Maine Central Steam Locomotives: History & Roster
Published: September 22, 2026
By: Adam Burns
Maine Central steam was a Ten-Wheeler railroad that grew a Pacific, a Mikado, and then stopped. Sixty-seven 4-6-0s were built for the company in the twentieth century, more than twice as many as any other road-engine type. The heaviest freight engines it bought new were thirty-two Mikados. The last new steam was a pair of light Hudsons in 1930, Pacific-sized 4-6-4s with a booster. Drury records the order as two engines and leaves the reason open. The official last steam run was June 13, 1954, when Pacific 470 took an excursion from Portland to Bangor and back.
George H. Drury, in Guide to North American Steam Locomotives, is the post-1900 class grid below. In 1900 the railroad adopted letter classes, several of them for each wheel arrangement then on the property, keyed to cylinder diameter. Subclass numbers were applied two ways and neither way stuck. One appended a figure such as 65 or 70 that was a tonnage rating. The other, used by the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society roster and by Drury, was a plain sequence: O, O-1, O-2.
Maine Central 2-8-2 #622 and #606 are on the Mountain Division at Crawford Notch, New Hampshire on a May morning in 1950 shortly after the pair had worked helper service through the Notch. They will soon return to Barlett to await their next assignment. Robert Gustafson photo.
On this page: At a glance · Before 1900 · Ten-Wheelers · Consolidations and Mikados · Pacifics and Hudsons · Switchers and Portland Terminal · Post-1900 roster
At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Railroad | Maine Central. Mark MEC. Slogan The Pine Tree Route |
| This page | Steam after 1900, Drury’s class grid, plus the Portland Terminal engines he treats with them |
| Shops | Waterville, on the Kennebec |
| Modern power | 21 Pacifics, 32 Mikados, 28 Consolidations, 2 Hudsons |
| Oddities | Four ex-Boston & Maine 2-6-6-2s on Crawford Notch. Eight ex-Boston & Maine 2-10-2s. Two Baldwin 4-6-4s |
| Last new steam | Hudsons 701 and 702, Baldwin, 1930 |
| Last steam | June 13, 1954. Class C-3 Pacific 470, Portland–Bangor excursion |
| Preserved | 470, under restoration by the New England Steam Corporation at Washington Junction, Hancock |
| Diesel roster | All-time diesel roster |
Before 1900
The 1862 railroad inherited a mixed fleet from the Androscoggin & Kennebec, the Penobscot & Kennebec, and then from the Portland & Kennebec, the European & North American, and a shelf of short lines. Americans and Moguls did the work. In 1900 the mechanical department wiped the numbers clean and sorted what remained into letter classes. The 0-6-0s were renumbered again in 1917 and in 1920, and numbers that a transferred switcher had just vacated were handed to a new one, as if a road number were too useful to retire. William D. Edson’s all-time list is Railroad History 152 (Spring 1985). Drury’s table, and the grid on this page, starts with engines built since 1900.
The railroad bought in small annual lots, six or a dozen engines of several types, rather than in the fifties and hundreds of a trunk line. In 1912 the delivery was seven Consolidations, two Pacifics, and switchers. In 1913 it was eight Consolidations, two Pacifics, and more switchers. In 1914 it was four Consolidations, two Pacifics, and the first Mikados. That habit lasted until the early 1920s. After the First World War the annual order stopped. A few modern engines arrived in 1923 and 1924. The Hudsons of 1930 were the end.
Ten-Wheelers
Few railroads kept great numbers of both Moguls and Ten-Wheelers. The Maine Central chose the 4-6-0. Drury counts sixty-seven of them built in the twentieth century.
Four class C engines were small freight power on 55-inch drivers. Numbers 106 and 107 weighed 104,000 pounds. Numbers 108 and 109 weighed 115,000. The letter C was used again, later, for the Pacifics. The N-class Ten-Wheelers were passenger engines, classed together because they shared 19-inch cylinders. Numbers 279–283 had 69-inch drivers and weighed 142,000 pounds. Numbers 284–289 had 73-inch drivers and weighed 156,000 pounds. The Pacifics began replacing them in 1907.
The O class was the dual-service and branch-line engine, 63-inch drivers and 21-by-26-inch cylinders. The 1903 and 1905 engines, 351–363, had inside piston valves and Stephenson valve gear and weighed about 164,000 pounds. Numbers 364–372, built at Rhode Island in 1906, had outside piston valves and Walschaerts gear and were about 3,000 pounds heavier. Baldwin’s 373–382, of 1907 and 1908, carried larger boilers and weighed 179,300 pounds. The design was so useful on light branches that the railroad was still ordering it in 1923. Lima built 383–390 that year, the only Lima steam locomotives the Maine Central ever owned. They kept the 63-inch drivers, dropped to 20-by-28-inch cylinders and Baker valve gear, and weighed 182,000 pounds. That was a year before Lima began arguing, with the Super-Power demonstrator, that a four-wheel trailing truck was the way to a larger firebox. Drury notes that 182,000 pounds was 24,000 pounds under the big passenger Ten-Wheelers of 1918.
Those twelve, 401–412, are the O-3s. The United States Railroad Administration allowed them during federal control because a Maine Central Pacific was smaller than a USRA light Pacific. Schenectady delivered eight in 1918 and four in 1920. They had 67-inch drivers, 22-by-28-inch cylinders, a weight of 206,500 pounds, and 32,700 pounds of tractive effort. They were main-line passenger engines on a freight wheel arrangement, and at 206,500 pounds they were large Ten-Wheelers.
The twentieth-century Moguls were a short list next to that: eight from Schenectady, 308–315, and four from Manchester, 316–319, about the size of a Boston & Maine B-15, plus two heavier 58-inch-driver engines that arrived with the Portland & Rumford Falls lease in 1907.
Consolidations and Mikados
Consolidations began in 1910. Class W, 501–509, had 63-inch drivers and 22-by-28-inch cylinders. Class W-1, 510–524, of 1912 and 1913, and class W-2, 525–528, of 1914, kept the drivers and went to 23-by-28-inch cylinders. They were the heavy freight engine until the Mikado.
In 1910 the Boston & Maine bought four oil-burning 2-6-6-2s, Alco-Schenectady works numbers 48648–48651, for helper service through the Hoosac Tunnel. Electrification made them redundant within a year. The Maine Central took them in late 1911 and early 1912, numbered them 1201–1204, class X, converted them to coal, and put them on the two-percent grade through Crawford Notch, as road engines and as helpers. Later they worked the occasional Portland–Bangor freight, and one was leased to the New Haven in the winter of 1919–1920. Three were scrapped in 1929. Number 1203, given a superheater while it was being repaired after a head-on collision, remained in service until 1931. Drury is the date used here. A Railway & Locomotive Historical Society account puts that survivor as late as 1935.
The first Mikados, 601–603, came from Schenectady in 1914. They had 63-inch drivers and 26½-by-30-inch cylinders and weighed 298,000 pounds, about the size of a USRA light Mikado with roughly 3,000 pounds less tractive effort. Seven more followed in 1915, six in 1916, and four in 1918. In 1919 the USRA assigned the railroad six light 2-8-2s, 621–626, class S-1, and the Maine Central classed them with the Mikados it already had. In 1924 it went back to its own drawing for 627–632, the same general engine plus a booster, which raised the weight to 298,000 pounds on that batch and tractive effort, with the booster, to about 60,400 pounds. Boosters were later applied to 605, 606, 609, 611, 615, 616, and 626 as well. Thirty-two Mikados, 601–632, were the modern freight fleet. They were gone by 1953.
Class A was eight Boston & Maine 2-10-2s, numbered 651–658, acquired between the mid-1930s and the mid-1940s. Documented examples are 651, ex-Boston & Maine 3000; 652, ex-3008; 653, ex-3017; and 655, ex-3020. Every Santa Fe on the roster was a former Boston & Maine engine.
Pacifics and Hudsons
Pacifics started in 1907, three years before the Boston & Maine bought its first 4-6-2. All twenty-one were Schenectady engines, numbered 450–470 as they arrived. Numbers 450 and 451 had 73-inch drivers, 22-by-28-inch cylinders, and a weight of 210,000 pounds, light as Pacifics go. By 463–465, delivered in 1914 as class C-2, the weight was 238,500 pounds, still under the Boston & Maine’s contemporary P-2 with the same size drivers and cylinders.
The five C-3s were the modern passenger engines. Numbers 466–468 came in 1917 and 469 and 470 in 1924, with boosters, 73-inch drivers, and, as built, 25-inch cylinders and a weight around 260,000 pounds. They were rebuilt in 1933 and 1934 with 24-inch cylinders and 195 pounds of boiler pressure. Number 470, works number 65555, was delivered in May 1924 at a billed price of $62,296.90. For thirty years it handled the Gull, the Bar Harbor Express, the Kennebec, and the local passenger trains. On June 13, 1954, it drew the farewell excursion from Portland to Bangor and back. It was retired four days later and placed on display at Waterville. The New England Steam Corporation removed it from that plinth in 2016. It is under restoration at Washington Junction in Hancock, beside the Downeast Scenic Railroad.
The two Hudsons have always been the puzzle. Baldwin delivered 701 and 702 in 1930. Like Pacifics 469 and 470 they had 73-inch drivers. Their cylinders, 23 by 28 inches, were smaller than the C-3s as built, and 240 pounds of boiler pressure made up for it. Grate area was only 62.6 square feet, less than many Pacifics carried. Engine weight was 312,590 pounds. Tractive effort was 41,300 pounds, plus 12,000 for the booster. They were the lightest 4-6-4s built up to that time. Only the Baltimore & Ohio’s Lord Baltimore and the National of Mexico’s Hudsons weighed less. They were Pacific-sized Hudsons.
Drury’s reading of the order is the one that fits the railroad. Passenger traffic was still growing at the end of the 1920s, and the Maine Central was in the market for a larger passenger engine. A heavy Pacific would have pressed the bridges. A Mountain would have spread the weight and added a long rigid wheelbase. A light 4-6-4 with a booster gave eight-driver starting effort and one more axle under the firebox. The railroad kept 701 and 702 on the Portland–Bangor main. The Boston & Maine let them run through on both of its routes to Portland and rated them above its own P-4s. The Maine Central, for its part, held those heavy Boston & Maine Pacifics to the same Portland–Bangor territory. Both Hudsons were retired in 1955. Portland Terminal had the use of 702 in the yards, a movable boiler for melting snow.
Switchers and Portland Terminal
Maine Central 0-6-0s ran from about 90,000 pounds to about 165,000. The heavy ones, 167–180, built between 1916 and 1920, were roughly USRA 0-6-0 size, and the railroad did receive a pair of the USRA engines themselves. When Portland Terminal was formed in 1911, a number of the older six-wheel switchers were assigned to it. The 0-6-0s were renumbered in 1917 and again in 1920. In 1946 the Maine Central bought a single 0-8-0 from the Boston & Maine, the only eight-wheel switcher on its own roster.
Portland Terminal bought twelve 0-6-0s of its own between 1912 and 1920, then two Boston & Maine 0-8-0s in 1935. In 1951 it sold four 0-6-0s back to the Boston & Maine. Its single 4-6-4 was Maine Central 702, kept as a steam supply. Drury’s chapter prints the Portland Terminal number grid on the same page as the Maine Central’s. The assignments and the resales are clearer than a second table of renumbered 0-6-0s, so they stay in this section.
Post-1900 roster
Engines built since 1900, in Drury’s order of type and class. Quantities are his, checked against Edwin B. Robertson’s Maine Central Steam Locomotives where a subclass letter on the printed grid is ambiguous. Pre-1900 engines, and the two Portland & Rumford Falls Moguls, are above. Retirement years are class spans, not unit-by-unit scrapping dates.
| Type | Class | Numbers | Qty | Builder | Built | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-6-0 | P | 308–315 | 8 | Schenectady | 1900 | — | About the size of a Boston & Maine B-15 |
| 2-6-0 | P | 316–319 | 4 | Manchester | 1902 | — | |
| 4-6-0 | C | 106, 107 | 2 | — | — | — | 55-in drivers. 104,000 lb. Light freight. Letter C was later reused for the Pacifics |
| 4-6-0 | C | 108, 109 | 2 | — | — | — | 55-in drivers. 115,000 lb |
| 4-6-0 | N | 279–283 | 5 | Schenectady | 1903–1906 | — | Passenger. 69-in drivers. 19-in cylinders. 142,000 lb |
| 4-6-0 | N | 284–289 | 6 | Schenectady | 1903–1906 | — | Passenger. 73-in drivers. 156,000 lb. Same 19-in cylinders |
| 4-6-0 | O | 351–363 | 13 | Schenectady | 1903, 1905 | 1949–1953 | 63-in drivers, 21×26. Stephenson valve gear. About 164,000 lb |
| 4-6-0 | O-1 | 364–372 | 9 | Rhode Island | 1906 | 1949–1953 | Walschaerts. About 3,000 lb heavier than 351–363 |
| 4-6-0 | O-2 | 373–382 | 10 | Baldwin | 1907–1908 | 1949–1953 | Larger boilers. 179,300 lb |
| 4-6-0 | O-3 | 401–412 | 12 | Schenectady | 1918, 1920 | 1949–1953 | Big O. Passenger. 67-in drivers, 22×28, 206,500 lb. USRA allowed them because the Pacifics were smaller than a USRA light Pacific. Eight in 1918, four in 1920 |
| 4-6-0 | O-4 | 383–390 | 8 | Lima | 1923 | 1949–1953 | Only Lima steam on the roster. Baker valve gear. 63-in drivers, 20×28, 182,000 lb |
| 2-8-0 | W | 501–509 | 9 | Schenectady | 1910 | by 1954 | 63-in drivers, 22×28 |
| 2-8-0 | W-1 | 510–524 | 15 | Schenectady | 1912–1913 | by 1954 | 63-in drivers, 23×28 |
| 2-8-0 | W-2 | 525–528 | 4 | Schenectady | 1914 | by 1954 | 63-in drivers, 23×28 |
| 2-6-6-2 | X | 1201–1204 | 4 | Schenectady | 1910 | 1929; 1203 in 1931 | Ex-Boston & Maine oil-burning Hoosac helpers. To MEC late 1911 and early 1912. Converted to coal. Crawford Notch. Works numbers 48648–48651 |
| 2-8-2 | S | 601–620 | 20 | Schenectady | 1914–1918 | 1953 | 63-in drivers, 26½×30. 601–603 in 1914. Boosters later on 605, 606, 609, 611, 615, and 616 |
| 2-8-2 | S-1 | 621–626 | 6 | Schenectady | 1919 | 1953 | USRA light Mikado. 626 later given a booster |
| 2-8-2 | S-2 | 627–632 | 6 | Schenectady | 1924 | 1953 | Original design plus a booster. About 60,400 lb tractive effort with the booster cut in |
| 2-10-2 | A | 651–658 | 8 | Schenectady | 1920–1923 | 1948–1953 | Ex-Boston & Maine, acquired mid-1930s to mid-1940s. 651 ex-3000, 652 ex-3008, 653 ex-3017, 655 ex-3020 are the documented renumberings |
| 4-6-2 | C | 450–457 | 8 | Schenectady | 1907–1911 | 1954 | 73-in drivers, 22×28. 450 and 451 weighed 210,000 lb. Two in 1907, three in 1909, one in 1910, two in 1911 |
| 4-6-2 | C-1 | 458–462 | 5 | Schenectady | 1912–1913 | 1954 | Two in 1912, three in 1913 |
| 4-6-2 | C-2 | 463–465 | 3 | Schenectady | 1914 | 1954 | 238,500 lb |
| 4-6-2 | C-3 | 466–470 | 5 | Schenectady | 1917, 1924 | 1954 | Boosters. As built, 25-in cylinders and about 260,000 lb. Rebuilt 1933–34 to 24×28 and 195 psi. 470, works 65555, preserved. Last steam run June 13, 1954 |
| 4-6-4 | D | 701, 702 | 2 | Baldwin | 1930 | 1955 | 73-in drivers, 23×28, 240 psi, 312,590 lb. Tractive effort 41,300 lb plus 12,000 lb booster. Portland–Bangor only. 702 later supplied steam at Portland Terminal |
Related reading
- Maine Central · Maine Central diesel roster
- Boston & Maine · Boston & Maine steam · Bangor & Aroostook · Bangor & Aroostook steam
- Pacific type · Hudson type · Mikado type · Consolidation type · Hoosac Tunnel
- Downeast Scenic Railroad, where 470 is under restoration
Sources
- George H. Drury, Guide to North American Steam Locomotives, revised edition, Maine Central chapter, pp. 205–207, including Portland Terminal. User photographs in Downloads/MEC_Steam.
- Edwin B. Robertson, Maine Central Steam Locomotives (Westbrook, Maine, 1977), for subclass letters, builder groups, and the O-3 passenger Ten-Wheelers.
- William D. Edson, “Maine Central All-Time Locomotive Roster,” Railroad History 152 (Spring 1985), pp. 55–83. Drury also cites Railway & Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin 55 and 56.
- Ron Johnson, Maine Central R.R. Mountain Division (470 Railroad Club), for Mountain Division assignments and Pacific weights.
- New England Steam Corporation and the 470 locomotive record: works number 65555, last run June 13, 1954, removed from the Waterville display in 2016.
Recent Articles
-
RJ Corman Will Be Replaced on Part of the Luzerne Lines
Nov 06, 26 01:34 PM
A November 6, 2026 notice says Wilkes-Barre Terminal Railway would acquire about 59.65 miles in Luzerne County and replace R.J. Corman as operator on part of the line. The earliest date is November 22… -
NS Names a Student Hub at the University of Georgia
Nov 06, 26 12:03 PM
Norfolk Southern said a 100,000 dollar gift named a student-organization hub in Driftmier Engineering Center. The University of Georgia marked the naming on October 26. The space is for 23 clubs. -
Union Pacific Filed Its Vena Recording Certification
Nov 06, 26 11:56 AM
Union Pacific filed a November 5, 2026 verified statement that the confidential label is off the March 17 Vena recording and that parties of record received a copy at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. -
OmniTRAX Adds Tenants at Its Blue Island Hub
Nov 06, 26 10:26 AM
OmniTRAX has signed new construction-company leases at its 90-acre Blue Island, Illinois, hub and is planning a second phase. -
Veterans and Active-Duty Members Exceed 16 Percent of Norfolk Southern
Nov 06, 26 10:14 AM
Norfolk Southern said on November 5, 2026, that more than 3,000 veterans and active-duty service members are more than 16 percent of its workforce. This year grants are $100,000 and $50,000. -
BNSF: Merger Would Put Half of U.S. Rail Shipments Under One Railroad
Nov 06, 26 10:00 AM
BNSF chief marketing officer Tom G. Williams told customers on November 3, 2026, that a Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger would put about half of U.S. rail shipments under one railroad. Nothing is… -
Amtrak Opens a Winter Fare Sale
Nov 06, 26 09:28 AM
Amtrak opened a Winter Wanderlust sale on November 5, 2026. Book by November 12 for travel from December 1, 2026, through March 14, 2027. Blackout dates apply. Coach and Acela Business only. -
CN and CPKC Report October Grain Records
Nov 06, 26 08:50 AM
CPKC reported October 2026 grain records in Canada and the United States. CN reported 3.54 million metric tonnes across Canada. The releases do not print a combined total. -
New Brunswick Transload Gets CN Rail Service
Nov 06, 26 08:49 AM
CN said on November 4, 2026, that it has started serving AD Gagnon Transload Services near Grand Falls, New Brunswick. The site is three kilometres from the Trans-Canada Highway and lists room for 106… -
Together, Freight and Passenger Rail Can Grow, Union Pacific Says
Nov 06, 26 08:47 AM
Union Pacific said on November 5, 2026, that passenger obligations would remain if it combines with Norfolk Southern. The capacity claim is a Union Pacific analysis, not a Surface Transportation Board… -
FM "C-Liner" Locomotives: Specs, Roster, Photos
Nov 05, 26 11:19 PM
Fairbanks-Morse Consolidation Line cab units, the C-Liners. 165 locomotives, Beloit and Kingston, March 1950 through February 1955. Models, specs, and production rosters. -
Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast Railroad: Map, History, Roster
Nov 05, 26 12:03 PM
Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast, from Brunswick and Waycross to Atlanta and Birmingham. Atlantic Coast Line control at the close of 1926. Merged in January 1946 as the Western Division. Steam roster of th… -
El Paso & Southwestern Railroad: Map, History, Logo
Nov 05, 26 12:00 PM
The El Paso & Southwestern, the Phelps Dodge copper railroad from Tucson to the Rock Island at Tucumcari. Southern Pacific control on October 31, 1924. -
Brightline Says Orlando Service Has Resumed
Nov 05, 26 11:55 AM
Brightline said on November 5, 2026, that trains to and from Orlando have resumed after weather suspensions in Brevard County. Later that morning the departures page still showed the Orlando segment s… -
Metra Customers Must Sign Up Again
Nov 05, 26 11:43 AM
Metra says customers who want service alerts must sign up again at metratracker.com. The November 2 story says the new system has launched and the old email list is shut down. A notice on the same pag… -
Norfolk Southern Packs Six Projects Into One Window
Nov 05, 26 11:38 AM
Norfolk Southern used one 26-hour window on the W Line for six projects in Indiana and Kentucky, including three bridge replacements. The October 27 account does not give the calendar day of the work. -
CSX: More Time to Comment on an Inspection Waiver
Nov 05, 26 11:29 AM
The Federal Railroad Administration extended comments on a CSX petition for relief from some qualified mechanical inspector rules until December 2, 2026. The November 2 notice does not grant the waive… -
Brightline Expects Orlando Service on Thursday
Nov 05, 26 09:21 AM
Brightline said on November 4, 2026, that it expects trains to and from Orlando to resume on Thursday, November 5. South Florida stations kept running. The departures page still showed the Orlando seg… -
Union Pacific: More Time to Comment on an Inspection Waiver
Nov 05, 26 09:15 AM
The Federal Railroad Administration extended comments on a Union Pacific petition for relief from some qualified mechanical inspector rules until December 2, 2026. The November 2 notice does not grant… -
Wisconsin Opens Comments on the 2027 Freight Plan
Nov 05, 26 09:03 AM
WisDOT opened the draft 2027 State Freight Plan for comment through December 1, 2026. The plan covers freight rail with highways, harbors, aviation, and intermodal links. Completion is expected in sum… -
U.S. Rail Traffic Rose 3.5 Percent in the Week Ending October 31
Nov 05, 26 08:52 AM
U.S. railroads moved 514,080 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending October 31, 2026, up 3.5 percent from a year earlier, the Association of American Railroads said on November 4. -
Muni and Bay Area Transit Measures Pass
Nov 05, 26 08:49 AM
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said on November 4, 2026 that Proposition H and a regional transit measure passed. Proposition H is about 160 million dollars a year for Muni. The regiona… -
Ground Rules Set for Responsive Applications
Nov 05, 26 08:47 AM
Decision No. 46, served November 4, 2026, denies a request to add Walsenburg to the Union Pacific interchange list and sets what CPKC and CN must include in responsive applications. Four CPKC proposal… -
Video of the Vena Address Must Be Released
Nov 05, 26 08:42 AM
The Surface Transportation Board on November 4, 2026 denied the Union Pacific appeal and ordered the March 17 shipper-conference recording released to the parties by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on November 5. C… -
Chicago & North Western Iron Ore C628s
Nov 04, 26 11:47 PM
Chicago and North Western C628s 6701-6730, the ex-Norfolk and Western high-hoods, in Upper Peninsula iron-ore service from the mid-1970s until December 21, 1986, and what happened to each unit. -
Warrenton Railroad: Serving Warrenton, NC (1884-1985)
Nov 04, 26 10:33 PM
The three-mile Warrenton Railroad, from Warren Plains to the North Carolina county seat. Chartered January 28, 1871. First train November 8, 1884. Closed in 1985. -
Rio Grande Steam Locomotives (Since 1900)
Nov 04, 26 11:40 AM
Denver & Rio Grande Western steam locomotives built since 1900. Standard gauge quantity 435 and narrow gauge 48. Challengers, 2-8-8-2s, Mountains, Northerns, and the K-27, K-28, K-36, and K-37. -
Rio Grande Diesel Locomotives (All-Time)
Nov 04, 26 11:39 AM
Denver & Rio Grande Western diesel locomotives, each frame once. 554 units, from the 1941 NW2 through the 1990 GP60s. FT, F3, F7, and F9 sets are not counted again under their 1950 numbers. -
Rio Grande Railroad: Map, Logo, History, Rosters
Nov 04, 26 11:34 AM
Denver & Rio Grande Western history, from William Jackson Palmer and the October 27, 1870 charter through the Royal Gorge, the Moffat route, the California Zephyr, and Union Pacific common control… -
Lindblom Gift Expands the Fort Wayne Restoration Shop
Nov 04, 26 11:14 AM
Art Lindblom gave the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society more than $1.4 million, its largest single gift, to expand the New Haven shop. The addition is planned for late 2026 and early 2027. A sepa… -
Design Contract Awarded for the Forest Park Branch
Nov 04, 26 11:09 AM
The Chicago Transit Board approved a design contract for about 13 miles of Blue Line track from the Illinois Medical District to the I-290 Bridge. The release summary calls it a $17 million contract… -
Kanawha River Railroad: The Norfolk Southern Lease Is Renewed
Nov 04, 26 10:51 AM
Kanawha River Railroad filed to keep leasing 309.45 miles from Norfolk Southern in West Virginia and Ohio. The second amendment is dated August 17, 2026. The Board has not set the date the exemption t… -
Short Line Center Awarded a $5.625 Million Grant
Nov 04, 26 10:35 AM
The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association received a $5.625 million CRISI grant on October 20, 2026, for the Short Line Training Center. A 25 percent match brings the project to $7.5 m… -
Palestine and Rusk Track Rebuild Finishes Its First Phase
Nov 04, 26 09:13 AM
The Texas & Eastern Railroad has finished the first phase of a roughly $30 million track project between Palestine and Rusk. Phase I used a $13.4 million CRISI grant. Phase II, at $8.54 million, adds… -
Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx Get Subway Power Design
Nov 04, 26 09:12 AM
STV said on November 2, 2026, that MTA Construction and Development selected the firm to manage design of 10 subway substations and 12 circuit breaker houses in four New York boroughs. No contract pri… -
Chicago's Regional Transit Budget Goes Out for Comment
Nov 04, 26 09:07 AM
The Northern Illinois Transit Authority opened its first regional budget for comment through December 4, 2026. The proposal is $5.04 billion for 2027 operations and $9.73 billion in capital work throu… -
VIA Rail Finishes the Toronto Maintenance Centre
Nov 04, 26 09:05 AM
VIA Rail completed a four-year modernization of its Toronto Maintenance Centre on November 2, 2026. The Government of Canada invested $310 million. The shop supports 32 Corridor trainsets and will sus… -
Brightline Suspends Orlando Service for High Water
Nov 04, 26 09:02 AM
Brightline suspended trains between Orlando and West Palm Beach on November 2, 2026, because of high water in Brevard County. A later post the same day kept the suspension until 2:00 p.m. on November… -
Hiawatha West Draws Federal Funding Toward Madison
Nov 04, 26 08:58 AM
Amtrak welcomed a CRISI selection for Hiawatha West, extending Chicago-Milwaukee service toward Madison, Watertown, and Pewaukee. Wisconsin said on October 16 that the award is over $218 million. -
Seattle's Train Maintenance Facility Opens for Airo Trains
Nov 04, 26 08:56 AM
Amtrak cut the ribbon October 23, 2026, on a $250 million Seattle shop for Airo trains on the Cascades route. The building came in on time and $50 million under budget and opens in phases through the… -
Aberdeen Carolina and Western Wins a $19.9 Million Grant
Nov 04, 26 08:46 AM
The Aberdeen Carolina and Western Railway won a $19.9 million CRISI grant for about 30 miles of welded rail in Montgomery and Stanly counties. The railroad and NCDOT are putting up a 52 percent match… -
Alco "C628" Locomotives: Roster, Data Sheet, Specs
Nov 03, 26 07:57 PM
Alco Century C628: 2,750 hp C-C road switcher, 186 built from December 1963 to December 1968. Production roster, specs, and where the high-hood Norfolk and Western units went. -
Santa Fe Railroad (AT&SF): Diesel Roster (All-Time)
Nov 03, 26 12:54 PM
Santa Fe diesel locomotives, each new frame once, with construction numbers and order numbers. The counted total is 3,964, from the 1935 boxcabs through the SD75Ms. -
Metra Holiday Trains Return on Six Lines
Nov 03, 26 11:40 AM
Metra holiday trains will run on six lines in December, with tickets on sale at noon November 16 for $10. The Chicago Transit Authority and Pace are fielding holiday buses in the same regional announc… -
Amtrak Encourages Early Booking for Thanksgiving
Nov 03, 26 11:39 AM
Amtrak is asking travelers to book Thanksgiving trips early. The railroad carried more than 1.2 million customer trips over the 2025 holiday and expects another record, with extra Northeast Regional s… -
Channel Pacific Keeps Its West Sacramento Exemption
Nov 03, 26 11:26 AM
The Surface Transportation Board denied a West Sacramento challenge to Channel Pacific Railroad’s exemption to operate about 2,132 feet of terminal track. The exemption took effect in June 2026. -
DART Marks One Year of the Silver Line
Nov 03, 26 11:22 AM
DART marked one year of Silver Line service linking seven North Texas cities and DFW Airport. The 26-mile regional rail line opened October 25, 2025, as the agency’s first rail expansion in a decade. -
Massachusetts Breaks Ground for the Berkshire Flyer
Nov 03, 26 10:07 AM
Massachusetts broke ground October 29 in Pittsfield on track work meant to support permanent seasonal Berkshire Flyer service. MassDOT has $31 million for the project in its 2027-2031 capital plan. -
Cheraw Scrapyard Closed After a Search for CSX Rail
Nov 03, 26 10:02 AM
Chesterfield County deputies, CSX police, and state agents searched Cheraw Iron and Metal on October 27 and closed the yard after finding CSX rail and telephone wire. -
Union Pacific Urges the Board to Keep a Speech Video Confidential
Nov 03, 26 09:53 AM
Union Pacific on October 30 asked the Surface Transportation Board to keep a recording of Jim Vena’s shipper speech confidential while it appeals. BNSF on November 2 asked the board to deny that…
