Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 photos

FULL SCREEN Drew Halverson Hill 852, Cajon Pass – April 28, 2014 FULL SCREEN Drew Halverson Hill 852, Cajon Pass – April 28, 2014 FULL SCREEN Drew Halverson Hill 852, Cajon Pass – April 28, 2014 FULL SCREEN Drew Halverson Barstow, CA – April 28, 2014 FULL SCREEN Drew Halverson Cajon Pass – April 28, […]

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Fastest hogger on the slim-gauge

DRGW485engr

A predecessor of this Rio Grande engineer made a daring Chama–Durango run in 1923. A. C. Kalmbach My grandfather, Marvin Rhodes, lived for almost a century, and he spent more than half of his long life working out of Durango, Colo., on the narrow-gauge lines of the Denver & Rio Grande Western. He hired out […]

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Small town railroading in the early 1950s

Smalltownrailroadingintheearly1950s

For many years small towns were a major source of traffic for railroads all across the country. Long before anyone ever heard of freeways, the railroads moved all sorts of carload and less-than-carload lot (LCL) freight that kept the local businesses and nearby agricultural economy going. A local station agent-operator was the railroad’s representative who […]

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Big Boy Chase PHOTOS, Day 2 through California’s Mojave Desert

The union pacific train passing by

On Tuesday, April 29, Trains’ live streaming video crew of Brian Schmidt and Drew Halverson chased Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 through the depths of California’s Mojave Desert. Along the way, they got great shots of the 4-8-8-4 locomotive — what is quickly becoming the most famous steam locomotive restoration project in the world. […]

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Yard duty

CSX GP40-2 No. 6204 and B36-7 No. 5875 work a maintenance extra at Cedar Hill Yard in North Haven, Conn., on June 15, 2009. Photo by Thomas Mik […]

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Midwest passenger train consists, July 23-25, 1964

Classic Trains logo

Trains ridden: C&O-B&O Night Special, Detroit–Toledo–Lima, July 23-24 (C&O No. 21, Detroit Fort Street–Plymouth; C&O No. 48, Plymouth–Toledo; B&O No. 57, Toledo–Lima): B&O 1457/1409 (E9A/E6A), 12 cars* (B&O unless noted): REX 6398 express, REX 7082 express, C&O 396 baggage, 662 baggage, 230 baggage, 47 RPO, 3547 coach, 3572 coach, B&O Pullman sleeper Cascade Drive (MP Eagle […]

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Helper communication in the steam locomotive era

Helpercommunicationinthesteamlocomotiveera

Helper operations were carefully coordinated using locomotive whistle signals as specified in the railroad’s operating rules: (an “o” denotes a short sound, while a dash – indicates a longer whistle blast). The lead engineer handled the train’s air brake while each helper engineer had an independent brake for just his engine. Two long blasts on […]

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The working class

Union Pacific GP38-2 No. 648 switches customers on an industrial spur in New Berlin, Wis. The engine, built for Missouri Pacific in 1977, may no longer head road freights, but performs meaningful work nonetheless, providing service to local warehouses and factories. Photo by Matt Van Hattem […]

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Foreigner

Canadian National grain train G884 heads back east with three CSX locomotives on Jan. 19, 2014. The train is operating on trackage rights over BNSF Railway’s Aurora Subdivision from East Dubuque to Portage, Ill. Photo by Matt Krause […]

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Waiting game

CSX intermodal train Q124 rolls northbound on the main line at Lineville, Ala., as a Herzog ballast train awaits in the siding on Sept. 30, 2011. Photo by Bradley Bates […]

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