4-8-2 on the Creole’s connection Illinois Central 4-8-2 No. 2438 pulls out of Carbondale, Ill., with train 208, the St. Louis connection for the Creole, in September 1954. Philip R. Hastings photo […]
Photo of the Day
Magazine: Classic Trains
Photo of the Day
Rock Island TA diesel Electro-Motive Corp.’s model TA passenger diesel of 1937 was a lighter, less powerful counterpart to the builder’s EA of the same year. Although they shared the same styling, the single-engine, 1,200 h.p., B-B TA was a derivative of EMC’s power cars for streamlined trains, while the twin-engine, 1,800 h.p., A1A-A1A EA […]
Tales of the Rails | Classic Trains Magazine
“Tales of the Rails” is a podcast from Classic Trains magazine. Each installment features a firsthand account of a rail experience, written by a railroader or a railfan and read by Editor Rob McGonigal. […]
Summer 2019
Feature Articles Quiet Monsters Coming to Life By Scott Lothes Donald W. Furler was an early master of action photography in the Northeast Bad Day at Olathe, Great Day at Lawrence By I. E. Quastler Derailment detours bring rare moves to a secondary Santa Fe main line Golden Spike Centennial Prelude By George A. Forero […]
Winter 2019
Feature Articles End of the Trail By William P. Diven Summer trips from New Mexico to Illinois exposed a high-school boy to a world of Midwestern railroading and the final flowering of Santa Fe passenger service Itinerant Agent By Walter F. Smith Tales of working through two world wars and the Depression in New England […]
Did we stop you? | Classic Trains Magazine
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Spring 2020
Feature Articles Steam, Diesels, and Disruption By Michael E. Iden Dieselization: The greatest change in 20th century railroading had profound effects on carriers, suppliers, and employees Disappearing Railroad Blues By Don L. Hofsommer Line abandonments: From a peak of 254,000 miles in 1916, rail routes fell by more than half Cheaper by the Thousands By […]
Summer 2020
Feature Articles Photographing the Real Rio Grande Narrow Gauge By Victor Hand From a first visit in 1959 until the end of revenue freight in 1968 Will Stop on Signal Only … By James E. Dierks A veteran traveler muses on flag stops of yore Last Decade for the Georgia Railroad By Jeffrey A. Harwell […]
Fall 2019
Feature Articles 1944: Steam’s Last Great Year By Kevin P. Keefe 75 years ago, as rail traffic hit its World War II peak, more than 350 magnificent steam locomotives took to the rails View additional photos of the great steam locomotives built in 1944. Mystery at Barberton By Dan Olah Persistent research pays off to […]
Great Train Stations
Great Train Stations, a new special issue from Classic Trains, explores the enduring beauty of big city train stations from railroading’s golden age. Order your copy today » […]
More Trains of the 1940s
More Trains of the 1940s explores the decade of railroading’s finest hour and its finest trains. See what it took to bring victory during World War II and how the postwar economic boom led the railroads to look ahead with confidence. As a railroad enthusiast, you’ll appreciate the compelling stories and detailed information that this […]
Spring 2019
Feature Articles City of San Francisco: Modern Star of a Historic Route By Joe Welsh A notable member of UP’s Streamliner fleet plied its historic path for three and a half decades Study train consists of the Overland Route’s top train from the years 1936, 1939, 1947, and 1955. Big Boys That Might Have Been […]
