Siemens Charger locomotives on Midwest trains

Diesel electric locomotive leading a train over a bridge.

  Chargers are among the newest and most popular passenger locomotives in North America today. The diesel-electric units are made by Germany-based Siemens, at the company’s Sacramento, Calif., manufacturing plant. This videos offers a Chicago-area tour of Chargers leading Amtrak train to Midwest destinations. […]

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Narrow gauge Denver & Rio Grande Western caboose restored to operation

Freshly painted caboose in mountain scenery.

  Colorado’s magnificent Georgetown Loop Railroad rebuilt a unique caboose in 2020. One of a small number of surviving Rio Grande cabooses with eight wheels, the Loop’s caboose adds a new element to this spectacular railroad. Join us for a ride with the man who headed up the restoration. […]

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Heisler geared steam locomotives in operation today (2020)

Geared steam locomotive leading a train across a bridge.

  One of the big three of geared steam power, the Heisler was a favorite of loggers and miners from the late 1800s through the 1940s. Propelled by two cylinders powering a crankshaft running under the locomotive, the Heisler provided power and more speed than its competitors, the Shay and the Climax. We’ll look at […]

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South Dakota Railroad Museum 2020 tour

Man with glasses standing in front of a caboose end.

Join us in Hill City, S.D., for one a visit to one of the nation’s best state railroad museums. Housed in an enginehouse-like building next to the Black Hills Central tourist railroad, the South Dakota Railroad Museum tells the story of the Mount Rushmore State’s railroads. Executive Director Rick Mills gives us a tour of […]

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Black Hills Central Railroad steam powered double-header

Close view of steam locomotive emitting steam.

The Black Hills Central tourist railroad operated a doubleheader with its two Baldwin tank engines in October 2020. This was the first time these 1920s brutes joined forces to pull a train on this mountainous railroad. Join us for a look trackside and a ride along. […]

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Strasburg Rail Road at 60

Steam locomotive hauling a passenger train under a clear sky.

One of the nation’s iconic tourist railroads, Pennsylvania’s Strasburg Rail Road, reached a major milestone in 2020. The railroad reached its 60th anniversary, and to mark the occasion, it returned 2-10-0 Decapod No. 90 steam locomotive to its original tourist paint scheme. It also ran trips with its tiny Plymouth diesel. Join us for a […]

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CSX history including predecessors

Blue and yellow locomotives lead a freight train.

  Join Trains on a locomotive-studded tour of CSX Transportation — the blue and gold railroad — along with predecessors. Trains honored CSX with a full-length DVD in 2020. This segment from the DVD features an overview of CSX and a history of the railroad and predecessors. Only from Trains.com! […]

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Rochelle, Ill. — a Midwest railroad hotspot for train watching

An orange painted diesel locomotive leads a train over a double-diamond.

Join Trains editors on a short tour of the best parts of Rochelle, Ill., for rail fans — the places where train horns sound often.  Rochelle is the crossroads of Union Pacific and BNSF Railway mainlines in the middle of Illinois, in the middle of the Midwest — ensuring dozens of a train a day […]

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Intermodal and the Long-Haul Market

Intermodal car containers

    Yes it is, Brian. In fact, intermodal passed coal in 2013 as railroads’ biggest revenue source. In 2014, U.S. railroads tacked more than a half million intermodal loads onto their 2013 totals, notching a record 13.5 million shipments. Intermodal is likely to become even more significant in coming years as the industry spends […]

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