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Burlington Route history begins with the Aurora Branch Railroad, chartered on Feb. 12, 1849, to build a line from Aurora, Ill., to a connection with the Galena & Chicago Union (forerunner of the Chicago & North Western) at Turner Junction (West Chicago). Service began with G&CU’s first locomotive, the Pioneer. In 1852 the road […]
My worst nightmare-come-true as a railroader was waking up Christmas morning in a lonely hotel room, hundreds of miles away from home. Restaurants were usually shuttered and even the vending machines at the station were bare. I once held the northbound Palmetto at Florence, S.C., refusing to move the train until I could at least […]
24th Mechanized Infantry Division The first sergeant’s voice boomed out over the formation: “I’m looking for eight volunteers. I need eight men who are looking for an adventure to volunteer for a special assignment. Don’t everybody step forward at once.” Not surprisingly, no one was inclined to volunteer until they knew more about what they […]
Compared to the likes of the Southern Pacific and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, the Western Pacific Railroad can be considered the “runt of the litter” for Class I U.S. railroading in the Far West. Yet these five traits of the Western Pacific help paint a bigger picture of this San Francisco-Salt Lake City system […]
It does not matter how many times you have traveled the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad between its namesake cities. Every time you ride is a new adventure. The scenery evolves over time and is dependent on the season at hand. The people you ride with change. The purpose of the ride is different. […]
The imposing size, look, and name of New York City’s Hell Gate Bridge fits perfectly in a metropolis where one must “dress to impress” and “go big or go home.” According to Victor Hand in Classic Trains’ Fall 2021 issue, the name can be composed of three separate bridges that are connected by two viaducts […]
What happened to the caboose? Many factors helped seal their fate, and the demise of the caboose has been mourned in many places, including in the pages of Trains, which bid farewell in a special issue in August 1990. But the caboose hasn’t disappeared. Even today, you can find a few cabooses still at work. […]
“The legacy of Dirt the railroad cat continues,” is just one of many Dirt-related articles that highlights the importance of animals in railroading and how they can make an everlasting impact on those around them. Dirt, also known as Nevada Northern Railway’s Boss Shop Cat, died on Jan.10, 2023. With the anniversary of his […]
The song and dance routine Working the North Pool was always one of my favorite pools to work. In this case a pool was a regulated number of assigned crews that rotated on what was known as a board. The first out crew was the next call and a crew that just tied up would […]
New tricks Most of you know me from my career as a main line diesel locomotive engineer — a fair assessment. Deep down inside of me though, there lurks a little boy filled with awe and excitement for that American Flyer Pennsy K4, chugging around under my Christmas tree. I’m writing this from the relative […]
The Illinois Terminal Railroad might be one of the most misunderstood Class 1 railroads of the 20th century. If you think “the I.T.,” as most called it, was just a creaky electric interurban that gave up on passengers and got some diesels to haul freight to a few customers, think again. Illinois Terminal was […]
The 1970s were a time of change. Model railroading was no exception. Modelers tested new techniques and technologies, while the niches of different scales and styles grew into mainstays. During that pivotal decade, these Model Railroaders stood out as pioneers of the hobby and industry. Their contributions have helped shape the hobby we know and […]
