Railnews from Railfan & Railroad Magazine

The city of Ottawa, Ont., is studying the potential to transfer the responsibility of the O-Train light rail system to the province. Metrolinx operates GO Transit and the UP Express system in the Toronto area. 

Since its opening, the O-Train has faced controversy over construction and maintenance issues, resulting in budget deficits and low ridership. Bringing the O-Train under Metrolinx control could potentially save Ottawa as much as $4 billion over 30 years, according to Premier Doug Ford. Currently, the city’s OC Transpo transit system, also operator of local bus transit, operates the O-Train.

At a recent council meeting, a motion was approved directing city officials to enter negotiations with the Government of Ontario for the transfer of the system to Metrolinx

—Bob Gallegos

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California’s Bay Area Rapid Transit has completed installation work on its Next Generation Fare Gates at its heavy commuter rail stations. This milestone project is designed to make the system safer and make fare evasion much more difficult for criminals. 

The new fare gates feature a unique door-locking mechanism that makes their swing barriers very hard to push through, jump over, or maneuver under. Overall, the fare gate array forms a 72-inch minimum barrier. Still to come is the full utilization of advanced sensors to make it harder to “piggyback” into the system by closely following behind paying riders. 

Fare evasion has long been an issue, although the number of riders who say they’ve witnessed someone fare evade on their trip has dropped by more than 50 percent in just the last year. 

—Bob Gallegos 

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One of only three surviving Denver & Rio Grande Western C-16 class 2-8-0 locomotives will be restored to operation. 

The locomotive in question, D&RGW 223, was built in 1881 and has been located in Ogden, Utah, for over 30 years, where efforts to restore it to running condition have stalled. On October 28, the City of Ogden, the 223 Locomotive Foundation, and the Colorado Railroad Museum announced a partnership aimed at returning the engine to operation in Colorado, where it spent much of its in-service career. 

The C-16 is in many ways the quintessential Colorado narrow gauge locomotive from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Denver & Rio Grande purchased 82 of the 2-8-0s in 1881 and 1882. At first, these locomotives were called “Class 60s,” based on their weight of 60,000 pounds. In the early 1900s, many of them were rebuilt and renamed C-16s, reflecting their increased horsepower of 16,000 pounds after upgrades. By the 1920s, the C-16s were gradually phased out as K-series 2-8-2s became the main power for the Rio Grande narrow gauge. 

 Rio Grande C-16 223 when it was in service in the early 20th century. Photo Courtesy of Colorado Railroad Museum. 

Three C-16s were preserved: 223 in Ogden, 268 in Gunnison, Colo., and 278 near Cimmaron, Colo. Locomotive 223 was displayed in Salt Lake City in 1941 and stayed there until the 1990s, when it was moved north to Ogden. A local group attempted to restore it to working condition, but that effort was later stopped. 

In 2024, the locomotive was transferred from the Utah Historical Society to the City of Ogden. Since then, city officials have been working to determine the next steps for the engine and, as part of that effort, hired John Bush (former Cumbres & Toltec Scenic general manager) to conduct a thorough inspection. The assessment revealed that the locomotive could still be restored to operational condition. To accomplish this, the engine will be transferred to the recently established 223 Locomotive Foundation. Once restored to working order, it is expected to tour various narrow gauge railroads in Colorado before making its long-term home at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden. 

“After so many years of being a static artifact, we will now be able to move forward in making the 223 a piece of living history to educate current and future generations on how narrow gauge railroading built the communities of the Rockies, along with the development of steam locomotives,” said 223 Locomotive Foundation President Jimmy Booth.

In recognition of Ogden’s efforts to preserve the locomotive over the years, residents will receive discounted fares on future train rides and will be honored with a plaque on the locomotive. 

More about the 223 Locomotive Foundation can be found at 223locomotivefoundation.org. 

—Justin Franz 

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BNSF Railway announced this week that the years-long effort to install Positive Train Control along the former Montana Rail Link is nearly complete. Activation of PTC, which could happen as soon as this week, is expected to bring about several significant changes along the route. 

Long before BNSF took back control of the former Northern Pacific across southern Montana, MRL was working to install Positive Train Control on the route. The regional railroad announced its plans to install PTC in 2018, making it one of the first railroads in the country to voluntarily implement this collision-prevention technology. That effort has only advanced with the BNSF takeover in 2024, and for a time, the most obvious “victims” of the modernization were the steam-era NP searchlight signals. But now, as BNSF prepares to activate the system, it seems there will be another casualty — blue MRL locomotives leading trains. 

Once PTC is turned on, none of the MRL units will be able to lead trains at track speed on the former MRL main line. This means the remaining MRL units will likely be relegated to trailing status or to yard and helper service. 

As of early fall, blue units could still often be found on locals and switch jobs, but that was likely to change. It was also unclear how much work the blue units would find in the yards. In Missoula, for example, switch jobs often venture beyond yard limits to switch industries in Bonner and DeSmet, both of which require main line running. 

While MRL’s “blue pullers” were likely to be relegated to trailing status on home rails, many of the railroad’s SD70ACe locomotives are still putting on the miles across the BNSF system, from California to Chicago, albeit usually behind BNSF power. In mid-October, at least four units were spotted in the Denver area.

—Justin Franz 

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Amtrak service could return to Detroit’s famed Michigan Central Station — or at least a new one built nearby. On October 15, the Michigan Department of Transportation, the city of Detroit, and Michigan Central announced they had signed an agreement to build a new multimodal transportation center on Michigan Central’s 30-acre campus. The new facility could open by 2029. 

Michigan Central was built in 1914 and closed in 1988. The Ford Motor Company reopened it in 2024 as a mixed-use facility. Amtrak’s present station in Detroit is about three miles north of downtown and sees daily service by the Wolverine. 

—Justin Franz 

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The Willamette Shore Trolley became Oregon’s first solar-powered railroad this fall and only the second in the world. With help from the City of Lake Oswego, the Portland-area tourist railroad installed a 29.2 kW solar array on the roof of its carbarn, which now fully charges its battery-powered trolley. The first solar-powered railroad is located in Australia. 

“The solar panels became operational in late July and, so far, have generated 8.66 MWh of lifetime energy, equivalent to CO2 emissions from 5.6 barrels of oil or 6,175 miles driven by an average gas-powered passenger vehicle,” the railroad announced. 

The Willamette Shore Trolley is owned by the City of Lake Oswego and operated by the Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society. The trolley runs on about 5 miles of former Southern Pacific tracks along the Willamette River between Portland and Lake Oswego. It typically operates from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

—Justin Franz 

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For the first time in the agency’s history, Metro-North trains will serve New York’s Capital Region. On October 20, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was joined by officials from Metro-North and Amtrak to announce that the commuter agency would begin making one round trip to Albany starting in 2026. This marks the first time in a quarter century that Metro-North has expanded service. 

Additionally, Gov. Hochul announced that Amtrak would restore one round-trip between New York City and Albany after reducing service earlier this year to accommodate ongoing work on the East River Tunnel. As part of that, Amtrak has also agreed to set a price cap on all Empire Service tickets in response to rising ticket prices amid sold-out trains. 

“Restoring Amtrak service and debuting Metro-North service to Albany is a huge win for riders. The Empire Service is vital to communities along the Hudson River,” Gov. Hochul said. “While Amtrak’s repairs to the East River Tunnels are necessary, riders from Albany to New York City have had to endure sold-out trains and higher fares for the past five months. I’ve been clear from the moment this plan was proposed that New Yorkers deserve better. This new plan will provide more travel options and lower fares for over two million annual riders, saving them time and putting money back in their pockets.” 

Metro-North’s trip to Albany will help fill gaps in Amtrak’s schedule. It’s expected to leave Grand Central around mid-morning and return in the afternoon, arriving back at Grand Central in time for evening events in New York City. Test runs for Metro-North are expected to start later this year. No date has been set yet for when the service will be available to the public. 

At the same time, one additional Amtrak trip in each direction between Penn Station and Albany-Rensselaer will be restored starting December 1. Train 235, which departs Penn Station at 3:15 pm, and Train 238, which departs Albany-Rensselaer at 12:10 pm, will both resume service.

“New York State residents and visitors’ passion and patience are paying off, as additional, affordable, and improved train service between New York City and Albany is on its way,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris. “Thanks to Governor Hochul for her leadership and commitment to New York State, and NYSDOT and MTA for their partnership in helping meet the high demand of train service we have throughout the state.”

—Justin Franz 

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Cando entered the lithium-ion era with the launch of a new battery-powered locomotive this fall. Their Li-Ion 2025 project transformed a standard diesel-electric locomotive by replacing the diesel prime mover with a bank of lithium-ion batteries and a sophisticated control system. The result is a zero-emission switching locomotive 

They took an EMD GP15 and stripped it down to its frame. A tall high-visibility cab was added, with a standard control stand inside, together with a long and short hood. The fuel tank remains, but it is filled with concrete as ballast to increase traction.

The long hood houses the air compressor, a bank of batteries, power conversion equipment, climate control for the batteries, and the traction motor blowers. The short hood contains a toilet. The power conversion is essential to adjust the battery power for use with the standard DC traction motors, and the climate system maintains the batteries at their optimal operating temperature range.

Cando 2501, the switching railroad’s new battery-powered locomotive, is seen shortly after its rebuild in Winnipeg. Photo by Steve Boyko.

There are 12 batteries, each roughly the size of a Tesla car battery, with an adjacent empty rack for another dozen if needed. The liquid-cooled batteries are certified for underground mining operations, with built-in fire suppression, and are mounted in isolation dampers. The custom control system manages the batteries, power conversion, and temperature controls.

The locomotive is optimized for the type of operations that Cando performs at its many switching contracts – low-speed, intermittent switching work. It is not designed for high-speed, main-line operation.

Charging is accomplished through one of two methods. The long hood houses a cable for connecting to 100A “shore power” to recharge the batteries, while the top of the long hood features a receiver for an overhead 800A high-speed charger, similar to what an electric bus uses. Cando envisions the locomotive operating continuously, with opportunistic charging taking place when the crew takes a break or between assignments. It does not use regenerative braking, as they believe it is inefficient at low speeds and would add unnecessary complexity locomotive.

One key design requirement was to use as many standard locomotive parts as possible for easier maintenance. From the frame down, it is a standard GP15 locomotive. This project received $2 million in funding from Emissions Reduction Alberta, and the total estimated cost of the project was $4 million.

—Steve Boyko

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President Donald Trump said on October 15 that federal funds for one of the most critical passenger rail projects in the country had been “terminated.” 

The Gateway Project has been called “the most urgent infrastructure project in America,” building new tunnels beneath the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, and rebuilding a 115-year-old one that was damaged in 2012 by Superstorm Sandy. The Northeast Corridor in this area features trains from both Amtrak and NJ Transit, and when completed in 2035, will carry 200,000 passengers per day.
Trump has had it out for the Gateway Project since his first term, when he tried to strip funding from the project, despite bipartisan support and even his own transportation secretary calling it “an absolute priority.” This time around, Trump is using the weeks-old government shutdown as a chance to rip away the $16 billion funding for the project. However, it’s unclear what authority Trump has to take the money back. The day after he announced that the funding was “terminated,” work was still taking place on the tunnels, and officials said they could keep going for the time being with state funds. Officials in New York and New Jersey were quick to criticize the decision. 

“It’s petty revenge politics that would screw hundreds of thousands of New York and New Jersey commuters, choke off our economy and kill good-paying jobs,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York). “It’s vindictive, reckless and foolish.” 

—Justin Franz 

The post Trump Tries to ‘Terminate’ Hudson River Tunnel Funding appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

Delaware’s Wilmington & Western Railroad was gearing up to reopen in late October after spending much of the year doing locomotive and track maintenance. 

On February 27, the railroad announced it was taking a “proactive step” by shutting down operations to focus on equipment repairs. Sources close to the railroad told Railfan & Railroad at the time that a major concern was the reliability of its locomotives. Last year, some holiday excursions had to be canceled due to a shortage of available motive power. Both of the railroad’s steam locomotives, 0-6-0 58 and 4-4-0 98, are currently out of service. Uncertainty about the railroad’s future increased further in April when three employees were laid off. Railroad volunteers have alleged that the railroad is being poorly managed by the current board of directors, and they have been voicing those concerns on a Facebook page called “Concerned Volunteers of the WWRR.” 

In an interview with local media, board member and volunteer Mark North said that one locomotive needed wheel work and the rail line needed about 2,500 new ties. Now that that work is complete, the railroad can reopen for the fall and winter seasons. Tickets are now on sale at wwrr.com. 

The W&W was established in 1966 to operate excursions on 10 miles of former Baltimore & Ohio trackage between Greenbank and Hockessin, Del. 

—Justin Franz 

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by Dennis A. Livesey/photos by the author

Victor Hand, an extraordinary 4×5 photographer since the 1950s, was asked if he would ever go digital. “No,” Hand replied. “That would mean I would have to start all over again, and I would not be a professional. And one thing I will always be is a professional.” These words have often echoed in my mind.

I am at Reading & Northern’s Tamaqua Tunnel, and 2102 is coming. I have been planning this shot for months. I have my like-new 1955 Graflex Speed Graphic in hand. In the film holder is a 4×5” sheet of Ilford HPS5+ black & white film. The camera’s 127mm lens will render a FOV (field of view) equivalent to a 34mm full-frame camera lens.

More so than any still camera I have ever used, there is a strict checklist to follow. I have reduced it to this mnemonic — “F.A.S.D.” or “Focus-Aperture-Shutter-Dark Slide:

(1) “Focus: 80’, check.”
(2) “Aperture: ƒ/5.6, check.”
(3) “Shutter: 500th, check.”
(4) “…Holy smokes! It’s out of the tunnel! Frame up! Frame up! Wait…wait…until it fills the Action Finder, hold steady (no Image Stabilization with this baby)! Sqqquuueeze the big shutter button. “Whirr-clunk!” goes the camera’s rear curtain shutter. Wow! That was great! Visions of Victor Hand-like photos fill my mind. Now, put the Dark Slide back in… Oh, Nooo!… I didn’t pull the Dark Slide! Augh! No photo at all!”

I started down this particular road a long time ago. As I became more aware of photography in the 1960s, I remember seeing these large black and silver cameras that had big lenses with black accordion bellows. I remember portrait, wedding, and school photographers using these big cameras. They made a loud clacking noise as the film holders were put in, but they made an imperceptible click when the lens shutter was released. Since no one I knew had one, I wrote it off as “too expensive” and something I would probably never have.

However, as I started to learn about railroad photography, the name “Speed Graphic” would pop up in connection with photographers such as Victor Hand and Jim Shaughnessy. At the time, I had to consider these big, expensive cameras out of reach because I was trying to come up with the $248.58 for my first good 35mm SLR. But the results from those Speed Graphics were impressive. The images those men made were fantastic. They were big and sharp, all the way from here to infinity.

ABOVE: Robert Hale, a prolific rail photographer of the 1940s and 1950s was the Babe Ruth of pan and pacing shots. What’s more, he did it all using a Speed Graphic. While chasing Reading & Northern 2102 out of Nesquehoning, Pa., with friends, I had opportunity for two attempts at a pacing shot. One worked. Oren Helbok was at the wheel to make this possible. 

What Is a Speed Graphic?
The Speed Graphic was made by Graflex Inc. of Rochester, N.Y., from 1912 to 1972. The year it was introduced, the sharpest photographs were made by view cameras with large-format film sizes of 4×5, 5×7, 8×10, and up. While view cameras excel at flexibility and image quality, they are entirely unsuited for action because they are large, cumbersome, slow, and require a tripod. On the other hand, the Speed Graphic with its 4×5-sized film was designed to have the image quality of a view camera, but in a configuration that could be used in the hand by press photographers. The kicker, however, was this — at the time, the fastest shutter speed of lenses with leaf shutters was 1/400th of a second, clearly inadequate for subjects like sports, automobiles, or trains. The solution was to place a curtain shutter in the rear of the camera.

A curtain shutter is made of two rollers, one on top of the body and one on the bottom, rolling and unrolling a rubberized cloth curtain between them. In the curtain, there are five slits of ever smaller openings. While the spring unwinds the curtain at the same speed, it is the curtain opening that you select that governs the amount of time the film will be exposed. This spring-driven shutter was not only able to do 1/500th of a second but an amazing 1/1000th of a second, enough to stop the fastest Pennsy K-4.

The most popular rail photographer model was the Pacemaker Speed Graphic. Practical advantages for the rail photographer over the previous model included simpler shutter controls, a coated lens, and a body shutter release. An elemental camera, to be sure, it features a lens with a leaf shutter in the front; a curtain shutter, ground glass, and film holder in the rear; a bellows between them; a side or top-mounted rangefinder (for focus); two viewfinders (for composing); and a body with a folding railbed holding everything together. The front “lens standard” (the metal frame that holds the lens in place) is mounted on rails. Two focus knobs on the side of the rail bed allow you to move the lens standard back and forth (the bellows providing the flexibility needed for this) to focus the lens. The folded box (61/2×71/2×41/2 inches) is covered in pebble leather and stainless steel, with Mahogany wood. Weighing with a film holder, it tips the scale at seven pounds. In comparison, a Canon R6 with a 24–70mm ƒ/2.8 lens weighs three pounds 12 ounces. Holding one, you’ll notice it’s a sturdy, well-made camera.

This camera isn’t the most ergonomic in the world. While there’s a hand strap on the left that works fine, your right thumb, middle, ring, and pinky fingers need to support the right side so your right index finger can press the shutter. In other words, you have to adapt to the camera…

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by Kevin EuDaly/photos and cartography by the author

There’s something I don’t fully understand. How can we fall in love with a land, a place, a piece of this earth? Especially a rugged, hostile place, where few live and almost no one goes to play? A place where every plant’s defense is something sharp, and where dangerous creatures abound? Though I don’t understand how it happens, there is little doubt that it does. They say the Pilbara gets in your blood, an idiomatic expression used in an attempt to explain the love affair that happens in the hostile Outback, in the vast open spaces where nameless paths once crossed the barren landscape, where today steel rails reach to the horizon.

The Australian Pilbara trips in 2011 and 2018 had one overreaching effect; we had to go back — and soon. Not long after arriving home from the 2018 trip the planning began for another trip in 2020 — I wasn’t waiting another seven years this time. By early February 2020 I had the itinerary set, and it looked like another repeat with John Benson, Mel Wilson, and me. With my fingers poised above the keyboard to start making reservations, all hell broke loose.

Wait! What? I’m certain I muttered expletives under my breath. Even though the resistance wasn’t from the Pilbara itself, unleashing a worldwide pandemic to keep us away, more than once I said to myself, “The Pilbara gods have really outdone themselves this time.”

ABOVE: August 11, 10:38 a.m.: The three primary paint schemes are on display on this northbound loaded train south of Emu on Rio’s former Hamersley Iron main line. In the lead is ES44ACi 9123 in the Rio Tinto stripes scheme, followed by Dash 9-44CW 7095 in Hamersley Iron lettering wearing orange and blue stripes, and finally Dash 9-44CW 9404 wearing Pilbara Rail lettering and the orange, yellow, and black striping. The silver background is common to all Rio units, some of which have only a yellow frame stripe.

Humor aside, this was no joke. Travel restrictions, lockdowns, and chaos ensued while I waited for a return to normal. For two years Australia not only locked out anyone outside the country, but locked in those who were there. Furthermore, travel across state lines was forbidden — not even Australians could move about the country. More than once in the following two years, I almost wished I’d gotten to Western Australia and been trapped there for a year — the appeal is that strong.

I kept close tabs on the situation in Australia, not-so-patiently waiting — for more than two years. The Australian government website regularly posted travel restriction updates, and finally, after what seemed an eternity, came the posting I was looking for:

“From July 6, 2022, the way you travel to and from Australia has changed. People entering Australia do not need to provide evidence of vaccination status; will not be asked to provide evidence of their vaccination status; and do not need a travel exemption to travel to Australia.”

ABOVE: August 11, 2:03 p.m.: The former Robe River line from Cape Lambert to Pannawonica has an appeal all its own. While in the northern part of the Pilbara, we journeyed toward the Fortescue River bridge several times, and chased this northbound behind ES44ACi 9121 in the stripes scheme. This was north of Maitland.

It was too late to get to the Pilbara in 2022 before super-hot summer weather and high sun arrived in October or November, which would be followed by the fall rainy season in February and March (the seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere), so it would have to be 2023. In the meantime, my brother Lon planned to retire in June 2023, so with apologies to John, the ill-fated 2020 trip was scratched and it would be me, Mel, and Lon.

This trip was planned a little differently. Wherever possible, I booked whole-house Airbnbs, including starting the trip at one in Wickham, and carefully planned where we’d stay and for how long (if construction projects pop up in the Pilbara, places to stay can get scarce). Mel and I were really itching to get “out to the ends” of the various lines, and so, after a lot of discussion, we constructed the trip to include time deep in the Pilbara where the mines are located. Lon had no Australian experience to base any decisions on, so he was like I was in 2011 — along for the ride.

The departure date was set: August 7, 2023. At 10:24 a.m., I stepped out of our home in East Texas bound for Karratha, Western Australia. The thrill of adventure in the Pilbara was calling me, as it so often does. I’m sure Mel felt the same, leaving with Lon from Kansas City, Mo. But Karratha is a long way from the Midwest, both literally and figuratively. We all met in Los Angeles, and 14 hours and 15 minutes from when I walked out my front door, the wheels left the runway, and we were heading across the Pacific Ocean. At the 30-hour, 26-minute mark we arrived at the gate in Melbourne. We flew west to Perth, then north to Karratha, touching down at the 40-hour, 10-minute mark at 3:34 p.m. on August 9, losing a calendar day by flying across the date line.

ABOVE: August 16, 12:09 p.m.: FMG SD70ACe/LCi 704 and Wabtec rebuilt AC44C6M 104 pull slowly through the loadout at Christmas Creek. The two units will handle the loaded train on a flat grade to Cloudbreak, where bankers will be added for the grade to Moreland. There are two grades against northbound loads; the first is 0.53 percent from Morgan Spur (three miles south of Morgan) to near the north end of the siding at Morgan, a total of five miles. After a mile-and-a-half 0.87 percent downgrade, the following grade is 3.4 miles of 0.55 percent.

Our flight from Melbourne to Perth was a little late, and consequently, our checked baggage didn’t make it to Karratha, so we left the Airbnb address for the airline to forward it to us. We grabbed the rental car, a mine-compliant SUV, and headed trackside. At 4:45 p.m., we photographed our first train on Rio Tinto south of Eight Mile. It was exhilarating euphoria — we were back in the Pilbara at last.

To and Fro: Wickham
We started at Karratha, located east of the former Robe River yard and port complex. Rio’s two lines include the former Hamersley Iron to the port at Dampier, and the former Robe River Iron Associates to the port at Cape Lambert. Hamersley Iron was the second Pilbara iron ore-era railroad, opening on June 23, 1966, less than a month after Goldsworthy Mining was opened on May 25. Half a century earlier, the steam-era Marble Bar Railway opened from Port Hedland to Marble Bar in July 1911, but the last train ran on October 25, 1951, so it was long gone before the iron ore era. The last of the early iron ore predecessors to open was Robe River Iron Associates, which began operations on August 15, 1972.

Robe River and Hamersley Iron eventually consolidated under worldwide mining giant Rio Tinto. Originally, Robe River crossed over Hamersley Iron on a bridge without any connection between the two at what later became Western Creek Junction. To be brief, several entities exist under the Rio Tinto banner, and operate separately to this day, but aside from some paint scheme and lettering differences, the trackside experience is ubiquitous — big GEs on heavy iron ore trains — with one notable exception; the Deepdale trains run with drivers (engineers are called “drivers” in Australia) on the former Robe River, while the rest of Rio’s operations in the Pilbara are autonomous. The autonomous trains with no crewmen on board take some getting used to, and truthfully, a little of the railroad charm is lost without human contact with the crews…

The post The Pilbara: A Vast and Magic Land appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

by Olev Taremae/photos by the author except as noted

In the modern diesel era, American railroads have repainted locomotives and rolling stock in unique ways to promote themselves, publicize events, raise awareness, and promote actions supporting specific issues. For example, the slogan “Keep It Moving With Conrail” emblazoned on the side of Conrail U23B 1980 was intended to catch the attention of passersby and promote shipping on the quasi-government-owned railroad. Wisconsin & Southern is among the many railroads that have called attention to their longevity by painting locomotives trumpeting the anniversary of the road’s start-up.

Several railroads have promoted sports events with specially painted locomotives. Southern Pacific SD40R 7347 was repainted for the 1984 Summer Olympics, while Conrail repainted SD40-2 6373 for the 1992 Olympics bicycle trials. Union Pacific repainted SD40-2s 1896 and 1996 for the torch relay before the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and also repainted SD70MACs 2001 and 2002 for the torch relay before the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

ABOVE: Stars and stripes are dominant on Pennsylvania & Southern SW7 17, resting near the enginehouse between assignments on August 30, 2017. The railroad serves the Letterkenny Army Depot near Chambersburg, Pa. The design and frame lettering honor service members who died when their helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan in 2011, operating under the code sign “Extortion 17.”

Locomotives painted to promote awareness of causes include GP38-2s 425 and 436, which Florida East Coast Railway use to focus attention on breast cancer. Conrail’s SD40 6300 promoting buying and holding U.S. Savings Bonds was an example of a message with a specific call to action.

The Bicentennial Started It All
Starting with the painting of Seaboard Coast Line U36B 1776 in 1971, celebrating the Bicentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence became the largest-ever subject of repainted and otherwise redecorated locomotives. More than 300 locomotives celebrated the Bicentennial, most in elaborate and inventive one-of-a-kind paint schemes; combinations of red, white, and blue were created coast to coast. Other than the theme of honoring veterans and supporting the military, no single subject other than the Bicentennial has resulted in the repainting or decorating of more locomotives.

ABOVE: Paducah & Louisville GP40-2 2129 provides a good example of how a railroad can decorate a locomotive to honor veterans within the context of its standard paint scheme. The message Salute to our Veterans, an American flag, and a yellow ribbon adorn the hood of the locomotive, still clad in the railroad’s green and white paint scheme. The 2129 is sitting in Paducah, Ky., on August 17, 2024. —Paul Wester photo, Author’s Collection

The decoration of locomotives to honor veterans and support our troops has reflected changes in the nation’s overall attitude toward the military and current military campaigns. The notion of honoring veterans and supporting the military was slow to build in the post-World War II era. In the early 1950s, celebrations in the U.S. at the conclusion of the Korean War were muted at best, as that war had ended in a stalemate. In the 1960s and early 1970s, the Vietnam War was controversial among the public at large and split opinion about both the military and those who served in it. Returning veterans were honored at times; at other times, they were treated with indifference or, in some extreme cases, hostility. Railroad equipment was not repainted honoring veterans or with military support themes in this era.

The celebration of the Bicentennial around 1976 reflected an increasingly positive American self-image and an increase in the public display of patriotism. This set the stage for the veterans- and military-support painted locomotives.

ABOVE: The fanciful graphics enabled by vinyl wrap technology are exemplified on Savage Services GP7u 8613, shifting a tank car in Cedar City, Utah, on August 30, 2024. —Matt Griffin photo, Author’s Collection

Honoring Our Troops
Union Pacific broke ground in honoring veterans and supporting U.S. troops on February 27, 1991, unveiling repainted ex-Missouri Pacific 6053, then UP 3953. The SD40-2 was dubbed “Desert Victory” in connection with the first Gulf War and wore a camouflage paint scheme. Mounted on the side were the names and hometowns of 66 Union Pacific employees who had been called to serve. Burlington Northern soon followed by painting SD60m 1991 in a red, white, and blue paint scheme and bearing a logo “Pulling for Freedom – Supporting Our Troops.” These graphics supported troops engaged in Operation Desert Storm. Conrail followed in 1992 with SD50 6707 wearing a yellow ribbon during the era of campaigns in Kuwait and Iraq as part of Desert Storm.

Since these three locomotives were introduced, a total of 56 additional locomotives from 34 additional railroads and/or industries have been painted, wrapped, or otherwise decorated with graphics to honor veterans and/or support the troops. These efforts have served multiple purposes for the railroads; first, and most basic, the messages are intended to promote the causes of honoring veterans and supporting the military because of the positive and patriotic nature of the stated message. Providing such a message creates goodwill by connecting the railroad with a popular public outlook, a message that reflects the outlook of railroad management and ownership. Second, some railroads have used these messages to specifically pay tribute to their current and past employees who have served in the military. Some of these messages apply generally to military veteran employees while others are specifically targeted to individuals. Lastly, several railroads have used these messages as a recruiting tool for attracting new employees. The messages have emphasized the positive attributes of employees with a military background and the transferability of skills honed in the military that have particular applicability in the railroad industry…

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In this issue, we follow along with Greg McDonnell to view some vintage diesel-electric locomotives on Ontario Southland. These locomotives are part of a large series of models that were first built by General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division from the 1930s to the early 1960s. They are colloquially known as “F-units,” following the EMD catalog designation. Ontario Southland’s examples were built in the 1950s for Canadian National as FP9s, the “P” standing for “passenger” meaning they had different speed gearing and were equipped with steam generators. Thousands of F-units were produced, making them among the most successful and impactful of early diesel-electric locomotives.

What made F-units unique and recognizable is the same quality that makes them seem oddly out of place today — their stylish body work. All F-units share a similar appearance, from the initial FT introduced in 1939 to the last FL9 produced in November 1960 — a full-width car body, an arched roof, and most distinctively, an elegant nose of compound curves. They were, in that most 1930s of design terms, “streamlined,” styled to appear as if they were moving at speed, even when standing still. Observers and fans nicknamed them “bulldogs,” although I’ve always found the comparison odd, as the F-unit’s clean lines have always seemed more elegant. They are, in my view, the definitive streamlined diesel.

Numerous companies fielded lightweight streamliners throughout the 1930s, and some of the most stylish examples were bespoke models built to haul premier passenger trains in the late 1930s and into the 1940s. One of the best examples is Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 9911A, an E5 built by EMD predecessor Electro-Motive Corp. in 1940 and preserved today at the Illinois Railway Museum; its long rakish nose and gleaming stainless-steel sides are stunning. Other examples are almost as spectacular, such as the long-nosed PA-1s built by American Locomotive Company or Baldwin’s “sharknose” RF-16s, both from the late 1940s.

The F-units are far simpler and cleaner, in part as a result of economizing. The original FT of 1939 was intended as a freight unit, befitting a simpler design. Despite this, and despite the massive numbers built, each F-unit nose was handcrafted. As a former employee once described it, the simple curves were constructed from sheet steel, while the joining, compounded curves were built by hand-hammering and the careful application of fillers. The F-units, then, were a rolling contradiction. They were one of the first mass-manufactured diesel locomotives, transitioning many railways away from steam, yet their most distinctive visual feature was individually built by skilled craftsmen.

Maybe this is why, today, they seem not just like an anachronism, but as something from an entirely different world. Since the 1960s, locomotive builders have made efficiency and utility their primary design principles, with precious few concessions to aesthetic appeal. Simpler, more rectilinear designs were easier and therefore cheaper to build, while narrower car bodies with numerous doors and external walkways made routine maintenance far easier.

If anything, this philosophy has accelerated in our century, with most new locomotives looking exactly as they are — built to a price. The aesthetics of the F-units, by contrast, stated confidently that the railways belonged in the modern age, an attitude toward industrial design that has been long absent on North America’s railways. This makes it all the more ironic that today, if we are lucky enough to encounter one of the few surviving Fs, we see them nostalgically, a vision of railroading’s golden past, rather than its silvery future.

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

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One of the nation’s largest railroad unions is calling for drones to be grounded at rail yards and along main lines, something that could have a major impact on railroad photographers who have recently taken to the sky to capture photos. 

On October 6, the National Safety and Legislative Department of SMART-TD sent a letter to the Federal Railroad Administration, “demanding a full prohibition on the use of drones by railroad managers, or anyone else, in active rail yards and along main lines where trains are moving.” The filing comes as an increasing number of railroads are using drones to inspect infrastructure, but also stealthily keep an eye on crews. 

“Our rail yards are not laboratories or surveillance zones. They’re our offices,” said Jared Cassity, SMART-TD National Safety and Legislative Director. “When a drone flies overhead, it’s not just a nuisance; it’s a distraction in one of the most dangerous work environments in America. And make no mistake: if something goes wrong, it won’t be the manager behind the joystick who gets hurt. It’ll be one of our members. There is nothing cute, cool, or futuristic about any of that.”

Cassity further stated that the union also believed drones flying around railroad property pose a threat to national security, since the railroad could be considered a target by “bad actors.”

It’s unclear whether the FAA will act on the union’s request, and it’s also uncertain how feasible it is to ban drones near rail lines. Most commercially available drones require FAA approval to operate in restricted areas near airports, so the system could potentially be expanded to include rail lines. However, given the extensive size of the rail network, expanding such a system would be a monumental task. There’s also the question of how far from the right-of-way these restrictions would apply. 

Drones have become a popular tool for railroad enthusiasts over the past decade, and banning them at rail yards and along main lines would likely significantly affect that part of the hobby. 

—Justin Franz 

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A wood trestle on the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad was damaged by fire on October 8, and the cause of the blaze is still under investigation. 

The trestle, owned by the Port of Tillamook Bay and leased to OCSR along with the rest of the former Southern Pacific branchline along the Oregon Coast, is located near Tillamook. It is not used by OCSR’s regular excursions and is not expected to impact the tourist road’s daily operations. However, it sits on a section of track connecting the excursion route with OCSR’s main restoration facility. Until the bridge is repaired or rebuilt, all equipment moving between the two sites will need to be transported by truck. 

As this story went to press, the railroad was seeking the help of a bridge inspector to determine if the structure was a total loss and whether it would need to be rebuilt from the ground up. The local sheriff’s office is currently investigating the cause of the blaze, and the railroad has been in contact with state and federal law enforcement agencies since the railroad is federally regulated, making a targeted act a federal crime. 

This is the second excursion railroad in the Pacific Northwest to be affected by a bridge fire this year. In late April, a bridge on the Mount Rainier Scenic was also destroyed by fire. The cause of that fire is still under investigation. 

—Justin Franz 

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New York, Susquehanna, & Western SY 2-8-2 142 has returned to service at the Belvidere & Delaware River Railway in New Jersey. The locomotive is owned by the New York, Susquehanna, & Western Technical Historical Society and was last used on regular excursions in 2017, when it was taken out of service for an overhaul. 

Since then, crews have slowly but surely rebuilt the locomotive, firing it up for the first time in seven years in 2024. The engine returned to service in late September and will be leading Delaware River Railroad Excursions throughout October. 

NYS&W 142 is one of a half-dozen Chinese steam locomotives exported to the United States. It was built in 1989 for Connecticut’s Valley Railroad, where it ran into the 1990s. The Susquehanna purchased its own SY locomotive, but it was lost at sea when the ship it was on sank. The NYS&W then purchased the Valley locomotive (then numbered 1647) and gave it the number 142, two numbers above the last Susquehanna 2-8-2 (140) and one number above the one that sank (141). It ran in excursion service on the railroad for more than a decade before being sold to the historical society. 

The other Chinese-built steam locomotives in the U.S. include Valley Railroad SY 2-8-2 3025 (built for the Knox & Kane in 1989), JS 2-8-2 8419 at the Boone & Scenic, Iowa Interstate QJ 2-10-2s 6988 and 7081, and R.J. Corman QJ 2-10-2 2008 (now owned by Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp.). 

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by Otto M. Vondrak/photos as noted

Five years after global pandemic restrictions decimated ridership for transit agencies across the country, MTA Metro-North Railroad is experiencing many positive signs of ridership recovery while new locomotives and rolling stock are arriving to help refresh the fleet and meet the demands of a new economy. Commuter agencies across the country are seeing signs of improvement, with Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority coming closest to pre-pandemic ridership levels, consistently exceeding 90 percent in 2024. This past summer, Florida’s Tri-Rail reported 4.5 million riders, surpassing 2019’s record ridership of 4.4 million. Others like Metrolink in California report only 65 percent recovery as Los Angelinos are slower to return to the office full-time.

A subsidiary of New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority established in 1983, Metro-North is the nation’s second-busiest passenger carrier by volume, reporting more than 60 million riders in 2024. While this amounts to a roughly 22 percent shortfall against 2019 totals of 86.6 million riders, trends in 2025 point to steady climbs in ridership totals. Some single-day and monthly records in 2025 are hitting new post-pandemic highs, showing strong momentum.

In the midst of this positive growth, MTA leadership selected Justin Vonashek to become Metro-North’s seventh president, taking office this past April. He came to Metro-North in 2016 as Vice President of System Safety, and was later promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations in 2020. In 2023, he was named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, where he managed all aspects of the railroad’s operations.

Vonashek is no stranger to trains and transit. Growing up in Chicago and graduating from Illinois Institute of Technology, he joined Metra in 2005 as a Transportation Specialist. He quickly rose through the ranks in a variety of roles at the nation’s third-busiest carrier as transportation specialist, corporate trainmaster and manager of schedules and service. During his time at Metra, he served as the liaison with Union Pacific and BNSF Railway, developed a schedule of Saturday service for the Southwest Service (former Wabash route between Chicago and Manhattan, Ill.), and also set up special event service for White Sox home games at 35th Street “Lou” Jones Station on the Rock Island District. He also represented Metra on the FRA Rail Safety Advisory Committee, the Association of American Railroads’ Locomotive Committee, as well as the American Public Transportation Association’s Passenger Rail Equipment Safety Standards Committee. It’s no wonder that Don Orseno, then Metra’s Interim Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, nominated Vonashek as one of Progressive Railroading’s “Rising Stars” in 2013. “When I think of future leaders in the industry, I think of Justin Vonashek,” he said.

Vonashek moved over to Keolis in 2014, where he was named Chief Safety, Security, Emergency Preparedness and Regulatory Compliance Officer as the contractor prepared to take over operation of MBTA’s commuter rail operations that year. It was there that he continued his safety campaigns, including promoting the use of the Confidential Close-Call Reporting System (C3RS), which allows employees to anonymously report a safety problem or close-call event to a third party. It was this focus on safety and regulatory compliance that he brought to Metro-North when he first came on board in 2016. In an exclusive sit-down with the new Metro-North president, Railfan & Railroad asked Vonashek observed from his time at Metra, MBTA, and Metro-North, “While each railroad had its own specific challenges, the common thread is each one is focused on safety.”

Of course, the railroad’s most visible metric is daily ridership, which has trended upward in recent years as workers return to the office and discretionary travel picks up for entertainment and events. “This past week [last week of September], we broke records for best daily ridership,” while the railroad currently reports they are at 87 percent of pre-pandemic ridership levels. Of note, stations in The Bronx have seen growth of 150 percent over last year. Special event service to Yankee Stadium has been growing, too. “We saw our highest ridership to Yankee Stadium this past week [last week of September], with 16 percent of attendees traveling to the game by train.” In addition, the railroad is looking forward to its first service expansion in more than 25 years with the extension of New Haven Line service to New York Penn Station in 2027. “Enhanced East Bronx service and Penn Station Access will be a game changer,” Vonashek said. Four new stations will be added in the East Bronx: Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park, and Co-Op City, providing direct rail access to Penn Station for Bronx residents.

ABOVE: Metro-North president Justin Vonashek disembarks from a New Haven Line “Super Express” at Grand Central Terminal in New York City. —Courtesy MTA

Asking if there are other possible territory expansions in the future, Vonashek said, “We’re focusing on improving the existing service we have and making sure the customers have the best possible experience.” More trains are being added to the upper Hudson Line to address crowding, including two new “Super Express” runs to be introduced in October that offer 90-minute service from Poughkeepsie. This follows on the heels of the new “Super Express” service introduced on the New Haven Line back in March, saving up to 25 minutes of travel time for commuters coming from Connecticut. “We saw a 10% increase in ridership after we added the Super Expresses on the New Haven Line.” These gradual improvements to schedules are the result of increased demand as more workers are traveling to New York City.

This past February, officials across the Hudson River in Orange and Rockland counties were demanding better service on the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines. According to a report in the Journal News, Rockland County Executive Ed Day argued that west-of-Hudson (WOH) commuters do not receive the same level of service as those on the east side of the river, and that fare hikes and increased subsidies are not justified until improvements are made. Vonashek said the challenges to expanding WOH service are directly related to the overall system capacity of partner New Jersey Transit. “There’s a practical issue of the miles of single-track main line, a lack of siding capacity, plus yard capacity in Suffern, N.Y., and Hoboken, N.J.” According to Vonashek, WOH service posted a 94 percent on-time performance rating, compared to NJT’s average 90 percent system-wide OTP. “We recently named a new superintendent of WOH just to focus on that territory, and it’s made a huge difference in terms of managing the customer experience.”

ABOVE: Metro-North GE P32AC-DM 208 wearing the 40th anniversary tribute to the original Metro-North “beachball” design of the 1980s leads a Hudson Line train at Marble Hill, N.Y., on August 30, 2025. Locomotive 208 was selected because FL9 2008 was the last of the iconic cab units to be retired from regular service in April 2007. While new Siemens Chargers are arriving to replace the P32s, 15 rehabbed units will remain on the roster through at least 2032. —Otto M. Vondrak photo

When asked how overall system velocity can be increased, Vonashek said that improvements to the signal systems in certain areas have allowed for increased speed. Plus, the introduction of the new Siemens Chargers helps reduce station dwell time. In 2021, Metro-North placed an order for 27 Siemens Charger SC42-DM dual-mode locomotives that can operate off third rail or diesel power to gradually phase out the aging General Electric P32AC-DM units delivered 30 years ago. Vonashek was excited about the new Chargers entering revenue service ahead of schedule and under budget. “No. 301 entered revenue service last week, and 302 entered service this week.” While most of the P32s will be retired, the railroad will retain 15 units and rehab them in-house to maintain them as part of the fleet through 2032. “The Heritage Unit program is part of that, as some locomotives come through for rehab.” Extensive body work is part of the program to keep these units in a good state of repair, and so far, Metro-North has released seven heritage units honoring predecessor railroads.

Vonashek is also looking forward to the arrival of new Siemens Charger dual-mode battery power/AC locomotives that will be dedicated to Penn Station Access service. These new locomotives can draw power off AC overhead catenary on the New Haven Line, or use internal battery power.

In MTA’s recent $68 billion capital plan (2025-2029), Metro-North received $6 billion that will be applied to maintaining the “core service,” which includes $1 billion dedicated to the Grand Central Terminal “artery” that funnels the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines into the busy terminal. “This is more than double past appropriations,” said Vonashek. These funds will be applied to the GCT “trainshed” (platform area) and ongoing Park Avenue Viaduct repairs, fortifying the Hudson Line against coastal surges and landslides, bringing stations to a good state of repair, upgrading electrical substations, purchasing new rolling stock to replace the last of the Budd M-3s, and improving overall system accessibility.

What’s it like to be the president of Metro-North? “I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity that I never expected, but that I also never take for granted,” Vonashek said. “Walking through Grand Central each day and taking in its beauty, a testament to the work of our skilled employees, not just in GCT, but throughout the whole system,” he said, “We are the premier commuter agency.”

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David Fink, former president of Pan Am Railways, was confirmed on October 7 as the next administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. Fink was confirmed with a slate of other Trump appointees in a 50 to 45 vote in the U.S. Senate, with five members not voting. 

In a statement to the media, Association of American Railroads President and CEO Ian Jefferies celebrated the confirmation. 

“Freight rail is the backbone of the American economy – moving what matters safely, efficiently, and reliably every day. David’s unique experience as a fifth-generation railroader brings unmatched expertise to this role, enabling data-driven regulation and modernization that strengthens safety and performance across the network,” Jefferies said. “AAR looks forward to collaborating with Administrator Fink and the FRA to advance smart, evidence-based policies that foster innovation, enhance supply chain resilience, and support U.S. global competitiveness. Together, we can ensure America’s rail system continues to lead the world.”

Fink is the son of the late David A. Fink, who teamed up with Timothy Mellon in the 1980s to acquire the Maine Central, Boston & Maine, and Delaware & Hudson to form the Guilford Rail System (later to become Pan Am Railways after Mellon purchased the failed airline’s name). Mellon was also a major contributor to the Trump campaign. 

David Fink began his career at General Motors in the 1980s and joined his father’s railroad in 1998. He became president in 2006 and stayed on until 2022, when the regional railroad was acquired by CSX Transportation. 

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BNSF Railway made its strongest argument yet against the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger by releasing a position paper that states the combination would cause chaos on the national rail network and negatively affect shippers. In the paper, the Class I railroad urges shippers and the public to speak out against the $85 billion deal that would create the nation’s largest railroad 

In the paper, BNSF officials note that a combined UP-NS would hold 45 percent of the total U.S. freight tonnage, including 50 percent of the market share for chemicals, metals, and lumber. The railroad argues that this would lead to higher shipping costs for railroad customers. In comparison, the recent Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger resulted in control of 5 percent of the U.S. freight market 

“No customer is asking for a UP-NS merger to happen,” the position paper begins. “It’s driven by Wall Street on the promise of a big shareholder payout. BNSF does not believe a merger is necessary at this time, when we can deliver immediate benefits to our customers while preserving competition.”

The paper further criticized how UP’s past mergers, especially with Southern Pacific in 1996, disrupted the national rail network for months afterward. It pointed out that concessions to other railroads don’t always work. For example, BNSF has had to take UP to court multiple times over the years to force it to honor its commitments regarding trackage rights granted in the late 1990s 

BNSF reiterated it isn’t interested in merging with CSX, something its owner, Warren Buffett, has stated multiple times since UP and NS announced their plans in July 

“BNSF doesn’t believe the appropriate competitive response is for BNSF to acquire CSX at this time,” the railroad wrote. “We should not be viewed as the fix to correct the competitive imbalance that UP-NS are trying to create. Wall Street and UP would like to force BNSF into a competing merger that creates a coast-to-coast duopoly controlling over 90 percent of our nation’s rail traffic.”

—Justin Franz 

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