Monticello Railway Museum debuts RS1325 at Throttle Time event (video)

Orange locomotive pulling seven cars crosses wooden bridge

MONTICELLO, Ill. — Illinois & Midland RS1325 No. 31 made its operating debut at the Monticello Railway Museum during this past weekend’s sold-out Throttle Time event, pulling a vintage freight train while run by “student engineers” who purchased a ticket for the opportunity to run the rare locomotive. The museum acquired the RS1325, one of […]

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Digest: Families sue Canadian Pacific, Transport Canada over fatal 2019 derailment

Derailed rail cars in snow

Families sue CP, Transport Canada over 2019 derailment that killed three The families of two of the Canadian Pacific crew members killed in the derailment of a runaway CP train in February 2019 are suing the railroad, officials including CEO Keith Creel, police department, and federal agency Transport Canada. The CBC reports the families of […]

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Digest: Long Beach to save early LA Metro light rail car

Light rail train breaking through banner

Long Beach, Calif., to preserve light rail car that launched service in 1990 The Long Beach, Calif., city council is expected to accept a donated light rail vehicle from LA Metro to be preserved for a yet-to-be-determined use. The Long Beach Post reports the Nippon Sharyo P865 car, No. 100, was used to launch Blue […]

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Conrail society, Danbury museum combine to save hopper car

Rusting gray hopper car

DANBURY, Conn. — The Conrail Historical Society and Danbury (Ct.) Railway Museum have combined to preserve a “Flexi-Flo” hopper car built in 1966 for the New York Central by ACF Industries. One of 220 such cars, the order represented the first pressure differential cars constructed, which allowed easy unloading of the contents by applying air […]

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Digest: VIA operations continue despite new provincial travel restrictions

VIA Rail Canada logo

VIA says operations will continue despite new travel restrictions While new restrictions on travel in and out of the provinces of Ontario and Quebec begin today, VIA Rail Canada says in a notice on its website that it will “continue all scheduled services,” adding, “Passengers are responsible to comply with provincial restrictions.” The CBC reports […]

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Digest: C&NW historical society archives coming to Illinois Railway Museum

Illinois Railway Museum logo

Chicago & North Western Historical Society archives bound for IRM The archives of the Chicago & North Western Historical Society are bound for the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Ill. The archives will be located at a new building, to be formally known as the C&NWHS Archives Research Center, to be located on the museum’s […]

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Hoosier Valley museum to restore ‘decapitated’ locomotive

Monon50cabdestroyed

NORTH JUDSON, Ind. — The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum will restore a Monon SW1 which was badly damaged while being moved by truck in 2018.  The museum will restore Monon DS-50, which had its cab destroyed when it hit a low bridge in Logansport, Ind. [see “Monon’s first diesel decapitated …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. […]

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Meet Walthers Open Class Contestant DJ Arlia

A CSX train sits in the middle of a track, the scene is partially covered by a bush

WAUKESHA, Wis. — It’s mid-April and the second-annual Walthers National Model Railroad Build-off is well-underway. Across the country, modelers are hard at work on their layouts. With four different categories and hundreds of contestants, the judges are sure to see no shortage of talent from this year’s submissions. “Open class” contestant Domenic Joseph Arlia, otherwise known […]

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Flying on the Carolina Special

Two steam locomotives "meet" on track.

Around 1940, give or take a little, I was firing Southern Railway Ps-4 Pacifics heading the eastern leg of the Carolina Special between Charlotte and Greensboro, N.C. This little rural train served towns like Mocksville, Cooleemee Junction, Woodleaf, Bear Poplar, Davidson, Mooresville, and the tobacco center of Winston-Salem. We met the Special’s Asheville connection at […]

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Support grows for Watco purchase of CN’s former Wisconsin Central branches

Watco logo

WASHINGTON – Support is pouring in for Canadian National’s proposed sale of former Wisconsin Central branches to shortline operator Watco. A major shipper group, a current shipper, railroad associations in Wisconsin and Michigan, a county economic development agency, and the Badger State’s largest business group have all urged federal regulators to expedite review of the […]

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Cars of the 1938 Century

Streamlined steam locomotive leading a streamline passenger train on a gentle curve.

From its launch in 1902, New York Central’s 20th Century Limited was arguably the most prestigious train in America. With its all-first-class passenger accommodations, the Century was the way to travel between New York and Chicago. By 1938 the train’s reputation was well established when it was completely re-equipped with new streamlined Alco locomotives and […]

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