Railroads and Industry

Aliquippa & Southern switcher

Freshly made coke still smokes in company hoppers as an Aliquippa & Southern switcher hustles empty slag pots back to the blast furnaces on May 10, 1981. The pots have been sprayed with a release agent at the slag dump to prevent the molten slag from sticking in them. Otherwise, it’s jackhammer time! Kevin Tomasic […]

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History according to Hediger 6

Man looking at model trains

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Senior editor Jim Hediger is the last staff member to have worked directly for the late Linn Westcott, a model railroading pioneer and the long-time editor of Model Railroader magazine. Jim shares a few of his favorite stories as well as vintage photos. […]

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History according to Hediger 6

Man looking at model trains

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Senior editor Jim Hediger is the last staff member to have worked directly for the late Linn Westcott, a model railroading pioneer and the long-time editor of Model Railroader magazine. Jim shares a few of his favorite stories as well as vintage photos. […]

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Wired up: The stages of U.S. railroad electrification

Baltimore railroad tunnels

U.S. railroad electrification In 1939, the United States was the global leader in railroad electrification, with over 20% of the world’s total. Today, electrification is a non-factor on almost all American railroads outside the Northeast Corridor. How did this happen? The heady projects from the early 20th century that propelled the U.S. to world leader […]

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A line-up at the Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum

The Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum held its annual night photo shoot on June 13, 2009, at Willimantic, Conn. Framed by the museum’s six-stall roundhouse, the six pieces of equipment arranged for the photo are (from left) a GE 44-tonner (built in 1950 for the Long Island Rail Road), a Narragansett Railway speeder, a GE 45-tonner […]

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Video: History according to Hediger

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Model Railroader Senior Editor Jim Hediger has had a long and impressive career at the magazine. In this video interview Jim shares his experiences about first coming to work for Model Railroader, including meeting the magazine’s then-Editor Linn Westcott. Subscribe today and watch […]

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Graphics Promoting Tourism

John Gruber collection John Gruber collection John Gruber collection John Gruber collection In the 1920s, the United States poured millions into a federal highway program that coincided with the automakers’ creation of lower-cost cars. The developments enabled almost all Americans the freedom to travel independently for the first time. But personal cars – even limousines […]

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Railbuses & Motor cars: Would you ride one of these?

Alaska Railroad

Railbuses & Motor cars Railbuses and motor cars have run all over North America. Here are some other outrageous conveyances rail passengers have sampled over the years. This Kalamazoo, Mich., railbus was operated by the Alaska Railroad during summers to transport passengers between Portage and Whittier, south of Anchorage. Known as the “Ice Worm,” the […]

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