Hudsons meet New York Central 4-6-4 5447, its 1938 streamlining battered and partly removed, meets another streamlined Hudson at Chicago’s Englewood station in 1946. Paul Eilenberger photo, Harold Stirton collection […]
Twin Cities Zephyr
Twin Cities Zephyr Led by 1936 power unit 9905 Zephyrus, the Burlington’s Twin Cities Zephyr swings into the downtown La Crosse, Wis., depot circa 1939. Slow street running was an obstacle in the speed war with rivals Chicago & North Western and Milwaukee Road. Elden H. Hunter photo […]
Niagara Junction
Niagara Junction Although it was built by the Niagara Falls Power Co. in the 1890’s, 11-mile switching road Niagara Junction used steam locomotives at first. Electrification, with 660-volt D.C. catenary and steeplecabs, came in 1913. New General Electric motors arrived in 1952 (that’s one at right, in October ’67), by which time the road was […]
Less Than Carload
Less Than Carload Buffalo Creek & Gualey motor “B’s” awaits departure from Dundon, W.Va., for Widen, in 1948. A truck has arrived with LCL freight, including a new tire, which is being leaned against a rattan seat. After loading was complete, freight filled the front of the car back into the second row of seats. […]
Northern Pacific passenger trains photo gallery
The Northern Pacific Railway is Classic Trains‘ Railroad of the Month for May 2021. Please enjoy this photo gallery originally published in November 2019 as part of editors’ salute to the grit and grandeur that was the NP. Only from Classic Trains! […]
Morgan-Beebe File: Lucius bemoans ‘criminal’ cuts to passenger service — July 1961
Lucius Beebe-David Morgan correspondence project Between 1961 and 1966, prolific railroad book author Lucius Beebe and Trains editor David P. Morgan exchanged a flurry of letters, telegrams, and postcards, up to the week before Beebe’s death on February 4, 1966. The contents of this volume of correspondence regarded many things, including the art of book […]
Hippo
Hippo Pennsylvania 2-10-0 4414 races north along Route 14 north of Williamsport, Pa., at 40 mph. The locomotives’ lumbering appearance gave rise to the nickname “Hippo.” Jim Shaughnessy photo […]
Imperial
Imperial Southern Pacific GS-4 No. 4439 leads train No. 40, the eastbound Los Angeles-Chicago Imperial, 3 miles north of Corona, N.M., on the Golden State Route, as it nears its handoff to the Rock Island at Tucumcari, N.M., on May 27, 1949. The route was a significant one for the SP. D.L. Ingersoll photo […]
Classic Trains, Summer 2021
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Flexi-Van innovation
Flexi-Van innovation With highway-wheel bogies in place, New York Central’s Flexi-Van pioneering containers looked like standard truck trailers. Flexi-Van containers had lights, unlike standard shipping containers. New York Central photo […]
F unit parade
F unit parade Two Great Northern paint schemes are on display as GN Extra 312-A passes Extra 311-C, waiting in the siding at Floodwood, Minn., on Aug. 16, 1969. Doug Wingfield photo […]
Swamp Rats
Swamp Rats Argent Lumber 2-6-2 No. 5, a 1910 Lima (left) brings logs to the Bear Creek transfer point as 2-6-0 No. 2, a 1906 Baldwin (right) waits for the exchange. The operation was based in Hardeeville, S.C., and lasted into the late 1950s. Jim Shaughnessy photo […]