Reading 0-4-0 “Camelback” No. 1187 Previous Next Railroads – like any well-run business – constantly seek to control costs and find more efficient methods to accomplish their goals. One of the more unique ways this concept manifested itself in the early days of steam railroading was the innovative “Camelback” locomotive design. The Philadelphia and Reading …
Heavyweight Coaches – CB&Q 6144 & 6148 Previous Next As railroad travel gained popularity in the second half of the 19th century, railroads and passenger car builders sought to improve rider safety. Wooden railcars posed a fire threat in the event of a derailment due to the coal stoves used to heat them. Further, wooden …
Steel Caboose – WM 1880 Previous Next Built to provide safe, functional accommodations for crew members at the rear of freight trains, the caboose is a symbol of the Classic Era of American railroading. Train conductors used cabooses as their offices to fill out forms, organize switch lists and do other paperwork. Other caboose crew …
160 Ton Wreck Crane – P&LE X300505 Previous Next Derailments, from the typically minor ones to the occasionally catastrophic incidents, disrupted the flow of trains along the railroad. If trains could not run, the railroad could not deliver goods and passengers, so companies staged wreck trains at most major terminals to be “on call” when …
CNR Lightweight Passenger Car Set Previous Next By 1952, the Canadian National Railway needed to modernize its passenger trains. Older coaches, dining cars and sleeper cars were worn out after heavy use during World War II. The automobile and airliner were ever-growing threats to CNR’s passenger business. Finally, post-war sensibilities were increasing the expectations of …
Crew Car – “Conneaut” Previous Next The crew car (sometimes referred to as a “tool car”) is a critical component for operating steam locomotives in the 21st century. When steam ruled the rails, the specialized equipment necessary to make a quick, minor repair could be found at every division point on the railroad. Today, these …
Pullman – “White Castle” Previous Next Our Pullman heavyweight sleeping car – named “White Castle” – boasts an impressive resume. Read on for more information on the many jobs this car has held over the years. The Pullman Company manufactured and operated railroad sleeping cars during the first half of the 20th Century. Pullman developed …
Steel Caboose – W&LE 0222 Previous Next One of a handful of pieces in the Age of Steam with local ties, caboose 0222 was built in 1949 by the Wheeling and Lake Erie’s own Ironville (Toledo) Ohio car shop. The original Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway included a line that stretch from Zanesville northward all …
Bobber Caboose – CO&E 0100 Previous Next Getting their nickname from the way that a floating bobber danced in the water on the end of a fishing line, “bobber” cabooses tended to ride rough and jostle riders. This was primarily due to their short length and use of only two, “fixed” (i.e., non-swiveling) axles with …
Idler Cars – P&LE X300504 and NS 960088 Previous Next A railroad wreck crane’s constant companion was the idler car, sometimes known as a “boom car.” The idler car was typically a re-purposed flatcar or gondola which would be coupled directly ahead of the crane and below the crane’s long boom, allowing the crane to …
