Justin Franz

Free the weekend of April 24th? Come to Indianapolis for the Center for Railroad Photography & Art's annual conference! Get a preview of the show over at @railfanandrailroad.bsky.social and register here: railphoto-art.org/conferences/...

Cosmetic Restoration of NP 4-6-0 Underway in Montana A cosmetic restoration of a Northern Pacific S-4 class 4-6-0 is underway in Missoula, Mont.

Locomotive 1356 has been on display next to the former NP yard near downtown Missoula since the 1950s, and now a local group is spearheading an effort to freshen the locomotive up. railfan.com/cosmetic-res...

It would have been 100/10 if they had done this.

Time for another @interurbanera.bsky.social review of special paint schemes (hot take: Is the CN eagle one... actually good?)

Nope... nope nope nope

The era of the bi-level, long-distance passenger car is coming to a close. Or at least it will be within the next decade. railfan.com/amtrak-scrap...

Excursions to Benefit NYC Observation Car Work Two rare-mileage excursions on New York’s Finger Lakes Railway will help raise money for planned upgrades to a historic New York Central observation car.

Two rare-mileage excursions on New York’s Finger Lakes Railway will help raise money for planned upgrades to a historic New York Central observation car now cared for by the United Railroad Historical Society of NJ. railfan.com/excursions-t...

UP Releases ‘Big Boy’ Western Tour Schedule While UP has not provided specific details about the East Coast portion of the tour, a recent filing with the Federal Railroad Administration has suggested a possible route via Norfolk Southern.

Union Pacific Railroad has released the schedule for the western leg of "Big Boy" 4014's tour, and a waiver request submitted to the federal government offers hints about what the eastern tour will look like... railfan.com/up-releases-...

Northern Pacific 4-6-0 Runs Again in Washington A recently-restored Northern Pacific 4-6-0 was fired up and moved under its own power for the first time in 73 years in Washington on February 21.

The Northern Pacific Railway Museum in Toppenish, Wash., has been working on NP 1364 for over a decade, and last weekend it ran under its own power for the first time in 73 years. railfan.com/northern-pac...

Employees, locals ‘blindsided’ by looming closure of historic Izaak Walton Inn LOGE Camps announced it will close the beloved inn on the southern edge of Glacier National Park next month.

Locals in Essex are wondering what their community will do without its treasured gathering spot, and employees are wondering where they will go once their jobs are eliminated and employee housing is shuttered.

Employees, locals ‘blindsided’ by looming closure of historic Izaak Walton Inn LOGE Camps announced it will close the beloved inn on the southern edge of Glacier National Park next month.

“It would be devastating if no one bought it. Our community would survive — we’re close-knit — but there would be a hole in that community.” montanafreepress.org/2026/02/19/e... Locals react to the news that the beloved Izaak Walton Inn is closing March 1. Latest for @montanafreepress.org

Glacier National Park eliminates ticketed-entry system Park instead institutes parking limits at Logan Pass, ending the controversial ticketing system after five years.

Glacier National Park announced Wednesday that it is ending its ticketed-entry system, which has dictated summer access to some of the park's most popular areas for the past five years.

Revised US-NS Merger Application to Drop April 30 Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern informed the U.S. Surface Transportation Board on Feb. 17 that they intended to file a revised merger application on April 30.

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern informed the U.S. Surface Transportation Board on Feb. 17 that they intended to file a revised merger application on April 30. railfan.com/revised-us-n...

What does an $85B railroad merger have to do with Montana? The proposed merger would create the country’s largest railroad; Montana politicians are weighing in about what that could mean to the state’s businesses and ag producers.

What does an $85B railroad merger have to do with Montana? montanafreepress.org/2026/02/16/w...
The proposed merger would create the country’s largest railroad; Montana politicians are weighing in about what that could mean to the state’s businesses and ag producers. Latest for @montanafreepress.org

Montana’s Izaak Walton Inn to Close The Izaak Walton Inn, a historic railroad lodge at the edge of Glacier National Park in Montana, will close on March 1, as a result of “significant” financial issues for its Washington-based owner.

The Izaak Walton Inn, a historic railroad lodge at the edge of Glacier National Park in Montana, will close on March 1, as a result of “significant” financial issues. railfan.com/montanas-iza...

To ticket or not to ticket, that is the question in Glacier National Park Glacier’s superintendent said last year that the park planned to eliminate its ticketed-entry system, but federal officials have so far been mum on details.

Glacier’s superintendent said last year that the park planned to eliminate its ticketed-entry system, but federal officials have so far been mum on details montanafreepress.org/2026/02/11/t... Latest for @montanafreepress.org

Nevada Northern 2-8-0 Returns to Service Nevada Northern Railway 2-8-0 81 is returning to service after spending more than two and a half years in the shop.

Nevada Northern Railway 2-8-0 81 is returning to service after spending more than two and a half years in the shop. railfan.com/nevada-north...

You gotta model one of these!

Someone literally just gave me pickle car scale drawings...

Thank you for the coverage, @npr.org.

If you, dear reader, would like to help other people observing ICE in Minnesota, please contribute to our dash cam drive - more than a thousand have been distributed so far, and demand remains high: ottergoose.net/dashcam/

Railroad Museums Make Super Bowl Bet The Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington and Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad have been taunting each other ahead of this weekend's game.

A dispute between the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway Museum and the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad has gotten downright nasty ahead of this weekend's big game. railfan.com/railroad-mus...

Naugatuck Repaints Amtrak SPV-2000 For America’s 250th Naugatuck Railroad has repainted an SPV-2000 in its as-delivered Amtrak Phase III livery.

Connecticut’s Naugatuck Railroad has repainted an SPV-2000 in its as-delivered Amtrak Phase III livery to mark the United States’ upcoming Semiquincentennial. railfan.com/naugatuck-re...

There's a type of guy whose hobby is to complain about the hobby they think they're part of, but never actually build anything or participate in any helpful way.

Ignore them.

UP ‘Big Boy’ To Depart on Coast-to-Coast Tour March 29 Union Pacific “Big Boy” 4014 will leave Cheyenne, Wyo., on March 29, for the first part of a coast-to-coast trip.

Batten down the hatches and prepare for a serious level of foam: Union Pacific “Big Boy” 4014 will leave Cheyenne, Wyo., on March 29, for the first part of a coast-to-coast tour railfan.com/up-big-boy-t...

Hey now, you gotta give those New Englanders a reason to break up the cabin fever!

Museum Says It’s In Talks With City To Stay in Port Jervis The non-profit railroad museum that said last year it was leaving Port Jervis, N.Y., following a conflict with the city, has announced that it’s in talks to stay.

The non-profit railroad museum that said last year it was leaving Port Jervis, N.Y., following a conflict with the city, has announced that it’s in talks to stay. railfan.com/museum-says-...

Getting some good light shows with the subway tonight

We need all of the dashcams we can get in Minnesota ASAFP for ICE observers.

You can shoot us cash with a few taps via this link and we’ll order them wholesale and get them deployed to Minneapolis, the suburbs, and beyond: ottergoose.net/dashcam/

Good news for Washington state's iconic interurban, although its future as a "true interurban" remains uncertain. Details over at @railfanandrailroad.bsky.social.

Teaching an Old Locomotive New Tricks Rolling Stock Solutions is rebuilding a fleet of F40 locomotives to serve as a lease fleet for power-hungry regional/commuter rail agencies.

“The F40PH is basically the Toyota Camry of locomotives.” www.railwayage.com/mechanical/l... Rolling Stock Solutions is rebuilding a fleet of F40PH locomotives to lease to power-hungry commuter railroads. My latest for Railway Age Magazine.