A Canadian National train rolls south through the diamonds at Trenton, Mich., while a Conrail local waits for its turn across on May 18, 2012. Photo by Matt Van Hattem […]
Waiting is the hardest part
Section: Railroads
The Belt Railway: A Railroad’s Railroad
In the November 2012 issue of Trains, Sayre C. Kos describes The Belt Railway Company of Chicago’s monstrous hump yard operation, in which cars weave their way from one end to the other. Workers there call it “feeding the Beast.” For another in-depth look at The Belt Railway, download the free PDF below of “A […]
The Belt Railway’s hump yard
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Inspired by steam
Boston & Maine 4-6-2 3719 was one of the machines that captivated author Graulty. Charles A. Brown I was always fascinated by machines. When I was a boy during the Depression, the most impressive machinery I got to see was steam locomotives. I grew up in Troy, N.Y., on the Hudson River 150 miles north […]
How to create memorable railroad photos
In the Center for Railroad Photography & Art’s annual Creative Photography Awards Program, first-time entrant Todd Halamka placed second in the color category in 2012. Todd is relatively new to photography, but he combines a lifelong love of trains with a long career in architecture, drawing on his design experience to create memorable and unique […]
Sunset over Sidney
Local railfans wave at a passing westbound as the sun sinks over Sidney, Ohio, on June 7, 2011. This former New York Central line served as the Conrail – and now CSX – route to the St. Louis gateway. Photo by Brian M. Schmidt […]
Violet hour
The light fades on the Sidney, Ohio, depot on April 13, 2012, as westbound train Q377 rolls by. Like many other organizations charged with historic preservation, the Sidney Big Four Passenger Station Preservation Association is just keeping everything standing … for now. Photo by Brian M. Schmidt […]
Getting to know Miss Katy
In February 1944, Katy 2-8-2 910 rolls into Denton, Texas, with empty tank cars, probably destined for a refill in the Oklahoma oil fields. Frank Rogers During the fall and winter of 1943-44, I was in the Army’s Specialized Training Program at North Texas State Teachers College in Denton, Texas, about 35 miles north of […]
Just passing through
CSX train Q137 rolls through Sherwood, Ohio, without much local fanfare on July 30, 2011. This westbound intermodal train is operating over the former Baltimore & Ohio main line on its way to Chicago on this fading summer evening. Photo by Brent Kneebush […]
Waiting for daylight
Two Norfolk Southern GP38-2s idle in pre-drawn murkiness at Conrail’s Livernois Yard in Detroit on May 18, 2012. Photo by Matt Van Hattem […]
A new landmark for railroad workers
FULL SCREEN Phil Sullivan A heavy-duty crane is ready to lift the statue of Luther G. Smith, founder of the Brotherhood’s Relief & Compensation Fund, to its position in the plaza at the B&O Railroad Museum. FULL SCREEN B&O Railroad Museum Officers of the BR&CF, working full time in the organization’s headquarters in Harrisburg, Pa., […]
Summer Sharknoses
Mistaken identity: Rumors of Baldwin Sharknose diesels in PRR freight service prompted a 14-year-old boy to visit Altoona, where he had a satisfying—if erroneous—encounter with a pair of FM Erie-builts. Fred Kern, Jay Potter coll. From the look of the icicles and snow in this photograph, December 20, 1960, must have been a cold day […]
