Trains December 2013

Rat Hole revisited
By Ron Flanary
Ghosts of the past are buried near this busy Norfolk Southern main line

Of searchlight signals, F40s, and an interlocking tower
By Tyler Trahan
A Boston time capsule enters the modern age

Map of the Month: Northern New England: 1954/2013
By Matt Van Hattem and Bill Metzger
Railroad diversity abounds, but no Class I runs there

Blueprints for prosperity
By Forrest Van Schwartz
State rail plans are nuts-and-bolts documents that keep commerce moving

Underloved but dependable
By George W. Hamlin
After nearly 40 years, Amtrak's Budd-built Amfleet equipment is sturdy, enduring, and still shining

Keeping up with the Pullmans
By Karl Zimmermann
Crudités, smile, polish, and a train ride: just another day on the Dover Harbor

In My Own Words: A brace of turkeys on the point
By Bert J. Ruden
How a small crew moves a packed Amtrak train running on fumes at Thanksgiving