A switcher saved

20190701

Western Pacific EMD SW1500 No. 1503 is one of only three such units built in 1973 for the fan-favorite western railroad. Today, it resides at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola, Calif., after being retired by successor Union Pacific. Vic Reyna photo […]

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75,000th

20190715

This Alco PA, the company’s 75,000th locomotive, made its well-publicized debut on Track 61 at Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The company would make 16-cylinder PA-1 locomotives for Santa Fe, Rio Grande, Erie, New York Central, Union Pacific, and others. Alco photo […]

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Amtrak National Limited service through the years

Streamlined diesel locomotives on Amtrak National Limited service with city skyline

Amtrak National Limited service began operation on May 1, 1971, linking New York City and Washington, D.C., with Kansas City. It carried Nos. 30-31. The route roughly paralleled that of Interstate 70, which links Baltimore and Kansas City. The name was a nod to a Baltimore & Ohio train serving Washington and St. Louis, but […]

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Rare images of Reading 2102 on the P&LE

Smoking steam locomotive on curve along river

Of all the mainline steam locomotives running these days — and there is an uncanny amount of them — I can’t think of one with as many distinct transitions as Reading 4-8-4 No. 2102. By my count, she’s a cat with at least five lives, with four more to go, if you believe that sort […]

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The Canadian departing Toronto

20180702

An FP7 and F7B depart Toronto with Canadian Pacific Railway train 11, The Canadian, in 1964. The 13-car train will rendezvous at Sudbury, Ont., with a section from Montreal, then continue west to Vancouver, B.C. J. David Ingles photo, Brian M. Schmidt collection […]

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Spuyten Duyvil panorama

New York Central Railroad at Spuyten Devil

A mid-1940s view from the Henry Hudson Parkway bridge near the north end of New York City shows the converging New York Central lines at Spuyten Duyvil. An electric multiple-unit train out of Grand Central pulls away from Spuyten Duyvil station to head up the main line along the Hudson River. The West Side freight […]

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Santa Fe parade at Joliet

20180713

FT diesels on a westbound Santa Fe freight idle in front of Joliet (Ill.) Union Station, waiting for the Chief, visible in the distance, to clear the block ahead in Fall 1951. Wallace W. Abbey photo […]

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NC&StL locomotives remembered

Diesel NC&StL locomotives with passenger train by signal and station

NC&StL locomotives were distinctive but disappeared all too soon.   The Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway had its share of unique items and was a pioneer. Historian Dain L. Schult says the “NC,” as it was known, was the only southern road to try a Camelback and a duplex; neither type worked out. It […]

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5 traits of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad

Orange-and-black diesel locomotives displaying traits of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton with freight train under bridge

Here are five traits of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton that made it special.   The DT&I was formed in 1905 with the combination of the Detroit Southern and Ohio Southern railroads. In 1920, automobile tycoon Henry Ford acquired the road, popularly to ensure a new River Rouge bridge could be built to ensure water […]

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