Many readers have asked how we identify the current crop of big, modern road diesels. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy, as many locomotive designs have evolved into a family of similar looking locomotives. This means modelers have to study the details to figure out what locomotive is represented by a specific scale model. Comparing the model […]
New ‘Railroad History’ editor Dan Cupper Railway & Locomotive Historical Society A Friday afternoon rail news update: — The agency which oversees Amtrak’s Downeaster has voted to suspend operation of the train between Boston and Brunswick, Maine, effective Monday. The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority says the suspension will be in effect through at […]
Our sister magazine, Classic Trains, named Boston & Maine the railroad of the month for October 2019. Please enjoy this photo gallery of images from the David P. Morgan Library archives at Kalmbach Media that include B&M steam-powered freight trains through time. […]
Great Northern inaugurated the Red River connecting Grand Forks, N.Dak., and points east on June 25, 1950, as a four-car train. This view shows the spotless new coffee shop in the train’s observation car. Great Northern photo […]
DDA40X Original DDA40X is on display in Omaha, Nebraska. Jim Wrinn DDA40X •YEARS BUILT: 1969-1971 •MANUFACTURER: EMD •OPERATED ON: Union Pacific (special order from UP) •NAME: Centennial, named to mark the 100th anniversary of the Golden Spike ceremony at Promontory Summit, Utah. •QUANTITY: 47 •HORSEPOWER: 6,600 •KNOWN FOR: The most successful of UP’s twin-engine freight […]
Metra No. 166 leads a train at Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2011. Jim Wrinn F40PH-series •YEARS BUILT: 1976-1988 •MANUFACTURERS: Electro-Motive Division of General Motors, GMD of Canada •OPERATED ON: Amtrak, GO Transit, MBTA, Metra, Via Rail Canada •NAMES: F40PH, F40PHR, F40PH-2, F40PH-2M, F40PH-2C, F40PHM-2C; nicknames, Winnebago, Screamer, Thunder Box, Thunder Wagon •QUANTITY: 486 •HORSEPOWER: 3,000 •KNOWN […]
Lancaster & Chester GP38-2 type locomotives hauling a passenger train special. Jim Wrinn GP38/AC/-2 •YEARS BUILT: 1966-1986 •MANUFACTURER: EMD/GMD •OPERATED ON: Most North American Class I freight railroads •NAMES: GP38, GP38AC, GP38-2; nicknames: Geep, High Hood (for SR and N&W), Wide Nose (for CN) •QUANTITY: 3,231 (967 GP38, GP38AC), (2,264 GP38-2) •HORSEPOWER: 2,000 •KNOWN FOR: […]
Wisconsin Central No. 7525 at the Illinois Railway Museum. Jim Wrinn SD45/-2 series •YEARS BUILT: 1966-1975 •MANUFACTURER: EMD •OPERATED ON: Most North American Class I freight railroads •NAMES: Hustle Muscle, Flares, Speed Machines, Tunnel Motor (for SD45T-2) •QUANTITY: 1,695 (1,312 SD45, SDP45), (383 SD45-2, SD45T-2) •HORSEPOWER: 3,600 •KNOWN FOR: Angled radiators at the rear on […]
BNSF Railway SD70 series SD70ACE No. 8762 pulls a Norfolk Southern train in Indiana. Jim Wrinn EMD-built SD70 series locomotives •YEARS BUILT: 1993-present •MANUFACTURER: EMD •OPERATED ON: Most North American Class I freight railroads •NAMES: SD70, SD70I, SD70M, SD70MAC, SD75I, SD75M, SD70M-2, SD70ACe, SD70ACe-P4, SD70ACe-P6, SD70ACe-T4, and SD70-ACe-T4P4; nicknames: Big Mac, Mac, Grinstein, Flags, Flares […]
Canadian Pacific Train Master No. 8905 at ExpoRail in Montreal, Quebec. Jim Wrinn Train Master •YEARS BUILT: 1953-1956 •MANUFACTURER: Fairbanks-Morse •OPERATED ON: Canadian National; Canadian Pacific; Central of New Jersey; Delaware, Lackawanna & Western; Pennsylvania Railroad; Reading; Southern; Southern Pacific; Virginian; Wabash •NAMES: Train Master, H-24-66 •QUANTITY: 127 •HORSEPOWER: 2,400 •KNOWN FOR: Poor performance at […]
A Union Pacific gas-electric turbine locomotive at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois. Jim Wrinn Gas-electric turbines •YEARS BUILT: 1938-1962 •MANUFACTURERS: Partnerships between General Electric & Alco; GE, Baldwin & Lima; Westinghouse & Baldwin •OPERATED ON: Chesapeake & Ohio, Norfolk & Western, Pennsylvania, Union Pacific •NAMES: Jawn Henry on N&W; Blue Goose for Westinghouse, […]
Canadian Pacific Evolution series ES44AC No. 8888 in Wisconsin. Jim Wrinn Evolution series •YEARS BUILT: 2003-present •MANUFACTURER: General Electric •OPERATED ON: Most North American Class I freight railroads •NAMES: ES40DC, ES44DC, ES44AC, ES44C4, ET44AC, ET44C4 •QUANTITY: 7,325 as of Dec. 31, 2017 •HORSEPOWER: 4,400 •KNOWN FOR: Primary freight locomotive of the early 21st century in […]
