Prototype News

Indiana’s Whitewater Valley Railroad has suspended operations after historic flooding caused numerous washouts and is likely to result in millions of dollars in damage.

In the early morning hours of August 13, the West Fork of the Whitewater River crested at an unprecedented 21.78 feet. As a result, floodwaters inundated the towns of Connersville, Laurel and Metamora. The railroad’s base of operations in South Connersville was inundated with 36 inches of water, and floodwaters reached 40 inches inside the shop building. Water submerged dozens of pieces of equipment, including every operating locomotive. While a full evaluation of the railroad’s 19 miles of track has yet to be completed, an initial assessment revealed “thousands of washouts.” One silver lining, however, is that the railroad’s major bridge at Laurel has apparently escaped unscathed. Two historic structures, the Dearborn Tower and the Rushville Depot, both survived with minimal damage.

The railroad has launched a recovery effort and is raising money to cover the cost of rebuilding. For more information, visit whitewatervalleyrr.org.

The Whitewater Valley Railroad was established as a nonprofit in the early 1970s and has been providing excursion service since 1974. It has an eclectic fleet of diesels from EMD, Lima, Baldwin and Alco.

—Justin Franz 

The post Whitewater Valley Railroad Devastated by Flooding appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

A British Columbia excursion railroad has apparently escaped unharmed from a devastating wildfire that has killed at least one person and destroyed an unknown number of structures.

The Bald Range Fire began on Aug. 7 near Summerland, B.C., home to the Kettle Valley Steam Railway. The fire has burned more than 50,000 acres and came concerningly close to the railroad’s station and shops. When the fire broke out on the afternoon of Aug. 7, railroad crews began moving equipment down the line and out of harm’s way, including its primary motive power, Canadian Pacific N2b 2-8-0 3716. The fire also forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of homes, so railroad employees were not able to access the shops and station area for a week. Finally, on Aug. 15, the railroad shared an update stating that its buildings and track had survived. However, because the fire is still active, train service will remain suspended until at least September.

The Kettle Valley Steam Railway was founded in 1995 to provide excursions along the historic Kettle Valley Railway, a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific that ran from 1915 until 1989. Locomotive 3716 was built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1912 and worked in southeastern British Columbia for much of its career, including on the Kettle Valley. From 1975 until 2001, the engine was part of the BC Rail steam fleet, along with “Royal Hudson” H1e 4-6-4 2860.

—Justin Franz 

The post Kettle Valley Closed After Fire appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.