King of the Maine two-footers

20180412

In 1934 on the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes, largest of the Maine two-foot-gauge railroads, a gasoline railcar and baggage trailer are ready to depart the depot at Strong, while 2-6-2 No. 24 prepares to follow with a freight. Peter Cornwall coll. […]

Read More…

L&N heavy Mikado

20180424

Louisville & Nashville 1807, one of the road’s big fleet of heavy USRS 2-8-2s, moves through Strawberry Yard, south of Louisville, in the late 1940s. Charles B. Castner photo […]

Read More…

Iowa mixed train

20180423

Smack in the middle of the Hawkeye State, Minneapolis & St. Louis 2-6-0 No. 310 crosses the Skunk River with train 342, the return leg of the daily mixed from Marshalltown to Story City, Iowa, in mid-1946. The spindly bridge near Roland necessitated the use of light motive power on the Story City Branch. William F. […]

Read More…

Fine day on Helmstetter’s Curve

20180420

Western Maryland 2-10-0 1109 leads empty coal hoppers and other freight cars west at famous Helmstetter’s Curve on WM’s main line west of Cumberland, Md. Today the right of way hosts Western Maryland Scenic Railway tourist trains and a bike path. Ed Theisinger photo […]

Read More…

Behind the scenes with Stephen Low

man behind IMAX camera

Stephen Low, IMAX filmmaker With big diesels, beautiful landscapes, and unique camera shots, the documentary Train Time takes the IMAX audience on an adventure from the crew’s point of view. Those working behind the scenes of the BNSF Railway openly share their triumphs and struggles as they battle brutal weather-related conditions, unforeseen delays, and much […]

Read More…

Icing reefers on the Erie

20180425

The Erie’s icing platform at Marion, Ohio, handled a lot of meat and other perishable traffic. Here, carts on the upper-level platform service a pair of Wilson meat reefers. The two Pacific Fruit Express reefers at right will receive chunk ice from the main platform. A large ice plant is in the background. Erie Railroad photo […]

Read More…

GM&O on the eve of merger

20180418

Gulf, Mobile & Ohio GP30 502 leads southbound freight 33 south of Pomona, Ill., in December 1971, ten months before GM&O’s merger with Illinois Central. Steven Mueller photo […]

Read More…

Classy commuter power

20180402

Burlington Route diesel 9907A Silver Knight, built in 1936 for the new Denver Zephyr, heads three heavyweight suburban cars on CB&Q’s Chicago–Aurora line in 1950. Robert Milner photo […]

Read More…