Santa Fe 3460 Hudsons: ‘Super’ 4-6-4s

Smoking Santa Fe 3460 Hudsons steam locomotive with train

Santa Fe 3460 Hudsons had an impact on the railroad much larger than their class size would indicate. Mention the Hudson steam locomotive and the name “Santa Fe” likely won’t come up right away. To be sure, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway’s roster was light on 4-6-4s, just 16 of them. And they […]

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The Southern Pacific Daylight passenger trains

Orange and red streamlined steam locomotive on passenger train

When first introduced, the Southern Pacific Daylight passenger trains shined through the dark days of the Great Depression. From the Pacific coast of California to the Heartland of Texas, learn which services flashed in the distinctive red and orange color scheme. Coast Daylight It’s easy to forget that the name “Daylight” already graced the SP […]

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Stop that train: Railroading is violent business

Worker look under derailed commuter car

Railroading Railroading is violent business. Freight cars coupling sound like small explosions, diesel engines reverberate like distant thunder, and horns at grade crossings are so loud that even deaf people can feel them. So, with all of this violent sound going on, how do you get the attention of a railroader at work? Use more […]

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Dynamic braking 101

Wide-field image of an orange locomotive in a barren mountain scene.

The dynamics of dynamic braking A half-century ago, when diesel locomotives were replacing steam engines, a revolutionary breakthrough — dynamic braking — was making freight operations safer and more efficient. Dynamic braking is the method of train braking whereby the kinetic energy of a moving train is used to generate electric current at the locomotive […]

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Train orders 101

Train orders The train order, variously called the “flimsy” or the “tissue” — together with its attendant operators, train order offices, and order hoops — has been rendered obsolete by the radio, the computer, and amended work rules. With its passing in the late 1980s, so did a whole concept of railroad traffic control that […]

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Railroad reporting marks 101

New Georgia Railroad diesel locomotives on freight train in yard

Railroad reporting marks Railroad cars are identified by two, three, or four letters and by a number of up to six digits. The letters, known as reporting marks, indicate the owner of the car, while the number places it in the owner’s fleet. Reporting marks ending in X indicate ownership by a private concern as […]

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