Drew’s Trackside Adventures: Episode 32 – Going to Chicago, Ill.

No summertime blues for host Drew Halverson this year! That’s because he managed to begin his summer of trackside treks with a day trip to the Windy City. Upon arrival in West Chicago, Ill., Drew, Kent, Ben, and special guest Kevin P. Keefe, chased Union Pacific freight and a parade of Metra commuter trains along […]

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Charlie’s Trackside Postcards – West Somerset Railway

A black-painted steam locomotive releases steam in a UK rail yard.

In this Trackside Postcard, Charles “Lindbergh” Conway travels across the Atlantic Ocean and makes his way to the UK! He wastes no time getting trackside at Minehead, England, all in effort to explore and experience steam-powered passenger service on the West Somerset Railway. […]

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Charlie’s Trackside Postcards – Day on the footplate

A man beside a steam locomotive conducting operations from a platform in England.

While traveling in the UK, Charlie enjoyed the rare thrill of riding in the cab of a steam locomotive operated by the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. In this Trackside Postcard to Drew, Chas captured the pure artistry of Driver and Fireman commanding Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T no. 41298 across the picturesque countryside. […]

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Charlie’s Trackside Postcards – Roll On, Columbia, Roll On

Two orange-painted switching locomotives work in a yard under cloudless skies.

The father-daughter duo worked their way into the Columbia Gorge before heading home. Stops at the BNSF yard in Pasco, Wash., and at milepost 160 of the Fallbridge Sub, provided ideal locations for easy railfanning. The action in the Gorge left Charlie eager to return for more fun in future Postcards! […]

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Charlie’s Trackside Postcards – Evening east of Wenatchee

A diesel locomotive pulls a freight train.

Charlie and Anna continued their father-daughter journey by exploring remnants of the Great Northern Railway. and The Milwaukee Road electrified line in eastern Washington. As nightfall arrived, they finished the day by chasing a train on the BNSF Railway Lakeside Subdivision. […]

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Charlie’s Trackside Postcards – BNSF Balmer Yard Hump

An orange-painted BNSF Railway locomotive in a yard.

Not even another rainy day in Seattle could keep Charlie from further exploring BNSF’s Balmer Yard switching action. In this video postcard, you’ll get up-close views of flat switching, remote-control locomotives kicking cars, and rolling stock gliding down the hump! […]

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Charlie’s Trackside Postcards – BNSF Balmer Yard Ready Tracks

An orange-painted locomotive near silver-colored passenger cars in a rail yard.

The Seattle-centric postcards continue with Charlie and MRVP’s Kent Johnson visiting the locomotive ready tracks at BNSF’s Balmer Yard. From a prime street-side vantage point, the two investigate an eclectic range of vintage Santa Fe and BN equipment, plus modern BNSF diesel power idling and working the site. […]

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Charlie’s Trackside Postcards – Portland to Seattle on the Amtrak Cascades

Stone or brick tower and red roof of a train station in sunshine.

After attending the 2015 National Train Show in Portland, Ore., Charlie and Kent Johnson decided to leave the driving to Amtrak for the return trip to Seattle, Wash. In this video, the guys share the high-speed sprint from one classic station to another, and highlight numerous railroad interests along the BNSF main line! […]

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Charlie’s Trackside Postcards – Folkston Funnel

A blue-painted CSX Transportation locomotive moves through a flat landscape with green trees to each side.

Join Charlie Conway, our pilot pal from Drew’s Trackside Adventures, on his first of several short sidetreks to explore present-day railroading! In this initial video postcard to Drew, Charlie shares tales of a family outing to the Florida-Georgia state line. By no accident, his destination happens to be along the CSX right-of-way. Even better, The […]

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