Union Station in Washington, D.C., circa 1925, with a baseball game next door. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

June 1924. "Largest electric locomotive and Congressman John C. Schafer." It's that train-lovin' lawmaker from Wisconsin again, this time with a new ride. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

Washington, D.C., June 1924. "Congressman John C. Schafer of Wisconsin." Who seems to have been something of a railfan. National Photo Co. View full size.

1917. "Baltimore and Ohio Railway. Safety first train." The train, according to newspaper accounts, carried exhibits "informing the public of the careful and effective means that are being taken by the government in the interest of good health, safety and preparedness." Shown here at Union Station in Washington. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.

Under the Hudson River circa 1908. "Interior of car, N.Y.-N.J. Tunnel." Today this would be the PATH train. 8x10 glass negative, G.G. Bain. View full size.

March 1943. "Santa Fe R.R. shops, Albuquerque. Hammering out a drawbar on the steam drop hammer in the blacksmith shop." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size.

Circa 1918. "Food Administration home economics demonstration rail car, University of Illinois." National Photo Co. glass negative. View full size.

1864. "Chattanooga, Tenn. Confederate prisoners at railroad depot waiting to be sent north." Wet plate glass negative, photographer unknown. View full size.

August 21, 1915. "Express track, 9th Avenue 'L'." Construction along the Ninth Avenue elevated tracks at West 13th Street in New York. On the corner: Charlie's Restaurant. 5x7 glass negative by George Grantham Bain. View full size.

New York, August 1915. "Express track, Ninth Avenue 'L.'" I was about to pass up this photo of the Ninth Avenue elevated line as being too damaged, then saw the giant bandaged kitty advertising Katzen ("Not a Dope -- Quiets the Nerves") and changed my mind. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain. View full size.

1864. "Atlanta, Georgia, railroad yards." Wet plate collodion glass negative, left half of stereograph pair, by George N. Barnard. View full size.

December 1942. "One of the Chicago and North Western R.R. classification yards." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. View full size.

"Post Office Dept. Hupp Auto Railway Service." The download part of the Hupp mail-transfer system. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.

"1912. Post Office. Hupp Automatic Railway Service." Another look at the Hupp system for mail transfer to and from a moving train, this being the upload part. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.

1912. "Post Office Department. Hupp Auto Railway Service" (i.e., Hupp Automatic Mail Exchange, a system for transferring mail bags to and from a moving train). Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. Note the two utility poles at left that have been scratched off the negative. View full size.