In its rich 150-year history, the Georgia Railroad was touched and torched by the rich and famous. During the process, the company morphed from a railroading pioneer and leader in the Peach State to an interesting combination of Class I and short-line operation. Started as The Georgia Railroad in 1833, the ambitious company hired […]
A Frisco caboose ride provided a much needed railfan break during my military assignment near Kansas City. My spirits fell when I received orders for my first U.S. Air Force permanent-duty assignment, at the Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base just south of Kansas City, Mo. I had hardly been west of the Appalachian Mountains, and […]
North Dakota’s corn trains When you watch a freight train pass, it will most likely be comprised of cars that have a single use, hauling a commodity to one location before returning empty to a yard or another assignment. And most freight only touches the rails once during its path from source to final customer, […]
Class I locomotive It’s been three years since the railroad industry has had a new-build six-axle freight locomotive order for a Class I railroad. Precision Scheduled Railroading, a glut of stored locomotives, and the desire to rebuild instead of build, has kept railroads on the sidelines in terms of new power. Progress Rail’s last new […]
It’s strange but true: Diesel-electric locomotives have streetcar roots. With diesel locomotives rapidly replacing steam locomotives in the years after World War II, it’s easy to imagine diesels as a natural evolution of the steam locomotive. The fact is, there was almost no transfer of technology. The melodious steam whistle was replaced by a blaring […]
In many states, finding an operating Whitcomb 45-ton centercab switcher isn’t that unusual. But in Hawaii, which eschewed railroading in general decades ago, any operating locomotive is unusual. Working railroads anywhere in the islands are pretty much non-existent, with visitors having to be content with railway historical societies, museums, and private attractions. You’ll find one […]
Asked who my main influence has been as a writer, my reflexive answer is always “David P. Morgan.” The great editor’s inspiring use of language is what, in my opinion, made Trains magazine so important to generations of readers. And although I’d never be foolish enough to compare anything I write to that of D.P.M., […]
Locomotive paint schemes Nobody plans to create a less-than-stellar locomotive paint scheme, but at times, anyone’s best efforts can produce something other than classic. It’s also a matter of taste. I happen to like the red, black, and white design of the McGinnis-era New Haven, but a friend of mine thinks it’s just garish. The […]
How to get the shot It has happened to all of us sooner or later. We plan a train day and head out, camera in hand, to enjoy our hobby … and get skunked. Here’s how to get the shot — even when you missed it. Maybe there was a maintenance window somewhere on the […]
Amtrak police dogs More than 50 police dogs serve and protect Amtrak’s trains and stations throughout the United States. From birth to adulthood, these canines are trained to work with their human counterparts, protecting them from threats such as bombs. A few of the dogs are solely trained to detect narcotics. In fact, when Amtrak’s […]
I suspect most writers like me live and die with Google. I’ve come to depend on its online search capabilities more than I should, but I have to say its reach — even for arcane railroad information — often seems like a miracle. Until it isn’t. Case in point: Last week my editor, […]
SD9043MACs Indiana Rail Road is in the process of replacing its core motive power. The backbone of its road fleet since 2008 has been 10 former CEFX SD9043MACs that replaced a group of leased SD60s. EMD’s 4,300-hp SD9043MAC, introduced in 1995, is a unique model designed to accept a larger 6,000-hp H engine being developed […]
