General reborn

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Western & Atlantic General of Great Locomotive Chase fame departs Detroit’s Michigan Central Station in August 1964 on a promotional tour for Louisville & Nashville. After restoration in the railroad’s Louisville, Ky., shops, the locomotive was something of a celebrity during the 1962 centennial celebration. Lowell Bush photo […]

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Narrow gauge classic

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Denver & Rio Grande Western K-28 class narrow gauge 2-8-2 No. 474 steams at Gunnison, Colo., in 1940. The railroad had 10 such locomotives, Nos. 470-479, built by Alco in 1923. They were retired in 1946. R.H. Kindig photo […]

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ASK TRAINS: How do you operate two steam locomotives together?

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On West Virginia’s Cass Scenic Railroad, engine crews with three Shay locomotives signal each other with whistles for moves and stops. TRAINS: Steve Sweeney Q: When you have two steam engines together, how does the second engineer know how much throttle to give? — Dennis E. Schardt, Sr., Summerdale, Pa. A: We get asked this […]

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Ask Trains: When will C&O 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 steam again?

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Steam locomotive restoration specialist Gary Bensman cuts out staybolts for replacement on Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 in 2017. TRAINS: Jim Wrinn Q: Can anyone provide a definitive status on whether Western Maryland Scenic Railroad’s 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 will be running in 2019? — Richard Eaton, Chevy Chase, Md. A: Railfans and railroad preservationists […]

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