Amtrak National Limited service began operation on May 1, 1971, linking New York City and Washington, D.C., with Kansas City. It carried Nos. 30-31. The route roughly paralleled that of Interstate 70, which links Baltimore and Kansas City. The name was a nod to a Baltimore & Ohio train serving Washington and St. Louis, but […]
Train Topic: History
Best-selling second-generation Electro-Motive diesel locomotives
Although a latecomer to the hood unit market, EMD became the dominant builder of road switchers with the GP7. Dynamic brakes are indicated by a protruding housing (“blister”) with grids atop the middle of the long hood, with rooftop cooling fans above it. The radiators are at the end of the hood, with an intake […]
Rare images of Reading 2102 on the P&LE
Of all the mainline steam locomotives running these days — and there is an uncanny amount of them — I can’t think of one with as many distinct transitions as Reading 4-8-4 No. 2102. By my count, she’s a cat with at least five lives, with four more to go, if you believe that sort […]
Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum to mark 40th anniversary
LENOX, Mass. — The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a celebration on July 27 and and a concert on July 28, the museum has announced. It also is launching a new capital campaign to support its continued operation. “We’re holding these events to celeb rate the work we’ve done and […]
Locomotives We Love: Lionel No. 2245 Texas Special F3
Joe Algozzini, perhaps the preeminent expert on Lionel trains and accessories manufactured during the post-World War II era (1945-69) has been contributing deeply researched and thoughtfully written articles to Classic Toy Trains since its second issue hit newsstands in the spring of 1988. To be honest, Joe was laying the groundwork for what became the […]
NC&StL locomotives remembered
NC&StL locomotives were distinctive but disappeared all too soon. The Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway had its share of unique items and was a pioneer. Historian Dain L. Schult says the “NC,” as it was known, was the only southern road to try a Camelback and a duplex; neither type worked out. It […]
5 traits of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad
Here are five traits of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton that made it special. The DT&I was formed in 1905 with the combination of the Detroit Southern and Ohio Southern railroads. In 1920, automobile tycoon Henry Ford acquired the road, popularly to ensure a new River Rouge bridge could be built to ensure water […]
Rare-mileage trip on Reading & Northern to benefit museum
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The National Museum of Industrial History will offer a day-long, rare-mileage trip to Vosburg Tunnel on the Reading & Northern Railroad, using two R&N Budd Rail Diesel Cars, on Wednesday, July 31. The 3,900-foot former Lehigh Valley Railroad tunnel north of Tunkhannock, Pa., was completed in 1886. The trip, the 2024 Anthracite […]
Canada marks 11 years since Lac-Mégantic disaster
LAC-MÉGANTIC, Quebec — Canada’s Transport Minister, Pablo Rodriguez, today released a statement as part of events marking the 11 years that have passed since Canada’s worst rail disaster, the derailment and fire in Lac-Megantic that killed 47 people and destroyed most of the community’s downtown. “Since the tragedy on July 6, 2013, 11 years ago […]
Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis passenger trains remembered
Please enjoy this photo gallery of Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis passenger trains, originally published online in November 2017. […]
Sioux City museum announces joint effort to return Great Northern 4-6-2 to operation
SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Already facing one major project — recovery from major flood damage — the Sioux City Railroad Museum announced Wednesday that it would take on another: restoring one of the museum’s steam locomotives to operating condition. The museum, its parent Siouxland Historical Railroad Association, and the American Heartland Railroad Society are beginning […]
Scratchbuild cars for the American Freedom Train
The most recent version of the American Freedom Train (AFT) was assembled to help celebrate the United States’ 1976 Bicentennial. The complete train, which visited all 48 contiguous states over a two year period, had a total of 23 pieces of rolling stock, including passenger cars, showcase cars (with full-scale historical artifacts, like the Lunar […]