Amtrak is here to stay! That might seem like a no-brainer now, but that would most certainly shock the men who created it back in 1970-71. The minds that manufactured Amtrak had a two-fold mission: publicly, they wanted to assure travelers that some form of the railroad passenger network in the US would endure; privately, …
That message was part of the 10-minute introduction to a Chesapeake and Ohio Lines promotional film released in 1935. The film was a travel log of a journey over the historic and scenic C&O route that began with views of their premier train, The George Washington, headed by a spotless class F-19 Pacific, preparing to …
This weekend, we respectfully take time to honor those who have given their lives for our nation and the greater mission of freedom. The value of freedom is often obscured in a world full of disconnects, let alone the full understanding of the human sacrifice that has frequently been necessary in our history to preserve …
Referring to a class-one railroad as a rip-track – a remote, unmaintained siding in a rail yard where obsolete equipment is broken up and parts are salvaged – is anything but complimentary. But that is how one Great Northern official described a historic Midwestern line in its final days. Another rail authority described the line …
The great divide between tin-plate “toy trains” and scale model railroading commenced in the early 1930s and had firmly galvanized by 1950, with true scale being the champion winner. The lone wolf that effectively spoke to each sector was Frank Ellison, writer for Model Builder Magazine, who spearheaded efforts to add scale realism to tinplate …
To those faithful to the rails, May 10th, 1869, will always be remembered for the Driving of the Golden Spike. Countless articles, books, and an epic motion picture have been produced, all celebrating that milestone in U.S. and transportation history. Contemporary trends have altered the concept of popular history, and national focus has shifted to …