Western Maryland Scenic No. 1309 nears reassembly

Nose of black steam locomotive and train coming around a bend

CUMBERLAND, Md. — Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 is poised for reassembly after spending the 2024 season sidelined for planned maintenance work, Western Maryland Scenic Railroad officials say. The Mallet has undergone a laundry list of in-house projects and subcontracted work aimed at positioning the locomotive for long-term operation. The tourist railroad tapped D&G […]

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Strasburg Rail Road ordered to reinstate employee, pay more than $220,000 after whistleblower complaint

Locomotive and train in countryside

RONKS, Pa. — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has ordered the Strasburg Rail Road to reinstate an employee fired for refusing to issue locomotive and conductor licenses to an untrained, unqualified management official. The Department says OSHA investigated a whistleblower complaint by the employee, who claimed the firing came after […]

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PRR K4s 1361 restoration moves past halfway point

Drivers for steam locomotive in shop building

ALTOONA, Pa. – With the inspection, cleaning and conditioning of the drivers of former Pennsylvania Railroad Class K4s 4-6-2 steam engine No. 1361 by Strasburg Rail Road’s mechanical department, the locomotive’s $2.4 million restoration has moved symbolically past the halfway point, according to the engine’s owner, the Railroaders Memorial Museum. The six 80-inch drivers made […]

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EMDs SD90MAC Convertibles

Yellow diesel locomotives passing between green trees

EMDs SD90MAC Convertibles were a product of the mid-1990s, when EMD and GE were in a horsepower race to produce the first 6,000 hp AC locomotives. EMD would offer the SD90MAC model which would feature a four-stroke 265H engine, with Union Pacific being the first customer to commit to the model long before the first […]

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Virginia’s only Alco short line

Two diesel locomotives cross a bridge on an overcast fall day

Most Alco fans head for the Northeast’s safe haven of Alco-operating short line railroads. But viewing Virginia’s only Alco short line requires a visit to Shenandoah Valley Railroad (SVRR). The SVRR is a 20.1-mile railroad between Staunton, Va., and Pleasant Valley, Va., along the intersection of Interstates 81 and 64 in the Commonwealth’s Shenandoah Valley. […]

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January 2025

The January 2025 cover of Trains magazine, which features a black and orange locomotive moving towards the photographer

In every issue News, p. 6 CSX and Norfolk Southern hit hard by Hurricane Helene Bill Stephens, p. 10  Railroads should use steam to polish their images John Hankey, p. 12  The enduring connection between Christmas and trains Great Railfan Roads, p. 44 Rail action on both banks of the upper Mississippi River Brian Solomon, […]

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