America’s oldest railroad tunnels What seems like a straightforward question can have three different answers, depending on how you define “oldest.” Partisans of the Pennsylvania, the New Haven, and the New York Central (and their ancestral lines) will have their own takes on it — and each will be right. Ask where is the first […]
Harvey House restaurants were a staple of Santa Fe stations in the west, celebrated for quality food no matter the location, as well as for their “Harvey Girls.” Mabel Wells collection […]
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, commonly known as the Burlington Route, had many other Zephyrs. While not as prestigious as the Pioneer, Twin Cities, Mark Twain, Denver and California Zephyrs, these other streamlined trainsets and services, famously named after the Greek God of the West Wind, deserve a spotlight. Sam Houston Zephyr Fort […]
Rock Island passenger trains: All through May 2024, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the history and heritage of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific. Please enjoy this photo gallery of Rock Island passenger trains, originally published online in July 2017. […]
With sunny skies and warm temperatures, there was only thing to do around Milwaukee this past Monday: chase (as best you could) the high-flying Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 No. 2816, deep into its closely watched “Final Spike Anniversary Tour,” organized by CPKC to celebrate the April 2023 merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern. The […]
Railroad fans of all stripes congregate at Promontory, Utah, on May 10, 1969, for the Golden Spike centennial celebration, including a trainload that came from New York City behind High Iron 2-8-4 No. 759 and a Union Pacific streamliner west of Kansas City. Arthur W. Zimmerla, collection of Arthur A. Zimmerla […]
Rio Grande F7 No. 5661 struck a standing train at Thistle, Utah, on Dec. 19, 1963. Much of the impact energy was released just behind the cab, which remains intact. James H. Karle photo […]
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An eastbound Elgin, Joliet & Eastern freight is headed by 2-8-2 No. 747 about 2 miles east of Joliet, Ill. For years the road promoted itself as a Chicago bypass. R.H. Braun photo […]
Dual-service GP7 No. 129 rolls through the Columbus, Ga., station in April 1960 wearing paint reminiscent of the Baltimore & Ohio. The road would become a Southern Railway subsidiary in 1963, bringing the parent company’s paint scheme to the 1,800-mile road. Norm Herbert photo […]
Rock Island history is a mighty good history. In 1847 the Rock Island & La Salle Rail Road was chartered to build between Rock Island, Ill., on the Mississippi River, and La Salle, where connections would be made with the Illinois & Michigan Canal to Chicago. Contractor Henry Farnam persuaded the organizers to extend the […]
The year and locomotive number are the same – 1954 – as one of Louisville & Nashville’s big M-1-class “Big Emma” 2-8-4s leads an Atlanta-bound freight out of Decoursey Yard in Kentucky, a few miles south of Cincinnati. Louisville & Nashville photo […]
