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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.

The post Union Pacific announces schedule for Big Boy’s 2026 eastern tour over Norfolk Southern appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

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 

The post Maine Narrow Gauge Raising Money for New Storage Space appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.