Extra Board
Welcome to Railfan & Railroad Extra Board, a monthly exploration of the passion for trains from many perspectives. Extra Board welcomes your submissions. We’re looking for about 1500 words accompanied by two or three photos. Each photo should be no smaller than 14 inches (or 1024 pixels) across at 72 dpi (no verticals, please). Brief caption information must accompany each photo. Please send your inquiries to the Webmaster for consideration.
September 16, 2025
Alcos in Indian Summer
The waning years of Nevada Northern’s common-carrier freight service provided great opportunities for Alco action in the desert.
September 16, 2025
From Relic to Runner
Genesee Valley Transportation’s restored “Nickle Plate Road” Alco PA fulfills a dream three decades in the making.
August 15, 2025
Boston MBTA Red Line
Dating back to 1912, and growing to meet the suburbs, the MBTA Red Line is the backbone of Boston’s rapid transit system.
August 15, 2025
Catch a Falling Star
Opened in 2009, Minneapolis Northstar commuter rail has yet to recover from a dramatic pandemic drop-off in ridership.
July 16, 2025
Sixteen Under Steam: East Broad Top 16 Returns
Pennsylvania’s East Broad Top restores a narrow gauge Mikado that has been slumbering since the end of common-carrier days in 1956.
July 16, 2025
Union Pacific Departs Eugene
Examining the transition as Union Pacific prepares to hand over local operation in Eugene, Ore., to Central Oregon & Pacific.
June 19, 2025
Seattle’s Harbor Island
Venture to the Pacific Northwest for a look at BNSF and Union Pacific operations around Seattle’s busy Harbor Island.
June 19, 2025
100 Years of Chicago Union Station
Chicago Union Station has been the heart and soul of the city’s railroad scene, a space so revered it could be a cathedral.
May 15, 2025
16th Street Swan Song
As Metra seeks to centralize its dispatching systems, venerable 16th Street Tower in Chicago was decommissioned in mid-April.
May 15, 2025
Calgary Railfan Guide
Tracking CPKC, Canadian National, and modern light rail action in and around Alberta’s major urban center.
