Preview February and March Trains 2024 content

Coming in February …

We’re always adding new content to our website! Here’s a sneak peek at a few items coming up soon.

Snow week! 5 mind-blowing facts on the Alaska Railroad

Blue and yellow passenger train with mountains in the background. — The Alaska Railroad is a vital transportation link to the interior of the 49th State. The century-old railroad moves freight and amazes passengers as it traverses a land of contrasts ranging from towering mountain peaks to swamps and tidal bays. It travels through summer heat and frigid winters. And, it is owned by the State of Alaska. The southbound *Denali Star,* the road’s flagship passenger train takes the Summit siding to await its northbound counterpart on Sept. 6, 2008. Lead unit No. 4326 is part of the railroad’s SD70M-2 fleet. Frank Keller

U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward must have thought he was making the real estate deal of a lifetime — 600,000 square miles for a cost of less than two cents an acre. That is the price Seward negotiated with Edouard de Stoecki, Russian minister to the U.S., for the purchase of what would become the 49th state — Alaska. Not everyone agreed with Seward’s deal, calling Alaska “Seward’s folly” or “Seward’s icebox.” Opinions changed when the territory’s wealth of natural resources was discovered — gold, copper, coal, and, eventually, oil. Naturally, it was a railroad that played a role in making Alaska what it has become. Come along for five mind-blowing facts on the Alaska Railroad.

The evolution of EMD’s GP60-series locomotives

orange BNSF locomotive hauling heavy-tonnage trains — EMD’s GP60-series locomotives: BNSF’s line between Spokane and Chewelah, Wash., is restricted to four-axle locomotives, making it a perfect assignment for BNSF’s GP60M and GP60Bs to haul heavy-tonnage trains across this mountainous terrain. Chris Guss

EMDs GP60 model was the last of a series of four-axle locomotives built with ever-increasing horsepower, designed to lead a railroad’s priority trains. Short, fast intermodal trains were perfect for a GP60s 3,800 horsepower V-16 to send 950 horsepower to each axle. Unfortunately, the double stack era was underway, with longer heavier trains beginning to make inroads across the country. Most railroads found six-axle locomotives better suited to double-stack trains, essentially spelling the end for future four-axle locomotive development.

Travel: Come for the trains, stay for the food and service

brick restaurant with lights and fence — Food and service: Once a Philadelphia & Reading passenger station, this beautifully restored building hosts the Tamaqua Station Restaurant. Inside are Reading photos and artifacts. Brian Solomon

I like railroad station restaurants, especially those that thoroughly grasp their heritage, offer views of the tracks, and consistently provide great service and delicious food. Over the years, I’ve visited a great many, including traditional establishments in active railroad stations …

How to fly a locomotive

An orange European-design diesel locomotive mounted on a multi-wheeled road trailer, is loading into a giant cargo aircraft — To meet a tight deadline for a naming ceremony in Ireland In 1994, General Motors Electro-Motive Division charted a Ukrainian-built Antonov 124-100 cargo plane to fly the locomotive from London, Ontario, to Dublin, setting a world record for heaviest commercial air cargo. Diesel Division General Motors Canada Limited

It was the early 1990s and I was an Electro-Motive Division export locomotive district sales manager in the International Locomotive Business Group, based at EMD’s headquarters in LaGrange, Ill. At the time, I was responsible for our locomotive and spare parts sales in Europe, and one of my customers was Irish Rail. During this time, locomotive procurement activity was starting to brew at the railway.

Coming in March …

Canaan Union Depot: One of the oldest surviving union depots

A blue and white doesel locomotive passes a yellow-painted wooden train station — Canaan Union Depot — a single station jointly shared by two or more railroads — to be built in the U.S., still stands in the small town of North Canaan, Conn. Connor Dietrich

The story of this historic building traces back to the 1870s, a busy time for American railroads. Across the nation new lines were being built between cities and towns, often crossing over one another. One of these crossovers happened in the small town of North Caanan. Located in the northwest corner of Connecticut, North Caanan was a small mining and industry hub for the region.

Travel: Lone Star heritage railroad

steam train on railroad on a sunny day — The railroad operates steam and historic diesels. In recent years, a regular runner has been a Baldwin 2-8-2 built in 1917 for the Tremont & Gulf Railway and numbered 7 reflecting its years of service on the Magma Arizona Railroad. Tom Kline

Are you looking for something different yet familiar? Consider a visit to the Texas State Railroad, where you’ll experience a classic mix of mid-20th century railroading and a pleasant 4-hour train ride …