On the Utah Railway, three six-motor Alco diesels —RSD4 301, RSD5 306, and RSD4 302 — descend Soldier Summit with a loaded coal train in 1970. J. David Ingles photo […]
Alco RSDs in Utah
Tag: Mountain West
Late bid leads to new owner for San Luis & Rio Grande
ALAMOSA, Colo. — In late bidding that trustee William Brandt described as “spirited” to a local newspaper, a short line owned by a Colorado billionaire has won the bankruptcy auction for the San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad. The Colorado Pacific Railroad, owned by Stefan Soloviev, a billionaire farmer and son of late New York […]
SP’s Lucin Cutoff
The Southern Pacific’s original transcontinental line north of Ogden, Utah, and around the top of the Great Salt Lake via Promontory was operationally difficult. In 1904, SP opened the 102-mile Lucin Cutoff, a shorter, flatter, straighter route that included a 12-mile trestle across the lake. Classic Train coll. […]
Freelance Colorado narrow-gauge branch line
Freelance Colorado narrow-gauge branch line The railway at a glance Name: Miller Creek & Moss Rock Railway Size of railroad: 30′ x 40′, approximately Scale: 1:24 Gauge: 45mm (no. 1) Era: Pre-WWII Theme: Freelance Colorado narrow-gauge branch line Age: 6 years Motive power: NiMH-battery-operated Delton Consolidation Length of mainline: 130′, (approximately) Maximum gradient: 3.5% Type […]
Eight Burlington Northern freight car one-offs
I recently wrote “Burlington Northern locomotive one-offs” featuring five Electro-Motive Division diesels, including unique paint schemes, rebuilds, and test subjects. This time, I dug through my negative collection and found eight Burlington Northern freight car one-offs. Most of the photos are from family travels throughout northwest Minnesota and northeast North Dakota between the early 1980s […]
Big Sky group helps pursue grant for Empire Builder route
MISSOULA, Mont. — The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, the group seeking to return passenger service to southern Montana, has agreed to help BNSF Railway seek a federal grant for improvements on the route of the Empire Builder, the existing Amtrak service in the northern part of the state. The Missoula Current reports that the $15 […]
Outdoors group seeks to block sale of San Luis & Rio Grande to OmniTRAX
ALAMOSA, Colo. — An outdoors group has filed an objection to plans by OmniTRAX to buy the bankrupt San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad, saying it will permanently damage the group’s effort to expand recreational trails in Colorado’s San Luis Valley along the railroad’s right-of-way. The Mineral County Miner reports San Luis Valley Great Outdoors […]
Exiting CN’s St. Clair Tunnel
In a view from the head end, an eastbound train led by St. Clair Tunnel Co. electrics exits Canadian National’s Port Huron, Mich.–Sarnia, Ont., St. Clair Tunnel in 1958. Jim Davis photo […]
Lionel Legacy AC-12 Cab Forward review
The wait for the Lionel Legacy AC-12 Cab Forward has taken a little longer than the company’s normal 4-6 year re-release cycle. The TMCC version of the AC-12 was released in 2005 followed by a repop with whistle steam and Legacy control in 2014. In 2022 we’re receiving the latest version, first announced in the […]
Challenger, preparing for move to Silvis, takes a ride on Cheyenne turntable (video)
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Union Pacific Challenger No. 3985 took one final ride on UP’s turntable at Cheyenne on Tuesday, as the locomotive prepares for its move to Silvis, Ill., in a trip beginning later this week. The locomotive is paired with the original tender for Big Boy No. 4014, since No. 4014 has been using […]
Repairs begin at site of September light rail derailment in Colorado
AURORA, Colo. — The Regional Transportation District has begun repairs at the intersection where a light rail train derailed in September, leading to an ongoing interruption of service on its R Line, the Denver Post reports. A train derailed at a 90-degree turn through the intersection of South Sable Boulevard and East Exposition Drive on […]
‘Scenic Limited’ in Royal Gorge double-header
Rio Grande engines 773, an elderly Alco 4-6-0, and 1710, a modern Baldwin 4-8-4, lead the westbound Scenic Limited along the Arkansas River in rugged Royal Gorge in June 1937. M. C. Poor photo […]
