Roanoke, Va., headquarters of the former Norfolk & Western Railway and once known as the “Alamo for Steam,” is home to the renowned East End Shops. This facility, still standing today, was where the bulk of the railroad’s steam fleet was built. Among these were three locomotive classes from the 1940s-50s, known as the “Big […]
ROANOKE, Va. — The Virginia Museum of Transportation has received a $15,000 grant from the Phillips Charitable Foundation Inc. to support firebox maintenance on its Norfolk & Western Class J 4-8-4, No. 611. The foundation’s benefactor, Howard W. Phillips, displayed a lifelong love for trains as well as an appreciation for historic preservation. This led […]
BENNETTSVILLE, S.C. — A man has been charged with grand larceny for allegedly stealing railroad track valued at $22,000 from Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad property in Bennettsville, the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. Walter Tyndall was also charged with trespassing on a railroad track following […]
BAY SAINT LOUIS, Miss. — Perhaps no community along Amtrak’s Mardi Gras route has been more enthusiastic about the launch of the two daily round trips than townspeople at the first stop east of New Orleans. So on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, the first day of revenue service, it was not surprising a crowd showed […]
ENFIELD, N.C. — Some Amtrak cancellations will continue today (Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025) following the Sunday evening derailment of a CSX coal train near Enfield, but a majority of the trains cancelled Monday will operate as scheduled. According to the Amtrak Alerts social media feed, trains that will not operate today are both directions of […]
ENFIELD, N.C. — Twenty-eight cars of a CSX loaded CSX coal train derailed Sunday afternoon (Aug. 17, 2025) north of Rocky Mount, N.C., bringing extensive disruptions to Amtrak service as well as freight operations. No injuries were reported, and a CSX representative told WRAL-TV that no waterways had been affected and there was “no threat […]
NEW ORLEANS — Amtrak and the Southern Rail Commission on Saturday staged a preview of the long-anticipated Mardi Gras service set to begin Monday (Aug. 18, 2025) using cars, locomotives, and crews that will provide two daily round trips between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala. Here’s a look at how the table was set on […]
STAUNTON, Va. — Tickets for the upcoming Shenandoah Valley Limited fall excursions behind Norfolk & Western No. 611 are now available for purchase, ranging from $128 to $318 per person. The J-class 4-8-4 is poised to return to the Buckingham Branch Railroad for the first time since 2023 [See “Norfolk & Western No. 611 to […]
MIAMI — Florida passenger rail operator Brightline is reissuing almost a billion dollars of private activity bond debt for which a mandatory redemption has come due. The more than 1,300-page Series 2025B “Limited Remarketing Memorandum” distributed to interested parties Tuesday has a term rate of 10%, but is expected to yield 15% to bondholders of […]
LAURENS, S.C. — Two juveniles have been detained and charged with a series of crimes after allegedly stealing and derailing a locomotive, the City of Laurens Police Department has announced. The police are investigating break-ins at CSX Transportation and Carolina Piedmont Railroad facilities on Saturday, Aug. 9. Between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. the juveniles […]
WASHINGTON — A Canadian National train detouring on the Grenada Railroad encountered misaligned track as it crossed a 130-foot bridge, leading to the derailment of 21 cars near Sardis, Miss., on July 6, 2025, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary investigation report released last week. Four cars of hazardous materials were among those […]
CLEWISTON, Fla. — Chris Starnes has been hired for the newly created position of sales, marketing, and revenue manager, short line South Central Florida Express has announced. The company says he will lead efforts to drive business development, expand its customer base, and increase the value of SCFE rail services. Starnes’ nearly 20 years of […]
