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Crossroads of America: 1963
... tends to wear out the rail heads. Today the various railroads are engaged in a gradual replacement of crossings like this with ... 
 
Posted by prrvet - 12/18/2019 - 3:03pm -

Chicago's status as the crossroads of commerce in America is well known. This busy railroad crossing on the city's South side served to personify that fact. I took this photo at the Ash Street crossing adjacent to the now defunct Campbell's Soup factory, kind of in the spirit of Jack Delano many years before. Over the years I have come to realize that crossings such as these are a maintenance nightmare for their owners because the constant pounding of heavy rail cars tends to wear out the rail heads. Today the various railroads are engaged in a gradual replacement of crossings like this with "flying junctions" similar to expressway interchanges. It is known as "Operation Create." The first of these was completed at Englewood just last year. 35 mm Kodachrome transparency taken September 2, 1963 by William D. Volkmer. (ShorpyBlog)
13th Railway Engineers: 1919
... 13th Engineers consisted of personnel from the six largest railroads that ran through Chicago; it operated about 142 kilometers of French ... 
 
Posted by Christoph Traugott - 11/12/2018 - 3:32pm -

Chicago, May 12, 1919. "Return Parade for the 13th Railway Engineers, Michigan Boulevard." During World War I, the regiment known as the 13th Engineers consisted of personnel from the six largest railroads that ran through Chicago; it operated about 142 kilometers of French railways, serving the Verdun-St. Mihiel, Champagne-Marne, and Meuse Argonne sections. The scan is from a family photo album titled "My Vacation Days," dated 1914 to 1922. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
CNJ #903
... carried them; I have no idea where it came from. Other railroads were known for ordering switch engines and the like with huge tenders ... 
 
Posted by Lost World - 10/30/2015 - 7:01pm -

Another from the large-format steam library. Central Railroad of New Jersey 903 (ALCO 1923), photographed near the roundhouse at Bethlehem PA in 1948. This Mikado type sports dual air reservoir tanks on the pilot and an oversized Wooten firebox needed for burning anthracite coal. The large tender is not original equipment and only a few CNJ Mikados carried them; I have no idea where it came from. Other railroads were known for ordering switch engines and the like with huge tenders that they would swap out with road power upon delivery. CNJ ordered few if any locomotives after this one was purchased, so I think they might have ordered new tenders from a builder in later years or purchased larger ones from another railroad. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Night Train: 1962
... Pig Service Trailers on flat cars are called "Pigs" by railroads. (Slang for "Piggyback"). The Southern Pacific Railroad was a big ... The "Pigs" are now some of the hottest trains on railroads. They carry packages for Fedex, UPS, and the Postal Service on time ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/29/2016 - 7:40pm -

        UPDATE: One source attributes this image to Richard Steinheimer, the "Ansel Adams of railroad photography." "California freight train at night, February 27, 1962." 8x10 inch Ansco safety negative, photographer unknown. View full size. JeepsFive 4 axle EMD units we nicknamed jeeps. Looks like double track not sure where maybe Texas? [Maybe there's a clue in the first word of the caption. - Dave] O. Winston Link?Sure looks like his work, but I'm not sure he ever shot in other than 4x5. Could this be one of the negatives his second wife Conchita stole? [One source attributes this image to Richard Steinheimer. - Dave] Filling your cup with NightrainThis apparently was the SP 5802 GP9 delivered in March of 1959. They were painted grey with what was called the "red bloody nose scheme." If so, it was renumbered in 1965 then emerged renumbered again 1975 as SP 3818. Looks like the four locos are pulling a string of trailers via piggyback service. SP Piggyback Brochure Linkshttp://www.carrtracks.com/sppg10.htm http://www.carrtracks.com/sppg01.htm http://www.carrtracks.com/sppg03.htm http://www.carrtracks.com/sppg07.htm Stopped For ServicingHanging near the handrails on the left side of the locomotive is a "Blue Flag" and blue lantern to signify that the train cannot be moved or any car or engine come closer that 150 feet until the person that placed that flag has finished their work and personally removed the flag. Car inspectors are possibly walking both sides of the train and if one of them needs to get near or under the equipment they HAVE to be assured that nothing will MOVE! Pigs really can flyThe use of truck trailers on railroad flat cars (TOFC traffic) has a murky history, but as early as 1926 the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railway ran entire trains of what they called “Ferry-cars,” flat cars bearing truck trailers. The Chicago Great Western also offered “pig” service in the 30s. But it was left to a remarkable guy named Ben Heineman (President of the CN&W Railroad 1956 to 1972.) to develop the concept fully. It was often a frightful sight to see these trailers rocking and rolling on a train running at timetable speed, but to my knowledge TOFC trains had an excellent safety record. SLOPretty sure this is a northbound train at San Luis Obispo. Golden Pig ServiceTrailers on flat cars are called "Pigs" by railroads. (Slang for "Piggyback"). The Southern Pacific Railroad was a big player back then in the movement of trailers on flat cars. Their name for the service was called "Golden Pig", and a smiling pig was emblazoned on some trailers advertising the service. Flash to today, and these trailers are part of a combined movement of goods across the nation which includes mostly containers from overseas. The "Pigs" are now some of the hottest trains on railroads. They carry packages for Fedex, UPS, and the Postal Service on time sensitive schedules. 1959-60The pic appeared in the July 1960 issue of Trains, credited to Steinheimer. Like the man said, the lead GP9 was built 1959. Train 373 was the Coast Merchandise West, LA to SF overnight in 12 hours. The "Golden Pig" trailers with the jolly-pig logo appeared in 1981-82. (Railroads)
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