‘Seatrain Georgia’ The hull configuration of the Seatrain ships—three decks, each with four tracks (plus four tracks on the top deck)—is evident in this view of Seatrain Georgia being lengthened at Sun Shipbuilding in 1963. The vessel has been cut in two for installation of a new midsection. Hagley Museum & Library collection […]
Perishable progress The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe rebuilt older wood refrigerator cars with steel sides instead of buying new cars. The Rr-49 class, pictured, introduced sliding plug doors in 1950. Santa Fe photo […]
Quebec winter In February 1954, a Canadian Pacific light Pacific on a westbound local freight pants in the siding by the Cookshire, Quebec, depot, waiting for doubleheaded Mikados on a grain train to clear. Jim Shaughnessy photo […]
South Schenectady smoke show Delaware & Hudson 4-6-6-4 No. 1510 drifts downgrade with an eastbound freight seen from a perch on New York Central’s West Shore bridge in South Schenectady, N.Y., on May 14, 1950. Photo by William D. Middleton […]
Solo ‘Blue Bird’ Crews change on the Norfolk & Western Blue Bird at Decatur, Ill., in 1967. The train was running separate from the Cannon Ball (note the green flags) owing to the winter storm having disrupted schedules. Behind GP9 510 is E8 3808, one of five Wabash passenger cabs N&W repainted. J. David Ingles […]
Emigrant Gap The caboose roof glistens with moisture as Southern Pacific Extra 6311 East climbs through the Donner Pass mist at storied Emigrant Gap, 65 miles out of Roseville and nearly a mile above sea level in October 1957. Philip R. Hastings photo […]
Diesel disruptor Four U25B demonstrators climb upgrade on the Northern Pacific near Blossburg, Mont., in 1961. The U25B brought GE into the heavy diesel market, and within a few years the company had eclipsed Alco for the No. 2 spot among locomotive builders. General Electric photo […]
Fun-size railroading Buffalo Creek & Gauley motorcar B shows off rear door, two backup lights, and a coupler. The West Virginia short line connected with the Baltimore & Ohio Dundon. James R. Greene photo […]
The final Frontier Central’s Frontier Yard, formally opened on March 14, 1956, replaced eight smaller yards in the Buffalo area, slashing classification time per car from 27 hours to 9. New York Central photo […]
MIAMI — Brightline CEO Michael Reininger is more optimistic than ever about the prospects for high speed rail in the United States but wants to see more opportunities for the private sector to get involved. In building the Brightline Florida system, the company accessed private activity bonds, which are tax-exempt bonds issued by city or […]
Lonely Rock Island An inbound Rock Island commuter train arrives at the mostly vacant LaSalle Street Station on Dec. 27, 1972. The Chicago skyline shown here is drastically different from what visitors today would see. Denny Hamilton photo […]
Pennsy power A Pennsylvania Railroad M1 4-8-2 and a pair of PA passenger diesels, both assigned to helper service, are seen at Ralston, Pa., on a damp May 4, 1957. Note the crewman climbing the steam locomotive. Jim Shaughnessy photo […]
