Soldier Summit

Streamlined passenger train rolls into valley alongside yard tracks filled with hoppers

Soldier Summit The eastbound California Zephyr catches the morning sun at Soldier Summit, Utah, in August 1959. Ahead: a full day of breathtaking scenery on the Denver & Rio Grande Western, which the train used for 570 miles of its 2,518-mile, three-railroad route. Fred Matthews photo […]

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A visit to John Staschak’s O gauge layout

Overview of John Staschak's toy train layout with superimposed cover of September 2021 Classic Toy Trains

John’s layout appears in the September 2021 issue of Classic Toy Trains. It features tremendous trackwork and wonderful scenery (see the plan here), in addition to some spectacular modern trains. Watch and hear freight and passenger consists work their way around it. […]

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A visit to John Staschak’s O gauge layout

Overview of John Staschak's toy train layout with superimposed cover of September 2021 Classic Toy Trains

John’s layout appears in the September 2021 issue of Classic Toy Trains. It features tremendous trackwork and wonderful scenery (see the plan here), in addition to some spectacular modern trains. Watch and hear freight and passenger consists work their way around it. […]

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State of the art

Diesel locomotive set leads a freight train through hills and under a signal bridge

State of the art A classic A-B-B-A set of EMD FTs — the state of the locomotive art in 1940 — lead a Santa Fe freight over Southern California’s Cajon Pass. Santa Fe photo […]

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Western Pacific Railroad: Locomotives

Black-and-white view of diesel road-switcher locomotive

  All through August 2021, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the heritage, history, and splendor that was the Western Pacific Railroad. Please enjoy this photo gallery of locomotives selected from Kalmbach Media’s David P. Morgan Library. Only from Trains.com! […]

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Indiana museum receives donation of ex-EJ&E locomotive

Orange locomotive next to color position signals

NORTH JUDSON, Ind. — The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum will receive a rebuilt former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern locomotive, originally an SD9,  from its current owner, the Chesapeake & Indiana Railroad, the museum has announced. The locomotive is currently operational and will continue to be used by the Chesapeake & Indiana until it is ready […]

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Rare Fairbanks-Morse locomotive donated to Tennessee museum

Light blue and white diesel locomotive

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum has added a rare Fairbanks-Morse locomotive to its collection thanks to a donation from the Tennessee Valley Authority. The H16-66 “Baby Trainmaster”, built in 1958, is one of the few surviving Fairbanks-Morse locomotives, and one of less than 1,500 produced by Fairbanks-Morse before the company exited the […]

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B&O museum completes cosmetic restoration of historic diesel

Olive green boxcab locomotive

BALTIMORE, Md. – The B&O Railroad Museum has completed a cosmetic restoration of Central of New Jersey No. 1000, the world’s first commercial diesel-electric locomotive. The existing paint scheme from the 1950s was maintained, which was an olive green with the famed Statue of Liberty emblem in gold. This restoration was completed in memory of […]

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News photo: Erie paint for 75-year-old switcher

Black and yellow locomotive pulling passenger cars

GOWANDA, N.Y. — It’s new paint for an old locomotive. New York short line New York & Lake Erie shows off the paint scheme applied to 75-year old Alco S1 no. 308 as part of the unit’s rebuilding and return to service, at Gowanda, N.Y., on Aug. 8, 2021.  Built for Erie Railroad in November […]

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Not what it seems

Diesel locomotives push behind a caboose on a freight train by a signal

Not what it seems A Clinchfield “Shifter South” crawls out of Elkhorn City yard away from the camera and across Pool Point at the north end of the Breaks of the Big Sandy in 1964. The three-unit pusher will stay with the train to Towers, Va., where the grade begins to ease. Ron Flanary photo […]

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