Terminal Station

Exterior of stone station on street corner

Terminal Station Daniel Burnham designed the Southern Railway’s monumental Terminal Station in New Orleans in 1908, just after his Washington Union Station opened. Terminal faced Canal Street at Basin until it was razed in 1956. James G. La Vake photo […]

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Twin Cities Zephyr

Shovel-nose streamlined diesel with passenger train in street

Twin Cities Zephyr Led by 1936 power unit 9905 Zephyrus, the Burlington’s Twin Cities Zephyr swings into the downtown La Crosse, Wis., depot circa 1939. Slow street running was an obstacle in the speed war with rivals Chicago & North Western and Milwaukee Road. Elden H. Hunter photo […]

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Sunset Limited station stop

Steam locomotive with passenger train by station platform

Sunset Limited station stop Southern Pacific 4-8-2 4326 has just entered Arizona from California as it brings the Sunset Limited into the station at Yuma sometime in the 1940s. Seated on the platform are local Indians with souvenirs to sell to passengers. Classic Trains collection […]

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The story behind developing smoke for toy-train locomotives

Front of an O gauge model steam locomotive on layout in night operation with smoke coming out of the stack next to interlocking tower.

The evolution of miniature locomotives has been long and steady for more than a century. The beginning, of course, involved using electricity to enable them to move without being touched. Next came the introduction of functioning lights to models of steam and electric engines as well as to trolley and motorized units. Everything that had […]

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The Hole Yard

Elevated view of rail yard and service facilities

The Hole Yard Here’s how the Missouri Pacific’s Hole Yard lead at North Little Rock, Ark., looked in March 1921. The Fort Smith crossing is in the foreground, with the yard office at right and shops and roundhouses in the distance. Photo by Missouri Pacific […]

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Produce to the people

Trucks back up to railroad freight cars to load goods

Produce to the people Chicago and other large cities had produce yards and team tracks where dozens or hundreds of cars would arrive each day for auction and sale to local buyers. Photo by Chicago & North Western […]

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Pioneer passenger diesel

Box-cab diesel locomotive

axle passenger diesels built in 1935. EMC had no factory of its own yet, so this one was assembled at General Electric’s plant at Erie, Pa. The Winton-engined pioneer is preserved at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. General Electric […]

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Cresting Tennessee Pass

Steam locomotive with freight train

Rio Grande’s California Fast Freight departs Tennessee Pass station, crest of the Continental Divide, in April 1938. Big 2-8-8-2 3606 will keep the train in check on the 3 percent grade down to Minturn, Colo. H. Kindig […]

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Less-than-carload boxcars in L.A.

Boxcars at freight house

Boxcars assigned to less-than-carload (LCL) service — including several Southern Pacific “Overnight” boxcars — are being loaded on parallel tracks at Pacific Electric’s 8th Street Freight Station in Los Angeles in the 1940s. PE was an SP subsidiary. Pacific Electric […]

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Pennsylvania Railroad electric locomotives

Box-cab electric locomotive

The Pennsylvania Railroad is famed for its GG1 electric locomotives, but casual observers might be surprised to learn how extensive Pennsy’s electric operations were. After a tentative start with a limited D.C. third-rail system in the early 1900s, the PRR built an A.C. catenary empire between 1915 and 1938 — and fielded an impressive array […]

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The future comes to Milwaukee

Electro-Motive E6 passenger diesel on the Milwaukee Road

In late 1941, officials in hats and overcoats look over the newest thing on the Milwaukee Road: two-unit Electro-Motive E6 passenger diesel No. 15. At left in this scene at the east end of the road’s station in Milwaukee is suddenly obsolete F6 4-6-4 131. Photo from Classic Trains collection […]

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HO scale Royal Gorge Route

HO scale Royal Gorge Route

The layout at a glance Name: Royal Gorge Route Layout owner: Florida Scale Rails club Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 8 x 12 feet Prototype: Denver & Rio Grande Western (standard and HOn3 narrow gauge); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; and Union Pacific Locale: Colorado Era: 1930s to ’60s Mainline run: 75 feet Minimum radius: 22″ […]

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