Harrisburg NRHS completes interactive signal exhibit

Image on cell phone that matches display on three-position signal

HARRISBURG, Pa. – With a cellphone, tablet or notebook in hand, visitors can activate a Pennsylvania Railroad position-light signal here to replicate any of 19 indications, past or present, used to govern train movements. The Harrisburg Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society on Wednesday (Feb. 19) completed a project, years in the making, that […]

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Bidding process begins for roundhouse at Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

Illustration of six-stall, glass-and-brick roundhouse

STRASBURG, Pa. — A bid process has begun for the building of a six-stall, 16,000-square-foot roundhouse at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania to house six Pennsylvania Railroad steam locomotives. The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission announced the beginning of the process on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. Construction will be funded through Pennsylvania capital project funds, […]

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Metra donates F40C locomotive to Illinois Railway Museum

Blue and orange locomotive with steel side panels in rail yare

UNION, Ill. — Metra has donated F40C No. 614, one of just two such surviving locomotives, to the Illinois Railway Museum. IRM says in a press release that it hopes to restore the locomotive to operating condition. It had seen some cannibalization for parts during its final years in storage at Metra, and is missing […]

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Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum to debut Bessemer & Lake Erie 2-10-4

Steam locomotive on turntable

SUGARCREEK, Ohio — The Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum is preparing for the first public viewing of the newest locomotive on display in its collection, Bessemer & Lake Erie 2-10-4 No. 643. That viewing will come March 29 as part of the museum’s Member Day, to be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. A […]

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Vicksburg, Mich., station added to National Register of Historic Places

Train station with caboose next to tracks

VICKSBURG, Mich. — Vicksburg’s Union Depot, a brick and stone structure dating to 1904 and built to serve predecessors to the Pennsylvania and Grand Trunk railroads, is among 11 state locations added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp. The station in Kalamazoo County, which last […]

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Mike Eagleson was all about steam

Steam steam locomotives with passenger train on curve

The trend toward professional archival preservation of the work of major railroad photographers continues, lately with the news that the huge collection of negatives, slides, and films of the late Mike Eagleson has gone to the Industrial Archives & Library based in Bethlehem, Pa. This is a big “get” for the IAL, buttressing its mission […]

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New non-profit paves way for railroading and preservation’s future

Young individual tends to a fire inside the cab of a steam locomotive.

Railroad-related non-profit organizations are typically dedicated to preservation and educating others about the past. One such non-profit, however, is focused on the future of railroading and rail preservation: Next Generation Railroaders (NGR). Bridging the Gap, Passing the Torch The future of both industries depends on the next generation, but transferring knowledge and passion isn’t always […]

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Steamtown National Historic Site employees dismissed

Steam locomotive moving between buildings

SCRANTON, Pa. — Five employees at Steamtown National Historic Site have been dismissed as part of cuts to National Park Service employees by the Trump administration, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. David Fitzpatrick, an official with two locals of the American Federation of Government Employees, told the newspaper another five were dismissed at Gettysburg National Military […]

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Diesel arrives at East Broad Top from Durango & Silverton

ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. — West met East here Thursday morning (Feb. 13, 2025) as the East Broad Top Railroad took ownership of former Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad diesel unit No. 1203, an H.K. Porter six-axle locomotive built in Pittsburgh in 1946. After a week-long trip by heavy-haul truck from its last home in […]

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Private car ‘Sugarcreek’ donated to Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum

Tuscan red private car with end platform under station trainshed

SUGARCREEK, Ohio — The Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum has added former Missouri Pacific business car No. 11, now known as Ohio Central No. 800003, Sugarcreek, to its collection, the museum has announced. The car has been donated by the family of the late Jerry Joe Jacobson, founder of the Age of Steam Roundhouse and […]

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10 must-visit historic railroad towns

Passenger train with Chicago skyline in background

Visiting a railroad town can take you on a journey through not only the town itself, but also its railroading’s past, present, and even future. Whether you’re just passing through or have an opportunity to stay for an extended getaway, consider these 10 must-visit historic railroad towns that’ll range from the OG of railroad towns […]

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Flying Yankee Association sees funds to restore traction motors

Traction motor of streamlined trainset

NASHUA, N.H. — The Flying Yankee Association, which last year became owner of the Budd Co. streamliner built for the Boston & Maine in 1935, is launching a fundraiser its preservation and restoration efforts. Marking the 90th anniversary of the shovel-nosed, articulated trainset — a virtual duplicate of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy equipment that […]

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