All through January 2025, the Grand Trunk Western is Classic Trains‘ Railroad of the Month! In this photo gallery, please enjoy images of Grand Trunk Western passenger trains selected from the archives of the David P. Morgan Library at Firecrown Media! This photo gallery had previously been published in May 2020. Only from Trains.com! […]
Sometimes successful photography depends on cultivating an eye for detail. There are train chasing days where the action seems almost endless. One train whips by only to be followed by another. Nirvana. Almost. There are also days when the weather is not cooperating. The sun is consistently in the wrong spot and as you look […]
“Scratching” the surface Originating from the Italian word “graffiato” (scratched), graffiti is a practice as old as time. Its root word is Italian in origin because it dates back to the heyday of Rome, over 2,500 years ago. Looking back even further, the same concept — petroglyphs — have been dated to well over 40,000 […]
Christmas Past gallery For train-watchers, the holidays have an appeal all their own. Many enjoy sending and receiving Christmas cards with a railroad theme. Trains Magazine explored this tradition in its December 2009 issue and looked at one train-watcher and railroad employee who has gone to great lengths (coast to coast and across the Atlantic) […]
The prospect that German’s Harz Railway might end steam operations prompted me to dig out photos from a 2015 visit to the railroad as part of a Trains Magazine/Special Interest Tours trip, the thought being that readers might like to see a little more from this unique operation. Perhaps a few of you might even […]
Locomotives in the scrapyard Sitting switchers The switcher is a rapidly-dying species on American railroads. Pushed out of yard duties on the Class I railroads by demoted road units (like ex-BNSF No. 2224, at top), they soon became most noticeable on industrial sites, switching cars for grain elevators and warehouse complexes. However, the proliferation of […]
Rocky Patel Rolling Smoke Cigar Train The “Rocky Patel Rolling Smoke Cigar Train” behind Nickel Plate Road SD9 No. 358 ran a round-trip excursion from Pleasant Lake, Ind., to Hillsdale, Mich., and return on Oct. 12, 2024. The special is one of several themed excursions offered as part of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society’s […]
NJ Transit has wrapped and painted numerous locomotives to reflect its heritage, commemorate significant service dates, honor the armed forces and recognize New Jersey businesses and social concerns. This “eye candy” makes the daily commute a bit more fun, not knowing how the next locomotive into the station will be decorated. Beyond the images presented […]
On Monday, July 1, 2024, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) moved its Final Spike Steam Tour train north out of Nahant Yard south of Davenport, Iowa. Trains Magazine was on hand to document the move to Dubuque, Iowa. The train is headed to its next appearance in Winnipeg, Manitoba, for an event on July 6. […]
Final Spike Steam Tour On Thursday, May 9, 2024, Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railroad’s Class H-1b Hudson No. 2816 continued its Final Spike Steam Tour operating over former Milwaukee Road trackage into Iowa following a display day in Franklin Park, Ill. The 4-6-4 and the CPKC executive train rolled west across the old Milwaukee Road […]
Trains Magazine covers Whether past or present — staff, correspondents, and contributors — were asked to submit one of their favorite covers since the magazine’s inception in November 1940 — 84 years of railroading history in the making. This is what they came up with and why. If there is a particular cover you like, […]
Indiana Northeastern Railroad The Indiana Northeastern Railroad is a shortline railroad running in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. It is owned and operated by a close-knit family and friendly employees. The railroad has an all-Electro-Motive Division locomotive roster, which is maintained in a state-of-the-art shop at Hudson, Ind. The shop forces have rebuilt several of the […]
