A switcher’s life: Boise Locomotive’s MK1200Gs

three units on tracks midday

Boise Locomotive’s MK1200Gs During the heyday of ultra-low emission liquid natural gas as an alternative to diesel propulsion, Boise Locomotive Co. [formerly Morrison Knudsen Rail Co.] produced a quartet of LNG 1,200 hp switchers for domestic use in 1994. Two were sent out into the world to be tested on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa […]

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Blue flags save lives

A blue sign reading stop, men at work, is clamped to a rail in a weedy railroad yard

We’ve all seen blue flags. A sign with words “STOP MEN AT WORK” clamped to the head of a rail, or hanging from the side of a locomotive. It was placed there by a railroader working in the area, and the rules of its use are strict and unbending. A blue flag, is defined by […]

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Trains LIVE — The David P. Morgan Library

Man with a microphone during a TV interview. Trains LIVE — The David P. Morgan Library.

Trains LIVE — The David P. Morgan Library — 1-17-2024 — Within Kalmbach Media headquarters there is a special place that is a treasure trove of railroad knowledge. Rarely does anyone from outside the organization get to visit the David P. Morgan Library, however, staff members for our various publications visit the library regularly. It […]

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Trains LIVE — The David P. Morgan Library

Man with a microphone during a TV interview. Trains LIVE — The David P. Morgan Library.

Trains LIVE — The David P. Morgan Library — 1-17-2024 — Within Kalmbach Media headquarters there is a special place that is a treasure trove of railroad knowledge. Rarely does anyone from outside the organization get to visit the David P. Morgan Library, however, staff members for our various publications visit the library regularly. It […]

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Pinning an EMD turbocharger

EMD turbocharger in a shop

EMD turbochargers For decades, railroads have adapted locomotives to meet the service to which they are assigned. As newer and more powerful locomotives arrive on a roster, older units cascade down to lesser roles. Oftentimes these new assignments don’t require as much horsepower as mainline duties. In low-speed, local or yard service, weight and adhesion […]

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Ride aboard a private train

Private cars, also called “private varnish”, represent a mode of passenger railroading that’s intriguing and seemingly elusive to most viewing trackside. Who’s in that car? Where is it going? How are they able to do that? All questions that Trains.com staffer Bryson Sleppy has also pondered…and can now help us answer! Follow video highlights of […]

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