Reading & Northern No. 2102 to make three trips as part of 2025 Fall Foliage excursions

Steam locomotive pulling freight cars rounds curve

PORT CLINTON, Pa. — The Reading & Northern has announced its 2025 Fall Foliage excursion schedule, including three trips to be powered by T-1 class 4-8-4 No. 2102. Tickets for the trips will go on sale Tuesday, May 27. Five weekends of excursions are planned, beginning Saturday, Oct. 4, and concluding Sunday, Nov. 2. Trips […]

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Norfolk & Western No. 611 to celebrate 75th birthday

Head-end photo of steam locomotive

ROANOKE, Va. — Norfolk & Western No. 611 will be turning 75 this month, and Roanoke’s Virginia Museum of Transportation is gearing up for a celebration: May 30, 4-8 p.m.; and May 31, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The J-class 4-8-4 was built in May 1950 by N&W at Roanoke’s East End Shops. “This milestone not only […]

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Can you prevent Lionel and MTH trains from running in reverse?

Classic Toy Trains magazine logo

Are you aware of any kind of commercial device that can prevent Lionel and MTH trains from running in reverse? Whenever any of my young grandchildren try to run a freight train in reverse, the cars inevitably derail and ruin our fun. This is an interesting problem to have! I can’t think of any device […]

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Boiler retubing added to Pere Marquette No. 1225’s ongoing superheater repairs

Steam locomotive rounding curve on a sunny day.

OWOSSO, Mich. — Pere Marquette 2-8-4 No. 1225 is undergoing a full retube of its boiler, according to a May 12 news release by the locomotive’s owner, the Steam Railroading Institute (SRI). The Berkshire-type locomotive was taken out of service in November 2024, on the eve of its 2024 North Pole Express excursions, due to […]

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Mount Washington Cog Railway delays 2025 steam season

steam train going down on steep tracks

MOUNT WASHINGTON, N.H. — The iconic coal-fired steam locomotives of the Mount Washington Cog Railway will see a temporary delay in their 2025 debuts.  A May 12 post on the tourist railroad’s Facebook page states: “Recent pre-season preparations revealed the need for reduced steam pressure in locomotives MW2 and MW9, conditions that would result in […]

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An overview of Steamtown USA

Steam locomotive with Steamtown USA passenger train on bridge

Steamtown National Historic Site, once known as Steamtown USA, has a captivating history. Its journey from one man’s vision in New England to a National Park Service railroad museum in Pennsylvania is marked by highs and lows, attracting both advocates and critics.     The Vision of F. Nelson Blount Francis Nelson Blount Jr. was […]

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News photo: Western Maryland Scenic No. 1309 returns to service

Crew photo in front of steam locomotive

CUMBERLAND, Md. — Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (WMSR) recently announced that 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 is ready to return to excursion service, beginning May 9. The locomotive was sidelined during the 2024 season for extensive work on the pistons, cylinders, and running gear [see “Western Maryland Scenic No. 1309 nears reassembly,” News Wire, Jan. 22, 2025]. […]

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Work on track and 4-6-2 ramps up at Abilene & Smoky Valley (updated)

steam train in field for charter

ABILENE, Kan. — The operating season is ramping up for the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad. The same is true for major work on the railroad’s former Rock Island branch — between Abilene and Enterprise — and its Santa Fe steam locomotive No. 3415. Accoring to a May 7 article from KSAL radio, the railroad’s […]

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News photo: Strasburg No. 90 returns in throwback 1990s appearance

Steam locomotives sit on a cloud day

STRASBURG, Pa. — The Strasburg Rail Road wasted no time unleashing its workhorse, 2-10-0 No. 90 back onto the tourist railroad’s main line through the Amish countryside.  The locomotive began 45-minute excursion runs by early April, mechanically fresh from a federally mandated 1,472-day boiler inspection that began in early 2024. Cosmetically, the gold numbers, lettering, […]

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