Nearly five decades have passed since General Motors debuted two new EMD electric freight locomotives. There were two models: the 6,000-hp GM6C, which operated on two six-wheel trucks, and the 10,000-horsepower GM10B, which operated on three four-wheel trucks. The GM6C began testing in 1975, the GM10B in 1976. The only practical choice for evaluation at […]
Frisco steam to diesel transition: The mid-20th century was a time of great change for U.S. railroads. They were in the midst of a great steam to diesel transition that would revolutionize the industry for generations to come. An example of how the diesel changed part of one railroad may be found on the rolling […]
In October 1950, Santa Fe’s Chief awaits the highball for Los Angeles at Chicago Dearborn Station as an RS1 of Chicago & Western Indiana, Dearborn’s owner, stands at right. Bob Borcherding photo […]
Denver & Rio Grande Western 4-8-2 No. 1517 exhibits a clear stack as it brings a freight downgrade at Keeldar, Colo., between Tennessee Pass and Malta, on July 3, 1941. John W. Maxwell photo […]
Central Vermont 2-10-4 703 steams through a snowy landscape with northbound freight 429 on the grade south of Roxbury, Vt., in the 1950s. Paul A. Reynolds photo […]
Railfan first aid kits might be the furthest thing from your mind when planning a train-themed outing. One, however, might be among the most important — if you have a minor injury or a mild medical reaction to something you come across in the field. Trains.com exchanged questions via email with Robert W. Scott, Operations […]
Southern Railway history: The earliest portion of the Southern Railway was the South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company, which was chartered in 1828 to build from Charleston, S. C., to Hamburg, S. C., on the north bank of the Savannah River. Its purpose was to bring trade to the port of Charleston from inland […]
An Alco FA-FB set leads a westbound freight out of a tunnel near Rockwood, Tenn., in the 1950s. R. D. Sharpless photo […]
Amtrak’s station at Springfield, Mass., had six tracks in this early 1990s view. Regular trains to and from Boston and Washington, plus the Boston section of the Lake Shore Limited, stopped at the station. The elevated structures are baggage elevators used for handling mail and express in pre-Amtrak days. Located on New York Central’s Boston […]
Burlington Route E5 9909 arrives at Fort Worth with the Sam Houston Zephyr from Houston in the late 1940s. R. S. Plummer photo […]
Rock Island 4-6-2 916 on an outbound suburban train meets RS3 488 with an inbound on the bridge above 89th Street at Gresham on the South Side of Chicago on May 26, 1952. John F. Humiston photo […]
Denver & Rio Grande Western 2-8-8-2 3607 is westbound at Glenwood Springs, Colo., with a 51-car freight on April 21, 1940. R. H. Kindig photo […]
