What Did Montana’s Early Freight Trains Actually Carry?
A freight train moving across Montana in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century was more than a collection of railroad cars. It was part…
freight trains
One Locomotive Pulled the Train for Hundreds of Miles—So Why Did It Suddenly Need Another Engine for One Mountain?
For most of the journey, one locomotive could handle the train. It crossed open country, passed small towns, and hauled dozens of loaded freight cars…
One Locomotive Was Already Pulling the Train—So Why Did Railroads Add Another One?
A long freight train approaches a mountain grade. The locomotive at the front is already working hard, yet before the climb begins, another locomotive is…
Every Freight Train Used to Have a Caboose—So Why Did Railroads Stop Using Them?
Look at photographs of North American freight trains from much of the twentieth century and there is a good chance something distinctive appears at the…
A Glimpse into the History of Classic Steam Trains Operating in the Early 20th Century
A Glimpse into the History of Classic Steam Trains Operating in the Early 20th Century reveals an era when railways stood at the center of…