Drew’s Trackside Adventures: Episode 18 – Montana Rail Link local operations

A blue and white-striped diesel locomotive hauls a freight train through a green Montana field under blue skies and white clouds.

Drew’s “Epic” Trackside Adventure now heads into Montana, home of the Montana Rail Link. Drew’s expedition guide and Trains art director Tom “Sherpa” Danneman knows this regional railroad success story like the back of his hand, so join the MRVP crew as they trace the MRL main line from Billings, Mont., to the shops and […]

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Waiting game

CSX train Q216 waits, with a Canadian Pacific leader, while a Norfolk Southern train heads west through the Vickers interlocking in Northwood, Ohio, on Jan. 18, 2014. The CSX crew spent a lot of time waiting this morning while NS ran its traffic first through this suburban Toledo crossing. Photo by Michael D. Harding […]

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Local hero

With a short five-car train, Canadian National’s local out of Dubuque, Iowa, has just crossed the Mississippi River and pops out of the short tunnel in East Dubuque, IL. The train will travel down the BNSF Railway using trackage to an industry that CN switches before calling it a day and returning home after dark. Photo […]

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Drew’s Trackside Adventures, Episode 9 – Tower A2 in Chicago

A Metra passenger train speeds north with downtown Chicago in the background.

In part 2 of Drew’s trip to Chicago, he visits two towers along Metra’s former Milwaukee Road lines – A5 and A2. In this video, Drew gives you a close-up look inside the towers, and you get to meet the people who run these busy railroad junction points. […]

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Video: History according to Hediger 7: A real railroading story from our senior editor

Overhead view of model railroad

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Model Railroader Senior Editor Jim Hediger worked on the Wabash RR as a relief operator. Listen as Jim tells the story of how he learned not stand on the wrong side of the diamond when a freight train passed by. You’ll also see […]

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Video: History according to Hediger 7: A real railroading story from our senior editor

Overhead view of model railroad

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Model Railroader Senior Editor Jim Hediger worked on the Wabash RR as a relief operator. Listen as Jim tells the story of how he learned not stand on the wrong side of the diamond when a freight train passed by. You’ll also see […]

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1975-1982: Seven more years of change in Philadelphia

Amtrak

South of 30th Street Station in September 1980, an Amtrak E60 accelerates a train toward Washington while, in the background, SEPTA Silverliner IV’s head out on a commuter run to either Media/Elwyn or Wilmington. Robert S. McGonigal Bob Trennert, in his article “A West Coast Railfan in Philadelphia, 1967–1974” in the Spring 2013 issue of […]

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Intermodal crane at work

Ever wonder how the UPS and FedEx Ground packages you ship travel across the country? They go by train. And in the December 2012 issue of Trains magazine, we take you inside one of the top railroad intermodal yards for FedEx and UPS Ground shipments: BNSF Railway’s Willow Springs terminal outside Chicago. We spent 24 hours inside […]

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