Western mainline tonnage growth: 1979 to 2001

Western-growth

This Map of the Month was featured in the June 2003 issue of  Trains magazine. We know railroads experienced a lot of traffic growth since they were deregulated in 1980, but where? And more importantly, which lines did better or worse than average? This map of western main lines compares the growth rate in tonnage […]

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May 2012 Trains Express PDF download

trpdf060

The Western Maryland, or “Wild Mary” as it was known to its many fans, was a a tenacious regional railroad, running west from Baltimore to the mountains of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It was known for its fast freights, coal traffic, and the iconic Helmstetter’s Curve. Download this month’s Trains Express PDF package at the […]

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Rusting tracks at LaSalle

Abandoned tracks into large passenger train station in urban area

Today, it’s a busy Metra station, but on Sept. 27, 1979, LaSalle Street Station in downtown Chicago was a place for rust and weeds. An extended strike crippled the Rock Island Railroad, leading to the desolate scene. Photo by Ralcon Wagner […]

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Snow fog

Intermodal trains pass at Winton, Wash., a short ride east of the Cascade Tunnel at Stevens Pass. ES44C4 No. 6896 is leading Seattle-Chicago train Z-SSECHC6-19A, while the distributed power unit of Tacoma, Wash.-bound train S-STPTAC3-16A disappears into a fog of snow. Photo by David Honan […]

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I see you

A Chicago commuter train is stopped at a signal on Metra’s Union Pacific West Line (UP’s Geneva Subdivision), as headlights from an oncoming eastbound train begin to round the curve on Feb. 11, 2004. Photo by Howard Ande […]

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