Steam faces diesel at Salida

Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad

Denver & Rio Grande Western 2-8-0 1138 watches as four brand-new GP9s bring an eastbound freight into Salida, Colo., on the Tennessee Pass line in December 1955. Trains for the narrow-gauge Monarch Branch operated out of this yard, hence the dual-gauge track. Jim Shaughnessy photo […]

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The Ferdinand’s 4-4-0

Ferdinand Railroad

In southern Indiana, handsome 4-4-0 No. 9 of the 7.4-mile short line Ferdinand Railroad poses in late afternoon sun for photographers visiting from New Jersey in May 1952. Built by H. K. Porter in 1920, she was scrapped in 1953. Ed Theisinger photo […]

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Santa Fe’s first 2-10-4 on Raton

Santa Fe Railway

Santa Fe No. 5000, the first 2-10-4 Texas type built for the road, and 2-10-2 No. 3873 climb the 3.5-percent grade on the north side of Raton Pass with a westbound freight extra on May 18, 1946. Pushing at the rear of the 37-car train is 2-10-2 No. 934. Preston George photo […]

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Santa Fe 4-4-2 crossing stone culvert

Colorado and Southern Railway

Santa Fe 4-4-2 No. 1440 leads the Colorado & Southern’s southbound Pike’s Peak Special over a stone culvert on the “Joint Line” between Denver and Colorado Springs in 1910. The C&S train is operating on trackage rights over the Santa Fe, which shares the route with the Denver & Rio Grande. L. C. McClure photo […]

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Ps-4 perfection

Southern Railway

Southern Railway Ps-4 Pacific 1395 departs Alexandria, Va., with the Atlanta-New Orleans Express in June 1937. Painted a striking green with gold trim, the 64 well-proportioned Ps-4 engines were among the most celebrated of all 4-6-2 classes. Walter H. Thrall Jr. photo […]

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Palatial stock car

Northern Pacific Railway

Northern Pacific 84300 is one of 22 double-deck, 86-foot “Big Pig Palace” cars built for NP by Ortner Freight Car in 1966. Ortner also built 61 similar cars for three private firms. They were among the last stock cars built in America. Ortner Freight Car photo […]

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North Western’s RDC experiment

Chicago and North Western Railroad

Chicago & North Western experimented with the self-propelled Budd Rail Diesel Car for commuter service, but never really embraced the concept, buying only these three cars — two RDC1s and an RDC2 — and eventually swapping them to the Chesapeake & Ohio for three intercity coaches. Bob Borcherding photo […]

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MoPac express boxcar

Missouri Pacific Railroad

Missouri Pacific rebuilt several older boxcars for merchandise service, adding steel sides and a blue-and-gray paint scheme. The lettering at upper left reads “For merchandise loading only between M.P. lines and T&P freight houses—do not interchange with other lines.” Missouri Pacific photo […]

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