Amtrak train 36, the eastbound Desert Wind (Los Angeles CA to Ogden UT) cuts through the haze as it passes the old Santa Fe station sign for Casa Blanca (White House), a neighborhood in Riv... (more)

Amtrak 504 departs put of Chicago with a Westbound Hiawatha.

A high green signal allows Amtrak Pacific Surfliner 583, with a mix of Amfleet and Horizon Fleet cars, to depart Fullerton as the sun sets in the west. This train, heading to Los Angeles f... (more)

Amtrak's Desert Wind heads for Vegas as it rolls past Cajon.

High above the Shasta Valley, the northbound Coast Starlight crosses Dry Canyon in summer 1994. An Amtrak engineer once told me that if the signals were all green and the train was making track sp... (more)

The Coast Starlight is running behind schedule as it pulls away from Mount Shasta on a summer morning in 1994.

Amtrak 504 leads Hiawatha 334 East under the searchlights at Tower A3.

AMTK 519 leads Hiawatha train #339 out of Chicago passing under the signal bridge at Green Street.

AMTK 519 pushes Hiawatha train #338 by Tower A5 as it rolls out its final miles to Chicago Union Station.

Amtrak's Cardinal is seen passing through Battle Ground, IN roughly 2 hours late with a P32-8 leading the Beech Grove section of the train to Indianapolis.

Moments after the sun rose high enough to light the entire scene, an Amtrak special move of ATSF 4-8-4 3751 utilizes a Dash 8 as a shoving platform (at least that's what it looked like, the steame... (more)

Tower A5. While no longer manned, Tower A5 is still used for maintenance of way by Metra. On this particular day, the venerable tower witnesses the passage of Amtrak Hiawatha train #338, he... (more)

Amtrak 500 leads a Hiawatha East under the searchlights at KK Bridge.

Under the Searchlights at A3. Tower A3 is still home to a Milwaukee Road signal bridge, complete with classic searchlights. Amtrak Hiawatha #339 is just beginning its trip out of Chicago to... (more)

With a Little Help from my Friends. Siemens Chargers are becoming more and more common these days. At the same time, they're becoming known for their mechanical failures. Dash 8's have beco... (more)