Southwest scenery

20191011

A westbound Southern Pacific freight from El Paso, Texas, passes through the Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico in 1952. SP’s eastward construction reached El Paso in 1881; by 1883, the company had cobbled together a route that reached New Orleans. R.D. McIntyre photo […]

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Parting shot

20191022

The crew of Southern Pacific Extra 6311 East ties up at the Sparks, Nev., yard office, 2 miles east of Reno. The men have moved their train of 5,002 tons 137 miles from Sacramento, including a vertical climb of 6,723 feet and a descent of 2,459 feet. Philip R. Hastings photo […]

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Paper power

20191007

Lettered East Branch & Lincoln, but belonging to Franconia Paper Co., 2-4-2T No. 5 works at Lincoln, N.H., with sister 0-4-0T No. 3. Philip R. Hastings photo […]

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Narrow gauge twilight

20191025

Colorado & Southern 2-8-0 No. 73 follows 3-foot-gauge tracks toward the summit of Kenosha Pass, high above the canyon near Webster, Colo., on July 14, 1938. Soon these tracks of the South Park Line will be abandoned. R.H. Kindig photo […]

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Michigan Northern

20191030

Michigan Northern RS2 No. 1501 works in the rain on Oct. 7, 1978. Its main line consisted of the former Pennsylvania Railroad route from Grand Rapids to Mackinaw City and it operated from 1976 to 1986. Fred Hamilton photo […]

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Merchandise Service

20191001

The Pennsylvania Railroad had 100 such 60-foot class X40B boxcars with 7-foot doors for merchandise service, a role made clear by the cars’ paint scheme. Pennsylvania Railroad photo […]

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Lehigh legacy

20191016

Three Lehigh Valley Alco C420s fly the company flag at Treichler, Pa., in May 1974. The units were delivered in the mid-1960s in gray and yellow. Mike Bednar photo […]

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Glowing gateway

20191017

The clean-lined entrance to the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal features a liberal use of glass and is brilliantly lighted at night. James G. La Vake photo […]

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Flexi-Van variety

20191029

Although most closely associated with developer New York Central, a number of other roads had Flexi-Van equipment on their rosters. The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, for example, had 100 refrigerated Flexi-Van containers equipped with meat rails. New York Central photo […]

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Double diesel

20191002

Union Pacific U50C No. 5000 lays over at the railroad’s North Platte, Neb., shop on Jan. 21, 1975. It was one of 40 such units on the railroad in operation from 1969 to 1978. Bruce Barrett photo […]

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