North Shore at North Chicago Junction

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A northbound Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee train leaves the interurban’s Shore Line route and joins the Skokie Valley route at North Chicago Junction, Ill., on July 18, 1955 — one week before cessation of passenger service on the Shore Line. Overhead is the Chicago & North Western’s Chicago–Waukegan–Milwaukee line. William D. Middleton photo […]

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Charlie’s Trackside Postcards – 20th Ave & Dravus

An orange-painted locomotive on a freight train on a curve on a well sunlit day.

Drew Halverson flips the script when he heads to the Pacific Northwest for a little R&R. Of course, Charlie Conway hosts Drew around Northern Puget Sound, Seattle, Wash., and then a quick stop to catch the railroad action at BNSF’s Balmer Yard. […]

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Charlie’s Trackside Postcards – Columbia Gorge: Where East meets West

An orange-painted locomotive bathed in low angle sunlight with rugged mountains and a river in the background.

Charlie Conway and Tom Danneman launch into their exploration of the Columbia River Gorge. In addition to capturing images of spectacular scenery and engineering, the two find plenty of Union Pacific and BNSF freight trains snaking along the curvaceous riverfront main line. […]

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Charlie’s Trackside Postcards – The Toledo Hauler

Close-up image of an orange-painted diesel locomotive on a trestle.

Globetrotter Charlie Conway is back in the Pacific Northwest chasing trains with Tom Danneman, the Art Director for Model Railroader and Trains magazines. For this Postcard to pal Drew, the duo opted for a slow and steady trackside “pursuit” near Toledo, Ore., deep into rainy, coastal mountain terrain. […]

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B&O’s Keyser tower

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The former Baltimore & Ohio tower at Keyser, W.Va., seen here in 2004 under CSX ownership, was a classic “armstrong” mechanical interlocking plant. The pipes travel along the tracks, where levers and cranks transfer the motion to switches, locks, and derails. Concrete pedestals support the pipe lines and other hardware. Historic American Engineering Record photo […]

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