In the early 1950s, two E8s ease New York Central train 24, the Knickerbocker, out of St. Louis Union Station at the start of the train’s journey to New York. Wayne P. Ellis photo […]
NYC’s Knickerbocker departs St. Louis
Section: Railroads
Pennsy P5a in the snow
Pennsylvania Railroad P5a electric 4737 brings a freight into Philadelphia from the west after a heavy snowfall in early 1958. The motor is passing the station at Overbrook, easternmost of the suburban stops on the Main Line to Paoli. Aaron G. Fryer photo […]
IC’s original Green Diamond
Illinois Central’s first streamliner, delivered in 1936, was the Green Diamond, a fully articulated aluminum train built by Pullman-Standard and powered by Electro-Motive with a Winton diesel engine. It is pictured at 47th Street, Chicago, near the end of its regular run from St. Louis. Philip Korst Jr. photo […]
Fast freight on the Nickel Plate
Well into the 1950s, the Nickel Plate Road believed its superb 2-8-4 Berkshires to be better than diesels for its fast freight service. Because it dieselized late, NKP had no freight cab units, only road-switchers. Don Wood photo […]
Interlocking tower at Shawano, Wis.
A brick interlocking tower guards the crossing of Soo Line (left to right in photo) and Chicago & North Western trackage in Shawano, Wis. Gordon Odegard photo […]
Frisco heavy 2-8-2
The Frisco’s 4200-series Mikados of 1930 were among the most powerful 2-8-2s on any railroad. They were rated at 68,500 lbs. tractive effort — 78,100 lbs. with booster — and could wheel fast freights at 50 mph. Frank E. Ardrey photo […]
On creating the world’s largest fusee
Union Pacific’s City of Denver curves away from North Western Station in Chicago at the start of its run west. Sister streamliner City of Portland once made an unscheduled stop at Oak Park, 9 miles west. Wallace W. Abbey In spring 1955, I was working as a ticket clerk at Chicago & North Western’s Oak […]
Florida East Coast scheduled trains
Direction Southbound (read down) Train No. 101 107 109 111 121 123 335 Frequency Daily Daily Ex. Sun., Mon. Ex. Fri., Sat, Daily Ex. Sat. Ex. Sat., Sun. Type CSX, NS, Bowden intermodal (UPS), autos NS, Bowden intermodal (UPS), autos Empty rock, manifest Intermodal, manifest, autos CSX, NS, FEC intermodal, autos […]
Niagara on the run
New York Central 4-8-4 Niagara 6023 is near the end of its short life as it rambles through Millbury Junction, Ohio, (7.5 miles east of Toledo) with nine-car mail-and-express train X-78 in September 1955. Philip R. Hastings photo […]
Turbine orphan
Westinghouse and partner Baldwin fielded an experimental 4,000 h.p. B-B+B-B gas-turbine-electric in 1950. Dubbed the “Blue Goose” because of its paint scheme (and perhaps for its unusual appearance), No. 4000, pictured at Chicago on the Chicago & North Western, generated no orders. Wallace W. Abbey photo […]
Tracks Ahead: Season 9 – Western Maryland Ry. O gauge tribute
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page This Tracks Ahead segment visits a retired CSX engineer’s O gauge layout and extensive collection of prototype signaling equipment. More details about David Downton’s three-rail layout appear in the May 2014 issue of Classic Toy Trains magazine. […]
Tracks Ahead: Season 9 – Layouts on a large scale
Tom Miller’s live steam ride-on railroad, F (1:20.3) scale display, and S (1:64) scale layout are all highlighted in this segment of the hit PBS series Tracks Ahead. […]
