate Road Berkshire No. 765 on the Indiana Northeastern Railroad. A complete schedule and tickets for the excursions will be available later this month at the Ft. Wayne Railroad Historical Society website. […]
CALGARY — ATCO Group will build two hydrogen production and refueling facilities for Canadian Pacific’s program developing hydrogen fuel-cell locomotives, ATCO announced. The facilities in Calgary and Edmonton will each include a 1 megawatt electrolyzer, compression, storage, and fuel dispensing. The Calgary facility will be powered in part by a solar power facility at CP’s […]
