Texas Supreme Court reverses itself, will hear Texas Central case

Texas Central logo

AUSTIN, Texas — Acting on a second request, the Texas Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal regarding Texas Central’s eminent domain authority to acquire property for its planned high speed rail line between Dallas and Houston, a case hinging on whether Texas Central meets the legal definition of a “railroad company” or “interurban […]

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Texarkana train

Gray and red diesel locomotives pull freight train by interlocking tower

Texarkana train After a crew change, Southern Pacific SD40T-2 8386 leads train  MFLAT out of Texarkana, Texas, on August 31, 1985. At the right is the interlocking tower that protects the Cotton Belt’s crossing with the KCS main line to Shreveport. Scott D. Lindsey photo […]

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Great Plains museum welcomes steam locomotive for Railfest

Logo of the Great Plains Transportation Museum

WICHITA, Kan. — The Great Plains Transportation Museum will be offering rides behind a visiting steam locomotive over the next two weekends to raise funds for the restoration of its Santa Fe FP45, part of the railroad’s last order for passenger locomotives. The rides behind Lehigh Valley Coal Co. No. 126, a 0-6-0T built by […]

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10-million bushels

Brown boxcars in front of concrete grain elevator

10-million bushels The Santa Fe’s 10-million bushel grain elevator at Argentine (Kansas City), Kan., was among the largest in the country when photographed here in 1943. Jack Delano photo […]

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Crash at Crush killed 3 in 1896 Texas publicity stunt

A cloud of smoke and debris with railroad cars visible to one side.

Crash at Crush history “Crash at Crush” turns up thousands of Google search results. Many of these point to the fateful publicity stunt that killed three people and injured more in 1896. What was William Crush thinking the day he thought up a staged train wreck in Texas? Here was a quiet man who went […]

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California Zephyr: Amtrak’s legendary passenger train

Stainless steel round-end dome-observation car

California Zephyr introduction California Zephyr journeys are scenic and today’s Zephyr in many ways still reprises the advertising slogan of its originators after the “Silver Lady” made its maiden run in March 1949: “The most talked-about train in America.” The Zephyr operates daily between Chicago and Emeryville, Calif., just across the bay from San Francisco. […]

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Union Pacific Railroad map: 2013 routes and major cities

An up-close map of the Union Pacific Railroad.

  A Union Pacific Railroad map is a valuable resource. The maps often show the route of the first Transcontinental Railroad or a modern version of the railroad. (CLICK ON THE MAP FOR A LARGER VERSION) This Union Pacific Railroad map features the UP as it appeared in 2013 and as illustrated by Trains‘ retired illustrator […]

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