ALL ABOARD America’s 250th Birthday Train by U.S. Department of Transportation
This special Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel locomotive will take you on a special trip from Williams, Arizona to the Grand Canyon South Rim Depot all summer long!
Our country is BEAUTIFUL so go celebrate her 250th year by exploring sea to shining sea Freedom 250

Just in time for America’s 250th birthday, a beautifully refurbished Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority locomotive has been unveiled in stunning red, white, and blue. Appropriately named The Spirit of Massachusetts, this special engine celebrates the Commonwealth where the American Revolution began and where the story of our nation first took shape.
You’ll be seeing The Spirit of Massachusetts traveling throughout the Commonwealth, including right here on Cape Cod and in our Fightin Fifth Barnstable District.
A sincere thank you to the MBTA and all of the skilled workers whose hard work, craftsmanship, and dedication brought this project to life.
Special thanks as well to my good friend, MBTA Chief Operating Officer Ryan Coholan, a wonderful leader and friend who proudly calls our district home. His commitment to public transportation and to the people of Massachusetts is making a real difference every day.
Happy 250th birthday, America. The Spirit of Massachusetts is ready to roll!

4014 meets with the New York Susquehanna and Western Railway in Binghamton, NY

CN 1776 (USA 250th) (Screaming Eagle, ex CN 3977) leaving Homewood, IL leading CN Z194-91 out of the Homewood Yard to head to New Orleans, LA on July 21st, 2026. By Winston Winkelmann

Excellent photography by Ashley Mott

Just in time for the 4th of July, Metra today unveiled a specially painted locomotive commemorating the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding.
The locomotive is the 26th of 42 remanufactured locomotives that Metra ordered from Progress Rail Locomotives of La Grange. The new locomotives, designated as SD70-MACHs, are former freight locomotives that are improved and reconfigured for passenger use with refurbished, upgraded, or new components.
The special locomotive was painted by Progress Rail using a design by Metra Senior Graphic Designer Falecia Woods with input from the operations team.
“We are proud to present this specially painted locomotive as a gift to the people of the Chicago region, Illinois, and the United States,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Jim Derwinski. “This locomotive also commemorates the important role that railroads played in the expansion and development of our nation. In fact, numerous towns throughout the region and across the country owe their existence to the railroads that served them.”
Metra initially ordered 15 of the remanufactured locomotives from Progress Rail Locomotives of La Grange in January 2019, and since then has exercised options to buy 27 more, for a total cost of $206 million. The last delivery is expected by the end of 2027. Metra used a combination of state and federal funding to pay for the order.
The remanufactured locomotives meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 3 emissions standards, making them the cleanest locomotives in the Metra fleet. They have a bigger fuel tank (4,000 gallons) and are more fuel efficient, so they can travel farther without refueling.
One big improvement is in the traction motors, which deliver the power generated by the diesel engine to the wheels. The remanufactured locomotives have AC traction motors, which are far more durable and reliable than the DC traction motors in Metra’s older locomotives.
Inside, the locomotives are more comfortable and quieter for engineers. And modernized onboard diagnostics and digital gauges provide benefits to both maintenance and operating crews. June 24, 2026

GSR 1776 was actually a former Conrail 70MAC. The story goes that years ago, a stack train had a nasty derailment and CR No. 4130 was involved. Gulf Southern (still Gulf Coast Line at the time) had promised to fix it, but Conrail Exec's sold the unit to GSR, thinking it was beyond repair. GSR kept their promise and chose it for the 250 unit as a symbol of the nation that's pushed through some of the worst "derailments" in history.
The design was adopted from a concept scheme of an Amtrak P42DC that the CEO spotted on a model train online the week prior. "Always trust the Internet in times of need", he says. The unit turned out nice and, with a beautiful K5LA on the roof, it's sure to be a show-stopper. July 4th, 2026 may be almost over, but this unit will wear her paint until the end of the line . . . . Quinton  French, The Trainz Community

11 photos below copyright by Kevin Burkholder : SWP - Steel Wheels Photography

Paducah & Louisville Railway received their newly repainted "United States 250th" semiquincentennial unit PAL 1776 at their Louisville yard today after being interchanged via Z476-21 from CSX following its movement from Huntington. It also marks PAL's 40th anniversary! This SD70M is nee-UP 4125, nee-PAL 4125. Photo Credits: Adam Wells

Several angles of Paducah & Louisville Railway, Inc. #1776 along with a slug set at their yard in Louisville, KY, as the yard crew was using them to build LP3 for an evening run.  J.B. Rail Photog

https://www.aslrra.org/.../short.../america-250-locomotives/

For over a century, Mack has driven American progress. To celebrate 250 years of America, we wrapped a truck as a tribute to the resilience & freedom of this nation.
Be on the lookout for this truck as you drive by Mack World Headquarters in Greensboro, NC. Stop by all month long, take selfies with the truck, and tag us on social!

We've had two dealers order PATRIOTIC USA 250th-wrapped grain trailers. KR Rauch in Billings, MT, ordered one for their customer, D&B Farms in Homestead, MT. Springfield Tractor & Trailer in Springfield, IL also ordered a trailer that will be displayed on their lot. It's great to see dealers and customers joining us in celebrating America's 250th Anniversary!
 Wilson Trailer Company