Alco locomotives on NY shortline railroads Alco locomotives on NY shortline railroads: A drive along twisting mountain byways through freshly fallen snow, ears straining for the slightest hint of the groan from the horn atop an ALCO RS-3, camera at the ready for the first sign of a brightly colored locomotive is how my trip […]
The EMD RS1325 light road switcher. Someone at EMD must have thought, “here’s an idea that can’t miss!” We’ll offer a modern light road switcher for railroads needing a little bit more oomph than a standard end cab unit that don’t need a heavier and more complex traditional Geep or RS-series locomotive. The concept […]
Three great paint schemes A paint scheme on a locomotive is the visual face of a railroad. It’s what the public sees, and field employees work on and around daily. Some schemes may appeal to some but not others. I’ll run down what I find appealing trackside within the Class I rosters today and explain […]
Locomotive 2022 returns with the most comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of motive power trends, new locomotive production, rebuilds, and other changes in North American fleets. No other product covers the locomotive business’ past, present, and future as thoroughly as the Locomotive 2022 special issue. […]
This softcover, perfectbound, 570-page reference book is an index for modeling Baltimore and Ohio locomotives. So, there are no photos therein, and only text. This is not a history book about the B&O, so it’s not the type of publication you’d sit down with a good cup of coffee and immerse yourself in B&O passenger […]
“The Lionel Acela exposed” was originally published in the May 2013 Classic Toy Trains. Noted Kalmbach illustrator Rick Johnson produced numerous cutaway illustrations for various brands during his career, but few were this detailed. Along with text by toy train mechanical expert Matt Troester and based on photography by Bill Zuback, this is a […]
Amtrak inherited a menagerie of power at startup in 1971, but what were the oldest Amtrak locomotives? During the period leading up to the advent of Amtrak in May 1971, it wasn’t uncommon to see passenger train equipment, both locomotives and cars, of significant seniority. Regarding what came behind the locomotives, heavyweight (typically pre-World […]
Spokane, Portland and Seattle freight trains remembered: All through August 2022, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the grit, panache, and charm that was the Spokane, Portland and Seattle. As part of the celebration, please enjoy this freight train photo gallery as the perfect accompaniment. Each month since October 2019, Classic Trains editors have showcase one “Fallen Flag” railroad — […]
Please enjoy this photo gallery of Spokane, Portland and Seattle locomotives selected from files in Kalmbach Media‘s David P. Morgan Library. The principal Spokane, Portland and Seattle locomotive shop was at Vancouver, Washington. Initially a roundhouse, it was supplemented with a four-track, three-level diesel shop in 1949 that replaced the roundhouse after the last […]
The Ingalls Shipbuilding 4S locomotive was a truly unique, one-of-a-kind diesel unit. The business world in general, and railroading in particular, is full of one-hit wonders. The concept is solid, the idea grand, the thinking sound. Yet, despite all the barometers showing the product should be a sales winner, through no fault of […]
Amtrak electric locomotives went through a period of uncertainty early in the passenger railroad’s existence. Not long after its inception, Amtrak began to focus on the fact that its non-Metroliner passenger service in the “Northeast Corridor” would require a replacement for the stalwart GG1 electrics that hauled its “conventional” trains over the electrified […]
In service cab signals: When you watch trains these days just about any locomotive can show up on the point of a train. From run-through agreements to precision scheduled railroading keeping locomotive rosters lean, you just never know what may show up leading the next train. Over the years, a railfan seeking home road power […]
