QUINCY, Mass. – RailState, which tabulates rail traffic using a network of sensors placed on public property along main lines, last week provided a snapshot of long trains rolling along BNSF Railway and Union Pacific in the Southwest. The longest train RailState spotted over a 10-day period this month: A five-locomotive UP stack train carrying […]
Rarely does a locomotive capture both the elements of power and beauty. As train enthusiasts we love the power aspect, but often the result is boxy, odd, or bland. The Union Pacific’s ten FEF-class steam locomotives set a standard for rugged beauty, and one in particular has had an operation life of 79 years. That […]
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Union Pacific has announced plans for its second tour this year with Big Boy No. 4014, which will cover 10 states in eight weeks beginning Aug. 29. The “Heartland of America Tour” will launch from Cheyenne on that date and also include Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas, […]
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The George H.W. Bush Presidential Center officially opened the new pavilion that houses Union Pacific SD70Ace No. 4141 on Thursday, which would have been the president’s 100th birthday. The 29,000-square-foot pavilion on the Texas A&M campus also includes a helicopter that was frequently used as Marine One to carry the president […]
WASHINGTON – Union Pacific and BNSF Railway are contracting out dispatching of the Alameda Corridor to a neutral third party. The 16.1 mile grade-separated corridor, which leads to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., handled an average of 31 trains per day in the first quarter of 2024, according to the Alameda […]
In about 1950, the operator at Reverse, Idaho, hands up orders to the engine crew of westbound freight 3-257. Two 2-8-8-0 pushers have been removed here after assisting the train up Medbury Hill. Henry R. Griffiths Jr. photo […]
FERNLEY, Nev. – The Port of Nevada, an inland port near Reno, is now offering international intermodal service to and from the Port of Oakland, Calif., thanks to a partnership with Union Pacific and CMA CGM Group. “Direct rail access between Reno and the West Coast significantly increases the amount of cargo freight that can […]
UNION, Neb. — More than 20 cars of a Union Pacific train derailed Tuesday afternoon near the Nebraska-Iowa state line, with one tank car spilling its contents into an adjacent waterway, KLKN-TV reports. The derailment occurred about 4 p.m. near Union, about 4 miles west of the state line and 30 miles south of Omaha […]
Classic Trains Film Archive | Pacific Northwest and California, J. David Ingles Reel 103 – Through the lens of J. David Ingles, you’ll see the Canadian Pacific, Great Northern, Southern Pacific, Union Pacific; and other roads as he ventured into the Pacific Northwest and California too. Dave rides along Puget Sound with his sights set […]
EMMETT, Ark. —Ten cars of a Union Pacific freight train derailed Saturday afternoon, May 25, at Emmett, Ark., about 7 miles northeast of Hope, Ark. The track continued to be blocked Sunday afternoon as crews worked to remove cars and repair the damage, according to spokeswoman Meg Siffring. A second train had derailed a day […]
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — This week the Union Pacific made a short run with 4-8-8-4 No. 4014 to test the new PTC system installed on the locomotive. While Big Boy has operated with a LeaPTC system since 2021, says a UP statement, the new equipment permits operation without support of a diesel locomotive. The original PTC […]
Well, I put a bee in Jim Vena’s bonnet when I wrote that railroads should thank the Federal Railroad Administration for its new two-person train crew rule. The thrust of that column last month: Service would suffer if the Class I railroads were to go to engineer-only operation because of delays related to having ground-based […]
