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Ten must-see railroad engineering landmarks: While unfortunate to lose the steepest, U.S. standard-gauge climb in North Carolina’s Saluda Grade, there are thankfully many other railroad engineering landmarks across North America that continue to stand the test of time. Whether experiencing them by train, trackside or a mixture of both, here are our ten must-sees from […]
Tehachapi: An oasis in the mountains Planning a trip to the Tehachapi Mountains in California? Thinking about watching and photographing trains at the Loop, Cable, Caliente, Bealville, maybe as far down as Edison on the Bakersfield side? They are all great places. But don’t forget Tehachapi, the town. Geographically, the little city of about 15,000 […]
Santa Susana Railroad Depot & Museum Tucked into the far eastern corner of the Simi Valley in Southern California stands a symbol of railroading that reaches back to practically its birth; the station. It was the station that was the main connection to the outside world for many communities, for passengers to board or detrain, […]
Santa Paula station In the 1880s, Santa Paula was a bustling little farming community in Southern California’s Santa Clara River Valley. A hub of local agricultural products, it was an ideal area to grow fruit and vegetables, with its mild temperatures and cool breezes flowing in from the nearby Pacific Ocean. It still is today. […]
Visiting the Strasburg Rail Road History of the Strasburg Rail Road Visiting the Strasburg Rail Road is on the top of many a railfan’s bucket list. The Strasburg Rail Road, based in Strasburg, Pa., is the oldest railroad in America. It was founded in 1832 and is still running under its original name. It is […]
Portland day-trip rail experience: In the coastal Pacific Northwest, a Portland day-trip rail experience is easy enough that you can leave your vehicle at your local train station, and not think about automobiles for the rest of the day. With all Amtrak corridor and long-distance trains calling on Portland, Oregon one can usually find a […]
Metra’s new Clarendon Hills station New Metra stations are rare enough. One on the Chicago-area commuter operator’s most-used line is a particularly big deal, given how many people will likely use it — and how long it is likely to be used. So it seemed worthwhile to devote one chapter of our occasional series on […]
Neenah Neenah, Wis., is one of those towns you have probably never heard of. There is, however, a good chance that something from Neenah impacts your life every day. Take a good look at the next manhole cover you cross. If it’s cast with the words “Neenah Foundry Co., Neenah, WI,” you now know the […]
Gauley Trolley on CSX: The Gauley Trolley represents the destination community it originally served at Gauley Bridge, W.Va. The trolley is a Class I railroad’s local service, originating in Gauley Bridge, an interchange between the Chesapeake & Ohio and the Kanawha & Michigan. It later became part of the New York Central, later Penn Central, […]
10 hot spots with Chase Gunnoe: Identifying my 10 favorite train-watching spots in the U.S. is no easy task. There’s a lot of great spots here in the Mountain State that have earned my favoritism, but to showcase what the American rail landscape has to offer, I’ve selected these areas to witness railroading at its […]
Railfanning Chicago at Lisle, Illinois, is good for those hard winter days. You know, the ones that sometimes feel like it requires all the preparation, gear, and endurance of the Amundsen South Pole expedition. This is what makes Lisle, on BNSF Railway’s triple-track main line between Chicago and Aurora, Ill., is a good place to […]
Introduction to the Beverly Branch The Beverly Branch is a unique segment of Metra’s 11-line commuter rail network. While there are other branch lines — two on the Electric District, one on the UP Northwest line — this one is essentially an alternate route, a 6-mile diversion from the Rock Island District main line providing […]
