Train of Thought - Trains Magazine - Trains News Wire, Railroad News, Railroad Industry News, Web Cams, and Forms

5

Drew's Fantastic Train Photo Adventure, July 2011

Posted 12 years ago by D-Halv

From April 2011, downtown Milwaukee, WI at sunset. Wisconsin Southern grain train to Chicago running on Canadian Pacific’s C&M line. Drew Halverson photo As a photographer, I often find myself looking for new challenges, ways to push the envelope and come away with images that I wouldn't have thought were possible. In the railroading arena, this plight is quite challenging, especially when you've shot a certain area most of your life. In my case, I...

4

Of fishing and photographing the Montana Rail Link

Posted 12 years ago by Matt Quandt

Special post from Tom Danneman, Trains magazine art director Last week, I returned from vacation in Montana where I was able to partake in two of my favorite pastimes: fishing and railfanning. I flew out to Spokane, Wash., where I met my brother and some friends. We didn't have too much on the agenda except for catching fish and catching trains. Most of the time, the trains took precedence. Since we were only there for a few days, we concentrated on Montana Rail Link's...

16

2010 Trains photo contest winners

Posted 12 years ago by Kathi Kube

In recent years, Trains magazine has assigned a theme for our photo contest. This time we let the field wide open, asking you to send us no more than five of the photos that you thought were your best work. We received a huge response, but the winning photos clearly stood out. Take a look below and please leave your comments. Thank you. Grand Prize: Mike Johannessen' stunning pan shot. First prize: Steve Carter's shot of a TriMet train perfectly framed on Portland, Ore.'s...

3

Trains magazine art director railfans the Montana Rail Link

Posted 12 years ago by Matt Quandt

Special post from Tom Danneman, Trains Art Director On May 9, 2010, Montana Rail Link's Gas Local rolls along the Flathead River east of Perma, Montana. Tom Danneman photo I'm lucky enough to be heading out to Big Sky Country Montana tonight to catch up on some rest and relaxation, and maybe do a little train-watching along the Montana Rail Link between Missoula and Sandpoint, Idaho. O.K., you got me. I'll probably do more train-watching than rest and relaxation. R...

1

Just when you think tourist railroading is tame, watch out

Posted 12 years ago by Jim Wrinn

The problem: the tree has come to rest on the train. The solution: Mr. Chainsaw to the rescue! Jim Wrinn photo First off, I swear to you: I did not see the tree coming. I wish I could say that I did, because I've always prided myself as having eagle eyes (and I did spot that guy in the tracks near Santa Cruz last year). But it was Sean on the right side of the cab who saw the tree directly in our path. He manipulated the 24RL brake to bring our train to a smooth but abrupt halt at...

4

Meet Nevada Bob

Posted 12 years ago by Andy Cummings

Dear reader, You're no doubt by now familiar with "Smilin' Bob," the television spokesman for the drug Enzyte. But you're probably not familiar with his cousin, "Nevada Bob." Rather than me making the introduction, I'll let Robert "Nevada Bob" Alan Kemp introduce himself in his own words: "A simple single mere mortal non-learned man." Nevada Bob does business at the Surface Transportation Board as the Nevada Central Railroad. Accor...

3

TRAINS editor heads to class on signaling and train control

Posted 12 years ago by Kathi Kube

Editing stories requires more than just having a strong command of grammar and spelling; more than anything, it requires a person to become sort of a minute-expert in whatever subject the story is about. Sometimes learning enough to edit a story is fairly easy because it's close to a subject we're already interested in, or it builds on previous knowledge we've gained from other stories. Sometimes, though, editing a story properly requires a little more education. Well, yeste...

0

Shortline time down south now includes doublestacks

Posted 12 years ago by Jim Wrinn

See if this hits you the same way it hit me: A southeastern shortline railroad whose reporting marks are HOG is going to start running doublestack containers in June between Cordele and the port at Savannah, Ga. The operation will take trains over three railroads on a route as straight as can be between the Atlantic Ocean and this business center in South Georgia. My reaction, after hearing about this development at this week’s American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association meeting ...

2

What's your sign, dude?

Posted 13 years ago by Jim Wrinn

Let me start off by saying that I was one of your riders on Easter Sunday morning on Cleveland’s RTA light rail line from Green to Tower City. I wanted to compliment you on your handling of our two-car articulated train. It was as smooth as silk. Well done. Too bad there were not more people on board, but, hey, it was a holiday and a Sunday morning, so I’m sure it’s sparse on a day like that. Car 826 was impressive, a sporty job built in Italy in 1981 to whisk your fellow Cle...

1

Did the Easter bunny find you? He brought me four blue eggs!

Posted 13 years ago by Jim Wrinn

Look at these three blue Easter eggs in Cleveland! A trio of ex-Conrail SD40-2s assembles a hopper train on April 24. Jim Wrinn photo I was in Ohio last weekend as the guest of the Akron Railroad Club, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The group kindly asked me to be its banquet speaker at the University of Akron on Saturday night, and I really enjoyed their hospitality and camaraderie. Thus, I awoke Sunday morning in Cleveland. I jokingly mentioned in a text to a friend that...

5

Source Code: Was that a Metra train or a bad dream?

Posted 13 years ago by Angela Pusztai-Pasternak

By Angela Pusztai-Pasternak and Matt Van Hattem (Trains’ entertainment critics at large) Angela: Decisions, decisions … should I see “Sucker Punch” or “Source Code?” And must I really look at trains during my free time?I try to avoid watching movies and TV shows featuring trains, but alas the trains always seem to appear, whether I like it or not. So, I broke my rule, wanting to get the most for my money, and saw “Source Code” on opening ni...

4

A tale of two Consolidations

Posted 13 years ago by Jim Wrinn

Once upon a time, two Southern Railway Consolidations escaped the torch when diesels came to replace them. One of them found itself on display in a park near the zoo in Knoxville, Tenn. The other went to work for a shortline railroad, and then its old railroad wanted it back as a rolling ambassador for the company on excursion trains. The one in the park weathered the years, a spectacle to those who came to visit but otherwise ignored, while the other one gained fame as a link to the past for ...

2

What’s your “honorable mention” rail trail?

Posted 13 years ago by Matt Van Hattem

Here's a guest post from our Map of the Month illustrator, Bill Metzger. It's about the "Rails to trails across America: Your guide to 415 trails 10 miles or longer (11,830 miles in all)" map in the May 2011 issue of Trains. This map has generated a lot of reader letters, so we thought we'd share some of the "honorable mentions" that didn't make the map. Staple Bend Tunnel, the first railroad tunnel in the United States, was built ...

5

Suddenly, Wisconsin wants trains?

Posted 13 years ago by Matt Van Hattem

Wisconsin's state capitol rises above weedy tracks that once carried Chicago & North Western streamliners from the Windy City into Madison, Wis. Matt Van Hattem photo You'd think the spring 2011 meeting of the Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers would be a depressing affair. After all, the state's newly elected governor just turned away nearly $1 billion in federal grants to restore passenger service between Milwaukee and Madison, Wis. But no. The 40 ...

1

Southbound editor soaks up the sun and the rails of his homeland

Posted 13 years ago by Jim Wrinn

I am traveling back where I come from. I am in the south, where the temperatures are already in the 70s, the sun shines bright, the trees are greening up nicely, college girls hang their arms out of an open car window to catch the breeze, lost hunting dogs look into car windows for their masters, and railroads put on a wonderful show worthy of the region. I am in a city that is foreign to me: Augusta, Ga. When I was growing up, it was just a bit too far to reach for a day trip o...

1

Asia’s most outrageous transportation

Posted 13 years ago by Matt Van Hattem

There must be hundreds of different ideas for moving people by public transportation. I found some unique twists on familiar themes during a visit to Asia last December. (You can read about Asia's high speed trains in the April 2011 issue of Trains Magazine.) With each new experience, I felt like Charles Darwin finding a slightly different mockingbird at each Galapagos island. Here are some of the transit highlights from my trip. Hong Kong, China - Double deck trams Hong Kong is...

10

The real reason we’re railfans

Posted 13 years ago by Kathi Kube

This past week has been a time of enormous reflection for me. Ryan Schoenfeldt died on Tuesday. You might have seen his obituary in our News Wire, or posted to one or more of the many Yahoo! Groups he frequented. Or you might have even seen one of the heartwarming tributes posted on websites run by the Center for Railroad Photography and Art or Wisconsin & Southern Railroad. Throughout the week, many friends and acquaintances have added their own comments, several saying that they ...

1

The people who figure it all out

Posted 13 years ago by Kathi Kube

AAR Research Review attendees examine two of several bridges on TTC's High Tonnage Loop. Both bridges are made of steel and were donated to TTC after removal from revenue service for use in testing. The section on the right is riveted steel, and both sections have significant cracks that researchers are monitoring. Kathi Kube photo I spent the week of March 14 in sunny Pueblo, Colo., attending the Association of American Railroads' 16th Annual Research Review at the Transportation Technolog...

10

Who is that lady in white traveling the ‘Road of Anthracite?’

Posted 13 years ago by Angela Pusztai-Pasternak

I think Phoebe Snow is trying to reach me from her grave. Last weekend, I spoke with a yardmaster who retired off the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern. "Ever heard the story about Phoebe Snow?" he asked. Well, of course, I had. But, I certainly didn't know everything there is to know about Delaware, Lackawanna & Western's famous early 20th century advertising campaign and fictitious poster girl. The Lackawanna launched a campaign using rhymes and a woman dressed in white named "Phoebe Snow" to ...

3

A weekend in Baltimore: Has this city lost its railroad charm?

Posted 13 years ago by Jim Wrinn

I spent this past weekend in Baltimore with members of the city's National Railway Historical Society chapter, which marks its 75th anniversary this year. It's among the oldest organized railfan groups in the country still in existence - Lancaster, Pa., is No. 1, and Philadelphia is No. 3 in longevity among NRHS groups. Being back in "Charm City," its nickname since the mid-1970s, gave me the chance to visit old haunts as well as the opportunity to see new places. I think you'll find w...

6

Riding the cab of Amtrak's Acela

Posted 13 years ago by E Abbe

Guest post from Trains magazine Publisher Elfrieda Abbe I peered out the windshield of Acela train No. 2212, as Doug Hartig (pictured at right), Amtrak road foreman of engines for the Mid-Atlantic Division, prepared for the noon run from Washington, D.C., to New York City, arriving at 2:55 p.m. Not only was I about to have my first cab ride, but it was in America's fastest train, capable on this route of reaching speeds up to 135 mph. Hartig, who had engineer duties for the trip, was a geni...

9

Lighting the fire inside young railfans

Posted 13 years ago by Angela Pusztai-Pasternak

Today’s kids are not short on stimuli from TV to Nintendo DS to iPods. My 5-year-old daughter is convinced that if the late Jack LaLanne says his Power Juicer is the best, then she needs one. She also thinks I need PajamaJeans, and her brushing would improve tenfold if I got her the Touch-N-Brush toothpaste dispenser. Of course, she learned about all of these products during TV commercials. TV is a great way to reach kids, but where can a children’s magazine about trains reach kids? ...

8

Covered wagons Redux

Posted 13 years ago by Roy Blanchard

Posted by Roy Blanchard It’s quite a treat to climb into the cab of a 50-year-old F-unit and go tooling along at sixty-plus over a piece of railroad one first rode as a teenager behind E7s. The sensations are all there — no sound insulation from the horn or bell noises, the smells are right, and the view is correct. The only alteration to the control stand is the 21st century radio unit — the box above the engineer’s left hand. Finishing out the sense of a time-warp is t...

7

A Canadian Pacific Christmas Carol

Posted 13 years ago by Andy Cummings

Children dance and play in the snow during the Gurnee, Ill., show. Andy Cummings photo Canadian Pacific invited me to spend yesterday evening on its Holiday Train from Bensenville, Ill., to Hartland, Wis. I’d never been to see the train before, so this was my first glimpse of what it’s all about. The first thing you notice is the crowds. I can’t recall exactly what I pictured in my mind’s eye before the trip. Maybe it was 50 or 100 of the least winter-averse locals an...

2

Out here, everyone is a railroad photographer

Posted 13 years ago by Matt Van Hattem

By Matt Van Hattem, Senior Editor How many tourist attractions can you name that owe their existence to the art of railroad photography? I can think of only one: Morant’s Curve, three miles east of Lake Louise, on Canadian Pacific’s main line through the Canadian Rockies. Every tourist map and guidebook to these breathtaking mountains makes note of Morant’s Curve and urges travelers to see it themselves. Sure, you can list any number of great railroad locations that are well...

7

Book Review: Requiem for Steam, by David Plowden

Posted 13 years ago by Roy Blanchard

Reviewed by Roy Blanchard, with some help from the German Requiem by Brahms I. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4) David Plowden’s most recent book, the aptly titled Requiem for Steam, is clearly written by a man who mourns the passing of steam locomotion on the railroads, yet he and we are comforted by the passion and craftsmanship he brings to this labor of love. From the acknowledgments on the first three pages to the last photograph, we’...

17

If you love steam, narrow gauge, or the audacious, get yourself to Germany!

Posted 13 years ago by Jim Wrinn

Trains magazine Editor Jim Wrinn is in Germany to cover last week's InnoTrans 2010. My trip to Germany is coming to a close, but I wanted to tell you about the last few days spent riding and photographing the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways in what was once East Germany. After attending and reporting on InnoTrans, the big railroad trade show in Berlin, last week, a dispatcher who is a pal of mine asked if I wasn’t overdue for steam preservation, and he’s right. I did need to catch a whif...

3

An entertaining ‘Gotcha’ moment at InnoTrans

Posted 13 years ago by Jim Wrinn

Last week, Trains magazine Editor Jim Wrinn was in Germany covering InnoTrans 2010. Now I’m not one of those journalists who live for the “gotcha” moment that so many people crave. Yes, it’s a guilty pleasure when you find the president of Heinz foods using Hunts ketchup or catch the head of Boeing riding on an Airbus. I don’t know, there’s just not enough there intellectually in my thinking to really make me think that’s much in the way of true...

1

From InnoTrans: How green is my railroad?

Posted 13 years ago by Jim Wrinn

Trains magazine Editor Jim Wrinn is in Germany covering InnoTrans 2010. How green do you want it to be? I knew before I even left the U.S., that I was in for a surprise when it comes to how important the railways in Europe view their role in preserving the environment, and how critical the public is of the railroads’ environmentalism. Whether you believe in or are skeptical of global warming, these folks know that playing the green card is important to constituents here. In Milwaukee, da...

0

At InnoTrans, it’s fun doing business with you

Posted 13 years ago by Jim Wrinn

Trains magazine Editor Jim Wrinn is in Germany covering InnoTrans 2010. Wandering around the InnoTrans trade show Tuesday, the first day of this week-long showcase of the world’s railway manufacturers and suppliers, I saw big business taking place. I listened to the head of Alstom Transport talk about replacing 1,000 locomotives in Russia over the next 20 years and watched his eyes light up at the thought. I saw makers of axles, wheels, springs — heck, entire railway systems —...

Drew's Fantastic Train Photo Adventure, July 2011

Of fishing and photographing the Montana Rail Link

2010 Trains photo contest winners

Trains magazine art director railfans the Montana Rail Link

Just when you think tourist railroading is tame, watch out

Meet Nevada Bob

TRAINS editor heads to class on signaling and train control

Shortline time down south now includes doublestacks

What's your sign, dude?

Did the Easter bunny find you? He brought me four blue eggs!

Source Code: Was that a Metra train or a bad dream?

A tale of two Consolidations

What’s your “honorable mention” rail trail?

Suddenly, Wisconsin wants trains?

Southbound editor soaks up the sun and the rails of his homeland

Asia’s most outrageous transportation

The real reason we’re railfans

The people who figure it all out

Who is that lady in white traveling the ‘Road of Anthracite?’

A weekend in Baltimore: Has this city lost its railroad charm?

Riding the cab of Amtrak's Acela

Lighting the fire inside young railfans

Covered wagons Redux

A Canadian Pacific Christmas Carol

Out here, everyone is a railroad photographer

Book Review: Requiem for Steam, by David Plowden

If you love steam, narrow gauge, or the audacious, get yourself to Germany!

An entertaining ‘Gotcha’ moment at InnoTrans

From InnoTrans: How green is my railroad?

At InnoTrans, it’s fun doing business with you

Join our Community!

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

Recent Posts

Tag Cloud