Meeting Santa Fe M-190 face to face

Motor passenger train at station

Santa Fe No. M-190 was possibly the most unusual gas-electric car ever manufactured. Measuring 90 feet long, it consisted of two articulated sections riding on three trucks. An Electro-Motive power plant and the operating cab were in the front section, and the rear portion was for baggage. When delivered in June 1932, M-190 had a […]

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Windy City excursion

Diesel locomotives with passenger train at brick station in snow

Windy City excursion A Michigan Railroad Club special from Detroit to Chicago pauses for a crew change at Battle Creek, Mich., in February 1967, following a 28-inch snowfall. The two locomotives, Nos. 4900 and 4901, were the GTW’s first passenger diesels, acquired as Nos. 1750-1751 in 1954. Photo by J. David Ingles […]

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Newsworthy

Patrons visit the newsstand in New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal

Newsworthy New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal’s newsstand is centrally located in the facility’s main room. The $25.5 million facility had 12 tracks and opened in May 1954. Photo by James G. La Vake […]

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Automobile unloading

New automobiles are driven down a ramp off a railroad car

Automobile unloading Ramps at many early auto-handling facilities were permanently mounted. This Buck ramp on the Louisville & Nashville in 1962 has a full-width platform and can be adjusted to any deck height. Photo by Louisville & Nashville […]

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Steam superlative

Steam locomotive smoking with freight train

Steam superlative The Rock Island had a fleet of 85 4-8-4s, largest in the United States. Here, No. 5058 leads a westbound freight near Lawrence, Kans., in January 1952. Photo by Robert Olmsted […]

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Kickbacks

Tracks on coal transfer dock at night

Kickbacks Cars of coal are unloaded dockside by the Chesapeake & Ohio at this massive facility in Newport News, Va. Once unloaded, cars roll out of the dumper toward the camera, up a steep kickback track, and reverse direction down to the empties yard. Later they’ll head west for another load. Photo by W. A. […]

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Wide open spaces

Smoking steam locomotive with freight train framed under tree

Wide open spaces Great Northern 2-8-2 No. 3117 is westbound at Richmond, Minn., in 1955. The railroad’s territory was sparsely populated, with one city over 100,000 between its endpoints. Photo by James Kreuzberger; Steve Glischinski collection […]

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Steam down south

Steam locomotive with train on curve by brick station

Steam down south Gainesville Midland 2-8-0 No. 301 switches at its namesake Georgia town. The two-story building in the distance is the road’s headquarters. Photo by Philip R. Hastings […]

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