Nickel Plate Road Nos. 765 and 358 celebrate Wheeling & Lake Erie’s anniversary

Steam and diesel locomotive sit together

BREWSTER, Ohio — Following its two-week stay at the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, Nickel Plate Road steam locomotive No. 765 made a historic detour on its way back to the Indiana Northeastern Railroad. On May 5, the 2-8-4, owned and operated by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, departed the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic, heading southbound […]

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News photo: Recently acquired M636 diesel debuts in New York & Lake Erie colors

Two vintage diesel locomotives sitting next to each other

GOWANDA, N.Y. — Montreal Locomotive Works M636 diesel No. 636 debuted May 17, 2025, in its new paint scheme for the New York & Lake Erie Railroad (NYLE). The 1970-built locomotive was acquired by the short line in 2024 from the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad. Initially debuting on the railroad’s Santa Express excursions […]

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Reading & Northern No. 2102 to make three trips as part of 2025 Fall Foliage excursions

Steam locomotive pulling freight cars rounds curve

PORT CLINTON, Pa. — The Reading & Northern has announced its 2025 Fall Foliage excursion schedule, including three trips to be powered by T-1 class 4-8-4 No. 2102. Tickets for the trips will go on sale Tuesday, May 27. Five weekends of excursions are planned, beginning Saturday, Oct. 4, and concluding Sunday, Nov. 2. Trips […]

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Pacific Harbor Line honored for role in global trade

Two black and silver locomotives with strings of containers

WILMINGTON, Calif. — Pacific Harbor Line, the Anacosta Rail Holdings railroad serving the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, has been named as the recipient of the Bob Kleist Leadership Award for 2025 during the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce’s World Trade Week celebration. The award named for Kleist, a leader in international […]

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Western Maryland Scenic’s Georges Creek Division Railroad impacted by flooding (updated)

Washed out track nexzt to flooded creek

WESTERNPORT, Md. — The Georges Creek Division Railroad took a devastating hit by Tuesday’s severe flooding to the western Maryland area. The short line, which ceased operations in 2019, was recently leased to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad for passenger and potential freight opportunities [See “Western Maryland Scenic to expand through lease…,” Trains News Wire, […]

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Boiler retubing added to Pere Marquette No. 1225’s ongoing superheater repairs

Steam locomotive rounding curve on a sunny day.

OWOSSO, Mich. — Pere Marquette 2-8-4 No. 1225 is undergoing a full retube of its boiler, according to a May 12 news release by the locomotive’s owner, the Steam Railroading Institute (SRI). The Berkshire-type locomotive was taken out of service in November 2024, on the eve of its 2024 North Pole Express excursions, due to […]

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Restored open air gondola to debut on Woodstown Central

Restored vintage gondola with seats

WOODSTOWN, N.J. — The Woodstown Central Railroad will see another expansion to its excursion fleet, this time in the form of a favorite among tourist railroad circles: the open air car.  Former Lehigh & New England Railroad composite gondola No. 10301 will debut on May 10 as part of the Woodstown Central’s Scenic Rambler between […]

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Infrastructure fund takes controlling interest in Cathcart Rail

Diesel locomotives with train on low bridge

WASHINGTON — Star America Infrastructure Fund GP II and Star America Rail Holdco have taken a controlling interest in Cathcart Rail, the Ohio-based company that operates a trio of short lines and is the largest independent operator of freight car repair shops in the U.S. Cathcart’s short lines include the 5-mile Bucyrus Industrial Railroad in […]

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BLET, Union Railroad reach tentative agreement

Logo of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union

PITTSBURGH — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen has reached agreement on a tentative four-year deal with Pittsburgh’s Union Railroad, the union has announced. The contract, retroactive to 2024 and running through July 2028, includes raises of 4% in 2024, 4% in 2025, 3.5% in 2026, and 3.5% in 2027. It also includes changes […]

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Rail-making Steelton, Pa., steel plant to be shut down indefinitely

STEELTON, Pa. — Steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs has announced plans to temporarily but indefinitely close its Steelton plant near Harrisburg, Pa., one of only three locations in the U.S. making railroad rails. It is one of three U.S. plants the company will close. The others are in Conshohocken, Pa., and Riverdale, Ill. WHTM-TV reports the closure will […]

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