Railnews from Railfan & Railroad Magazine

More than three months after the U.S. Surface Transportation Board rejected its initial application as “incomplete,” Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern submitted a revised petition on April 30 as part of their ongoing effort to create the largest single railroad in American history.

Meanwhile, BNSF Railway and CPKC joined a group of shippers and unions to oppose the proposed combination, launching a new organization called the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition.

Like the initial one in late 2025, the revised application is more than 7,000 pages. In it, UP officials state that they have provided additional details regarding their acquisition of NS, including an updated analysis that uses actual traffic data from all six North American Class I carriers. In the past, merger analyses have only used data provided by the STB. That more detailed analysis also allowed the railroads to provide a more accurate picture of proposed capacity improvements. In fact, the railroads said they would be spending less on capacity now that they had a better picture of what they would need to do.

“After completing the additional work requested by the STB, the facts remain clear: This merger enhances competition and delivers real public benefits that make America’s supply chain stronger,” said Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena. “Our analysis uses complete systemwide traffic data provided by all Class I railroads to identify even more opportunities for our combined railroad to grow and compete.”

Additionally, UP and NS announced that they would not move to control the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis. Instead, as a condition of the merger, the two Class Is would sell some of their shares to other carriers so that the combined railroad would not control more than 50 percent of it. UP presently owns 42.84 percent of the railroad and NS owns 14.29 percent, with other Class Is owning the remainder.

UP continues to tout the benefits of the combination, noting that there will be “virtually no overlap” when the two roads are combined into one 50,000-mile system serving 43 states.

But not everyone supports the creation of a single, coast-to-coast railroad. The day before the revised merger application was submitted, the Stop the Rail Merger Coalition was launched to argue against it. Along with BNSF and CPKC, the coalition includes the American Chemistry Council, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Teamsters Rail Conference, the Alliance for Chemical Distribution, the National Industrial Transportation League and the Vinyl Institute. Among the group’s chief arguments against the merger is how the last major UP acquisition — the takeover of Southern Pacific in 1996 — wreaked havoc on the rail network for months.

“This did not begin with a customer asking for a UP-NS merger to happen,” said BNSF Railway President and CEO Katie Farmer. “It’s driven by Wall Street on the promise of a big shareholder payout. It will eliminate competition, raise costs for consumers, and destabilize the supply chain that powers the American economy.”

—Justin Franz 

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Amtrak celebrated the topping out of the steel structure for its new maintenance and inspection facility in Seattle, marking the placement of the final steel beam and an important construction milestone at King Street Yard. The new facility will be used to maintain the Airo trainsets due to debut this year.

In South Carolina, Amtrak has completed improvements at both Camden and Denmark, both of which are served by the Chicago–Miami Floridian. In Camden, improvements include a new 600-foot concrete boarding platform, as well as new walkways, ramps, lighting, and signage. In Denmark, passengers will enjoy a new 240-foot platform, as well as new lighting, walkways, and signage. The station upgrades are part of the ADA Stations Program that covers 134 stations and 66 construction projects across the country. The program will wrap up in 2029. 

—Bob Gallegos

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VIA Rail Canada announced it is investing C$150 million in a major modernization program for its entire fleet of 56 Château- and Manor-series sleeper cars, originally built for Canadian Pacific by Budd between 1954 and 1955. This life extension occurs as the procurement process for new locomotives and passenger cars is already underway, with full fleet replacement expected over the next decade. The fleet upgrade will keep the classic streamlined trains rolling in the interim.

VIA chose CAD Railway Industries, located in Lachine, Que., to perform the work over a five-year period. Work includes upgrades to key systems and interiors, improving comfort, reliability, and onboard amenities. The cars are assigned to VIA’s primary long-distance trains, the Ocean and The Canadian. 

—Bob Gallegos

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Union Pacific “Big Boy” 4014 will travel to the East Coast for the first time as part of a coast-to-coast tour marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. The eastern portion of the trip will operate over Norfolk Southern, representing a rare collaboration between the two railroads. The tour will include a special July 4 appearance in Philadelphia, along with major display events in eight cities and more than 50 whistle-stops across 10 states. Scheduled stops include first-time visits by the locomotive to Indiana, Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania.

This marks the first time the 4-8-8-4 has operated east of Chicago. As it traverses former industrial corridors on Norfolk Southern rails, the trip brings the locomotive to regions historically tied to the nation’s railroad and manufacturing heritage. The tour resumes May 25 from Cheyenne, following the completion of its western leg, which concluded April 24 with events in Sacramento near the original starting point of the Central Pacific Railroad.

In addition to brief stops for servicing along the way, eight major public display events will be held in:

• May 30 – Omaha, Nebraska (near UP’s historic Milepost 0)
• June 3 – West Chicago, Ill.
• June 10 – Buffalo, N.Y.
• June 15-16 – Scranton, Pa.
• July 4-5 – Philadelphia, Pa.
• July 9-10 – Altoona, Pa.
• July 14 – Fostoria, Ohio
• July 19 – St. Louis, Mo.

In addition to the public display days, railfans can see this historic machine in action at over four dozen whistle-stops, generally 15- to 30- minutes long. Complete details can be found on UP.com in the official steam schedule.

As part of the tour, the Union Pacific Museum will be selling tickets for rides in vintage passenger cars pulled by Big Boy on Reading & Northern through the Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania on June 14. Tickets can be purchased at www.UPtrainTix.org. This will be the only public passenger excursion opportunity on this tour.

During the eastern leg, No. 4014 will be accompanied by commemorative locomotives from Norfolk Southern Railway, along with several cars from the railroad’s Heritage Fleet. The tour highlights the histories of Union Pacific Railroad in the West and Norfolk Southern and its predecessor lines in the East, reflecting the broader role of railroads in the nation’s economic development. Norfolk Southern is also expected to unveil a new locomotive commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States in the coming weeks.

Union Pacific “Big Boy” No. 4014 is a massive 4-8-8-4 articulated steam locomotive built in 1941 to haul heavy freight over the Wasatch Mountains. After retiring in 1961, it was restored by Union Pacific and returned to service in 2019, making it the world’s largest operational steam locomotive. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern announced an $85 billion merger in July 2025 to form a coast-to-coast system linking the Atlantic and Pacific. The proposal, aimed at improving freight efficiency, is under federal review amid concerns over competition, with a revised application due April 30, 2026, and a decision expected in 2027.

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A 19-year-old in Nebraska was convicted of derailing a BNSF Railway train in 2024 and then posting a video of the incident online. The defendant, Zachary Hertzler, was found guilty of one count of criminal mischief and could face up to two years in prison. 

In April 2024, a loaded coal train went through the switch at Bennet, Neb., derailed and struck a parked railcar on a siding. The derailment resulted in an estimated $350,000 in damage. 

After the derailment, law enforcement reviewed security cameras and found that someone had driven up to the switch and thrown it before the train arrived. That person then left and set up a camera near the crossing before the train arrived. After the derailment, the then-17-year-old showed the video to railroad employees and identified himself as an enthusiast.

—Railfan & Railroad Staff

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The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum is raising funds to build a new storage facility in Portland, Maine, after its previous shop building was demolished by developers.

The nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of Maine’s famed 2-footers is looking to raise $100,000 for the new structure. Construction will begin once the money has been raised and the museum receives the final permits from the City of Portland. The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad has called the Portland waterfront home since the 1990s, when the historic collection of narrow gauge equipment came “home” after a half-century at Massachusetts’ Edaville Railroad. New developments along the waterfront, however, have affected the railroad museum.

Because the railroad does not have an easily accessible storage facility, it is unable to operate its largest steam locomotive, Bridgton & Saco River 2-4-4T 7, very often; it must either be wrapped up to protect it from the elements or stored off-site. Donations for the new building can be made online at mainenarrowgauge.org/buildingsteam.

The locomotive will, however, be running in early May as part of a weekend of steam-powered events across the state of Maine. In Portland, locomotive 7 will lead excursions on May 9 and 10. Meanwhile, at the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum in Alna, Monson 0-4-4T 3 will be taking part in a photographer’s special the afternoon of May 9. The WW&F’s own locomotive, 0-4-4T 9, will also be under steam. Tickets for the WW&F events can be purchased at WWFRy.org, while those for the excursions in Portland will be at MaineNarrowGauge.org. Proceeds from the events in Portland and Alna will go toward the restoration of two other Maine 2-foot gauge locomotives: Monson 4 and B&SR 8, both owned by Maine Narrow Gauge.

—Justin Franz 

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Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 “Big Boy” 4014 was expected to arrive home in Cheyenne, Wyo., on Friday, April 24, wrapping up the first half of a historic coast-to-coast tour. The engine has been on the road for a month, running from Wyoming to California and back. It will spend the next month in Cheyenne before heading east on May 25.

The engine will be on display in Omaha, Neb.; Chicago; Buffalo, N.Y.; and Scranton, Pa., before arriving in Philadelphia for Independence Day. Additional display days are anticipated in Altoona, Pa., and St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo., before the tour concludes July 29. The engine is also expected to lead an excursion on the Reading & Northern.

While the West Coast part of the trip covered familiar territory for the big engine, it wasn’t without incident. Plans to run the engine east over the former Southern Pacific and Donner Pass were scrubbed due to a snowstorm, forcing the train to return via the former Western Pacific Feather River Route. For much of the trip, the train had two diesel locomotives with it — SD70Ms 1616 and 1776, both in commemorative liveries — but east of Ogden, Utah, UP 4014 ran unassisted up the Wasatch Grade, the territory it was originally built for. —Justin Franz

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A preserved Baltimore & Ohio tower in West Virginia has been damaged by fire. Miller Tower (also called “R” Tower) is located on the grounds of the Martinsburg Roundhouse, a historic B&O facility turned museum. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Miller Tower was originally located along the B&O main line at Cherry Run, W.Va., west of Martinsburg. It remained in service until 2000, when CSX closed it. It was moved to the roundhouse site in Martinsburg shortly afterward, with hopes of eventually turning it into an exhibit.

The former B&O in West Virginia and Maryland had a number of towers still in use well into the 2000s, with Miller Tower being among the last. —Justin Franz 

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Over the winter, the volunteer shop crew at the Prairie Dog Central Railway carried out their normal maintenance routine, including hydrostatic testing and cleaning scale from the tender of locomotive 3, a 4-4-0 built by Dubs & Co. of Glasgow, Scotland, in 1882 for Canadian Pacific Railway. Notably, it is the oldest operating steam locomotive in Canada.

In addition to the routine mechanical work, the crew made several cosmetic changes to the locomotive. Most noticeable was the removal of the fake diamond stack and headlight installed for a 1970s movie shoot, replaced with the Pyle sealed-beam headlight the engine carried in service with Winnipeg Hydro. The yellow striping on the tender was also removed, along with several plaques that had been added to the cab over the years. The locomotive now more closely reflects its appearance in regular service, both with Winnipeg Hydro and earlier with Canadian Pacific. 

Prairie Dog Central operates excursions from Winnipeg to Grosse Isle and Warren, Man., from May through October. The excursion trains are powered by locomotive 3 or one of the railway’s preserved diesel locomotives. —Glenn Courtney

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Railroad Heritage of Midwest America is raising money to put one of the last F40C locomotives in existence back into service. Metra 611 was donated to RRHMA earlier this year and moved from Chicago to Silvis, Ill., in March. 

RRHMA said it hopes to eventually use Metra 611 in excursion service. Last year, the non-profit used its ex-Union Pacific “Centennial” on an excursion on Iowa Interstate. 

Metra 611 was built in April 1974 as Milwaukee Road 54. The F40C design was unique to the North Suburban and North West Suburban Mass Transit Districts, which supported commuter service over the Milwaukee Road lines north and west of Chicago to Fox Lake and Elgin. The F40C is a six-axle, six-motor locomotive with a “cowl” design intended purely for passenger service. The locomotives’ sides were largely covered in stainless steel to match the Milwaukee Road’s bi-level commuter coaches. They were also equipped with head-end power (HEP) as built. Only 15 F40C locomotives were built, all in 1974 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors at the EMD plant in McCook, Illinois.

Metra 611 was used in daily service on the Milwaukee Road North and West lines until 2004, when it was removed from active service. It and identical F40C 614 were returned to service in 2009. In 2012, Metra permanently retired both units and put them into storage at Western Avenue. 

RRHMA owns the former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad shop complex in Silvis and plans to turn it into the largest historic railroad equipment restoration facility in the country. The non-profit is presently restoring UP 4-6-6-4 3985 and 2-10-2 5511. —Justin Franz 

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An effort to revive the famed American Freedom Train to celebrate this year’s semiquincentennial has failed. On April 15, the American Freedom Train Foundation 250 announced it was suspending its effort to operate a steam-powered exhibit train across the country in 2026 after it couldn’t secure operating agreements with railroads or corporate sponsors.

Ross Rowland Jr., the man behind the bicentennial version of the AFT, was the driving force behind the initial plan to revive the project. When Rowland died in 2025, steam preservationist Jason Johnson and others quietly picked up the mantle and tried to push the project forward. But it ultimately proved fruitless.

“In spite of committed efforts by the AFT Foundation 250’s board and its supporters, and despite a great appetite on the part of the American citizenry to see the train and to experience its planned onboard exhibits, this ambitious project unfortunately could not be brought to fruition,” the foundation said in a press release.

The money raised by the foundation is now being donated to the American Steam Railroad Preservation Association, which is currently restoring Reading Company 4-8-4 No. 2100, which had been expected to lead the revived AFT.

—Justin Franz 

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