Chasing the elusive Black Marias

Photos of Alco’s mid-1940’s Black Maria freight diesels are extremely scarce. Obviously one factor was the short time the units operated. When Jerry A. Pinkepank and Kalmbach Publishing Co. issued the first Diesel Spotter’s Guide in 1967, no photos of the units had come to light, so on page Alco-49, below the technical description of […]

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U.S. Sugar Corp. during the steam era

U.S. Sugar Corp.’s common carrier and private railroads could face new futures under a planned Florida Everglades restoration, as we reported in the September 2009 issue of Trains. Lets look back and see what the railroad looked like when steam reigned. These two photos show examples of steam power working the sugar cane lines. Also, […]

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Video: History according to Hediger 3

Freight cars by gray wooden depot

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Model Railroader Senior Editor Jim Hediger also has experience working on the real railroads. In this episode Jim talks about his job as a telegraph operator for the Wabash RR. You’ll also see some vintage photos of some places where Jim worked, including […]

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Railroad story of the month: July 2009

A supplement to the Classic Trains Online Look Back e-mail newsletter Canting grandly to the gentle curve, E units break the quiet of a late fall day as they roar through Georgetown Junction with B&O’s Capitol Limited. Paul Seidenman photo Late fall encounter at Georgetown Junction By Paul Seidenman It was especially beautiful, that fall […]

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Railroad History in a Nutshell

Powder River Basin

Railroad History in a Nutshell Two coal trains in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming illustrate the astonishing growth of railroad freight in the U.S. and Canada. Matt Van Hattem North American railroading has a rich past. How can it all be encapsulated? Where can you go to learn its roots? The Center for Railroad […]

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Reading Co. Office Car No. 15

Now on display at the Reading Co. Technical & Historical Society’s Reading Railroad Heritage Museum in Hamburg, Pa., office car No. 15, the Henry E. Huntington, led a rich life. No. 15 served the Reading for 40 years. Then, Philip and Diana Goldman purchased, preserved, and used the car. Author of “Going Home” in August […]

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Louisville & Nashville in Alabama

Flying flags that mark it as an extra, Louisville & Nashville 806 South pulls a 106-car freight upgrade south of Montgomery, Ala., on May 26, 1955. The train consists mainly of empty cars bound for the docks at Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans. […]

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Video: History according to Hediger 2

Orange diesel locomotives

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Model Railroader Senior Editor Jim Hediger has had many experiences working with the real railroads. In this episode he talks about how he acquired his collection of official paint chips from the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton RR, as well as how the DT&I […]

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CN, Jervis Langdon and the Reading

These three great railroad subjects have been in the pages of Trains for years. Find out how Trains covered Canadian National’s assent, Baltimore & Ohio’s Jervis Langdon and the Reading in years gone by in our latest PDF download, available exclusively to subscribers. […]

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Rail Transportation in Motion Pictures

New York subway car R-142

A New York Transit R-142 subway car has discharged its passengers on the Lexington Avenue line No. 6 terminus in Manhattan. The train is about to go through City Hall loop station where it will pick up passengers on the northbound side. The movie derives its name from the location and departure time from the […]

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Norfolk Southern and Amtrak’s Vermonter

A Norfolk Southern freight prepares to diverge from Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor onto NS track at Newport, Del., while Amtrak’s Vermonter passes, on Aug. 26, 2008. The NS freight is bound for the “Shellpot Secondary” and Edgemoor Yard in Wilmington, and has been riding the Corridor from Perryville, Md. […]

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