A pair of Rock Island BL2s, with an F7B between them, led the “Fat Stock Special” one night in 1956. Monty Powell In November 1956 I was a management trainee on the Rock Island Railroad in Rock Island, Ill. A special movement known as “the Fat Stock Special,” which originated in western Iowa, was coming […]
FULL SCREEN Tom Danneman GE B23-7 No. 4201, built for Conrail in 1978 FULL SCREEN Tom Danneman EMD SW14 No. 102, built for Illinois Central in 1951 FULL SCREEN Tom Danneman EMD GP30 No. 2508, built for Rio Grande in 1962 FULL SCREEN Tom Danneman EMD GP9R No. 8319, built for Southern Pacific in 1955 […]
A water tank on the Pacific Coast Railroad in Washington displays discoloration brought by impurities in the local water. Al Farrow photo, Martin E. Hansen collection Q Did steam locomotive operators test the water prior to filling the tender? Was water treated then or prior to filling the tank? Without treatment would there have been […]
Ride along on Trains‘ August 2018 photo charter experience commemorating the end of revenue freight operations on the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad’s narrow gauge route through New Mexico and Colorado 50 years ago in 1968. Along the way, you’ll see double-headed 2-8-2s Mikado-type steam locomotives, helper engines, and classic railroad action on the […]
Learn more about the Nashville steam restoration project and 4-8-4 No. 576! You’ll hear from the people involved in the project and examine the locomotive in its current state. […]
2018 Grand Prize: Todd Halamka Having lived and worked in Chicago for nearly my entire adult life, the city continues to nurture two passions — buildings and trains. The Chicago River and the Loop elevated rail are two key components that define the urban core. The newly opened Chicago Riverwalk invites residents and visitors to […]
Passenger car end details were pretty standard and most followed the pattern used on sleeping cars built by the Pullman Co. The car in the photo is Crystal Point, a Pullman 3-compartment, 2-drawing-room, observation lounge assigned to the Milwaukee Road’s Olympian Hiawatha in 1947. A number of details are visible that appear on most cars […]
FULL SCREEN Runner-up: Before I was of driving age, I railfanned Tacoma, Wash., using my father’s small boat: buzzing up and down the Tacoma Narrows and other waterways, gathering knowledge of photography and railroad operations. After getting my license, I continued to photograph trains from the water. From my boat, May 5, 2013, in Tacoma, beachgoers […]
Visit Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad with Editor Jim Wrinn. The train operates on a former Baltimore & Ohio line through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park south of Cleveland. You’ll see visiting Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 No. 765, tour cars from the famed California Zephyr, and much more! […]
Tour the Golden Spike National Historic Site in Utah with Trains! You’ll see replica locomotives Union Pacific No. 119 and Central Pacific Jupiter along with the many reenactors that bring history to life. Be sure to check out Trains‘ special issue Journey to Promontory, available January 2019, and the companion DVD, available now! […]
Pennsylvania Railroad donated K4s No. 1361 to the city of Altoona, Pa., on June 8, 1957, shortly before this photo was taken. J.J. Young Jr. Q Why was Pennsylvania K4s No. 1361 returned to Altoona, Pa., for display instead of being restored to service? – Joseph Reihing, Elizabeth, N.J. A Although the 4-6-2 is in […]
Download this free in-depth 61-page PDF download to get a better understanding of what it takes to survive as a railroad. The following railroads did things that others could not to survive. Find out what sets them apart from the others. The Paducah & Louisville Railway and how its initial goal of solidifying relationships with existing […]
