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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.

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

The post UP ‘Big Boy’ Wraps Up First Half of Historic Tour appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

The Marklin factory certainly made an astounding group of new items to promote at the 2026 Dortmund International Model Festival!

Starting with a new Class 66 Diesel Locomotive promoting the 2026 Dortmund Festival, stock # 39071. This was followed by  a Class 101 express locomotive with a special design for the Wacken Open Air (W:O:A®) music festival 2026.   Marklin models, 39476 for HO; 88666 for Z; T25476 for Trix and a Starter Set for LGB-70505! 

Finally, to literally shock the 1 Gauge World, Marklin celebrates with 'The Giants of the Gotthards', Ae 8/14 in all era versions! These will be found under stock # 55814 through 55819! These full metal beasts with incredible detailing to fully operational pantographs range in weight from 27-29 lbs! 

These are all a One-Time Release for the Dortmund International Model Festival, so production will be limited.