Bedtime for 611. The photo shoot is over, the actors are gone and the photographers are already headed for the parking lot. The crew from Fire-up 611 moves in to secure the engine for the ... (more)
Locomotives tucked behind the north car shop at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD
Just Like The Posters: When Great Northern Railway promoters tried to sell the wilds of Montana to potential travelers, this is what they were thinking of; tall mountains, rapid rivers, stu... (more)
A dmu unit crossing through a small water bridge
How to get a GP15 back on track at the hump in Roseville
A crew gets ready to cut their T-M loose from an SD and go work the yard.
AT&SF train 12, The Chicagoan, is seen east of Newton Kansas on January 21st 1939. Otto Perry photo, from my collection.
The third diesel powered streamliner in North America was built jointly by the Budd Company and Electro-Motive Corporation for the Maine Central and Boston and Maine Railroads. Pictured here on a ... (more)
Just in time for the NCAA Basketball “Sweet Sixteen” game on March 28, Paducah & Louisville parked their SD70MACs painted for the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville at th... (more)
Century 628 #3123 awaits a sad fate in the boneyard of the Bull Ring. Even as I clicked this frame on my Fujica ST-801, I was thinking that I couldn't wait to write Jim Edmonston for his Trackside... (more)
Still plenty of snow in the riverbed of the Reuss, when "Taurus" locomotive (Siemens ES 64 U2) of Austrian Railways (OeBB) with the Railjet trainset is leaving Wattinger tunnel and crossing lower ... (more)
Santa Fe U30CG 8001 (a former passenger diesel, ex-401) leads two SD45s and a U36C on a very short westbound San Bernardino to Los Angeles local (which will, no doubt, pick up more cars before it ... (more)
Once the hub of the Dakota Southern, Chamberlain is now an inactive yard used for storage.
In an afternoon downpour - a common summer event down south - a pair of GP30s pass Union Station's trainshed on their way to Mobile with the long-distance local as an Alco switcher (with a transpl... (more)
A Work train picks up scrap rail on the Milwaukee west of the Three Forks terminal
The conductor on the crew visiting the O Yard cautiously checks the water levels as the west coast rain has started to flood the area. Fortunately the water wasn't dangerously high, but the two ge... (more)
The Minot-Superior manifest is yarded in Duluth today versus Superior.
Operating on the Western Maryland Scenic
It is going to be a long night for RJ Corman crews. Q353 derailed on the afternoon of the 31st, and about an hour and a half afterwards, RJ Corman was already on the scene. 15 cars derailed, with... (more)
BNSF ore train passes underneath the Gateway Arch on a beautiful Spring morning.
Great looking units but I never got to see them really pulling. Usually they left Colton westbound in the company of about 10 other geriatric misfits, all on line, in hopes 3 or 4 of them could m... (more)
ex-C&NW 900. Unit was traded into Alco and was a lease unit for them and then Precision National before being sold to Peabody. Peabody's line became landlocked after the ex-B&O line (last operated... (more)
"Wow, Its SO close!!"
On the morning of October 9th, 2021, Pedowitz Machinery Movers shoves Long Island Rail Road vintage boxcar "SHOP 100" past parked cars on Ba... (more)
A major storm hit the Midwest on Saturday February 23rd. The storm dump rain, ice, and snow, followed by high winds. The result left the westside of the state of Iowa in complete disarray. Railroa... (more)
A CSX manifest snakes along the New River and through the old historic town of Thurmond, West Virginia. The tracks that cross the river are operated by the RJ Corman Railroad.
Number 6 reflects the last light of the day as it nears Chicago.
First sun lights the side of a westbound stack train approaching Hector.
Ten years ago, the Mississippi River and its northern tributaries took in more rain than they could handle. In Cedar Rapids, the CRANDIC tried to forestall disaster to their mid-town bridge by loa... (more)
While making my way to the GorgeRail 2013 event I stopped to snap this eastbound rolling through an orchard west of the town of Hood River. Viewed from Ruthton Park overlook looking west.
FCCA 1011 leads a La Oroya bound train across the steel deck/truss bridge over the Rio Rimac at Rio Blanco. This is the only mode of transportation moving up the valley here at Rio Blanco. Just of... (more)
Lehigh Valley Alco FA-2 units sit in front of the Bethlehem station with a caboose.
Abandoned NCStL roundhouse at the CSX - KWT interchange.
Here we are at the Erie Jersey City yard with a mix of steam and diesel activity. Ansco color/color corrected in P/S
Rock Island power behind this U50C
"Through the weeds not around them". That was a parody of the DRGW's old advertising slogan, "through the Rockies not around them", dreamed up by DRGW engineer Andy Payne, probably while running ... (more)
On the last leg of it’s journey to become capable of soaring through those clouds, this Boeing 737-900 becomes the last fuselage to travel over the Wilburton Trestle, on the last revenue train.... (more)
Running as advertised, Amtrak's westbound Southwest Chief splits the blades as it knocks down an intermediate pair of semaphore signals on this stunningly hot summer afternoon.
As the sun sets on June 29, 2016, an eastbound BNSF grain empty curves into Lombard, Montana, on the busy main line of Montana Rail Link. In a few hours, the colorful clouds will build into impres... (more)
Fall Colors and a Northern. Frozen in time at the Modesto Amtrak station, ATSF 2921's black paint makes a stark contrast when framed against the changing, fall colors of the trees in the b... (more)
An ex-Southern Pacific AC4400 leads a Mexico-bound AMPEPR auto train into Ventura on its trip down the Coast Line at last light as fishermen go about their day oblivious to the train's passage.
A close-up view of SOO 2500A's engine compartment after its radiator was removed for repair.
Under an incredibly dramatic sunset, eastbound Q382 throttles up and enters the plant at West Deshler, where they'll cross over to main one to get around stopped traffic ahead. Just one of those "... (more)
Under a breathtaking sky, Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 and its train speeds east across northern Arizona and passes under one of the Santa Fe's iconic signal bridges as it approaches Seligman on August 31,... (more)
The absolutely beautiful Great Northern Railway No. 1 on display at The National Railway Museum, York. The loco is probably the peak of British locomotive builder's obsession with form over functi... (more)
One of North America's most beautiful trains, The Canadian in CP Rail colors starts its trip out of Vancouver, BC with Riding Mountain Park bringing up the markers. The CP station is on Vancouver'... (more)
Nickel Plate #759, one of six surviving Berkshires, sits on a spur in a classic pose at Steamtown awaiting some cosmetic restoration and asbestos removal.
End of the lineSt. Maries River Railroad’s turn to Plummer interchanges its train to Union Pacific at Plummer, Idaho, on September 27, 2021. It’s pretty obvious where STMA’s forme... (more)
BNSF is testing EMD’s new Tier 4 models (SD70ACeP4-T4) on freight trains operating between Minneapolis (Northtown) and Superior, Wisconsin.
Cogwheel double railcars Bhe 4/8 # 3044 and # 3041 of the Gornergratbahn in multiple control are running up the mountain between Riffelalp and Riffelberg, with the mighty Matterhorn as background.... (more)
Monon's "Thoroughbred" passing the semaphores at Salem. Photo by Tom Smart from my collection. I was a little over one year old when this photo was taken.
Derailment of CSX Q539 drags and derails 6 cars, 5 of them are over the hillside taking out about 800 feet of rail & cement ties with them. The line reopened 4 hours after WO772-28 dumps ballast ... (more)
A gentleman paints a watercolor of the former Reading bridge spanning the old Lehigh Canal, as the front end of train 45A creeps into view.
During the last seconds of sunlight, BNSF 7081 grinds up the grade through the tight curves at Daze on the BNSF Phoenix sub in Arizona.
Steam Incorporated JA 1271 crosses the Mangaweka River over the South Rangitikei Viaduct with a passenger excursion. At 315 merters/ 1033 feet long and 75 meters / 247 feet high it's the 2nd long... (more)
Soo 2556 at Shoreham, it didn't take long to realize this geep had ran her last mile. Damaged along with 409 in a collision with a runaway cut of cars at Roseport, MN.
Welcome to the Jungle! Go back in time 15 plus years ago, this would be a common sight with ATSF stack trains and manifest would pass through all day and all night. Now, with the Alameda Co... (more)
On December 26, 1955, we drove down to the Englewood New York Central roundhouse, figuring that we would see at least a few in service steam locomotives. It was another cold and cloudy day, typica... (more)
Grand Central Terminal on 42nd between Lex and Madison - Opened on Feburary 2, 1913, Manhattan's only surviving large station (Pennsylvania Station was razed in 1964), hosts 67 tracks on two level... (more)
The westbound Southwest Chief leaves Chicago behind in a swirl of snow as it dusts the Metra platform at LaVergne and photographer Chris Lastovich at 70mph.
UP 3593 on display at St.Louis Union Station in July of 1991.
Southern Railway of BC's barge job loads the last track on a barge at the Annacis Rail Marine Terminal on Annacis Island. Of course, this is no ordinary day as the crew has loaded four passenger c... (more)
“Madame Queen” the diesel-devotees called her - or the “Queen Mary,” she was SF-1, under her original EMD (General Motors) serial number 744 of December 1937. She was 1800 horsepower, and ... (more)
A damaged UP SD9043MAC sits in the sun, awaiting to be moved to North Little Rock for repairs.
Loaded Northbound racks derail and hit train in the siding on August 1, 2005
Union Pacific 8766 leads the five day old MNPRV out of Tunnel 39 at Cisco. Feet of Sierra Snow covering Tunnels 4 and 39 are evidence of recent winter storms. Those storms caused washouts along th... (more)
The Westbound CANADIAN rolls through the lower canyon of the Kicking Horse River
The Black Gold, from Tulsa/Fort Worth, stops at Dallas Union Station before heading onward.
The coal cars in the foreground are coming and going to the Antelope Mine as a loaded Union Pacific coal train heads South just North of Converse Jct. A BNSF DPU can be seen helping it's train Nor... (more)
AMT 1350, first of 20 ALP-45DP ordered by AMT on a test run on electrified Deux-Montagnes line with an coach and F59PHI 1329 pushing at the rear.
Heaven on Earth
Boston and Albany commuter train on the big curve where the New Haven Shoreline and Old Colony divisions merge with the New York Central at the throat of South Station. To see another New York Cen... (more)
While not sporting any of the Vermont Railway red, the Bellows Falls (VT) switcher, symbol DASW-11, awaits the word from customer Dead River, to spot six LPG tanks. The switcher has brought toget... (more)
NJT P40DC 820, former Amtrak, is in fresh paint at the MMC.
On the first day of 2007 UP brought out the rotary to clear the KP line. Here we see the view from the rear of the train.
CNR extra 426 is nearing Lutesville on the Springhill subdivision. Gordon Yard is the next stop and train will be recrewed. Four Direct Rail Services, one Fastline Freight and four Freightliner un... (more)
Fog is burning off just after sunrise on October 2, 2014, as a BNSF freight crosses the Clark Fork between Heron and Noxon, Montana, while working east on Montana Rail Link’s Fourth Subdivision.
M Class comparison. Two of Norfolk & Western's numerous M Class 4-8-0s spend the cool autumn night outside an engine house in southern Virginia. Thanks to a "pit crew" of abou... (more)
Oh! Those FA'sCP MLW FA-1 4020, MLW RS-3 8433 and MLW FPA-2 4095 idle at Quebec St. in London, ON.
475 may be just a freight hog, but she can certainly hustle along!
Bankrupt Milwaukee Road could not find funds to keep the Pacific extension alive, but still managed to put fresh paint and wash jobs on power in the core system as shown here at St. Paul. GP40 loo... (more)
Union Pacific "Old Timers Special" rounds the tight curve at Crestline, NV. This track has since been removed and re-aligned.
With a beautiful sunset Amtrak 48 the Lake Shore Limited takes the curve at Fonda running late on it's way to Rensselaer where it will be split to NYC and Boston. I still can't believe how amazing... (more)
The GW Travel trans-Canada special spent the night at Revelstoke and is heading for Banff in beautiful morning light a few miles east of Revelstoke. Interesting mix of power. In the bar at my mo... (more)
Wrecked NS 3268 getting Scrapped at Chattanooga , Tn.
A string of transfer cabooses mingle with unused cars awaiting disposition after the demise of the Rock Island. Gondolas on the right are loaded with salvaged rail.
C&EI FP7 #1601, GP7 #235, and F7(A) #750. Chicago & Eastern Illinois was merged with Missouri Pacific on October 15, 1976. Photo taken from my slide collection, No photographer listed on slide.
From the I-80 Rest stop at Emigrant Gap, I was shooting my last shot of the day which was for the 2009 "A Day in North America" issue of Railroads Ill. The storm clouds from a passing storm parted... (more)
They say Oz (aka Australia) is a magical place and the night of October 18 did not let me down. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would lens a train and a moonbow in a night ph... (more)
It's a good day for plowin', eh?. Looking a bit like a giant whale surfacing, the White Pass Rotary Fleet climbs out of a deep cut, about 3 miles north of the US/Canada Border, en route to ... (more)
A501 standart gauge and A9107 meter gauge on repair works at the centrak workhouse of Piraeus
