The Shaughnessy Files

In honor of Jim Shaughnessy, a legendary railroad photographer, we have gathered together a free 15-page PDF download filled with three stories written and photographed by Shaughnessy. […]

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American Orient Express

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‘American Orient Express’ observation car ‘New York’ at Denver in June 1996. Ten years later, the train would be rebranded as GrandLuxe Express. Chip Sherman Q What happened to the American Orient Express? It appeared on several railroad videos from the 1990s. – Frank Klos, San Diego, Calif. A The genesis of the American Orient […]

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Canadian National in the US

The Canadian National Railways started off by acquiring a handful of bankrupt and government owned railways, but soon after this takeover, and over the next decade, the Canadian National Railways expanded significantly as it purchased railroads in the United States. In this free 39-page PDF download, we dive into the details behind: The Wisconsin Central, […]

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Trains Tube: In a Swiss Tunnel 2018

Orange-clad workers in a darkened rail tunnel.

Join Trains on a visit to a track work project in a Swiss tunnel. Rhomberg Sersa and the Rhaetian Railway invited Trains to see how they re-build meter-gauge track in often grueling conditions in September 2018. See Steve Sweeney’s full story in the March 2019 issue of Trains, THE magazine of railroading! […]

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Crisis at the coal chute!

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The engineer of Canadian National 2-8-2 3503 enjoys the breeze as he hurries a freight east at Lorne Park, Ont., in August 1955, a year after the author’s experience on another CN Mikado some 700 miles to the northwest. W. H. N. Rossiter A steam locomotive fireman’s duties go far beyond the actual firing of the […]

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Trains Presents: Southern Railway steam doubleheader

Ride with us on the tender tank of Southern Railway 2-8-0 No. 630 while we watch Southern 2-8-2 No. 4501 at work on a Chattanooga, Tenn.-Summerville, Ga., trip in October 2018. You’ll see and hear the engines at work on famous Missionary Ridge. It’s a classic Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum excursion with lots of stack […]

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Mystery gondola loads

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MGPX No. 201, part of the first batch of Magnetation iron ore cars built by FreightCar America, arrives in Superior, Wis., in June 2014. David C. Schauer Q I live along the BNSF Railway main line west of Chicago, and I have seen black gondola unit trains with MGPX reporting marks. Even from my second-story […]

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Trains Presents: Nashville Steam on the move!

Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis 4-8-4 No. 576 steam locomotive

Ride with Trains on the support vehicle as Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis 4-8-4 No. 576 leaves its home of 66 years at Nashville’s Centennial Park on Jan. 13. You’ll see the famous locomotive wind down city streets to the spot where the engine will be reunited with live rails. It’s all here in this […]

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Trains Presents: CSX Nashville Radnor Yard tour

Drive through CSX Transportation’s former Louisville & Nashville Radnor Yard in Nashville, Tenn., with Trains Magazine. You’ll ride along on a tour offered during the 2018 Railway Supply Institute convention in Nashville. Interested in more from the Music City? Trains Presents has also visited Nashville Union Station! […]

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Rails Meet Water Carferries

Download this free 20-page PDF download for an in-depth look at the carferries between Canada and the United States during the Classic Era. In this free download, we discuss the crews of the Great Lakes carferries, the Badger vessel, and the railroad ferries across Lake Michigan. […]

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