Trains May 2016

The state of the railway preservation industry
By Aaron Isaacs
A $400 million industry, 2,300 miles of track, tons of trouble, carloads of fun

Mason City magic
By Steve Glischinski
Why can’t all park engines be this good?

First impressions of an Alco PA
By Michael Green
An encounter with a relic brings back childhood memories and hope for the future

Map of the Month: Southern Ontario, 1951-2016
By David Styffe
Spinoffs, abandonments, and busy rail lines along the north side of lakes Erie and Ontario

Narrow gauge history, ready to ride
By Bob Johnston
White Pass & Yukon’s fleet of passenger cars spans 140 years — and it’s all in regular service

Steam locomotives are hungry for good coal
By Hayley Enoch
The fuel that makes 75 percent of the operating locomotives steam today

Once upon a time in southern Oregon
By Scott Lothes
With five cars comprising the day’s southbound rail traffic, the age of 100-car lumber drags seems long ago
 
In My Own Words: When Alco outperformed EMD
By Dee Brown
How changes in a locomotive consist can be for the better, or for the worse