FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, known for its stewardship of Nickel Plate Road steam engine No. 765 and the Indiana Rail Experience rail tourism program, has named Kelly Lynch as its first executive director — the first paid employee in the organization’s 52-year history. Lynch has been a member of […]
Railfanning the upper Mississippi River is a rewarding experience. The area’s scenic beauty rated a slogan from the Burlington Route: “Where nature smiles 300 miles,” enticing passengers to Chicago, Burlington & Quincy passenger trains along the east bank of the river. Milwaukee Road’s Hiawathas (slogan: “Nothing Faster on Rails”) competed for Chicago-Twin Cities business using its own […]
WASHINGTON — The Union Pacific conductor struck and killed by a Metra train in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 4 had left the locomotive of his freight train to address a hot-wheel report from a wayside detector, the National Transportation Safety Board says in am preliminary investigation report issued today (Tuesday, Oct. 1). The incident occurred […]
GRAND RAPIDS, Ohio — The Toledo, Lake Erie & Western Railway and Museum has received a grant to help restore its former Chesapeake & Ohio Alco S4, No. 5109, to operating condition, the organization has announced. The Anderson Foundation has awarded a $5,140 grant that the tourist railroad says in a Facebook post will be […]
MOUNT VERNON, Ind. — The new OmniTRAX railroad serving Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon has been named the Mount Vernon Railroad, and students from three local schools have a chance to name the two GP38-2 locomotives that will serve the port railroad.= OmniTRAX was named as the operator for the port on the Ohio River in […]
MORGAN, Minn. — If you’ve attended a railroad hobby show or flea market in the Midwest in the past few decades, you couldn’t help but see the signs and tables for Perry’s Hobbies. Based in tiny Morgan, Minn., southwest of the Twin Cities, owner Perry Becker established the business in 1966. Becker, 90, died of […]
MADISON, Wis. — The owner of the Wisconsin Great Northern, the heritage rail operation in Spooner, Wis., which gained significant attention for its efforts to restore the Mark Twain Zephyr, has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison for failure to pay employment taxes. Greg Vreeland, 55, of Springbrook, Wis., was sentenced […]
UPDATE: The image has been clarified for the evacuation area of half-mile radius. https://t.co/lTpcF0Ni9U pic.twitter.com/Mv66wHwCss — Hamilton County EMA (@HCEMA) September 24, 2024 CLEVES, Ohio — An evacuation order was lifted this evening (Wednesday, Sept. 25) in the area where a tank car began leaking the toxic, flammable chemical styrene on Tuesday. The order was […]
WILLIAMS, Ariz. — At age 123, the former Santa Fe branch between Williams and Grand Canyon National Park will not hesitate in challenging Grand Canyon Railway’s steam and diesel locomotives as they navigate the sharp curves and 3.5% grades. The fleet’s flagship, 2-8-2 No. 4960, was no exception on Sept. 21, 2024. Commemorating the first […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak is temporarily combining the Capitol Limited and Silver Star trains to create the new Floridian. Amtrak says the change is due to the upcoming East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project in New York. During this project, one tunnel tube will be closed at a time, minimizing service impacts, maximizing construction access and modernizing the tunnel infrastructure to […]
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Funding is secured for municipally owned Columbia Terminal to upgrade track following the securement of a $3.2 million federal grant, KOMU-TV reports. The city will also contribute $800,000 to bring the project total up to $4 million. “We’re replacing some of the track into a heavier grade track that can carry […]
DETROIT – The Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan will acquire ownership and control of the Detroit QLine streetcar, Detroit Free Press reports. The deal was approved on Sept. 19 and will be effective Oct. 1. The QLine began as M-1 RAIL, a non-profit organization formed in 2007 to lead the design, construction, and […]
