The Belt Railway: A Railroad’s Railroad

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In the November 2012 issue of Trains, Sayre C. Kos describes The Belt Railway Company of Chicago’s monstrous hump yard operation, in which cars weave their way from one end to the other. Workers there call it “feeding the Beast.” For another in-depth look at The Belt Railway, download the free PDF below of “A […]

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Sunset over Sidney

Local railfans wave at a passing westbound as the sun sinks over Sidney, Ohio, on June 7, 2011. This former New York Central line served as the Conrail – and now CSX – route to the St. Louis gateway. Photo by Brian M. Schmidt […]

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Violet hour

The light fades on the Sidney, Ohio, depot on April 13, 2012, as westbound train Q377 rolls by. Like many other organizations charged with historic preservation, the Sidney Big Four Passenger Station Preservation Association is just keeping everything standing … for now. Photo by Brian M. Schmidt […]

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Just passing through

CSX train Q137 rolls through Sherwood, Ohio, without much local fanfare on July 30, 2011. This westbound intermodal train is operating over the former Baltimore & Ohio main line on its way to Chicago on this fading summer evening. Photo by Brent Kneebush […]

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Country landmark

Erie Lackawanna train “DAYTON 97” rolls west through Richwood, Ohio, bound for its namesake city on July 7, 1973. The train originated in Marion, Ohio, and backed east across the double track main lines of the Chesapeake & Ohio and Norfolk & Western before beginning its westward journey on the Dayton Branch. Photo by Russell […]

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Dad, trains, and me

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In a photo by his dad, 11-year-old Michael Landry stands in Pontiac, Mich., with the Grand Trunk Western 4-8-4 they rode from Detroit on March 24, 1960. Hank Landry There I am, 11 years old, dwarfed by the Grand Trunk Western 4-8-4 on the next track during its stop at Pontiac, Mich., on March 24, […]

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When the Green Hornet raced the Hiawatha

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On a day when they left the “Green Hornet” parked in order to simply watch the Afternoon Hiawatha sweep by, artist buddies Howard Fogg (at right in photo) and Gil Reid witnessed an F7 Hudson lean into Deerfield Curve with the Chicago-bound train. Gil Reid The year is 1939, and I am a student at […]

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Plow train coming through

A Wisconsin & Southern plow train clears the line through Eagle, Wis., in February 2011, the morning after a storm dumped 2 feet of snow across the area. The plow once belong to the Milwaukee Road, as did the tracks here, part of a route from Milwaukee to Madison and Janesville. Photo by Matt Van […]

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