Trains February 2015

Diamonds are not a railroad's best friend
By Peter A. Hansen
But changes are coming that may improve their shine

Map of the Month: Donner Pass
By Bill Metzger
Union Pacific's historic route and evolution

'The bridge is gone'
By Steve Smedley
Lessons for others from one short line's disaster and recovery

High tech on parade
By Jim Wrinn
Fourteen innovations (and one classic) stand out at InnoTrans, the worldwide railway trade and technology show

Breaking the code
By Brian Schmidt
The seven Class I railroads use different symbols to keep track of their trains

Searchlight sunset
By Elrond Lawrence
For a golden moment, past and future unite as a high-tech locomotive rolls past a 70-year-old sentinel

In My Own Words: A tale of an errant car
By Theodore C. Doege & William S. Howell
A tank car's odd trip over Southern Pacific's Coast Line