Train watching in the 1960s

What would it have been like to spend one day at a perfect train-watching spot in the 1950s and 1960s? This 30-page download takes you back in time, with contributors sharing their experiences from memorable trips across the United States. This free guide provides plenty of pictures, too, with classic railroad photos from a bygone […]

Read More…

Passenger railroads in the U.S. and Canada

This special series offers an overview of intercity and passenger railroading in North America. Our free, 30-page PDF download includes the following features: Beech Grove to the Rescue  An inside look at Amtrak’s rolling stock repair facility, where an injection of stimulus funding has been used to repair passenger cars and sidelined P40 locomotives. Taking […]

Read More…

Growing up along the Burlington

CBQEunit

An E unit leads a train through Berwyn, Ill., on a lazy day in August 1963. Such scenes were part of daily life along the Burlington’s triple-track main west of Chicago. Larry Kostka It didn’t matter how often you rode the trains, or even if you did at all. Growing up in the postwar era […]

Read More…

Big Boy braking power

TRNAT0514_04

Ten hoppers coupled to the Big Boy consist in January 2014 were used for additional braking power. Steve Sweeney Q Why was there a string of hopper cars in the consist moving Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 from Pomona to West Colton, Calif., in January 2014? – David Tritenbach, Kerrville, Texas A Although Union […]

Read More…

Locomotives

Locomotives are the power behind the rail industry, and capturing the perfect photo of a locomotive is no small feat. That’s why Trains magazine is offering this 40-page special download all about locomotives. This free PDF includes an in-depth guide to rail-fanning in Los Angeles, where there’s no shortage of activity from the likes of Union Pacific, […]

Read More…

Electric Railroads

The electrification of U.S. railroads has long been a vision for the future that’s never reached its full potential. From 18th century technology development, to early 20th century progress on major electric traction projects, the United States was a world leader in railroad electrification. But electrification expansion projects were halted during World War II and, […]

Read More…

Taking Care of Business: SMS Rail Lines

A green-paint switching locomotive in a rail yard.

To launch our all-new operation-oriented series, Charlie Conway captures a day in the life of a hardworking SMS Rail Lines crew in New Jersey. In this narrated show, you’ll discover useful modeling insights and prototype railroad information you can apply to your own layout operating sessions. You won’t want to miss any of the shortline […]

Read More…

An ancient scale test car

TRNAT0514_01

Scale test cars are used to calibrate in-track scales that weigh freight cars. The car shown above was built in 1891 and served until the 1980s. Jim Battle Q The car in this picture was in the New York, Susquehanna & Western’s Little Ferry, N.J., yard in September 1978. Do you know if it is […]

Read More…