Current Issue

Spring 2010

Issue Cover
Classic Trains is a quarterly magazine celebrating the "golden years of railroading." Each issue covers the North American railroad scene from the 1920s to the late 1970s with extraordinary photographs and compelling writing. Giant steam locomotives, colorful streamliners, down-home local trains, great passenger terminals, recollections of railroaders and train-watchers . . . they're all in the pages of Classic Trains.

Contents

Canadian Pacific: Last Day of Steam on a CPR Mixed
An era draws to a close on March 29, 1960, in the chilly North Woods of Maine. See video of CPR steam in action
By David Plowden
Baltimore & Ohio: Glimpses at Garrett
Born too late: Witnessing Class 1 steam was a consequence of geography and age. See video of B&O steam in action
By J. David Ingles
Illinois Central: A Day with the 2613
Following a 4-8-2 on the Cairo Turn in January 1960 during IC's last winter of steam. See video of IC 4-8-2's in action
By J. Parker Lamb
Missabe Road: Swan Song on the Range
A teenager and his dad pursue steam in northern Minnesota during 1958-59.
By Robert C. Anderson
Nickel Plate: Curtain Call at Conneaut
NKP's last active steam was not Berkshires on fast freights but humble 0-8-0's in a yard.
By Norm Herbert
Southern Pacific: The Fleet by the Bay
California's last big steam show took place on the San Francisco Peninsula. See video of SP steam in action
By Tom Dill
Burlington Route: Centralia's "Other" Steam Bastion
A 1956 Illinois Interlude was with the CB&Q, not the IC.
By Jim Shaughnessy
Norfolk & Western: Roanoke Remembered
Two boys from New Jersey ride a Pullman to the last great citadel of steam. See video of N&W steam in action
By Roger Cook and Karl Zimmermann
Northern Pacific: Northtown Memories
In 1956-57, NP still operated an eclectic array of steam power at its Minneapolis yard.
By David A. Nealy
Rio Grande: Slim Gauge, Long Careers
Classics Today: K-28 Mikados of 1923 are still earning a living on the Durango & Silverton. Read an engineer's assessment of the K-28's
By Robert S. McGonigal
Union Pacific: Snowy Show on Sherman Hill
A college sophomore gets caught in a blizzard in his quest to photograph UP's Big Boys. See video of Big Boys and Challengers in action
By Frank Barry
Grand Trunk Western: Ride of a Lifetime
A 12-year-old's request for a cab ride puts him and his dad on board a streamlined 4-8-4.
By Charles Chauncey Wells
Colorado & Southern: The Jim Ehrenberger Special
A July 1959 farewell-to-steam charter drew 27 riders-and had almost as many photo runbys! See video of C&S steam in action
By James L. Ehrenberger
Canadian National: Three Days in December
Steering clear of the "grunt buggies" on the Stratford Division in the last days of 1958. See video of CN steam in action
By James A. Brown
Lake Superior & Ishpeming: Last Gasps on the LS&I
A brief stop at Marquette, Mich., in June 1959 paid off . . . barely.
By Norm Herbert
The Asterisks*
*On a half-dozen otherwise dieselized railroads, specialized steam hung on after 1957. Learn more about the end of Class 1 steam

Departments

Editor's Page
Steam's golden anniversary
Contributors
Meet this issue's crew
Head End
Items from railroad history, then and now
Fast Mail
Letters from our readers
True Color
Central of Georgia and Southern Railway diesels in Atlanta, 1957.
Fallen Flags Remembered
Chicago & Eastern Illinois, by Kevin P. Keefe
The Way It Was
Return Trip to Tucumcari • GG1 at Swarthmore • Santa Fe Train 76 vs. 17 Tons of Sand • IC 4-8-2 seen from a CB&Q Dome
Car Stop
West Penn Railways
Ready Track
Brief reviews of recent classic era railroad books and a DVD
Second Section
Who's who on the C&S Ehrenberger special
Bumping Post
E7's at Bangor, Maine
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