Cars of the 1938 Century

Streamlined steam locomotive leading a streamline passenger train on a gentle curve.

From its launch in 1902, New York Central’s 20th Century Limited was arguably the most prestigious train in America. With its all-first-class passenger accommodations, the Century was the way to travel between New York and Chicago. By 1938 the train’s reputation was well established when it was completely re-equipped with new streamlined Alco locomotives and […]

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Steam down south

Steam locomotive with train on curve by brick station

Steam down south Gainesville Midland 2-8-0 No. 301 switches at its namesake Georgia town. The two-story building in the distance is the road’s headquarters. Photo by Philip R. Hastings […]

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Super failure?

Caboose on one-car freight train

Super failure? Santa Fe’s famed Super C freight commanded high rates — charged to placate other Santa Fe customers. This meant it had extremely limited traffic, as illustrated by a one-car train in 1969. Photo by Wayne Bridges […]

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TrucTrain terminal

Flat cars lined up to load with semi trailers in yard

TrucTrain terminal The Pennsylvania Railroad’s Chicago TrucTrain terminal had a concrete ramp with six tracks and access platforms between pairs of tracks. Note the storage tracks for empty flatcars at left. Photo by Pennsylvania Railroad […]

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Forgotten ‘Four Aces’

Steam locomotive smoking with passenger train on curve

Forgotten ‘Four Aces’ Northern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 2626, originally the Timken “Four Aces” roller-bearing demonstrator, leads a Seattle-Cle Elum, Wash., fan trip through Kanaskat, Wash., in August 1957. Despite efforts to preserve the locomotive, it was scrapped a year later. Photo by Albert Farrow […]

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Chicago in the snow

Diesel switcher works snow-covered station tracks

Chicago in the snow Chicago & Eastern Illinois E7 1102 and two Alcos, Monon C420 502 and RS1 263 of station owner Chicago & Western Indiana, rest at Dearborn Station following a significant snowfall in February 1967. Photo by J. David Ingles […]

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Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range: Freight trains

Steam locomotive with freight train

All through April 2021, Classic Trains editors are celebrating, the history, heritage, and grit of the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railroad. Please enjoy this freight train photo gallery of images selected from the files of Kalmbach Media’s David P. Morgan Library. Only from Classic Trains! […]

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Dubuque depot

Freight cars by brick freight house

Dubuque depot In 1916, the Illinois Central’s Dubuque, Iowa, freight house had three tracks, including one that passed through the building. Photo by Illinois Central […]

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Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range: Passenger trains

Rail Diesel Car on causeway over lake

  All through April 2021, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the history and heritage of the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railroad. This week, we offer a photo gallery of the Missabe’s passenger trains selected from Kalmbach Media’s David P. Morgan Library files. Only from Classic Trains. […]

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The Hole Yard

Elevated view of rail yard and service facilities

The Hole Yard Here’s how the Missouri Pacific’s Hole Yard lead at North Little Rock, Ark., looked in March 1921. The Fort Smith crossing is in the foreground, with the yard office at right and shops and roundhouses in the distance. Photo by Missouri Pacific […]

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Produce to the people

Trucks back up to railroad freight cars to load goods

Produce to the people Chicago and other large cities had produce yards and team tracks where dozens or hundreds of cars would arrive each day for auction and sale to local buyers. Photo by Chicago & North Western […]

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Interurban legacy

Diesel locomotives on coal train in cut

Interurban legacy Seaboard Coast Line GP30s hustle 16 cars through Greer, S.C., on July 10, 1974, on former Piedmont & Northern trackage. SCL merged the P&N, which dropped its last mainline wires in 1954, 15 years later in 1969. Photo by Curt Tillotson […]

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