Like some railfan contemporaries, in recent weeks I’ve been going through decades of railroad stuff, seeing what I can get rid of and what I simply can’t live without. Tough choices. In the “can’t live without” category, anything with David P. Morgan’s name on it, or anything labeled “New York Central” or “C&EI.” In the […]
In August 1958, Alco HH660 No. 409 rests on an outdoor turntable lead at Scranton, Pa. The track is now part of Steamtown. Railroad Avenue Enterprises, Bob Bahrs collection […]
The words “Be the Engineer!” drew my attention to a Nevada Northern Railway advertisement in Trains Magazine. I’m a veteran train museum patron. I’ve been to many, from Los Angeles to Scranton, and most are a lot more accessible than Ely, Nev. Ely is 3 hours and 42 minutes north of Las Vegas, a lonely […]
Milwaukee Road’s EMD SDL39 diesel locomotives came from the road’s desire to replace aging Alco RSC2 units in branchline service. The Milwaukee Road custom-ordered the lightweight SDL39 specifically for use on its light-rail branch lines. The railroad bought five of the locomotives in 1969, Nos. 581-585. It followed with an order for another […]
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 15, 1865, sent a Civil War-battered country into 20 days of national mourning. At the center of it all was a black-draped train, slowly and sadly carrying the former commander in chief’s body from Washington, D.C. to his hometown of Springfield, Ill. The U.S. rail network is no […]
ABILENE, Kan. — Kansas now has an official state heritage railroad and a state steam locomotive. House Bill 2481, which bestows the railroad honor on the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad and the locomotive distinction on the railroad’s Santa Fe Pacific No. 3415, was one of seven bills signed into law on Thursday, April 18, […]
ALTOONA, Pa. — Officials of the North American Railway Foundation dedicated an outdoor display and event venue — the Luther G. Smith Memorial Yard — here today (Thursday, April 18) at the Railroaders Memorial Museum. The public space is bracketed by the museum’s Master Mechanics Building and Norfolk Southern’s Pittsburgh Line. Costing $1.9 million, the […]
Lionel No. 151 Semaphore signals made their debut in the cataloged lineup for 1947 and remained popular members right through 1969, the final year of the post-World War II era of production. During that two-decade span, Lionel must have produced tens of thousands of the out-of-proportion trackside accessories. Collectors and operators of O-27 and O […]
The Train Master diesel locomotive holds a unique spot in history. At its introduction in 1953, it was simply a logical extension of Fairbanks-Morse’s locomotive line, yet the Beloit (Wis.) builder recognized that what Trains Editor David P Morgan termed the “fat, robust, gadget-packed 2,400 hp six-motor hood unit” could become something special. Which it […]
Classic Trains Film Archive | Illinois Terminal Railroad, J. David Ingles Reel 464 – Explore the Illinois Terminal system with this cab ride video! Ride a Peoria-bound freight with three new 2300-series SD39 diesel locomotives and see the IT from the railroaders’ view. The Illinois Terminal begun in 1895 as a steam-powered switching road at […]
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the Model Railroader Hall of Fame May nominees. For those of you joining us for the first time, we’re creating a hall of fame as part of our 90th anniversary year. The rules for nomination are simple. The inductee must have made a significant contribution to […]
NASHUA, N.H. — The Flying Yankee Association preservation group has been selected by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation as the purchaser of the historic Budd articulated streamliner Flying Yankee, the virtual duplicate of Burlington’s Pioneer Zephyr that has been owned by the state since 1996. The non-profit group announced its selection at its annual […]
