CSX
The CSX Mechanical department has introduced its first owned and operated locomotive service truck in the Toledo Zone in Ohio (watch video above). The mobile unit allows the Class I to service locomotives directly on the line of road, eliminating the need to send them to a central service center.
“This approach has transformed routine engine servicing, enabling mechanical employees to complete tasks in the field in about an hour,” CSX said. “By avoiding the time-consuming process of routing locomotives to a shop, CSX has significantly reduced downtime and improved productivity.”
The benefits extend beyond efficiency, according to the railroad. Previously operated by a contractor, the truck is now staffed by Toledo Zone mechanical employees, supporting 16 line of road locations and the Northwest Ohio terminal. This insourcing effort has “enhanced service flexibility and generated millions of dollars in annualized savings across the CSX network,” the railroad said.
“Employee ingenuity played a key role in the truck’s success,” CSX reported. “Mechanical employees at the North Baltimore yard redesigned the truck’s internal layout, making it safer and more efficient. The modifications eliminated the need to climb into the vehicle to access pumps and valves, reduced the truck’s overall weight, and removed the requirement for a CDL operator or hazmat endorsement.”
CSX machinist Sean Killian commented: “This truck changed the way our team operates. We control when the engines are serviced. Everything is going out more on time, and we can focus on working to get these engines down the track efficiently.”
According to the railroad, the Transportation team has also embraced the change, with Toledo Zone mechanical leaders reporting positive feedback on improved coordination and operational flexibility.
Further Reading:
- For CSX, $670MM Power Upgrade Order
- CSX Trains Thousands of First Responders in 2025 (part of Class I Briefs)
- CSX Spotlights its AESS System (part of Class I Briefs)
CPKC
The Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation (RAHF) on Feb. 23 announced that its CK Hui Heart Center has been selected as the community partner for the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open, to be held at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, Alberta from Aug. 19-23, 2026.
As the community charity partner, funds raised through the CPKC Women’s Open this year will support the CK Hui Heart Center, which provides specialized cardiac care to patients from across Alberta and Western Canada. CPKC will be matching donations up to a total of C$250,000.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation and the CK Hui Heart Center to strengthen Western Canada’s leading heart hospital,” said Chad Becker, CPKC Chief of Staff. “As this year’s community partner for the CPKC Women’s Open, CK Hui Heart Center will use the funds to purchase vital equipment, enabling them to double the number of valve replacement procedures and significantly improve patient care.”
“Minimally invasive cardiac procedures have transformed how we care for patients,” noted Dr. Ben Tyrrell, Chief of Cardiology at the CK Hui Heart Center. “These procedures mean less trauma, faster recovery, and better outcomes. That’s especially important for women, who on average face more complications and longer recoveries after traditional open-heart surgery. With this support, we can help more patients receive life-saving care sooner.”
On Feb. 2, CPKC announced that Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation was chosen as the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open charity partner with the goal of raising more than C$3.9 million to support their pediatric cardiac program.
In 2025, CPKC raised C$4.5 million for cardiac healthcare at the CPKC Women’s Open; it presented the funds to MacKids, the arm of Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation dedicated to fundraising for McMaster Children’s Hospital (C$4 million), and to Trillium Health Partners (C$502,000).
Further Reading:
UP
UP’s Big Boy No. 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, is readying for the western leg of its coast‑to‑coast tour to celebrate America’s 250th birthday with 27 whistle-stops and four public display days scheduled during its journey.
“The tour honors the crucial role railroads have played in building and unifying America while highlighting more than a century of industry innovation,” UP reported Feb. 24 during its whistle-stop announcement. “Since 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act and created Union Pacific, railroads have connected the nation, driven industrial growth and helped to spark new industries.”
The Big Boy will leave its home base in Cheyenne, Wyo., on March 29, traveling across Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California, where it will stop near historic Mile 0, the site where Central Pacific Railroad laid the first rail ties for the transcontinental railroad in 1863 (see map above).
Whistle-stops, which last generally 15 to 30 minutes, will take place in:
Wyoming
- March 29 – Laramie
- March 29 – Medicine Bow
- March 30 – Wamsutter
- March 31 – Rock Springs
- April 1 – Green River
- April 21 – Green River
- April 23 – Point of Rocks
- April 23 – Wamsutter
- April 24 – Medicine Bow
- April 24 – Laramie
Utah
- April 2 – Morgan
- April 2 – Salt Lake City
- April 20 – Morgan
Nevada
- April 4 – Wells
- April 6 – Carlin
- April 6 – Battle Mountain
- April 7 – Gerlach
- April 14 – Lovelock
- April 15 – Carlin
- April 15 – Elko
- April 17 – Wells
- April 17 – Montello
California
- April 9 – Oroville
- April 9 – Marysville
- April 9 – Lincoln
- April 12 – Colfax
- April 12 – Truckee
Public display days will be held in Roseville, Calif., on April 10-11 and in Ogden, Utah, on April 18-19. Display days offer an up‑close look at this 1.2‑million‑pound locomotive, along with the “Experience the Union Pacific” railcar, described as an immersive walk-through exhibit that highlights American railroading.
In addition to public stops, UP employees and their families will be invited along the route for special family-day events. UP noted that there will not be any passenger excursions offered on the western leg of the tour.
Details for tour’s eastern leg will be released later, according to UP.
Background
ALCO manufactured 25 Big Boys for UP, 20 in 1941 and five in 1944, to haul heavy freight during World War II. They saw service until their fires were dropped for the last time in 1961. Eight survived; UP re-acquired No. 4014 in 2013 from the RailGiants Museum in Pomona, Calif., and meticulously restored her to operating condition. No. 4014 returned to service in 2019 and is the only functioning Big Boy.
Railway Age reported on the 1941 debut with an extensive technical article (download below).
Further Reading:
- UP: Big Boy, Lincoln Locomotive Unite for Tour
- Big Boy to Make Two Whistle-Stops in Colorado During Limited 2025 Excursion
- Once in a Lifetime: UP Honors Four Employees With Big Boy Ride-Along
- Big Boy Upgraded With Self-Contained PTC
- Railway Age, October 4, 1941: UP’s “Big Boy” debuts
- Big Boy 4014 is back: UP restores, runs iconic train
- UP: A return to steam for Big Boy 4014
