Since 2023, 22-year-old Nick Harding has been an active part of the engine crew for the Norfolk & Western J-class 4-8-4 No. 611. The work involves much more than just having smoke rise from the cowled stack. It demands round-the-clock maintenance and repair between operations, ensuring the locomotive is ready for its next trips out […]
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum announced that former Southern Railway No. 4501 will return from its annual inspection wearing the railroad’s classic passenger green paint scheme. The locomotive will appear as it did when it entered excursion service 60 years ago, in 1966. “In a year when we’re celebrating [the museum’s] 65th […]
FULLERTON, Calif. — Metrolink, the Los Angeles-area commuter rail service, has donated its first locomotive to the Fullerton Train Museum for preservation. The locomotive, No. 851, began life as an EMD F59PH, but was rebuilt to an F59PHR. It was delivered to the museum on Jan. 25, where it will be on static display. The […]
PORT JERVIS, N.Y. — The City of Port Jervis has initiated conversations with TOYX regarding a direct lease of the former Erie Railroad turntable site near downtown, according to a statement posted on the TOYX Facebook page. In December 2025, the city terminated the TOYX lease agreement instructing the nonprofit group to vacate the 8.67-acre […]
ABILENE, Kan. — Former Santa Fe 4-6-2 No. 3415 has entered the final phases of its Federal Railroad Administration 1,472-day inspection and rebuilding. The Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad plans to have the locomotive operational by Labor Day 2027. “Santa Fe 3415 is an important icon for Abilene, the State of Kansas, and the storied […]
SIOUX CITY, Iowa — The Sioux City Railroad Museum has been awarded a $1.93 million grant from the National Park Service to aid in the museum’s continuing recovery from major flood damage in June 2024. The money is in the form of an NPS Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund Disaster Grant for recovery efforts and […]
LENOX, Mass. — The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum has named Melanie Seiden as its first executive director, a move the organization calls a significant milestone and a reflection of its growth and long-term vision. Seiden becomes the museum’s first paid staff member. Her most recent position was as associate director for membership at the New […]
YAKIMA, Wash. — At its regular meeting on Jan. 20, the Yakima City Council voted six to one in favor of renewing the Yakima Valley Trolley operating agreement for five years. The Council had postponed the decision at its Dec. 9, 2025, meeting, leaving the trolley association closed as of Jan. 1. In the time […]
BOYERTOWN, Pa. — The Valhalla, a 1924 Canadian National coach, has become another first for the Colebrookdale Railroad. The car is now a one-of-a-kind, barrier-free, sensory-friendly classroom on rails. “For 15 years, our nonprofit has established a record of doing things differently in service to our community and economic development mission,” says Nathaniel Guest, executive […]
NEW HILL, N.C. — The North Carolina Railroad Museum, home of the New Hope Valley Railway, was recently awarded $280,216 in federal grants to support interactive exhibit development. The new exhibits will illustrate North Carolina’s railroad history and its role in transportation innovation. The Institute of Museum and Library Services grants will support the creation […]
BALTIMORE — Following the completion of a year-long cosmetic restoration, American Freedom Train locomotive No. 1 was unveiled to the public in a special ceremony at the B&O Railroad Museum on Jan. 12. The engine pulled the American Freedom Train in the Northeast during its 1975-76 tour commemorating the Declaration of Independence and celebrating the nation’s […]
KINGSTON, N.Y. — A 25-year-old Kingston man has been arrested and charged in connection with the Jan. 1 fire that damaged an out-of-service Catskill Mountain Railroad locomotive. The Kingston Police Department said in a press release that John J. Dwyer had charged with criminal mischief in the third degree, a felony, and arson in the […]
