Western Maryland 4-6-2 No. 207 waits with train 1 at Thomas, W.Va., on April 29, 1951. From here, at an elevation of 3,000 feet, the train will run downhill through the Black Fork Gorge to Elkins. K. F. Merlin photo […]
West Virginia varnish
Tag: 1946 – 1970
Southern steam
Gainesville Midland 2-10-0 No. 207 switches tank cars at Oconee Height, Ga., in April 1957, just northwest of Athens. The 1924 product of Baldwin was involved in a serious derailment in 1954, turning over in the incident. Philip R. Hastings photo […]
Spying on SPUD
St. Paul Union Depot Co. Vice President and General Manager Harry P. Congdon looks out on a Chicago Great Western F unit from the top floor of the yard office. At the time, the station was busiest between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. with 22 arrivals and 21 departures. Arthur F. Hager photo […]
Steam for speed
The clouds of smoke from double-headed steam locomotives illustrate a disadvantage to riding behind them — particularly with open windows. Here a troop extra rolls east of Staple Bend, Pa., on the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Pittsburgh–Philadelphia main line. Several distinctive troop sleepers are in the consist. Wayne Brumbaugh photo […]
Tehachapi cab-forward
Southern Pacific 4-8-8-2 cab-forward No. 4203 works hard in pusher service on Tehachapi Grade near Woodford, Calif., in August 1948. SP commissioned the specially designed locomotives to minimize crews’ exposure to tunnels in the lengthy tunnels and snowsheds on its system, a benefit that did not always apply to locomotives further back in the train. […]
Santa Fe oddity
SD39 No. 4007 works freight on the Santa Fe at Las Cruces, N.Mex., in 1970. Only 59 of this 12-cylinder, turbocharged model were built for the Santa Fe; Illinois Terminal; Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern; and Southern Pacific. Chris Raught photo […]
Sign of the times
A New York Central switcher pulls a string of loaded open-rack cars in the early 1960s. The auto rack car, introduced in 1960, quickly became popular and regained finished-auto traffic for railroads. J. David Ingles collection […]
Mother Nature’s wrath
Nature quickly began to reclaim the right-of-way at High View Tunnel soon after New York, Ontario, & Western abandoned in 1957. This 1963 view at the south portal shows rails and tie plates gone and weeds encroaching upon the weathered ties. George Weidner photo […]
New Orleans’ new terminal
Arrival and departure boards at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal’s main entry are chock-full of trains in the mid-1950s. The $25.5 million facility had 12 tracks and opened in May 1954. James G. La Vake photo […]
Century finale
Train 26, New York Central’s eastbound 20th Century Limited, pauses at Buffalo, N.Y., on its final run in December 1967. Edward J. Joscelyn photo […]
Convertible cowl
Santa Fe requested the custom U30CG from General Electric, offering 3,000 hp and a steam generator in a distinctive cowl body considered more aesthetically suitable for passenger service than a road-switcher. The railroad carried six such units on its roster, Nos. 8000–8005, which went into freight service following the 1971 transfer of passenger service to […]
Engineer’s eye view
A clear signal over track 2 beckons the Pennsylvania’s St. Louisan near Radebaugh, Pa. On track 1, a J1 2-10-4 pushes on an eastbound freight while a set of Baldwin Sharknose helpers approaches on track 3. Philip R. Hastings photo […]
