EL RENO, Okla. — Jaguar Transport Holdings has entered into an agreement with Haskell Lemon Construction to operate the Oklahoma Central Rail Park in El Reno, Okla. The 200-acre facility just west of Oklahoma City will be fully operational on Jan. 1, 2022. Less than 2 miles from I-40, the Rail Park connects with the Union Pacific Railroad and […]
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Minnesota museum saves Soo Line caboose

MINNEAPOLIS – The Iron Horse Central Railroad Museum has acquired a 110-year-old Soo Line caboose that has been a landmark in Minneapolis for 46 years. The caboose was owned by the Broadway Bar Pizza Restaurant, and has stood at the intersection at Broadway Avenue and East River Road since 1975. In 2020, the pizza shop’s […]
FRA’s Bose tells short lines to make case on crew size

PHOENIX — Amit Bose, the Federal Railroad Administration’s Deputy Administrator, covered a great deal of ground in his keynote address Thursday to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. Only once, however, did he display a degree of agitation about his subject matter: when discussing a forthcoming rule proposal on train crew size. The […]
Handsome Hudson

Handsome Hudson For a few years in the late 1930s, the steam queens of New Haven’s Shore Line were 10 class I-5 4-6-4s. The handsome Hudsons’ wheel-balance woes prompted NH to begin acquiring a fleet of 60 DL109 diesels in 1941. Here, an I-5 roars west with the Merchants Limited at Sharon, Mass. Wayne Brumbaugh […]
Milwaukee Road freight trains photo gallery

All through November, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the multi-faceted Milwaukee Road. Please enjoy this photo gallery of Milwaukee Road freight trains selected from the image archives of Kalmbach Media’s David P. Morgan Library. In its history, the Milwaukee Road operated freight service from as far as Louisville, Ky., west to Tacoma, Wash., and Portland, […]
CSX Transportation celebrates Carolina Connector intermodal terminal opening

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — CSX hosted North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, N.C. Department of Transportation officials, and others at the official ribbon-cutting today for the $160 million Carolina Connector, the newest intermodal terminal on the CSX network. Strategically located northeast of Raleigh, N.C., with easy access to Interstate 95, the new CCX terminal will help […]
Budget work train for the garden

Budget work train for DIY’ers A budget work train made its way into my life since I needed a project to work on to de-stress from the rigors of graduate school — for a price a grad student can afford. Wrecking crane I wanted my budget work train to center around two main cars, a 250- […]
Nashville Steam Issues End of Year Matching Grant Challenge

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – As the restoration of Nashville’s iconic steam locomotive nears its halfway point, Nashville Steam Preservation Society has issued a matching grant challenge to raise $100,000 by the end of 2021. Thanks to a generous opportunity from The Candelaria Fund and The Wick Moorman Charitable Foundation, all donations, and gifts over $500 will […]
First public excursions for Florida 4-6-2 steam locomotive set for December

CLEWISTON, Florida — On December 11th, The Santa Express will deliver gifts to Toys for Tots organizations and local families in need. Special stops with Sugar Express No. 148 and Santa Claus are planned in Glades, Highlands, Hendry, Palm Beach, and Martin Counties. “This is our second year operating The Santa Express and we couldn’t […]
Diesel hydraulics: Diesels that didn’t

North American railroads never found a broad use for freight service diesel locomotives with a hydraulic drive, making them another case of the “diesels that didn’t.” Germany was the early leader in developing and building diesel locomotives that utilized direct-drive transmissions. Those early models in the 1930s incorporated torque converters and gears in lieu of […]
New Long Island Rail Road station opening set

NEW YORK – The Long Island Rail Road will open its Elmont Station for eastbound service on Nov. 20. It is the first new LIRR station in almost 50 years, according to the railroad’s owner, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The beginning of service will coincide with the New York Islanders’ hockey team’s first home game […]
Canadian Pacific Holiday Train sets details for online concert (updated)

CALGARY – Canadian Pacific has set the details for a concert to be live-streamed as part of its virtual version of the CP Holiday Train. The Dec. 18 event, dubbed the “CP Holiday Train at Home” concert, will originate from the train’s cars in Calgary. It is part of CP’s continuing charity efforts with the […]