Was the Blue Streak Merchandise the last Great American Freight Train? “You define a passenger train by its cars, its menu, its route — even its patrons,” says railroad historian Fred W. Frailey in his 1991 book on the Blue Streak. “But the Blue Streak defined the railroads over which it runs — seized control of […]
Family road trips usually involve self-inflicted detours to see park steam engines, “stuffed and mounted” for the sake of local posterity. They’re usually easy to find, thanks to J. David Conrad’s standard reference “Steam Locomotive Directory of North America, Vols. I and II,” which I’ve consulted for decades, or, in a pinch, Google. A […]
The last Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad train out of Baltimore crosses the trestle at Sharon, Md., on Aug. 5, 1958. Lawrence W. Sagle photo […]
The Meridian & Bigbee Railroad “possessed all the credentials required for admittance to the Typical Southern Short Line Club,” wrote J. Parker Lamb in Trains’ July 1959 issue. Those included secondhand steam locomotives, a leisurely schedule, and insufficient revenue tonnage. Yet, the road was able to overcome those deficiencies to become a sought-after bridge route […]
MADISON, Wis. — The Center for Railroad Photography & Art has unveiled its online archive of digital images from the center’s expansive collection. Odyssey, the CRP&A’s new online portal, is now available here. A downloadable search guide PDF is available here. The image management system was selected by the CRP&A staff in June 2022, and […]
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — South Carolina’s legislature has set aside an additional $10 million for development of the Saluda Grade Rail Trail, the Spartanburg Post and Courier reports. Lawmakers had already earmarked $5 million for the project before Norfolk Southern agreed to sell the dormant 31-mile, two-state rail route, once the steepest main line in the […]
MOORESTOWN, N.J. — The National Railway Historical Society has awarded almost $125,000 to 25 organizations as part of its 2023 Railway Heritage Preservation Grants, supporting preservation of railroad-related artifacts and media. The awards total $124,950, and range from $2,500 to $10,000. The largest single grant this year, $10,000, was received by the Center for Railroad […]
At 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 20, 1948, specially cleaned and inspected Union Pacific 4-8-4 No. 835 eases President Harry S. Truman’s campaign train into Denver Union Station. Elmer Treolar photo […]
A Southern Railway 4-8-2 leads a troop train near Craggy, N.C., in August 1944. The train is en route from Knoxville, Tenn., to Asheville, N.C. Frank Clodfelter photo […]
SILVIS, Ill. — BNSF Railway has donated former Santa Fe B40-8W No. 537 to the non-profit Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (RRHMA). The unit was delivered to the RRHMA shop in Silvis this week. No. 537 was constructed by General Electric for Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe in October 1990 as part of its “Super Fleet” […]
NEW FREEDOM, Pa. — A 10th-anniversary “Ages of the Railroad” celebration is scheduled for this weekend, June 17-18, on the Northern Central Railway of York nonprofit tourist line in southeastern Pennsylvania. Highlights will include two operating steam locomotives and a diesel, with a range of passenger trips available over varying stretches of the railroad’s 17.5 […]
CORINTH, N.Y. — The Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway has introduced its newest piece of equipment, a flatcar that proved to have an extensive and significant history. SC&H car No. 16151 was unveiled on June 3 for the Alco Historical & Technical Society’s annual “Alco Adventure” day. During restoration for use as an open-air excursion […]
