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8

It's all about the wait

Posted 9 years ago by Samuel Phillips

Sometimes we luck into amazing images that aren't planned because half of success is just being trackside at the right time. On other occasions, an awesome shot may have required a great deal of waiting,patience, and persistence. This blog will be shorter and contain fewer images compared to prior posts. It’s about an experience I had last month in getting a shot I had wanted for more than two years. For most of us, chasing a train in pristine light across a highly scenic main li...

11

My impression as history continues to unfold at Spencer

Posted 9 years ago by Chase Gunnoe

As the weekend festivities continue to unfold at Spencer’s historic gathering of over two dozen cab units and ceremonial start to the restoration of N&W J-Class 611, I’m now able to comprehend the reality of this exclusive gathering and the pride and happiness its created through leaders in the industry, participating organizations, and visiting enthusiasts. Dodging raindrops on the evening of Thursday’s “Preview Day”, I watched a sliver of sun emerge from thre...

6

An exciting time for railroad history

Posted 9 years ago by John Gruber

It’s an exciting time for railroad history, the beginning of a host of ever expanding recognitions of the importance of railroading in American life. Big locomotives seem to get the headlines, but much is happening across the country.“Streamliners at Spencer” at the North Carolina Transportation Museum this weekend (May 29-June 1) is a four-day photography festival, featuring locomotives of the 1930s through the 1960s.Norfolk & Western 611 is at Spencer for the streamliners...

2

The first shall be last: FT demonstrator joins the cast of Streamliners at Spencer

Posted 9 years ago by Jim Wrinn

Soo Line FP7 2500, N&W 611, and UP E9 get attention at the Spencer turntable. SPENCER, N.C. – Of all the engines to be the last one to arrive. It had to be the FT demonstrator, the first streamlined freight diesel that General Motors built back in 1939, the diesel locomotive that proved to steam-powered railroads that they were making the right choice by changing the power of their freight trains. It’s the great-grandfather of all modern locomotives. It was the last the arrive o...

1

The Railway Man, he was one of us

Posted 9 years ago by Steve Sweeney

There once lived a man named Eric Lomax. He lived in Scotland, fought in World War II, and survived torture at the hands of Japanese captors only to lead a troubled adult life in Britain. He died in 2012. For Trains readers, his life story is poignant and remarkable because he was one of us. The Railway Man, a film recently released in the United States, depicts Lomax’s life in 1980s Britain and through reminiscences and flashbacks to World War II. According to the film, the one-time Bri...

4

Streamliners at Spencer event is like stepping into another world

Posted 9 years ago by Jim Wrinn

SPENCER, N.C. – I kept finding myself uttering strange phrases Tuesday during the preparatory work for Streamliners at Spencer, the cab unit festival at the North Carolina Transportation Museum, where I’ve volunteered since 1986. Among the key phases: “This cannot be real.” “This is like Christmas morning.” “This is like stepping into the Twilight Zone…In a good way.” Indeed, on the second day of preparations for one of the most amazi...

18

Notes from the 4014 chase: Sherman Hill and Cheyenne

Posted 9 years ago by Jim Wrinn

School children and residents watch No. 4014's train pass under the pedestrian walkway over the yard in Laramie, Wyo. No. 4014's train eases out of the twin Hermosa Tunnels for photographs for Trains. Cheyenne, Wyo. – I wonder what No. 4014 was thinking as her diesel great grandchildren escorted her Thursday across Sherman Hill to her new home in Cheyenne, Wyo., after an absence of 55 years. As the UP steam crew pushed the Big Boy into the engine house into a stall next to never-retired ...

4

WRI 2014 Day 4: Riddle me this

Posted 9 years ago by Steve Sweeney

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- What is as loud as a chainsaw, seemingly random, and bothers neighbors in Australia? Did you guess right? Squeaky wheels on a freight train. It is the random nature of this noise that caused an Aussie acoustical engineer to travel thousands of miles to present his problem at the feet of wheel-rail gurus for further evaluation. The learned professionals at the Wheel-Rail Interaction conference asked several questions, but have yet to parse out a cause or solution. Tha...

7

Notes from the 4014 chase: Wyoming

Posted 9 years ago by Jim Wrinn

UP 4014 departs Rock Springs, Wyo. for Thursday's trip to Laramie, Wyo. LARAMIE, Wyo. – We arrived here last night after a day that included blowing snow, lightning, rain, and not far away, tornadoes. Fortunately, everyone and everything got here to the western slope of Sherman Hill for today’s last lap on the way into Cheyenne, Wyo., where Union Pacific steam lives and where Big Boy No. 4014 will be reborn. The locomotive, and the Trains chase crew, have come almost 1,300 miles to ...

1

WRI 2014 Day 3: Three reasons these sessions are just plain heavy

Posted 9 years ago by Steve Sweeney

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Officially, the Wednesday and Thursday sessions at the Wheel-Rail Interaction conference come under the title "heavy haul." They should rename the two days to just plain "heavy" and get it over with. Here are three good reasons: 1.) We're talking weighty freightIn recent decades, the maximum permitted gross weight for standard loaded freight cars in North America has progressed from 263,000 pounds, to 286,000, and now, it looks like 315,000-pound cars are definitely on their...

3

Notes from the 4014 chase: Northern Utah and Western Wyoming

Posted 9 years ago by Jim Wrinn

A Utah Front Runner commuter train soars across a flyover in Ogden as No. 4014's train walks out to the main line. ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. – Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 returned to home turf on Tuesday on its journey between southern California and the shop in Cheyenne, Wyo., that will prepare the 1941 4-8-8-4 for its second career as a steam-powered spokesman for the railroad. The engine looked right at home on steep, twisting grade between Ogden and Wahsatch, Utah, a roughly 60-mile climb...

1

WRI 2014 Day 2: Cut the 'creep'

Posted 9 years ago by Steve Sweeney

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Squeeeeeeak. Squeeeeeeak. Wrummmmmmp. Wrummmp. Wrmpp. Pup. Pup. Pup. "Not the squeak, it's the low frequency noise we're talking about," says one research engineer from a Class I railroad talking about the "wrummmmp." This engineer showed an audience at the 2014 Wheel-Rail Interaction conference a video from the point of view of a railroad spike. The video captured a loaded coal freight grinding uphill on a curve at about 10 mph. The wrummmmp, or low, rumbling, popping sound c...

1

Day 1 of WRI 2014, rail transit: remember to talk (to each other)

Posted 9 years ago by Steve Sweeney

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - An old saying goes, "Every time you point a finger, three more are pointing right back at you." So it goes that before blaming other railroad departments, an agency, or a contractor, engineers at the Wheel-Rail Interaction conference were reminded to check first for more basic human issues. The reminder came from railroaders' case studies of operating passenger and transit systems in the United Kingdom and in California. In the stories told about the cases, there was a common...

11

Notes from the 4014 chase: Utah

Posted 9 years ago by Jim Wrinn

Visitors crowd No. 4014 while on display Saturday in Salt Lake City, Utah. OGDEN, Utah – We’re back in traditional Big Boy territory with Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 No. 4014 continuing to dazzle onlookers as it makes its way in tow to the restoration shop in Cheyenne, Wyo. The locomotive is sitting in front of Ogden Union Station today for admirers, the curious, and everyone else to marvel at. The big day is Tuesday when the engine moves east through Weber and Echo canyons and through Wa...

3

Tales from the 4014 chase: Nevada

Posted 9 years ago by Jim Wrinn

No. 4014's train near Caliente, Nev. CALIENTE, Nev. – It’s late, and I’ve just gotten into my motel in Milford, Utah, and I should be sleeping, but before I do, I’m going to jot down a few things about Thursday’s hospital train move for Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014. So much happened. First off, what a day. The steam crew was ready to go early, but the road crew arrived a few minutes late, which set back the 7 a.m. scheduled departure to 7:22 a.m. That is no bigg...

4

Enjoying Norfolk Southern's 21st Century Steam Program

Posted 9 years ago by Samuel Phillips

Having witnessed the steam excursions originating this spring in Bristol, Va., and Grundy, Va., only one word comes to mind when describing them: awesome! Norfolk Southern and the Tennessee Valley Rail Museum went above and beyond to put on a fabulous show for railfans and individuals riding the train. Beautiful Spring weather dominated all three weekends, which I'm sure to those of you who were there, was a welcomed experience after the long and harsh winter many of us experienced. The Bristol...

9

A Trains encounter of the 1027 variety

Posted 10 years ago by Jim Wrinn

I was in Boston late last week to give an after dinner talk for the Mass Bay Railroad Enthusiasts, and my friend and club Secretary Bill Crawford picked me up at the airport and took me to Chelsea, Mass., for train watching. Our aim was to view MBTA commuter trains prior to the dinner and speech in the former Boston & Maine depot, now a restaurant, in Malden, Mass. While we were watching the outbound parade of afternoon trains last Thursday, we witnessed F40PH-2C No. 1027 hustling commuter...

5

5 reasons why WRI is right for you

Posted 10 years ago by Steve Sweeney

Trains is sponsoring the 20th annual Wheel Rail Interaction conference. As official media partner for this event, we want to start our coverage by offering five really good reasons for attending: 1.) Wheels and rails are important. Train wheels interact with rails every day. It’s only in the past 20 or 25 years, though, that engineers and railroaders have begun to understand that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to these staples of railroading. In some ways, even bigg...

1

23 reasons to be excited about this weekend’s Norfolk Southern steam trips

Posted 10 years ago by Jim Wrinn

After departing Bulls Gap, Tenn., train 976 swings through an S curve on the east side of town with Southern 2-8-0 No. 630 leading a public passenger excursion part of Norfolk Southern's 21st Century Steam program on April 6, 2014. Photo by Samuel Phillips. We’re now at the start of the fourth season of Norfolk Southern’s 21st Century Steam excursions, and they’re anything but boring. Each year and each trip is a little different than the last. Last weekend, Tennessee Valley R...

6

The feds get involved in crew sizes

Posted 10 years ago by Paul Burgess

Federal Railroad Administration announced today its intent to regulate crew sizes of both freight and passenger trains. In October 2011, a Union Pacific freight locomotive assisted Amtrak passenger locomotives pulling train No. 5, the California Zephyr via a special detour routing through Wheaton, Ill., in suburban Chicago. Paul Burgess photo Fallout from the fatal Lac Megantic, Quebec, oil train derailment in July 2013 continues for the rail industry. Today the Federal Railro...

1

Southern Railway No. 630's trip across the Buchanan Branch

Posted 10 years ago by Samuel Phillips

I've had many people inquire about locations and chasing information regarding the21st Century Steam excursions powered by Southern 2-8-0 No. 630 in Grundy, Va., thisweekend, and figured a blog post containing information might be helpful to many ofyou. First off, the line this train is traveling on is called the Buchanan Branch whichis Norfolk Southern's outlet to the Pokey mainline from the coal mines situated inand around Grundy. Several trains daily traverse this route going to and fromdest...

5

An engine named Soo Line 1003 is on the way back

Posted 10 years ago by Jim Wrinn

We're looking at the backhead of the locomotive with the engineer's seat on the right, the fireman's seat on the left, and the open firedoor in the middle. HARTFORD, Wis. – The back of antique automobile museum is about as ironic of a place as any to repair and maintain a steam locomotive. But this is home to Soo Line 2-8-2 No. 1003, and the iconic Mikado is close to being ready to steam once more. I paid a brief visit to the crew Sunday, and learned that running gear repairs are nearly c...

2

What I learned about Union Pacific’s Big Boy would fill a 25,000 gallon tender

Posted 10 years ago by Jim Wrinn

Union Pacific steam crew pulls Big Boy No. 4014 out of its museum berth and into the parking lot at the Los Angles County Fairgrounds in Pomona, Calif. On Nov. 14, 2013. The next step for the locomotive: A trip in April from southern California to the UP steam shop in Cheyenne, Wyo. Jim Wrinn photo This is a big week at Trains. Our special 100-page magazine about Union Pacific’s plan to restore Big Boy No. 4014 goes to the printer. The restoration project has reached a defining moment &nd...

6

Busting snow and rocks on the Rio Grande in 2014

Posted 10 years ago by Ron Burkhard

“And so the narrow gauge gets in the blood and will not out,” wrote Trains Editor David P. Morgan in the October 1969 edition that served as a heartfelt tribute to the Colorado narrow gauge. His statement applies to so many of us to this very day and was so appropriate earlier this month when 31 of us chartered a snow clearing train on a portion of the famous Rio Grande San Juan extension. Last summer photographers John West and Michael Allen included me in planning discussions for ...

6

St. Marys Railroad lives on in Georgia

Posted 10 years ago by Jim Wrinn

St. Marys GP16 switches freight cars. Paul Pleasant photo. It’s the time of year when I start thinking about getting out more often and exploring railroads across America. At Trains, we just finished our annual tourist railroads and railroad museums issue and got it back from the printer. You’ll see the May issue with Southern Railway 4501 on the cover in your mailboxes and on newsstands soon. I’ve been fortunate to visit many preservation railroads and museums in my time, but...

19

Trains says farewell to one of its best

Posted 10 years ago by Jim Wrinn

The 2014 Trains staff, from left, Editor Jim Wrinn, Associate Editor Steve Sweeney, Assistant Editor Brian Schmidt, Editorial Assistant Diane Laska-Swanke, Production Editor Angela Pusztai-Pasternak, and Senior Editor Matt Van Hattem. This is a post I would rather not write. A member of our Trains staff, Senior Editor Matt Van Hattem, is leaving at the end of the week. He has accepted a position with a major railroad engineering firm. That’s good news for the railroad business and for Ma...

9

After the Midnight Rider film fatality: What’s next for railroads and the movies

Posted 10 years ago by Arthur J. Miller Jr.

When news reports revealed no CSX representatives accompanied the Midnight Rider film crew, railroad, and film professionals knew immediately the film crew was trying to steal a shot. When George Clooney's Leatherheads production worked on Norfolk Southern in Salisbury and Linwood Terminal, NC, in 2007, more than 100 NS personnel were involved. More than two dozen NS and Leatherheads production officials were on hand for the arrival of the movie train at the Salisbury Depot. The operating test,...

2

Is Crude the new Coal?

Posted 10 years ago by Chase Gunnoe

The former C&O mainline in West Virginia and its increasing crude oil business As a relatively young photographer in the hobby, I’ve watched and made pictures of trains for slightly less than ten years. One of my initial interests was studying commodities rolling by the aging Chesapeake & Ohio passenger depot in Saint Albans, W.Va. In-fact, my train watching consisted of a pen and paper years before I even considered purchasing a camera. As a West Virginia native nestled al...

2

Inside the Barriger Library: Check out our Flickr site of historic rail photos

Posted 10 years ago by Nicholas Fry

In the 1930s, a lone switchman walks along the Illinois Central’s tracks near Michigan Avenue in Chicago. The First Regiment Armory appears in the background. John W. Barriger III Photo. John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, St. Louis Mercantile Library, UMSL. Seen any good railroad photos lately? Many of you have already been enjoying the latest offering from the Barriger Library, and this partially explains why it has been so long since I last posted here. Since Februar...

4

Out of disaster comes a solution: The oil boom and railroad safety

Posted 10 years ago by Paul Burgess

I’m going to write about a plane crash that changed the way the aviation industry does an important part of its business. Why, you ask, am I writing about the loss of an aircraft in a blog meant for people are interested in railroads? The reason is simple: There’s a parallel going on between what happened in one industry almost 20 years ago and what is transpiring in another today. The air disaster was the 1996 crash of a ValuJet DC9 in the Florida Everglades. The horrific crash cla...

It's all about the wait

My impression as history continues to unfold at Spencer

An exciting time for railroad history

The first shall be last: FT demonstrator joins the cast of Streamliners at Spencer

The Railway Man, he was one of us

Streamliners at Spencer event is like stepping into another world

Notes from the 4014 chase: Sherman Hill and Cheyenne

WRI 2014 Day 4: Riddle me this

Notes from the 4014 chase: Wyoming

WRI 2014 Day 3: Three reasons these sessions are just plain heavy

Notes from the 4014 chase: Northern Utah and Western Wyoming

WRI 2014 Day 2: Cut the 'creep'

Day 1 of WRI 2014, rail transit: remember to talk (to each other)

Notes from the 4014 chase: Utah

Tales from the 4014 chase: Nevada

Enjoying Norfolk Southern's 21st Century Steam Program

A Trains encounter of the 1027 variety

5 reasons why WRI is right for you

23 reasons to be excited about this weekend’s Norfolk Southern steam trips

The feds get involved in crew sizes

Southern Railway No. 630's trip across the Buchanan Branch

An engine named Soo Line 1003 is on the way back

What I learned about Union Pacific’s Big Boy would fill a 25,000 gallon tender

Busting snow and rocks on the Rio Grande in 2014

St. Marys Railroad lives on in Georgia

Trains says farewell to one of its best

After the Midnight Rider film fatality: What’s next for railroads and the movies

Is Crude the new Coal?

Inside the Barriger Library: Check out our Flickr site of historic rail photos

Out of disaster comes a solution: The oil boom and railroad safety

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