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A new historical society has been formed to preserve the rich history of the Delaware & Hudson Railway. In one of its first public acts, the newly formed Delaware & Hudson Railway Historical Society also announced that it had acquired a former D&H Alco RS-3 locomotive. 

The D&HRHS distinguishes itself from other railroad historical societies — most notably the Bridge Line Historical Society that also focuses on the D&H — by being predominantly a digital-first organization. The group, led by President Brad Peterson, will have a digital newsletter, host online events and partner with other groups to “maximize impact while maintaining low overhead costs.” The group also has an interactive online archive of D&H documents, drawings, maps and photographs available exclusively to members. 

“This Society is about more than just preserving artifacts,” Peterson said. “It’s about keeping the spirit of the Delaware & Hudson Railway alive for future generations, using 21st century tools to connect enthusiasts worldwide.” 

The group was organized in 2023 and has been quietly establishing itself. Last year, it had the opportunity to acquire former D&H 4085, most recently operated by short line New York & Greenwood Lake as its 935. The locomotive is currently in Port Jervis, N.Y., but will soon be moved to the Saratoga, Corinth & Hudson Railway, which operates on a portion of the former D&H Adirondack Branch. The SC&H also owns two D&H RS-3s of its own. 

For more information, visit delawarehudson.org. —Justin Franz 

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First announced back in 2022, Revolution Trains have now opened the order books for their N Gauge PTA/JTA/JUA box wagons and JSA steel carriers, and released new CAD images for them.

The box wagons will be supplied in packs of five; either an 'outer' pack containing two outers and three inners or an 'inner' pack containing three inners, to enable prototypical ten wagon cuts to be assembled.

Each PTA outer pack will feature one end wagon with a working tail lamp, and one without. Both inners and outer wagons are provided with working representations of the buckeye couplers for additional realism, along with cosmetic air hoses.

PTA/JTA/JUA Liveries now available to pre-order are as follows:

The steel carriers will be supplied in twin packs, in either British steel blue or VTG blue and silver.

Revolution state that CAD is now complete and the models are in tooling. Whilst all development is about to be subject to the annual Chinese New Year festivities and associated shutdown Revolution expect to have the first EP samples in March, hopefully in time for the British Festival of Railway Modelling at Alexandra Palace.

'Early Bird' pricing currently applies, with the PTA/JTA/JUA box wagons currently available to pre-order for £174.95 per 5 wagon pack, and the JSA Steel carriers currently available to pre-order for £69.95 per twin pack.

For more information and to place a pre-order, visit the Revolution Trains website here

Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 765 will visit the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad this spring for the first time since 2022. This week, the Ohio-based tourist railroad announced that steam locomotive 765 would operate there on April 25, 26 and 27 and May 2, 3 and 4.

Locomotive 765 has been visiting CVSR for years, but the 2023 and 2024 visits were canceled due to track issues. Tickets will go on sale to CVSR members on February 3 at 9 a.m. and to the general public on February 5 at 9 a.m. Visit this website for more information. —Justin Franz 

The post Nickel Plate 765 to Return to Cuyahoga Valley appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board approved Canadian National’s acquisition of Iowa Northern on January 14, with conditions to ensure the combined system remains competitive with other operators. The approval came just a year after CN approached the board about the deal and six months after the STB initially planned on ruling on the matter. 

STB’s decision will be effective February 13, meaning CN can assume control of the railroad anytime after. 

Iowa Northern operates on 275 miles of former Rock Island and Chicago Great Western trackage. The railroad was first established by a group of grain elevator operators in 1984 after the Rock Island went bankrupt. The short line was then sold in 1994 to Iron Road Railways. The railroad operates a fleet of EMDs in an attractive maroon and gray paint scheme (inspired by another former Iron Road property, Canadian American). The railroad connects with CN at Waterloo, Iowa. 

During the acquisition review, the STB received several comments, including from competing railroads like Union Pacific and CPKC, which were concerned that the deal would harm competition. To address that, the STB will require CN to keep gateways open on commercially reasonable terms in perpetuity. The board also enacted a three-year oversight period; requested that the railroad develop a scheduled local service plan; and the maintenance of access to locations in current voluntary reciprocal switching tariffs.

Three of the four STB members voted in favor of the transaction with conditions, while a fourth, Chairman Robert E. Primus, voted against it. In a statement on January 14, he wrote, “While I disagree with today’s decision, as I believe this transaction will cause a substantial lessening of competition that is not outweighed by the transaction’s modest public benefits, I recognize the views of the other Board members in favor of approving this transaction,” he wrote.  “As Chairman, I will not stand in the way of a majority and bringing a conclusion to a matter before the Board.”

CN officials said the transaction would ultimately benefit shippers, employees and communities. 

“We recognize and thank the STB for its commitment to a rigorous process that has yielded the right outcome,” said CN President and CEO Tracy Robinson. “We look forward to welcoming the team at Iowa Northern Railway into our CN family of railroaders, and we are carefully preparing for a successful integration. We are excited to grow our network, offering customers, farmers and our supply chain partners with single-line access to new markets. This is an important step in our growth plan, reinforcing our commitment to providing customers with exceptional rail service and powering the economy.” —Justin Franz 

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Norfolk Southern has donated $10,000 to help repair Lehigh & New England Railroad Alco S-2 locomotive 611. 

The Railroad & Industrial Preservation Society, Inc owns locomotive 611. The Lehigh & New England once moved coal, cement and other industrial products in eastern Pennsylvania, northwest New Jersey and southern New York. The Lehigh & New England closed in 1961. 

The American Locomotive Company built locomotive 611 in 1948. New owners bought the locomotive in 1961 after the railroad closed. In 2016, the Lehigh New England Preservation Society and Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society purchased and moved the locomotive back to Pennsylvania. The Railroad & Industrial Preservation Society, Inc., purchased the locomotive in 2021. The locomotive is now located at the Allentown & Auburn Railroad.

The recent donation from Norfolk Southern will help put the locomotive back into running order. When the locomotive restoration is done it will run on the Allentown & Auburn Railroad. The Allentown & Auburn offers seasonal train rides.

For more information, visit riptrack.org. 

The post Norfolk Southern Donates to Locomotive Restoration appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

By Justin Franz

The oldest surviving locomotive designed by Sir Nigel Gresley — the famed British locomotive builder behind the world-famous Flying Scotsman — could return to the main line in 2025. 

The Gresley Society recently secured an agreement with the North Norfolk Railway to complete the restoration of Great Northern Railway N2 0-6-0 1744 and is now raising money to help complete the rebuild expected to cost around £650,000. Details on how to donate can be found online at Gresley.org.

Locomotive 1744 was built in 1921 and is the only surviving tank engine designed by Gresley. The locomotive was acquired by the Gresley Society in 1963 and has run at a number of heritage railways in the decades since. In 2018, it was taken out of service for an extensive rebuild. Officials said the locomotive will operate at North Norfolk once it’s back in service. 

The post British Group Raising Funds to Complete Restoration of Oldest ‘Gresley’ Locomotive appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

By Justin Franz

The Maine Department of Transportation announced on January 9, that Maine Switching Services had been selected as the new operator of the state-owned Rockland Branch between Brunswick and Rockland, Me. 

Maine Switching Services is based in Unity, Maine, and is involved with the operation of the former Belfast & Moosehead Lake, also owned by the state. Maine Switching Service also provides switching at two paper mills in Rumford and Skowhegan, along with rail car repair in Unity on the former B&ML. 

“We believe Maine Switching Services has the experience necessary to provide high-quality freight service for customers on the Rockland Branch Railroad,” said MaineDOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note in a press release. “We look forward to growing our partnership with MSS as we work together to overcome the challenges created by the closure of the major freight shipper on the line, Dragon Cement in 2024.”

The closure of Dragon is what forced the previous operator, Finger Lakes Railway subsidiary Midcoast Railservice, to throw in the towel in 2024 after just two years. Since 1990, there have been six different operators of the 56-mile line between Brunswick and Rockland. 

Maine Switching Services is set to begin formal contract negotiations with the state over the next two months while also securing approval from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to take control of the line. Maine Switching Services plans on beginning freight service in the spring and excursion service in the fall. It does not plan to provide host railroad services to Amtrak’s proposed Downeaster extension to Rockland. 

The post Maine Selects New Operator for Rockland Branch appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

By Justin Franz

The bright and colorful historic streetcars that rumble down San Francisco’s Market Street and along its waterfront could be on the chopping block as the city’s transportation agency faces a “fiscal cliff,” thanks to the state and federal governments cutting off pandemic-era funding. Market Street Railway, the non-profit that supports historic transit in San Francisco, has called the city’s financial issues the “gravest threat to vintage streetcar service since the permanent F-line opened almost 30 years ago.”

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency officials have said that COVID-era funding could run out by mid-2026. Unless new revenue streams are identified, cuts could begin as soon as 2025. Compounding the issues are changing ridership patterns brought on by remote work and downtown San Francisco’s struggles to fill commercial space. SFMTA’s MUNI has identified several lightly used bus lines, the historic F-Line and the city’s three cable car lines as routes to possibly suspend. 

While officials with Market Street Railway said threatening the cable cars could be a red hearing to bring attention to how serious the cuts could be (President Rick Laubscher notes that continued operation of the cable cars is literally written into the city charter and incoming Mayor Daniel Lurie has said they’re “here to stay”), the F-Line is not so secure. The six-mile line connects the Embarcadero with the Castro neighborhood and features a large fleet of historic streetcars, mostly World War II-era PCCs. 

While MUNI officials have suggested the F-Line should be on the chopping block, Market Street Railway officials note that while it uses historic streetcars, it’s not just a tourist attraction and that many workers along the Embarcadero rely on it every day. Groups like the Chamber of Commerce and San Francisco Hotel Council are also coming out in support of the F-Line.

The post Budget Cuts Threaten San Francisco’s Historic F-Line appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

By Railfan & Railroad Staff

After years of work and the construction of platforms to specifically serve Amtrak trains, the nation’s passenger railroad has told officials with Miami Intermodal Center that it will not be serving the station next to Miami International Airport. Miami Today reports that Amtrak informed officials in a letter in December that it was “currently not feasible” to serve the station even though all of the infrastructure needed to support Amtrak’s Silver Meteor and Floridian trains has been built. 

While commuter operator Tri-Rail will still use the station, some platforms specifically built for Amtrak will remain unused. Instead, Amtrak trains will continue to stop at Hialeah, nine miles from downtown. Among Amtrak’s excuses for not wanting to use the station at Miami International was that it would require a lengthy backup move to get to and that the lease terms for the facility were too much. 

Officials with the Florida Department of Transportation have said they are now looking for other ways to use the facility, including the platforms built to Amtrak standards. 

The post Amtrak Cancels Plans to Run to Miami International appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

By Railfan & Railroad Staff 

A 125-year-old parlor car will be returning to the place it was built for permanent display, the Historic Pullman Foundation announced recently. Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific parlor car 699 was built in January 1900 and was recently donated to the Historic Pullman Foundation, the non-profit that supports the Pullman National Historical Park & State Historic Site near Chicago. 

The car will be relocated to the North Wing of the historic Pullman Factory once funding has been secured for environmental remediation of the site. The car was built during the heyday of luxury rail travel and officials said its presence at Pullman will deepen visitors’ understanding of this important chapter in history. 

“We owe a debt of gratitude to Dave Hoffman for the generous offer of this rare gem,” said Joseph C. Szabo, HPF board member and former head of the Federal Railroad Administration. “While the interior will need a full restoration, the frame and body are in remarkable shape for a railcar that is 125 years old.” 

The post Historic Parlor Car Donated to Pullman appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

By Railfan & Railroad Staff

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board announced on January 2, that it had approved Carload Express’ plan to acquire Maryland & Delaware Railroad. Carload Express, which operates former Norfolk Southern trackage in Delaware as the Delmarva Central, will be able to assume control of the neighboring short line on January 31.

The plan includes outright acquisition of some track on the Snow Hill line and operating state-owned trackage on the Massey and Federalsburg lines. It’s expected that the Snow Hill line will be folded into Delmarva Central, while the other two routes will retain the MDDE name under the new operator. 

Parent company Carload Express Inc. operates two other railroads in addition to the Delmarva Central — Allegheny Valley Railroad and Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad, serving western Pennsylvania. MDDE began operations in 1977 to operate several former Penn Central branch lines that were not included in the formation of Conrail. It is headquartered in Federalsburg, Md.

The post STB Approves Carload Express Takeover of Maryland & Delaware appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

By Railfan & Railroad Staff

The Reading & Northern announced that former Reading Company 4-8-4 2102 will lead at least four Iron Horse Rambles excursions in 2025, including a rare wintertime trip from Reading to Jim Thorpe, Pa., on February 8. Tickets for all four of the announced excursions went on sale on Friday. 

The Iron Horse Rambles excursions are planned for May 24 (Reading to Jim Thorpe), June 21 (Nesquehoning to Tunkhannock), and August 23 (Nesquehoning to Pittston). New this year, passengers on the trips to Jim Thorpe will have the option of riding the “wye move” to turn the train during its layover, giving those who stay onboard the chance to get some rare mileage. 

R&N officials said additional steam excursions would be announced for the fall. They also said that Reading & Northern 4-6-2 425 was expected to join 2102 in service following an overhaul. Locomotive 2102 has been in service since 2022.

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