Granger scene

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At terminal elevators, grain doors were stacked, collected, and sorted by the Western Weighing and Inspection Bureau for shipment back to originating railroads. These doors are stored by Milwaukee Road outside-braced boxcars. Library of Congress photo […]

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Factory fresh

20190927

  Railway Express Agency bought 500 new steel plug door reefers from American Car & Foundry in 1947-48. They initially wore a green and aluminum scheme, but were repainted all green in the 1950s. American Car & Foundry photo […]

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Long hidden Moffat Cup emerges in Colorado NEWSWIRE

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The Moffat Cup, long stored, is now on display at Denver’s Union Station. John Crisanti 1904 cup was a gift for building a railroad across the Rockies. John Crisanti DENVER — It was a historic day for Colorado railroad history on Friday when a giant silver cup made out of pure silver weighing 230-pounds with […]

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‘Jump, kid, jump!’

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Switching at night could be hazardous, especially when some dodgy moves were attempted. Robert Hale In the middle of 1960 or ’61, during a summer break from Texas Western College in El Paso, I was working the extra board on the New Mexico Division of the Santa Fe. One night I was the pin-puller on a […]

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Visitors increase at Golden Spike, Steamtown NEWSWIRE

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‘Jupiter’ and No. 119 replicas recreate the 1869 ceremony at the Golden Spike National Historic Park in Utah. Jim Wrinn PROMONTORY, Utah – More than 38,000 people made the pilgrimage to the Utah desert in three days in May to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the driving of the golden spike that completed the First […]

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Rail attorney, historian Byron Olsen dies NEWSWIRE

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Byron “Barney” Olsen and his 1977 Town and Country Station Wagon in Dresser, Wis. in 2008. Steve Glischinski ST. PAUL, Minn. – Byron “Barney” Olsen, who balanced a career in railroad law for Great Northern, Burlington Northern and Soo Line while pursuing his interest in streetcar and railroad history, died in St. Paul last month […]

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Photographer Ralph Hallock dies NEWSWIRE

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Ralph Hallock aboard the Allis-Chalmers Co. private car ‘Queen of Scots’ (ex-Missouri-Kansas-Texas No. 403) in 1979. Hallock wrote about his experiences with the car when he was with A-C in the Fall 2017 issue of ‘Classic Trains.’ SANDPOINT, Idaho – Ralph E. Hallock, who began contributing photos to Trains in the late 1940s, died Aug. […]

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Railroad Fair

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The Chicago Railroad Fair of 1948–49 included modern equipment displays and a pageant featuring a reenactment of the 1869 Golden Spike ceremony, seen here. B.L. Stone, Krambles-Peterson Archive […]

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Gainesville Midland

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A southbound Gainesville Midland local lumbers into a curve near Candler, Ga., with 2-10-0 No. 209 up front. Bringing up the markers is one of the road’s two ex-Lackawanna cabooses. Philip R. Hastings photo […]

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Trains Go To War: Railfans in Vietnam

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To order, Trains Go To War, visit: KalmbachHobbyStore.com Video Transcription courtesy of YouTube. [NARRATOR] Rob I’d like to I’d like to ask you to talk about something later on in the issue — that’s about railroads in Vietnam. It’s a really interesting story one of our longtime authors, I think Jerry Pinkepank … [ROB MCGONIGAL] […]

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Trains Go To War: Railfans in Vietnam

Person holding magazine in front of wall map

To order, Trains Go To War, visit: KalmbachHobbyStore.com Video Transcription courtesy of YouTube. [NARRATOR] Rob I’d like to I’d like to ask you to talk about something later on in the issue — that’s about railroads in Vietnam. It’s a really interesting story one of our longtime authors, I think Jerry Pinkepank … [ROB MCGONIGAL] […]

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Trains Go To War: An overview

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To order, Trains Go To War, visit: KalmbachHobbyStore.com Video Transcription courtesy of YouTube. [ROB MCGONIGAL] Hello there, I’m Rob McGonigal, editor of Classic Trains magazine and we’re here to talk about our latest special edition, Trains Go To War. There’s the cover right there. That covers railroads and wartime activity and all the major conflicts […]

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