Colorado Railfan Vacation Hotspots

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Our June 2009 “Fantrip” offered an itinerary for a 10-day Colorado railfan vacation. But you have 11 days to explore! Just in case you find yourself with time to spare, here are more ideas for railfan fun in Rocky Mountain territory. The Forney Transportation Museum The museum features more than 500 transportation exhibits. For the […]

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Railfanning Tokyo

Shinjuku

Scott Lothes Shinjuku is the best place in the world to feel the crunch of a commuter train rush hour, and in the August 2008 issue, Trains Magazine takes you inside, with photos and stories that capture the station’s frenetic pace. But if you want to watch the trains themselves, Tokyo has a host of […]

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Where to hike

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Will the U.S. rails-with-trails movement continue gaining momentum? Or will rail safety and congestion issues stop it in its tracks? In the September 2005 issue, Trains Magazine looked at the issues surrounding locations where recreational activities and active rail lines coexist in a shared space. Want to sample some of these trails yourself? Below is […]

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Oakland to Sacramento, Calif.

Amtrak at Pinole, CA

A westbound Capitol Corridor train, led by Amtrak F59PHI No. 464, makes a fine sight as it curves along the shore of San Pablo Bay in Pinole, Calif. Read on to learn about more picturesque train-watching locations between Oakland and Sacramento. Elrond Lawrence So you’re traveling to San Francisco, and have just a few days […]

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BC Rail: Wilderness railfanning

BC Rail

A BC Rail freight rolls along the shore of Seton Lake, south of Lillooet, B.C. Dale Sanders In 1952, British Columbia pinned its future on a frontier railway. But the traffic didn’t follow, leaving the province to look for ways of rescuing its traffic-starved and cash-starved railway. A white knight came in the form of […]

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Beaumont Hill, Calif.

As Don Sims explained in the August 2003 issue of TRAINS Magazine, Beaumont Hill is a railroader’s term, taken from the small town of Beaumont, Calif., very near the 2591-foot summit crest of the former Southern Pacific Sunset Route linking Los Angeles and New Orleans. While much has changed from author Sims’ account of 1950s […]

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Cajon Pass, Calif.

Hot spot: Cajon Pass, California Cajon Pass is profiled in Kalmbach’s Guide to North American Hot Spots by TRAINS Senior Editor J. David Ingles. DescriptionHeavy mountain grade on BNSF Railway transcontinental (Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe) main line with separate rights-of-way for the north and south tracks (Tracks 1 and 2, respectively); Union Pacific operates […]

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Chicago’s hot spots

Metra F40PHM

If you want to know railroads, you’ve got to know Chicago. And Trains Magazine takes you there in its July 2003 Special Issue. You’ll see how 500 freight trains a day thread their way through the city, check in at the 30 active interlocking towers, pay homage to the city’s six great passenger stations, and […]

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Fort Worth, Texas (Tower 55)

Tower 55 map

Tower 55 in Fort Worth, where the T&P crosses UP and BNSF lines, is one of four Texas locations profiled in Kalmbach’s Guide to North American Hot Spots by TRAINS Senior Editor J. David Ingles. Read below for Tower 55 information. DescriptionGrade-level crossing of double-track Union Pacific (ex-Texas & Pacific) and single-track BNSF Railway (ex-AT&SF) […]

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Fostoria, Ohio

CSX Fostoria diamond

CSX AC4400CW 37 rolls past Fostoria, Ohio’s F Tower on the point of southward grain train G061 on February 18, 2001. With two railroads, three main lines, diamonds, and an active tower, Fostoria provides countless opportunities and angles for train watchers. James B. Winters A triangle of steel rails cross each other, the echoes of […]

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Hamilton, Ont. (Bayview Jct.)

CN at Bayview Jct., Ont.

A CN intermodal hotshot heads east on the Dundas Subdivision at Bayview Junction in Hamilton, Ontario, on July 2, 1989. Howard Ande For a first-hand look at Canada’s major railways, there are few places better than Bayview Junction in Hamilton, Ontario, where two of Canadian National’s busiest lines converge at a wye. Canadian Pacific comes […]

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Hutchinson, Kans.

Hutchinson, Kans., is generally thought of as a town to pass through, not a point of final destination. As rail enthusiasts and photographers head west to Curtis Hill, or follow the Union Pacific’s trackage into the southwest, they’re likely to pass through thinking it’s just a good place for gas and food. But “Hutch” offers […]

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