A Montana Rail Link GP9 awaits the call to duty in Paradise, Montana. Well, I’m back from Montana. What a wonderful trip it was! Of course, we saw trains, but we also caught plenty of fish, and we even camped a couple of nights. It simply...

The Southeast isn't known for its narrow gauge heritage. Slim-gauge lines here were primarily industrial in nature. The last of these is Palmetto Brick, near Wallace, S.C., which operates a 2-foot-gauge clay-hauling railroad. But this week and...

The general consensus is that the loops that enable Norfolk Southern to climb the Blue Ridge near Old Fort, N.C., are less busy today than in the past. Before the 1982 NS merger, Southern sent more traffic up and down the mountain that stretches a 3-mile...

My final post in this series came from a wonderful conversation with Kevin Keefe, former Trains editor and now the vice president of Kalmbach's editorial division. As we were talking about the blog, Kevin helped me find some photos that Al Kalmbach...

Earlier in my trip to Switzerland, I had enjoyed train rides through the countryside, a ride in a cable car, a zipline, a trottie bike, and an amazing journey to Jungfraujoch, the Top of Europe. On this day, we slowed down a bit and visited Harder Kulm...

The next morning was one I was most excited about. We were headed for Jungfraujoch, the Top of Europe. The railroad to the station, which at 11,333 feet is the highest elevation train station in Europe, was built nearly 100 years ago. Specifically, Adolf...

Ears pinned back, Southern No. 630 rolls at 40 mph on Sunday on the NS main line at Chattanooga, Tenn., on one of the first trips of NS's new 21st Century Steam program. Photo by Jim Wrinn I saw something I thought I'd never see last...

This month, I want to try a photography project that focuses on the trains in TRAINS Magazine's backyard. How many different pictures can be taken in a circle extending 10.27 miles from downtown Waukesha, Wis.? One of the questions we get most often...

This month, I want to try a photography project that focuses on the trains in TRAINS Magazine's backyard. How many different pictures can be taken in a circle extending 10.27 miles from downtown Waukesha, Wis.? I've really enjoyed this chance...

A short Montana Rail Link ML (Missoula-Laurel) freight negotiates the curves through Lombard Canyon. Leading the MRL are two SD70ACe’s and an SD40-2XR. Photo by Tom Danneman You may remember that I took a short trip out to see the Montana Rail...

I'm going to Tennessee this weekend to help an old friend celebrate a landmark birthday. This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of the earliest and most successful preservation groups in the Southeast, and to celebrate, Tennessee Valley Railroad...