Railnews from Railfan & Railroad Magazine

A bridge on the South Central Florida Express, the common carrier short line owned by U.S. Sugar, burned in early April, forcing the suspension of freight service on the line and a planned excursion behind 4-6-2 148. The bridge near Palmdale caught fire on April 6. The cause of the fire is under investigation by local law enforcement. 

The bridge is not far from the home base of “Sugar Express,” U.S. Sugar’s excursion operation. The fire forced the cancellation of an excursion behind 148 that had been scheduled for April 25. However, railroad officials said they have already begun to work with a bridge builder, and were confident enough to reschedule the excursion for May 30. Those who had tickets for the April 25 “Lake Placid Limited” were refunded.

—Justin Franz 

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TriMet’s “trailblazing” Type I LRVs that helped establish light rail service in Portland, Ore.,  in the 1980s will be retired this month. As of this writing, only a handful were still on the active roster, but were not regularly in service. TriMet is planning a “Goodbye, MAX Type I” event for April 18, which will likely include a last run for the iconic cars. 

TriMet purchased 26 Type 1 cars from Bombardier. The cars were based on cars used overseas. While Bombardier tried to market the cars elsewhere, they were the only ones ever built and became the backbone of TriMet’s fleet for nearly four decades. TriMet began retiring the cars a few years ago as new Siemens S700s (known as Type 6s on TriMet) began to arrive on the property. Car 101 was donated to the Oregon Electric Railway Museum in the summer of 2025. 

—Justin Franz 

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The Wichita Great Plains Transportation Museum is converting a former Santa Fe baggage car into a multi-use space to host meetings, parties and other events, providing the nonprofit with a new and consistent income stream.

The car was donated to the museum by Amtrak in 2020, and officials hope to have it available for events by the end of the year. The first order of business has been to replace the car’s roof; that project will be followed by the installation of an HVAC system.

“Providing the community with a railroad-themed venue downtown for various types of gatherings is mutually beneficial to the Great Plains Transportation Museum, the city of Wichita, Old Town and those parties seeking a unique place to hold an event,” museum President Heather Gatton said. “We’re excited about the prospect of adding value to the downtown area, especially amid ongoing investment in business, residential and commercial enterprises.”

The Great Plains Transportation Museum was established in 1983 to preserve the history of railroading in the region, dating to the 1870s.

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A partnership between a nonprofit railroad heritage group and an Ohio short line will bring a Norfolk & Western SD40-2 to home rails this spring.

The Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. is leasing KSHX 6162 to Cincinnati Eastern Railroad, which operates the former N&W main line between Cincinnati and Plum Run, Ohio. Known locally as the Peavine Line, the route is famous for its winding curves and challenging grades and was historically part of N&W’s Cincinnati District. The locomotive left Kentucky Steam’s campus in Irvine, Ky., on March 5 and arrived in Ohio a few days later. It is expected to enter service in the coming weeks.

“This partnership has been several months in the making, and we’re excited to see it come together,” said Thomas Bookout, a board member of the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. “There’s something especially fitting about a former Norfolk & Western locomotive returning to work on a former N&W main line. The Peavine is known for its winding curves and demanding grades, and the SD40-2’s 3,000 horsepower will be put to good use hauling freight over that territory. Just as important, this lease allows the locomotive to generate revenue that will help fund its own maintenance while supporting Kentucky Steam’s long-term preservation mission.”

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The Western Forest Industries Museum, operator of the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad, has purchased a 3.6-acre plot and a more than 10,000-square-foot building that will serve as its new restoration facility and office space.

The St. Regis Paper Company built the facility in 1955, and it was later owned by the Muarry Pacific Corporation, founded by Tom Murray, who also founded the Mt. Rainier Scenic. The facility was used by other logging companies over the years, but is now owned by the nonprofit museum. The acquisition of the property, and particularly the building, will allow the railroad to move its heavy restoration and maintenance work into the new space, and turn the existing space into a public museum site. Currently, restoration capacity is limited, with work constrained to a single locomotive and critical materials stored in shipping containers. The new facility will provide space for multiple restoration projects, organized parts storage, a vehicle repair bay, machine and carpentry shops, and dedicated office and meeting space.

“This is a meaningful moment for us,” said Bethan Maher, Executive Director. “We are gradually bringing back together pieces of the landscape that defined Tom Murray’s logging operations, now with the purpose of preservation, education, and public access.”

—Justin Franz 

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A GP7 locomotive, acquired from the Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad—a family-owned North Carolina short line established in 1892—is now part of the collection at the North Carolina Transportation Museum. The locomotive, which was donated by the railroad, is expected to arrive at the museum in Spencer, N.C., soon. 

Purchased new by A&R in 1951, GP7 205 is a prime example of a first-generation EMD. The engine was never sold or leased, and spent its entire working career running between Aberdeen and Fayetteville. 

“This donation represents far more than the transfer of a locomotive—it is the preservation of a living chapter of North Carolina’s railroading story,” museum officials wrote. “The museum is deeply grateful to the Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad for entrusting us with this important piece of their heritage. GP7 205 will stand as a testament to the A&R’s legacy and to the enduring impact of short line railroads on the economic and cultural fabric of North Carolina.”

—Justin Franz 

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Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 “Big Boy” No. 4014 and Reading Company 4-8-4 No. 2102 will lead simultaneous excursions on the Reading & Northern Railroad in June in what is being billed as the “most fantastic railfan event of the 21st century.”

UP 4014 will be in Pennsylvania in June as part of the locomotive’s East Coast tour to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. So far, UP has not offered a detailed schedule, except that the engine will visit Chicago, Buffalo, New York, and Scranton, Pa., before arriving in Philadelphia for Independence Day. On June 14, the locomotive will lead a one-way trip over the R&N from Nesquehoning to Pittston, Pa., as part of a fundraiser for the Union Pacific Railroad Museum.

That same day, Reading 2102 will lead another excursion from the Nesquehoning Regional Railroad Station to Pittston and return via Lehigh Gorge. That excursion, plus additional ones on June 14, July 1 and July 2, are all expected to meet or pass UP 4014. The July 2 excursion will be led by R&N’s diesels, which are painted to celebrate the semiquincentennial.

“The most fantastic railfan event of the 21st century will occur on the Reading & Northern,” said owner and CEO Andy Muller Jr. “All are invited to join us for this event to either ride or safely follow the train. People will be required to stay a minimum of 25 feet away from all railroad tracks, which will be strictly enforced. One hundred percent safety is a must; 99 percent is not enough.”

The East Coast tour is expected to conclude on July 29.

—Justin Franz 

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The Trump Administration’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget calls for major increases to military spending while slashing domestic programs — including Amtrak. According to the Rail Passenger Association, the budget request includes an increase in funding to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Still, the bulk of that money would go towards highways and airports. Transit and passenger rail would see steep funding reductions. 

The White House budget request is just that, a request, and the final budget must be hashed out with Congress. But it has a big impact on where negotiations go. 

In the budget outline, Amtrak funding would go from $2.47 billion to $2.1 billion, a 13.5 percent drop. The national network would see the biggest cuts, from $1.57 billion to $1.45 billion. The budget also calls for eliminating the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail, which funds capital improvement projects nationwide and has strong bipartisan support. 

The cuts become even steeper when you factor in that money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 is set to expire this year. 

“At a time of record highs for gas prices and airfare, the Trump Administration is proposing cuts to the intercity rail and transit programs that have been helping Americans stay connected to work, to school, and to family,” said Jim Mathews, President & CEO of the Rail Passengers Association. “This budget moves the nation in the wrong direction for affordability, mobility, and safety.”

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Sound Transit opened the world’s first floating light rail bridge across Lake Washington on March 28, connecting the agency’s two lines into a unified system for the first time ever.

For years, Seattle’s light rail system had been divided by the lake, with Line 1 connecting Lynnwood and Federal Way, and Line 2 connecting Bellevue and downtown Redmond. With the opening of the new bridge alongside Interstate 90, Line 2 now extends to downtown Seattle and Lynnwood. The extension of Line 2 along the same route as Line 1 between downtown Seattle and Lynnwood also doubles frequency at 14 stations in the busiest part of the system (one train every four minutes during peak hours).

The floating bridge was constructed in 1989. The part used by the rail line was once reversible express lanes for the adjacent highway. The first trains ran over the bridge in September 2025. Along with the bridge, Sound Transit also opened two new stations at Judkins Park and Mercer Island. 

—Justin Franz 

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The Trolley Museum of New York recently took delivery of a former SEPTA Market–Frankford Line rapid transit car, an important piece of Philadelphia transit history. Car 618 arrived at the museum in Kingston, N.Y., on March 28. 

Car 618 was one of 270 M-3 cars. Built by the Budd Company and entering service in 1960, these cars became known for their durability, distinctive fluted stainless-steel construction, and decades of reliable service carrying millions of passengers across West Philadelphia, Center City, and Frankford. Railfans affectionately nicknamed the cars “Almond Joys” due to their distinctive roof humps, which gave them a profile reminiscent of the popular candy bar. The only other surviving member of this class was recently restored to operation at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.

Often referred to locally as the “El,” the Market–Frankford Line is one of the oldest continuously operated rapid transit routes in the United States, with elevated and subway operations dating back to 1907. Budd-built cars such as 618 represented a major technological step forward at the time, emphasizing lightweight construction, corrosion resistance, and improved passenger comfort. The fleet remained a familiar symbol of the line until retirement following the introduction of replacement rolling stock in 1999.

While Car 618 arrived safely, several windows were unfortunately vandalized prior to preservation, and restoration work is already underway. The museum is actively accepting public donations to support the effort. For more information, visit tmny.org.

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U.S. Sugar has decided to donate an Atlantic Coast Line 4-6-2 to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. U.S. Sugar acquired ACL 1504 in 2021 with plans to expand its popular Sugar Express excursion operation. After purchasing the USRA light Pacific from the City of Jacksonville, Fla., it was moved to Chattanooga for restoration by FMW Solutions, which had previously completed the restoration of ex-Florida East Coast 4-6-2 148 for U.S. Sugar. 

In March, Sugar Express announced that rising material costs and the realization that locomotive 148 was sufficient for the operation led it to decide not to proceed with restoring 1504.

“U.S. Sugar continues to provide a world-class excursion train in America’s Sweetest Town, with Steam Locomotive No. 148 serving as the Sugar Express’ primary motive power and ambassador to us here at U.S. Sugar,” said M. Scott Ogle, Railroad Superintendent of the Sugar Express. “After considering the Sugar Express’ future, we have decided that Steam Locomotive No. 148 is sufficient for meeting the overwhelming demand of guests that ride on our one-of-a-kind, scenic excursion line that traverses hundreds of miles through the core of Florida’s pristine farming communities.” 

TVRM announced it will perform a thorough evaluation of the locomotive before making any decisions about its future. ACL 1504, built by the American Locomotive Company in 1919, is the only remaining USRA light Pacific-type steam locomotive.

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