By Railfan & Railroad Staff For the first time since the end of steam, a full-size British steam locomotive will be converted from burning coal to burning oil. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has hired U.S.-based FMW Solutions to lead the conversion of 2-10-0 3672 Dame Vera Lynn. The conversion comes as domestic sources for high-quality steam coal have dried up in the United Kingdom, and changing climate patterns have forced the North Yorkshire-based heritage railway to not run steam on certain days due to fire danger. Officials have said the oil conversion is a key step in “future-proof ..read more

By Railfan & Railroad Staff Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 765 will headline another season of the popular Indiana Rail Experience this year on the Indian Northeastern Railroad. Last week, the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society released the 2024 schedule of events which features a robust calendar of ice cream trains, tri-state steam excursions and more.  Since its founding in 2022, the Indiana Rail Experience has welcomed thousands of passengers from at least 32 states and two countries. It was even named the “Best New Experience” by the Indiana State Tourism Association.  Some of t ..read more

By Railfan & Railroad Staff Brightline West broke ground Monday on a new high-speed rail line that by 2028 will connect the Los Angeles area with Las Vegas. The $12 billion project, part of which is being funded with federal money, will result in the nation’s first true high-speed passenger train that will reach speeds of 186 miles per hour. Much of the route will be built down the median of Interstate 15. The train’s eastern terminus will be just south of the Las Vegas Stripe, while the Los Angeles area station will be in Rancho Cucamonga, Calf. There will also be a station in the Victorv ..read more

By Justin Franz  A 2-6-2 steam locomotive that has led excursions in southeast British Columbia for more than 30 years could be parked this year after the management of the Fort Steele Heritage Town decided to conduct an “independent” review of the locomotive’s condition and the museum’s rail operations in general.  But the decision by the museum’s board has frustrated staff who have taken to social media and local media to say there’s no reason to park the locomotive and that doing so could risk its future as an operating exhibit.  Locomotive 1077 was built by the Montreal Loco ..read more

By Bob Gallegos Metra has announced a comprehensive list of construction projects planned for 2024. Major projects include replacing aging bridges on the UP North Line; track, electrical and signal upgrades on Metra Electric, and major tie replacement projects on four lines. In addition, many smaller infrastructure improvements are being completed across Metra’s 11 lines. Improvements are planned for 35 of Metra’s 242 stations this year. Improvements include upgraded accessibility, repainting, complete platform replacement and more.  In other Metra news, weekend service on the BNSF Line w ..read more

By Railfan & Railroad Staff A Western Pacific GP35 has been restored to its as-delivered appearance in Utah and will soon be put on display at Ogden Union Station.  Last week, volunteers put the finishing touches on WP 3002, one of 22 GP35s owned by the railroad and only the sixth of its type to be preserved. The locomotive was built in 1963 and worked for the WP, Union Pacific, Kyle Railroad, Arkansas Midland and finally Genesee & Wyoming. The locomotive was donated to Ogden Union Station two years ago thanks to the efforts of Derrick Klarr of Klarr Locomotive Works.  The lo ..read more

by Garland McKee/photos by the author Richard J. Corman, a native of Nicholasville, Ky., got into the railroad industry right after graduating high school in 1973. Over a span of 40 years, he was able to build his business from a single backhoe working construction jobs into one of the nation’s leading railroad service providers, expanding from railroad construction to derailment and wreck recovery, as well as acquiring short lines and contract switching operations. Today the R.J. Corman company, headquartered in Nicholasville, has divisions in 23 states, employing approximately 1,400 people ..read more

By Justin Franz Canadian Pacific H1b 4-6-4 2816 is set to depart on its historic tri-nation tour on April 26, to celebrate the first anniversary of the CPKC Railway merger. On Wednesday, the railroad released a detailed schedule of the highly anticipated tour of the United States, Canada and Mexico.  The “Final Spike Steam Tour” will kick off with an event at CPKC headquarters in Calgary on April 24, before the train departs there on April 26. It will overnight in Medicine Hat, Alberta, the first night. Additional public events are scheduled for Moose Jaw, Sask. (April 28), Minot, N.D. (A ..read more

by Gordon Lloyd, Jr./photos from the Lloyd Transportation Library The Fairbanks-Morse Company of Beloit, Wis., built a line of sturdy diesel locomotives spanning three decades, though actual production spanned only 20 years. Its catalog provided offerings for many Class I railroads, with options for freight, passenger, and switching assignments. Of the five major North American locomotive builders of the era, including American Locomotive Company, Baldwin Locomotive Works, the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors, and Lima, Fairbanks-Morse stood alone with its opposed-piston engine family ..read more

By Railfan & Railroad Staff An Amtrak F40PH has been restored to its historic Phase III paint scheme, making it one of the first of the iconic EMD passenger locomotives to be cosmetically restored.  The F40PH 231 is owned by Dynamic Rail Preservation Inc., and was saved from the scrapper back in 2002 by Chris Fussell. Over the last two decades, it has spent time in Oregon, Utah and Nevada. Today, it can be found at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City. Locomotive 231 is one of three F40PH locomotives to be preserved as Amtrak locomotives; the other two are at the Californi ..read more