Railnews from Railfan & Railroad Magazine

Where is the American Southwest? One might be tempted to pick up a map and point toward specific states that, within the borders of the U.S., are literally south and west, yet this is a bit fraught — is all of California the “Southwest”? Does Texas belong, or Oklahoma, or Arkansas, or Kansas? To many people, it is not state borders, but rather a certain look, feel, and rhythm that define the Southwest, and much of this was crafted by the passenger department of Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway.

Its goal was to solve a problem — Santa Fe’s eastern lines, stretching west from Chicago across Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas, had plenty of agricultural traffic and a fair amount of towns and cities. The farther west the main line went, however, the drier the land became, less fertile, less populated. Almost everything from Colorado to Southern California was arid, even bone-dry. The potential for lineside traffic? Equally dry. But Santa Fe posed this question to Americans — what if that same barren landscape was, when viewed through a Pullman car window, distinctive scenery, viewable nowhere else in the world?

Through prose, painting, and photography, all prominently featured in company advertising, Santa Fe heavily marketed the Southwest as a place of scenic wonder. But its efforts went beyond the printed page and into design and architecture. Where eastern depots were often modest frame buildings, those in the Southwest frequently used — or appeared to use — adobe construction and Spanish clay roof tiles. Hotels, restaurants, and other concessions carried Native or Spanish names, while inside of them, gift shops sold baskets, blankets, rugs, and jewelry, the design of which was inspired by (and often made by) Native peoples. Company designers, chief among them architect Mary J. Colter, sometimes adjusted colors and forms to better suit tourist tastes.

Theming extended aboard the trains themselves, from names such as El Capitan, Chief, and Super Chief to decorative patterns on dining car china inspired by thousand-year-old Native pottery from southern Arizona.

This is not to say Santa Fe invented the Southwest alone. Other railroads, eager to claim their share of a growing tourism trade, played a role, as did countless entrepreneurs across the region. Perhaps the most striking example came in 1912, when citizens of Santa Fe, N.M., voted to remake their city, bit by bit, so it would appear older, more Spanish, and more Native — transforming many late 19th-century American buildings into a kind of romanticized Pueblo village. The result, even if rooted partly in fantasy, is undeniably beautiful.

And in the wake of the tourism market that the railway had built came numerous auto tourists, many traveling the two-lane blacktop of Route 66, designated a national highway in 1926. On page 28, Elrond Lawrence celebrates the relationship between the railway and this highway, which marks its centenary.

The occasion is bittersweet. The Super Chief is gone, and much of Route 66 survives only in fragments, bypassed by modern freeways. Some aspects of the past are better left behind, but the sense of wonder Santa Fe created around the Southwest — however carefully constructed — is worth preserving. It encouraged travelers to slow down, look out the window, and see a landscape once regarded as an obstacle as one of the most beautiful places in the world. Yes, it was done to sell tickets, but it was also a remarkable gift.

—Alexander Benjamin Craghead is a transportation historian, photographer, artist, and author.

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Staff Special/photos as noted

You would be forgiven if you experienced a bit of sensory overload while attending America 250 Locomotive Celebration at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer. Walking the grounds, it almost felt surreal to see so many different pieces of equipment together in the same place. From August 28–30, more than 30 locomotives, along with a caboose and a set of commemorative boxcars, assembled at the museum in honor of the 250th anniversary of American independence. The roster represented all six Class I railroads, along with short lines, regionals, passenger operators, museums, and preservation groups from across the country — not to mention a tremendous amount of logistical effort to get everything to the museum in time for this special once-in-a-lifetime event.

For those of us who made the trip to Spencer, the appeal was obvious from the moment we stepped onto the grounds. Everywhere we looked there was another splash of red, white, and blue, from names familiar and foreign. Some units wore brand-new America 250 schemes, while others represented restored Bicentennial designs. The museum’s Bob Julian Roundhouse and turntable provided a natural stage, with locomotives rotating in and out for display while trains moved around the grounds throughout the weekend.

ABOVE: Delaware-Lackawanna M-630 1776 (ex-Pacific Great Eastern 707) was the lone Alco/MLW representative at the special event. —Otto M. Vondrak

The lineup also showcased an impressive cross-section of locomotive history, with everything from first-generation diesels to the latest high-horsepower road power. Delaware-Lackawanna’s M-630 1776 was the lone Alco/MLW representative, while Aberdeen, Carolina & Western’s former Canadian National GMD SD60F brought an uncommon cowl-bodied design to the lineup. Vintage GP9s, GP38-series locomotives, Naugatuck Railroad’s U23B, and classic SD45s provided plenty of variety from earlier generations, standing in sharp contrast to the newest Wabtec and EMD units on display.

One of the real highlights for us was seeing three restored Bicentennial locomotives gathered in one place. Southern California Railway Museum brought Santa Fe SD45-2 5704 all the way from Perris, Calif.; Virginia Museum of Transportation sent high-hood Norfolk & Western SD45 1776; and Midwest Overland Rail Preservation Society displayed Milwaukee Road SD40-2 156. It was the first time all three were together since they were part of a special photo shoot in Chicago sponsored by Trains in 1976. Seeing MILW 156 carried a little extra meaning for us because White River Productions was a proud cosponsor of its restoration and repainting.

ABOVE: BNSF 1776 and ATSF 5604 were paired up briefly for photo opportunities, offering a comparison between Santa Fe’s Bicentennial design and BNSF’s updated interpretation for America’s 250th. —Michael T. Burkhart

It was amazing to have all of this equipment staged for photography, and the weather turned out better than expected. But the real experience came from simply walking the grounds, comparing details, talking with railroaders and preservationists, and watching visitors take it all in.
Railfan & Railroad was proud to play a part in the festivities, hosting two sold-out night photo sessions for 200 photographers each evening. White River Productions was also a major sponsor of the event.

We hope you enjoy this gallery of some of our favorite moments from a remarkable weekend in Spencer — one that brought together railroading past and present in a way we may not see again for a very long time…

ABOVE: Photographers ringed the turntable throughout the afternoon, waiting for each locomotive to rotate into position for a clean portrait. On August 28, Naugatuck Railroad 2798 takes its turn in the spotlight as cameras line the edge of the pit. —Otto M. Vondrak

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by Elrond Lawrence/photos by the author

On November 11, 2026, one hundred years will have passed since U.S. Highway 66 was commissioned, the creation of a committee of federal and state highway officials. Their leader, visionary businessman and politician Cyrus Avery, saw a need to unite a ragged patchwork of roads between Chicago and Los Angeles — many unpaved at the time — into a 2,448-mile route bearing the catchy designation “66” (“60” was a close contender, but ultimately lost out).

Of all the highways established during this era, U.S. 66 and the Lincoln Highway between San Francisco and New York are arguably the best known. But only Route 66 inspired an endlessly covered song, a television series, movies, books, and decades of merchandise emblazoned with its familiar highway shield and double sixes. This highway passed a mile from my home in the steel mill town of Fontana, Calif., and it was the same highway that took me to my first photographic efforts in Cajon Pass during the 1980s. As I discovered the highway, its last link was being replaced by Interstate 40 in northern Arizona, leading to its official decommissioning in 1985.

ABOVE: An eastbound BNSF Railway freight winds through Kingman Canyon, Ariz., alongside Route 66 in July 2020.

Most railfans can relate to the thrill of pursuing trains via old two-lane blacktop roads, and for this Californian, the “old road” in Cajon was my first taste of freedom. It began by riding with family and friends, especially in friend Bob Spinuzzi’s ’68 Chevelle, and then it expanded with my first car — a green 1974 Ford Maverick that lacked in coolness what it rocked in speed. Mad chases of Santa Fe, Union Pacific, and Southern Pacific trains from San Bernardino to Summit ensued… then the canvas widened with trips to the high desert cities of Victorville, Barstow, and Needles. In the early 1990s, my eyes opened to the relationship between Route 66 and Santa Fe Railway, spanning more than 800 miles together in the American Southwest from California to New Mexico.

It’s been 35 years since my wife, Laura, joined me for the first large-scale road trip from San Bernardino, Calif., to Tucumcari, N.M., in fall 1991. Daughter Kathryn became a fellow road warrior during the early 2000s, as BNSF Railway’s colors slowly assimilated the old Santa Fe image, and I steadily completed a project that became the book Route 66 Railway, first published in 2008. During the 2020s, solo outings and additional trips with Laura have taken a more reflective tone; each visit reveals new changes, losses, and rebirth.

ABOVE: In November 2005, a large highway mural painted on an old Santa Fe caboose celebrates Gallup, N.M.’s ties to both Route 66 and the railroad.

As the variety and color of Santa Fe gave way to standardized BNSF trains over the busy Transcon, my focus shifted even more toward the towns, roadside attractions, and southwest scenery that surround the former AT&SF. From the 1980s through the early 2010s, my photography spotlighted locomotives and cars equally with the land they traversed. Today, it’s more about the trackside experience and finding stories that contrast the busy railroad with the traces of past glories.

The thrill of railroading is still alive, as is the mystique of the deserts, forests, cities, and faded towns that make up the shared railroad and highway experience. The icons are there too — bridges towering and small, road signs, gas stations, and neon signs, along with repurposed cabooses, backyard boxcars, and locomotive museum pieces.

ABOVE: A westbound BNSF Railway freight passes the silent gas pumps at Bellemont, Ariz., in August 2004.

The people along Route 66 keep all these alive, embodied by 99-year-old Angel Delgadillo, a retired barber in Seligman, Ariz., with an infectious smile, who since the 1980s has played a key role in reviving Route 66 with nostalgia tourism. In 2004, I asked Angel to pose with the old Havasu Harvey House in Seligman, then facing demolition despite efforts by BNSF to donate the building (sadly, the town couldn’t raise the funds to move it)…

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The Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust has acquired two former PRR E8A locomotives from the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society and has contracted the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad to perform a full restoration on the pair. The T1 Trust group plans to operate restored PRR 5702A and 5761A alongside T1 steam locomotive 5550, which is currently under construction and will be the first new main line steam locomotive built in the U.S. since the 1950s. A total of 450 E8s were produced by Electro-Motive between 1949 and 1954.

“While our primary mission remains the completion of T1 No. 5550, this acquisition helps us preserve and interpret a broader spectrum of Pennsylvania Railroad innovation for future generations,” stated Brad Noble, president of the Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust.

These locomotives mark the first motive power acquisition for T1 Trust and are the first diesel locomotives to be owned by the group. Iowa Pacific Holdings previously owned the locomotives, but they were sold to Fort Wayne Railroad following the company’s bankruptcy and liquidation. The group had been evaluating several long-term preservation opportunities while $40,000 in storage costs were raised through the sponsorship of a private donor, who also financed the sale of the locomotives to the T1 Trust.

Jason Johnson, general manager of the T1 Trust, says he is excited about the chance to operate the locomotives again.

“It’s a great addition for the T1 Trust,” he said. “I’m a big fan of the early streamlined diesels even though they replaced the T1s. I’m still partial to that era of diesel locomotives, so I’m looking forward to seeing them operate again just as they did in passenger service.”

The locomotives will spend the winter at the WMSR shops in Cumberland, Md., for mechanical and cosmetic work, and T1 Trust hopes to have them out by some time next year. WMSR Executive Director Wesley Heinz shared that the organization is humbled to play a role in the future of these historic pieces of railroad history.

“WMSR and the T1 Locomotive Trust have worked together on several projects that have been beneficial to both organizations. We look forward to evaluating the locomotives to determine what the next steps might look like.”

PRR 5702A and 5761A were built by EMD in 1952 and were among 75 E8A locomotives built for the Pennsylvania Railroad. They owned the largest fleet of the type. Locomotives 5702A and 5761A have gone through many ownership changes following their service on the PRR, having been operated by Penn Central, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Green Mountain Railroad, and Central New York Chapter NRHS, before joining the Iowa Pacific fleet in 2012. Proposed for use on their Saratoga & North Creek operation, the units were never activated and instead sold into private ownership following the collapse of Iowa Pacific in 2020. They spent the last several years stored on a short line in upstate New York until FWRHS considered them for their own excursion operation in Indiana.

Over the past five years, several long-term preservation opportunities were evaluated as FWRHS stewarded more than $40,000 in storage costs sponsored by a private donor, and the sale to the T1 Trust now ensures the locomotives will continue contributing to the preservation and interpretation of the Pennsylvania Railroad and its contributions to the railroad industry.

The historic streamlined units are currently en route to the WMSR in Cumberland, and no schedule has been released for their completion.

— Nick Stewart

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Riders were welcomed by Metra and local officials at LaSalle Street Station in Chicago on Wednesday to get a first look at the agency’s new battery-powered trainsets — which will be the first to operate in North America.

Metra will take delivery of eight four-car trainsets, with the first expected to enter service in 2028. They will first run approximately 16 miles between LaSalle St. and Blue Island on the Beverly Branch of the Rock Island Line.

Built by Stadler U.S. in Salt Lake City, the trainsets rely on onboard lithium-ion batteries and Stadler’s ‘FLIRT’ (Fast Light Innovative Regional Train) system.

The trainsets can be recharged through existing 480V yard and terminal cabling, dedicated charging infrastructure, and energy captured with regenerative braking. Metra says the new trainsets mark “a significant milestone in the evolution of sustainable, zero-emission passenger rail transportation in North America.”

Single-level cars on these sets will feature low-level boarding and lifts for ADA compliance. Each four-car set will seat 208 people and include open gangways so riders can move freely between cars. Amenities will include passenger information signs, bike racks, luggage racks, and USB outlets, and each set will have two ADA-accessible bathrooms.

— Nick Stewart

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CPKC released the schedule for its annual Holiday Train on Tuesday and will hit the rails on November 19, starting in Montreal West, Quebec. 

Two trains will run throughout the holiday season — one covering lines in Canada and the other in the U.S. Both are decked out in hundreds of thousands of lights and will make stops in 182 communities in both countries over 32 days. This year brings some new stops on former Kansas City Southern trackage in Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

The Holiday Train supports local food banks in the communities it serves, and every stop features live music from notable performers. The train is now in its 28th year, originally beginning with CPKC’s predecessor, Canadian Pacific. Since its inception, the program has raised more than $28.3 million and collected over 5.6 million pounds of food for community food banks in Canada and the U.S.

The full schedule can be found online. 

— Nick Stewart

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The Nevada Northern Railway has acquired a unique boxcar known as the “Safety Powder Car,” bringing it back from a family-owned property just one block away from the railroad in Ely.

The Powder Car was transported from the nearby property to the railroad’s East Ely Yard, where it was unloaded.

The car is believed to have hauled blasting powder for the Nevada Consolidated Copper Company, which owned the Nevada Northern until the early 1930s. Originally built as a refrigerator car, it was later repurposed for the copper mining operations along the Nevada Northern just west of Ely.

Its metal roof helps insulate it, and while the insulation was originally meant for perishable products, it worked the same way for blasting powder. The roof would also protect the blasting powder from cinders thrown off by steam locomotives and steam shovels.

It currently lacks a frame and trucks, but the railroad intends to restore it to its working appearance. Little is known about the car right now, but the railroad’s archive department is working to fill the gaps.

— Nick Stewart

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BNSF has opened a new bridge over the Missouri River in Bismarck, North Dakota, replacing a 140-year-old bridge built by its predecessor, Northern Pacific.

The first trains crossed the new bridge last month, which spans 1,554 feet. Work is now focused on removing the old bridge, which was near the end of its life according to the railroad. Vertical and horizontal clearances of the old bridge limited loads that could be transported across the river.

The official cutover took 20 hours and a team of 50 people to shift rail traffic over to the new bridge.

“Putting our new BNSF bridge in service is incredibly important for our ability to continue serving customers in North Dakota and across our network,” said Amy McBeth, general director of public affairs, in a release. “It’s a massive private infrastructure project that facilitates interstate commerce and is the biggest project we’ll have in the state for several years.” 

Designing and permitting the bridge took nearly eight years to complete, and the railroad was challenged by winter weather, which shortened construction windows.

Work to remove the old bridge will continue through fall and winter, weather permitting, and full removal of the bridge is expected to be completed by mid-2027. 

— Nick Stewart

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Amtrak announced Thursday that both round trips of its Mardi Gras service between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, will be canceled Friday as Hurricane Isaias approaches the Gulf Coast.

The northbound and southbound Crescent trains were substituted with buses Thursday, and both trains are canceled Friday, according to Amtrak’s website. The Sunset Limited and City of New Orleans are still expected to operate as normal on Friday.

Meanwhile, CSX issued a customer advisory Thursday, stating that it would be “closely monitoring” the storm. The railroad says it is moving rail cars out of low-lying areas, staging resources including generators and developing alternative routing and train plans as necessary.

“The safety of our employees, customers, and communities remains our top focus,” CSX said in the advisory. “CSX is proactively adjusting operating plans to protect people, equipment, and infrastructure while minimizing potential service disruptions.”

Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall late Friday into early Saturday either in Alabama or in the Florida Panhandle, bringing damaging winds, heavy rainfall, flash flooding and storm surge along much of the Gulf Coast.

— Nick Stewart

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The Garbely Publishing Company, an independent railroad history publisher, has acquired Canadian National “van” caboose 79462 from the Danbury Railroad Museum in Danbury, Conn. It will eventually be moved to the Port Jervis Railroad Museum in Port Jervis, N.Y.

The van is now being leased to TOYX for use as a crew car on the organization’s Operation Toy Train, and will also serve as a year-round display at the museum.

Operation Toy Train runs a series of annual toy collection trains across the United States during the holiday season for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation and other local organizations.

Van 79462 entered service in June 1971 and was one of 548 vans built by Canadian National’s Pointe St. Charles Shops between 1970 and 1977. It was used on freight trains across Canada. These vans reused parts from old 40-foot boxcars that CN rostered, originally built in the late 1930s. In Canada, cabooses were referred to as “vans.”

After vans were phased out on Canadian railroads in the early 1990s, van 79462 was sold to private owners in 1994 who intended to make it part of a restaurant. In 1996, it was moved to the Danbury Railroad Museum for temporary storage, and ownership would be transferred to the museum by 2003.

— Nick Stewart

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Amtrak and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation have announced that a second daily run of the Pennsylvanian between New York and Pittsburgh will begin on Nov. 18. 

The second train will provide an afternoon departure from both ends of the route. Currently, the eastbound Pennsylvanian departs Pittsburgh at 7:30 a.m., while the westbound train departs New York City at 10:52 a.m. The new eastbound train will depart at 1:00 p.m., and the new westbound train at 12:25 p.m.

With the addition of the second service, the existing train’s schedule will also change. The eastbound morning run from Pittsburgh will move to 7:10 a.m., and the westbound run from New York City will move to 5:50 a.m.

The expanded service is part of an $80 million investment in rail infrastructure along the Norfolk Southern-owned Pittsburgh Line by the Pennsylvania state government. Additionally, PennDOT received more than $140 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund improvements along the route.  

The Pennsylvanian travels 444 miles between Pittsburgh and New York City, utilizing Norfolk Southern’s Pittsburgh Line between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, and Amtrak-owned rails between Harrisburg and New York City. Tickets for the second service are now available.

— Nick Stewart

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Work is well underway to revive the McCloud Railway, one of the most well-known short line railroads in California. A volunteer weekend was held Sept. 25-27 to clear vegetation, replace rail and ties, repair buildings, and work on locomotives and passenger cars.

Leading up to the work weekend, over 1,700 ties were donated to the railroad, with 700 being delivered to the property and over 150 being placed along the line.

By Sept. 24, one day before the session officially began, volunteers had already shown up and prepared to hit the ground running the following day. Over 70 people descended on the railroad’s base in McCloud, Calif., including a group of six from Washington that were affectionately nicknamed the “Vancouver Boys.”

In just 48 hours, the results of the volunteer work were becoming visible. More than 80 windows went into the shop, which now has lights. A tie crane got new hoses, new batteries and new fuel. McCloud Railway 38, an EMD SD38 locomotive, was fired up for the first time in 9 years and rolled into town. This was a major milestone, says Braden Brickman, general manager of the railroad.

“We brought the engine into town, and there had to be at least 60 or 70 people there waiting for us,” said Brickman. “That wasn’t our volunteers. That was the townspeople. It kind of hit me like, wow, they haven’t seen this since the railroad shut down — and this is proof right here that we’re actually going to do this.”

Brickman says even the local fire department aided them by providing water for the locomotive, which was leaking when they first fired it up. 

“I think they were more excited for the engine running than we were,” he said. “We had a call in a couple of times so that we could keep putting water in the locomotive.”

Brickman’s primary job is serving as the chief mechanical officer at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City, Nev. He says that while a lot was accomplished during that weekend, the work hasn’t always been easy. One of the biggest challenges so far has been getting the railroad’s shop into working shape.

“You have to have a shop to work on the equipment, fix the equipment, take care of the equipment,” he said. “You can’t go out and buy materials and buy tools when you have no windows in your building to prevent people from getting in.”

Other work included sanding and preparing passenger cars for new paint. Some of the cars that ran on the McCloud’s original dinner trains are at the St. Maries River Railroad in Idaho, waiting to be brought home.

The railroad was founded by the McCloud River Lumber Company in 1897 as the McCloud River Railroad Company. The railroad was built to move logs and connect the company’s sawmill near Mt. Shasta with the Southern Pacific. At its peak, the railroad operated a 130-mile route through the woods of Northern California. The railroad went through many ownership changes before being sold to Jeff Forbis’ 4-Rails, Inc., which renamed it the McCloud Railway. 

In the 1990s, the railroad began offering excursions, including behind steam. Freight traffic declined and ceased by the mid-2000s, and McCloud ceased operations entirely by 2010. It was purchased by Mike Williams Group the following year, which is reviving the railroad today.

Much of the right-of-way was removed after the railroad ended freight operations, but the 16-mile line from McCloud to the Union Pacific interchange in Mt. Shasta is intact, along with four miles of track east of McCloud. Rail bike operations are planned on the east end of the railroad. 

The railroad is arranging more work sessions — as early as late this fall, and definitely by spring. Full work weeks are being planned instead of weekends, but winter weather will decide how soon that happens.

The initial goal for the railroad is to run excursion trains with a locomotive and a couple of cars to a switchback between McCloud and Mt. Shasta. From there, the plan is to work toward operating excursions over the rest of the line.

— Nick Stewart

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After a six year absence, Union Pacific 4-8-4 844 return to the rails, double-heading with Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 for the UP’s holiday tour this November. 

The two steam locomotives will travel from Cheyenne, Wyo. to Denver, Colo. on Nov. 21, with a fundraising excursion scheduled between Greeley, Colo. and Denver for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The locomotives will be on display at Denver Union Station later that day, with Santa Claus and his elves handing out limited edition gifts at the terminal.

The public will have a rare opportunity to ride behind steam in cars from the UP’s heritage fleet between Greeley and Denver. Tickets will be sold through the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, and the trip will support the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The UP’s Community Ties Giving Program will also donate to the foundation as part of the event.

The last time 844 operated was in May 2019, when it double-headed with 4014 to the 150th celebration of the driving of the Golden Spike in Utah. 

Tickets will first go on sale to patrons of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum on Oct. 16, while remaining tickets will be sold to the public on Oct. ​19. 

UP wants to remind everyone to remain 25 feet back from the tracks when viewing their steam locomotives.

— Nick Stewart

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Two Norfolk Southern freight trains derailed Thursday in Central Alabama, with one prompting an evacuation order in Springville, Ala., just northeast of Birmingham. 

The Springville incident occurred shortly after 3 p.m., when an NS train collided with a tractor-trailer and two locomotives along with 34 cars derailed. 

A passenger in the tractor-trailer was transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, while the driver was not injured.

Local news reported that an evacuation order was issued for a half mile radius around the derailment, but would be canceled after officials determined there was no threat. NS officials say there were no hazardous material leaks and no waterways were affected. 

A separate incident occurred in Maplesville, Ala. around 10 a.m., where an NS train carrying trash derailed near homes. Officials say 40 to 50 cars came off the tracks, with 25 of them being stacked on each other. 

No injuries were reported in Maplesville and it was determined there was no threat to the public. 

Both derailments caused road closures nearby as crews worked to clear the wreckage, and clean up for both derailments will continue for days.

— Nick Stewart

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A New England family has brought a Maine Central caboose back to its former glory following a cosmetic and mechanical restoration at the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad’s shop in Unity, Maine.

Twin brothers Connor and Cullen Maher, along with their father, acquired MEC caboose 640 in 2022 to realize a dream of having their own caboose. The caboose had previously been stored at the end of the B&ML’s line at City Point. 

Following minor work in late 2024, the restoration ramped up in 2025 with the family replacing coupler knuckles and making repairs to the air brake system and body with the help of friends.

The cosmetic restoration began last fall when 640 was sandblasted and primed, but some challenges prevented further work taking place until late this summer when the family, along with an army of 14 friends from across New England, volunteered time to get the caboose painted in one weekend in August.

On that weekend, the group finished sanding, priming, masking and spraying Pine Green paint on the first day. On the second day, they sprayed it with Harvest Gold paint and rolled it out of the shop that Sunday afternoon. As of September, vinyl lettering was applied, along with finishing touches on the paint. 

Now, the family plans to move the caboose by rail to Rockland, Maine on the former MEC Rockland Branch, where operations are being planned.

“The future for 640 is really bright,” said Connor Maher. “The same great folks running the BML now operate the new Cumberland and Knox Railroad on the Rockland Branch and we plan to eventually restore the interior once it arrives there, and when that’s done we intend to let the CKRR utilize the 640 on occasion for freight use, with us also looking at the possibility of using it on the soon-to-begin tourist trains out of Rockland as well.”

Maine Central caboose 640 was built in 1976 by the International Car Company in Kenton, Ohio. It was among the last cabooses to be ordered by the MEC, and entered service in 1977 on the railroad’s Mountain Division between Portland, Maine and St. Johnsbury, Vt. 

Following a wreck in either late 1977 or early 1978, the caboose was repaired at the railroad’s Waterville Shops and re-entered service in spring 1978. After Guilford Transportation took over operations of the railroad in 1981, it remained in service until the early 1990s. During this time, it received major damage to its interior from a fire started by an arsonist. It was saved by a former Maine Central employee, who moved it to the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad and made repairs to its interior. The caboose was restored to its 1978 post-wreck appearance. 

— Nick Stewart

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Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 4-8-4 2926 has made successful test runs between Los Lunas, N.M. and Bernalillo, N.M. over the former Santa Fe main line that is now owned and maintained by the State of New Mexico. 

The Albuquerque-based locomotive first operated a fundraiser dinner train on Friday, Sept. 25 from its restoration site roughly three miles to the South Rail Yards where it would be displayed for New Mexico Railroad Days on Sept. 26 and 27. 

After being displayed on Saturday, Sept. 26, it operated north to Bernalillo late that evening, and returned to the display site early Sunday morning. That evening, it ran south from Albuquerque to Los Lunas and back. The engine covered a total of 80 miles during the weekend.

A main line photo charter hosted by Lerro Photography is scheduled to take place featuring 2926 next month, where the engine will operate at speeds up to 50 mph on the same trackage. New Mexico Heritage Rail was approved last year by the New Mexico Department of Transportation to operate the locomotive on the 40-mile stretch between Bernalillo and Los Lunas. 

Santa Fe 2926 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1944 and hauled fast freight and passenger trains across the Southwest for only 9 years before it was retired. In 1956, after three years of storage, the locomotive was donated to the City of Albuquerque and displayed in Coronado Park until 2000 when New Mexico Heritage Rail relocated the locomotive to be restored, which was completed in 2021. It is the largest operating 4-8-4 in North America. 

— Nick Stewart

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Union Pacific has announced the arrival of two new Wabtec FLXdrive battery-electric locomotives in Southern California, where testing will soon begin in the greater Los Angeles area. These units are the first of four to be delivered to the railroad, with two more arriving in October to be tested alongside the others.

Extensive testing will cover a variety of railroad operations, including switching duties and servicing local customers. Each locomotive carries approximately 7,000 battery cells, provides about 2.7 megawatt-hours of energy storage and produces zero tailpipe emissions during operation.

The locomotives are part of UP’s broader efforts to modernize operations, improve efficiency, and advance technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Union Pacific has never been content to stand still,” said Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena. “Our industry is constantly evolving, and if we’re not exploring what’s next, we risk being left behind. Testing technologies like battery-electric locomotives help us to better understand what’s possible by putting these emerging technologies to work in actual railroad operations.”

Wabtec is an American rail equipment company formed through the 1999 merger of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company and MotivePower. In 2019, it acquired General Electric’s transportation division, the largest producer of diesel locomotives in North America. The FLXdrive locomotives are the company’s first to be battery-electric powered. 

— Nick Stewart

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The Railroad Museum of New England and the Naugatuck Railroad marked three decades of operation with its “Celebrate 30” events on Sept. 25–27, based in Thomaston, Conn. More than 150 people attended the festivities, which coincided with the 177th anniversary of the original Naugatuck Railroad, which first opened on September 25, 1849.

The museum and railroad began operations on September 26, 1996, with special excursions running south to Waterbury, Conn. on Saturday and north to Torrington, Conn. on Sunday to mark the occasion.

Leading the trains was Naugatuck Railroad 2798, a General Electric U23B that previously served Conrail and later Providence & Worcester. The locomotive was repainted this year in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States. Photo run-bys were offered as part of these excursions.

Invited guests included elected officials, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, and Stephen Lewis, President and CEO of Thomaston Savings Bank, who sponsored the event and has supported the railroad with grants since the late 1990s.

The Naugatuck Railroad is a common carrier short line owned and operated by the nonprofit Railroad Museum of New England. Its roots trace back to the 1960s, with a mission to preserve and interpret New England’s rich railroad history. Thirty years ago, volunteers launched scenic excursion operations on a state-owned former New Haven route between Waterbury and Torrington. With community support, the fire-damaged Thomaston station was rebuilt, aided by Thomaston Savings Bank and others, while the 20-mile rail line was upgraded with support from the State of Connecticut.

Thomaston serves as the base of operations for the railroad, and a new yard and restoration shop was constructed just south of there in 2007, allowing the museum to expand their fleet of equipment.

— Nick Stewart

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Union Pacific 5511, a 2-10-2 “TTT-6” steam locomotive, has passed a hydrostatic test according to Railroading Heritage of Midwest America. This marks another major step in its restoration.

Earlier this month, the locomotive’s boiler was filled with water for the first time in 70 years. Over the course of four days, the boiler was heated to 120 degrees using propane and electric heaters. This comes after the locomotive had a new front tube sheet installed early this year along with new tubes and flues.

5511’s maximum allowable working pressure is 200 PSI, but the Federal Railroad Administration requires that the water in a hydrostatic test be pressurized 1.25 times higher than the MWAP, meaning that the water was pressurized to 250 PSI. 

The group passed the hydro test on 5511 under FRA inspection, allowing the group to move on to the next goal in the restoration, which is a live steam test. 

RRHMA intends to complete the FRA-witnessed steam test within the upcoming winter season. 

Locomotive 5511 was built in 1923 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works to haul heavy freight trains on the UP system. After being removed from active service in 1956, the locomotive served as a stationary boiler in both Ogden, Ut. and Green River, Wyo. 

In December 1958, it was used in the filming of UP’s documentary Last of The Giants, which covered the final years of operation for the railroad’s 4-8-8-4 Big Boy locomotives. 5511 was no longer in service by this point, and the engine was attached to a string of freight cars with a diesel pushing at the rear while tires were burned in the smokebox to create the illusion of a working steam locomotive. 

The locomotive was stored in Green River until 1968 when it was moved to Cheyenne, Wyo. Union Pacific donated the locomotive to Railroading Heritage of Midwest America in 2022.

-Nick Stewart

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Restoration work is officially underway on Central Vermont steam crane 4251, owned by the Bytown Railway Society in Ottawa, Ontario. 

Over the last few days, the group has been preparing the crane’s deck and protective covers for primer. This process involved removing all of the tie-downs and travel locks. 

During this work, they discovered that the swing control had seized after many years of inactivity. They freed the mechanism with lubrication and careful force. It was found that the half nuts that drive the bronze sleeve — which moves the crane left and right — were worn. New half nuts will be drawn up and remanufactured.

As part of the restoration, the group is commissioning a new boiler built to modern standards. 

The crane last operated 13 years ago, but an inspection found the boiler’s crown sheet had become too thin for the crane to be recertified. 

Built in 1919 by the Industrial Works, the 50-ton crane served the Central Vermont Railway to help clear wrecks and perform other heavy-duty jobs. The  Bytown Railway Society acquired the crane in operational condition in 1967. Until 2013, it was fired up occasionally for demonstration purposes. 

The Bytown Railway Society is a non-profit organization focused on preserving and promoting interest in Canadian railway history and related transportation heritage. 

— Nick Stewart

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