B&O’s Keyser tower

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The former Baltimore & Ohio tower at Keyser, W.Va., seen here in 2004 under CSX ownership, was a classic “armstrong” mechanical interlocking plant. The pipes travel along the tracks, where levers and cranks transfer the motion to switches, locks, and derails. Concrete pedestals support the pipe lines and other hardware. Historic American Engineering Record photo […]

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Amtrak equipment usage

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Amtrak’s ‘Empire Builder’s consist will vary, but the number of trainsets for a route depends on schedules. Here it is westbound in June at Duplainville, Wis. Steve Sweeney Q For the past few years I have been trying to figure out how many trainsets are needed for a given train such as the Empire Builder. […]

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Pittsburgh PCCs

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In the 1950s, two Pittsburgh Railways PCC streetcars have left downtown, crossed the Monongahela River on the Smithfield Bridge, passed the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie depot, and are heading up into the South Hills tunnel. Linn H. Westcott photo […]

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Beyond the training program

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N&W four- and six-motor EMDs rest at Crewe, Va., in 1981, three years after author Siik became acquainted with similar units during a strike on former Nickel Plate lines in Ohio. Curt Tillotson Jr. It happened nearly four decades ago, but still fresh are my memories of following the ghosts of 2-8-4 Berkshires and Bluebird […]

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Toledo’s circular railroad

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Toledo, Ohio, has long been a center of industry. Nicknamed the “Glass City” for its prominence in glassmaking, the city is also home to the iconic Jeep brand and a busy Great Lakes port. Toledo Terminal Railroad used its circular route to connect the city’s industrial base with national and world markets. One can still […]

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What is “HERZOG?”

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Herzog freight cars are often seen in track maintenance and repair projects, such as this ballast train. Mike Yuhas Q I have seen private freight cars on the major railroads carrying the logo and letters for “HERZOG.” Who owns them and what do they carry? – L. Frank Herman, Springfield, Ill. A You likely saw […]

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