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Railfanning California’s Central Valley offers diverse operations, wide-open vistas, and plenty of action. Even so, the Central Valley gets no respect. Fresno, Bakersfield and even Sacramento are the butt of jokes by Los Angeles and Bay Area citizens. Railfans make trips to Cajon, Donner and Tehachapi passes but seldom celebrate the tabletop-flat topography of the […]
Many of these vintage structures have survived into the 21st century. However, not all retain their original purpose. The following 10 historic rail stations have been rejuvenated but repurposed without regular passenger rail service. Still, they remain a must-see for travelers and enthusiasts. Ellicott City Station Ellicott City, Md.: Historically the oldest surviving station in […]
Many of us started our love affair with model trains after getting Lionel or American Flyer items, perhaps to circle a Christmas tree. We might have gotten a toy plastic or metal station with people printed on the sides and some fake evergreen trees. It was all the excitement and the reality we needed. I […]
Amarillo to Fort Worth BNSF Railway’s route from Amarillo to Fort Worth has been twice reinvented — a secondary route rebuilt into a unit coal train conveyor, then repurposed to a primary California-Texas intermodal route. Broad vistas, interesting topography and about 20 trains per day easily viewable from a closely paralleling U.S. highway makes the […]
Denver Union Station’s predecessor established the city as the transportation hub of the West and the primary gateway to the Rocky Mountains. Opened on June 1, 1881, where 17th Street dead-ends into Wynkoop Street, Denver Union Depot was 504 feet long and 65 feet wide, the largest structure in the West. Within a decade, 100 […]
In addition to Amtrak’s long-distance, regional, and high-speed Acela trains, the Northeast Corridor (NEC) hosts multiple commuter entities across different sections. From Boston to Washington D.C., find out where each of these services travel along this highly active main line. These are the commuter rail systems along the Northeast Corridor. It’s important to note that […]
Vermont railfan event About 80 “train catchers” boarded coaches behind Rutland No. 405 that Saturday. Some carried cameras, some notebooks, some with a buddy, some came alone. What did all of us have in common? Trains. I call us “train catchers” because like dream catchers, we anticipate a safe journey provided by our engine. We […]
Railfanning the upper Mississippi River is a rewarding experience. The area’s scenic beauty rated a slogan from the Burlington Route: “Where nature smiles 300 miles,” enticing passengers to Chicago, Burlington & Quincy passenger trains along the east bank of the river. Milwaukee Road’s Hiawathas (slogan: “Nothing Faster on Rails”) competed for Chicago-Twin Cities business using its own […]
Last runs of the RoadRailers The RoadRailer era is over. Once extending to a number of railroads — and for several years exclusive to Norfolk Southern — the RoadRailer period came to an end on the weekend of Aug. 24-25, 2024. NS, having previously pared back its offering of Triple Crown-branded routes to a single […]
When it comes to showmanship in mainline mountain railroading, California’s Tehachapi Pass can be described as a grand theater. Located between Bakersfield and Mojave, historic Tehachapi Loop is at center stage, an impressive helix stretching three-quarters of a mile while looping over itself to gain 77 feet in elevation. The loop itself sits at about […]
Exploring the Canadian prairie railroads by Provincial highway 14 between Edmonton, Alberta and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, one parallels the densest part of the Canadian National main line, hosts VIA Rail’s iconic Canadian streamliner as well as history, photo props, and even a sampling of CPKC’s former Canadian Pacific. The twist? Highway 14 is actually two separate […]
Pennsylvania’s U.S. 22 It takes less than 6 hours to drive across Pennsylvania using Interstate 80 (boring) or the Pennsylvania Turnpike (expensive and boring). Instead, drive through Pennsylvania on U.S. Route 22 for a plethora of really interesting railroad sites and plenty of trains. Even on a multi-day trip there is almost too much to […]
