SP 4449 sits in Michigan City, Indiana awaiting it's train from Chicago shortly after sunrise. It was orginally scheduled to run from Chicago but a clearance issue on the NS Chicago Line forced th... (more)

While the train made it to Spokane, the work didn't stop there as a team of mechanics swarm over the steam-driven beast like a well-oiled machine (yes, pun intended).

A variety of Santa Fe steam locomotives can be seen occupying the stalls at the railroad's Redondo Junction roundhouse just south of Los Angeles, California. Locomotives include, from left to righ... (more)

N de M #3028, built in 1946, rests in the sun getting a nice Mexican tan. She is slowly undergoing restoration to operation at the capable New Hope and Ivyland Railroad. This class of engine was... (more)

Men at work.  After months sitting in a location far from photogenic the shop crew has moved former Alco built NdeM #3028 away from the parking lot and onto the shop track. Work proceeds,... (more)

It's about 8:15AM, and UP 844 is all hot and steamy in the Oakland Yard getting ready to head to Stockton, via Altamont Pass.

A sneek peek of the inside of historic UP 844, as she sits on display in Roseville, CA.

San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society steam locomotive, the former Santa Fe 3751, rolls slowly past an Amtrak passenger locomotive in route for a ride on the Redondo roundhouse turntable. The... (more)

San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society steam locomotive, the former Santa Fe 3751 rolls slowly past Amtrak’s 8th street yard as she makes her way back to her storage compound at the Redondo ... (more)

Bob Kittel, President & CMO of the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society keep a sharp eye on AT&SF 3751 as she rolls onto the turntable for a ride back to the compound. The crew and locomotiv... (more)

Reading 4-8-4 2109 is at the front of a line of stored T-1 class engines at Reading. There were still 20 of the husky 4-8-4s on the roster at this date and several had been used as temporary indus... (more)

UP 844 sits cold for the night after a long day of being displayed to the public.

CNR U-2-c 4-8-4 6150 sits with a caboose as the sun rises on a chilly Monday morning. The red "wafer" insignia really shines in the morning sunlight.

Canadian National's handsome U-2-g 6204 waits to enter Turcot yard with a freight from the west. This spot was a great shooting gallery on a cloudy day for a variety of steam locomotives that had ... (more)

CNR U-2-h 4-8-4 6242 is waiting to enter Turcot yard from the west with a freight. J-7-b Pacific 5293 has pulled opposite and stopped. I've always felt that this shot almost exudes the odor of ste... (more)

Milwaukee Road 261. A Lerro Productions event.

After a long afternoon and night photo session, the crew of MILW 261 gather and discuss tomorrows plans. Although the moon shines now, the clouds would eventually come in and heavy rains would ens... (more)

Our reservation at the Nugget hotel in Sparks requested a room with a view of the rail yard. When we checked in the desk clerk volunteered that a higher floor would provide a better view. When w... (more)

A real veteran, CNR U-2-b 4-8-4 6123, sits at Turcot after bringing a freight in from the west. The Canadian National initially called the 4-8-4 the Confederation type and these early locomotives ... (more)

CNR U-2-f 4-8-4 6185 sits at Turcot having come in from the west that morning.

CNR U-2-g 4-8-4 6202 sits on the turntable as 4-6-0 1391 and 2-8-2 3243 sit on other tracks. The turntable was very busy turning a variety of steam power that November day.

CNR U-2-g 4-8-4 6202 waits for a spot on the Turcot turntable. The weather was gloomy most of the day and a challenge for Kodachrome. This Northern still has the apron covering the air reservoirs ... (more)

CNR U-2-g 4-8-4 6204 and two other locomotives sit in the gloom of the Turcot roundhouse. This picture wouldn't be as good if the number board and classification lights hadn't been illuminated.

CNR U-2-b 4-8-4 6133 gets underway westbound from Turcot yard with a string of tank cars. This picture was actually taken by my father who was also named Bob Krone so the photo credit is correct. ... (more)

261 heads into Union Station for the filming of "Public Enemies" with no Amtrak power and an all-Milwaukee consist. The clouds were thwarting most attempts at good shots, but right as the 261 reac... (more)

With a thunderous exhaust echoing through the Lehigh Gorge, Reading & Northern 2102 triumphantly stomps southbound out of Jim Thorpe.

I stayed overnight in a dump of a motel, got up a 4:45 AM, got soaked in the rain, drove 400 miles round trip, spent hundreds of dollars, and after waiting 27 years, was it worth it?

You bet you... (more)

Protectors of the rails. NS Security Personnel pose with Norfolk & Western J-Class #611 as official photographers, including Casey Thomason (left) document the event.

The Norfolk & Western Big Three at the Virginia Museum of Transportation from left to right: N&W 2156, N&W 611 and N&W 1218. I had the opportunity to come down on my own and photograph the big thr... (more)

The front of the two beautifully steam engines SP&S #700 and SP #4449 at the Brooklyn roundhouse

Former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway steam locomotive 3751, currently owned and operated by the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society (SBRHS) is under Blue Flag protection at the 8th ... (more)

SP 4449 departs Albany Yard after spending a week in the Portland & Western engine shop to have a main bearing replaced on the #2 driver. At far right is the Albany Amtrak station.

She rests before her day in the spotlight. The evening before 3751 returns to San Diego after a half a century absence. An outtake from the September 2008 Railroads Illustrated photo essay on the ... (more)

J 601 sits outside one of the lubritorium houses at Shaffers Crossing. The line poles are unfortunate but were an obstacle for some locomotive shots.

For most, a storm cell passing over and casting clouds down would be a nuisance. However, for the chasers of MILW 261, it was a relief from constant backlighting and allowed for some brief even li... (more)

The T-1s were all under fire that day in Renovo. John reports that Pennsy paid a buck a day for the use of these engines.

When PRR returned these engines to the Reading in '57 they were much worse for the wear thanks to poor coal and virtually no maintenence during their stint on the Standard Railroad of the World. ... (more)

It was cheaper for the PRR to lease servicable steam, such as these Reading T-1s, rather than perform expensive class repairs (essentially rebuilds) on their own steamers destined to the scrap hea... (more)

While under lease to the Pennsy, the RR ran em like railfans run rental cars. If you'll excuse the metaphor, burning soft coal and running them hard while performing only minimal maintenence took... (more)

The reason John is in Renovo soon becomes apparent, as 2 months earlier a power short Pennsy leased nine of these 10-year-old Northerns from the Reading for work in places like the non-cab signall... (more)

A look inside the cab of the infamous MILW 261. Thanks to Joe LeMay, who watched my stuff and loaned me his bike so that I might go see 261 before our Metra train left.

What am I thankful for? All of the volunteers that keep mainline steam running. Dana Alexon is a safety officer who volunteers on all FO261 trips as an emergency medical technician. It is details ... (more)

After many hard days of prep-work, ATSF 3751 has just been backed onto the turntable. It will be moved to be put on display for Amtrak's employee appreciation day. Then it will be hooked up to the... (more)

The cab of 4-8-4 NdeM #3028 sits on a pile of wood awaiting restoration and mating to the boiler. All in good time, as a few coaches, some freight cars and currently Railroad: New Hope & Ivyland
Locomotive: Steam 4-8-4
Location: New Hope, Pennsylvania, USA
Locomotive #: NHIR 3028
Train ID: Unknown
Photo Date: May 01, 2010

261 is serviced and inspected at La Crosse. The dirty engine photographs well.

A film crew gets some footage while 261 gets serviced in Portage. Note that even the cement hopper is lettered "MILW" and the last 2 digits are "61".

This group of kids waiting to board a late Amtrak Empire Builder got an unexpected living history lesson when Milwaukee 261 showed up at their platform. Some were terrorized by the hissing black ... (more)

Milwaukee Road 261 sits in the modern Amtrak Lumber Street Yard. It will be used in a movie at Chicago Union Station.

Freight hog 611? Norfolk & Western 611 chugs slowly through the north end of the yard in Spencer, NC, hauling a short mixed freight. It almost seems to be heresy that the "ultimate st... (more)

C&O 614 has test runs in Baltimore.

C&O 614 has test runs in Baltimore.

C&O 614 has test runs in Baltimore.

The Cotton Belt 819 was noted in the early 90's for its runs during the Tyler Rose Festival. Before dawn on what turned out to be a miserable gloomy day, she sits at the modest engine facility at... (more)

A Richard Beal photo: While riding a fantrip behind the CN 6167, a stop in Stratford finds Richard shooting the deadline, here we see two of the same class of CN 4-8-4s, the 6200 unstreamlined ... (more)

UP 844 is greased before heading back to Denver, CO pulling the Cheyenne Frontier Day's excursion train..

UP #844 sits in the Cheyenne yard while exposing its backside.

UP 844 setting in North Platte for the night

Clouds skim past the moon as GTW 6325 is put to bed after an exciting performance at TrainFest 2004.

Union Pacific #844 takes a spin on the turntable before having to return back to Denver later in the evening.

Full Steam Ahead, has new meaning for me now. This machine is a race horse! She put up speeds today that are just incredible. Running late she almost made up her schedule…

UP 844 creeps into her resting place for the night, guided by a crew member, along the backside of the old engine shop area. Running over four hours late… she is about to be swarmed over, by cel... (more)