Illinois Terminal locomotives included steam, electric, and diesel over its existence. The Illinois Terminal was an electric interurban line serving western Illinois down to the St. Louis area. In the mid-1950s the railroad abandoned its electric operations, moving to all-diesel operation — the last steam ran in 1950, and dieselization had begun with […]
Many of these vintage structures have survived into the 21st century. However, not all retain their original purpose. The following 10 historic rail stations have been rejuvenated but repurposed without regular passenger rail service. Still, they remain a must-see for travelers and enthusiasts. Ellicott City Station Ellicott City, Md.: Historically the oldest surviving station in […]
I haven’t counted every last owner one time or another of Florida East Coast 4-6-2 No. 148, but it must be close to a record. For a mainline-size engine, the Pacific was incredibly peripatetic, sort of like former Burlington 2-8-2 No. 4960 before it landed at the Grand Canyon Railway. The 148 emerged from Alco’s […]
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 […]
Photographer John Crisanti John Crisanti is a railroader, photographer, and model railroader residing on Colorado’s Front Range. His creative use of light, weather, and wide-angle allows him to capture dramatic scenes of everyday freight. His interest in rail photography does extend beyond The Centennial State. Crisanti recently shared (with Trains) the story of going off-the-grid […]
Budd Slumbercoaches were born of a desire to serve budget-conscious leisure travelers in the mid-20th century. As economic conditions improved during the 1920s and more people could afford to travel, there was demand for a less costly but more comfortable means of travel, particularly for the long-haul routes between Midwest and West Coast […]
Is it time to preserve an Amtrak Genesis P40? Since 1993, Amtrak’s iconic Genesis diesels have hauled countless millions of passengers across its network. From Sunset Limited to Downeaster, the Genesis has been the locomotive for generations of Amtrak travelers. While the Genesis models remain among the most common locomotives for long distance passenger service, […]
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 […]
When I fell into the mileage hobby more than 35 years ago, I was late to the game but ambitious to mark up as much of my Rand McNally Handy Railroad Atlas as possible. This was around 1987, when my boss, J. David Ingles, inspired me to keep track of everything I rode, something I […]
Amtrak has been using unpowered F40PH locomotives for decades in various corridors across the country. For its shorter-distance trains — where one or both ends of the run lack turning facilities — these units allow Amtrak to assign only one powered locomotive instead of two. The first F40PH converted was AMTK No. 200, which had […]
