“Heads Up!” – Be Alert – was a constant warning to trackmen that labored along the mainline in the unrelenting battle to maintain the right of way. The need to be fully vigilant about the total condition of the mainline prompted regular track inspections by the army of senior operating personnel and civil engineers that …
The 1970s were pivotal time for the railroads and motive power they employed. The eastern railroads had merger and financial challenges to overcome but the western railroads were basking in the economic glow of westward migration in demographics The exploitation of Powder River Basin Coal reserves driven by Clean Air Act, drove the demand for …
Several years ago, Broadway Limited Imports released what is regarded to be the most accurate and fully detailed model of the famous Pennsylvania Railroad class P-70 passenger coach. That basic car was produced in several paint schemes to reflect different eras of PRR painting practice with details adjusted to match accordingly. BLI choose well since …
Continue reading “Setting the Standards for Steel Passenger Cars”
Railroad technology underscores the fact that change is unrelenting. The velocity of change made a quantum leap forward in the 1930s with the perfection of the diesel-electric locomotive for road service. Despite the readily apparent efficiency, early diesel locomotives were modest in size and were housed in retrogressive-looking, boxy car bodies that were not inspiring …
Some called them “Hot Water Bottles” and others called them “Fireless Cookers” but no matter, both nicknames referred to Fireless Locomotives. The process was simple: construct a locomotive that was propelled by superheated water – from a stationary steam plant and piped to the locomotive that had a reservoir – as opposed to a traditional …