Video Extra: Santa Fe PA’s in action

In his article “The First PA’s” in the Winter 2008 issue of Classic Trains, author Peter A. Hansen examines Alco’s first postwar passenger diesels, Santa Fe Nos. 51L, 51A, and 51B. Here are scenes of Santa Fe PA’s in action from Herron Rail Video’s DVD program “Glory Machines, Vol. 5.” […]

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Tom Danneman’s ideas for restyling BNSF

When Editor Wrinn mentioned his idea for an upcoming editorial (“BNSF, CSX, Please Buy a Vowel,”page 4, February 2008), I was in total agreement. I mentioned to him that since we were going ahead and renaming BNSF to Great Western, why don’t I fix their paint scheme while I’m at it. Jim thought that an […]

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Where to hike

Trains Magazine placeholder image

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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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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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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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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Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.

TRAIN-WATCHING HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TWIN CITIES HIAWATHA LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT LINE Runs from: Warehouse District/Hennepin Ave. in downtown Minneapolis along Hiawatha Avenue to MSP International Airport and Mall of America in Bloomington, 11.6 miles. Train frequency: Trains run daily, every 7-8 minutes during rush hours, every 10 minutes between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm, every […]

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Spokane, Wash., a railfanning hotspot

Spokane photo

Eastbound BNSF freights from Seattle descend into Spokane on the Indian Canyon Bridge, part of a 1970s relocation of the ex-Great Northern main line. Bruce Kelly Spokane is one of three Washington state locales profiled in Kalmbach’s Guide to North American Hot Spots by TRAINS Senior Editor J. David Ingles. Description Spokane is the busy […]

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Tulsa, Okla.

Tulsa-Sapulpa switcher

Tulsa-Sapulpa Union No. 104 borrows a page from the story ” The Little Engine that Could.” Hal Miller Tulsa, Okla. is served by two Class 1 railroads, three short lines, and two industrial operations. TRAINS Magazine profiled two of Tulsa’s hometown short lines in its April 2001 issue. See below for some information on Tulsa’s […]

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BNSF Railway merger family tree

BNSF Railway

BNSF Railway Company Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. created on September 22, 1995, when BN bought AT&SF’s corporate Parent. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway merged into Burlington Northern Railroad on December 31, 1996, and BN renamed Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway. Name shortened to BNSF Railway Company in 2005. Atchison, Topeka & Santa […]

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BNSF Railway

A westbound BNSF freight train rounds the Tehachapi Loop in Southern California. Howard Ande The product of the Sept. 22, 1995 merger of the parent companies of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and the Burlington Northern Railroad, BNSF is one of the west’s two giant railroad systems. Its 32,000-mile network (24,000 owned route […]

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