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.

Sixteen Under Steam: East Broad Top 16 Returns

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.

Union Pacific Departs Eugene

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.

Seattle’s Harbor Island

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.

100 Years of Chicago Union Station

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.

16th Street Swan Song

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.

Calgary Railfan Guide

May 15, 2025

Calgary Railfan Guide

Tracking CPKC, Canadian National, and modern light rail action in and around Alberta’s major urban center.

Blacklands Railroad: Henderson Overton Branch

April 15, 2025

Blacklands Railroad: Henderson Overton Branch

When Union Pacific filed to abandon this former Missouri Pacific branch line in the East Texas piney woods in 2008, Blacklands Railroad saw an opportunity for growth.

River of Empire

April 15, 2025

River of Empire

We venture trackside along the mighty Hudson River, a critical route of commerce to and from New York City for centuries, as CSX, Metro-North, and Amtrak move the people and goods of the region.

Return of the PCC to Philadelphia Streets

March 15, 2025

Return of the PCC to Philadelphia Streets

Third time’s the charm for the return of classic PCC streetcars on SEPTA’s Girard Avenue Line in Philadelphia.

60 Years: Livonia, Avon & Lakeville

March 15, 2025

60 Years: Livonia, Avon & Lakeville

What began as a grassroots effort to save a rural Erie branch line has since grown into a nearly 400-mile system.