Chicago & North Western RR worker putting the finishing touches on a rebuilt caboose on the rip tracks at Proviso Yard, Chicago. April 1943. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano.

Coal and sand chutes at the Argentine Yard, Santa Fe R.R., Kansas City, Kansas. March 1943. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano.

Santa Fe freight about to leave for the West Coast from the Corwith yard in Chicago. March 1943. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano, who went with the train to California, taking pictures along the way with his Graflex Speed Graphic. Look for them here in the coming days.

From 1907, a bird's-eye view of Wabash Avenue in Chicago, showing the celebrated "El," or elevated railway, as well as a number of piano manufacturers and the National Casket Company. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.

Re-tiring a locomotive driver wheel in the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe railway shops at Shopton, near Fort Madison, Iowa. March 1943. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano.

Crowd outside Grand Central Station, returning from summer vacations. Sept. 8, 1908. View full size. George Grantham Bain Collection.

Pennsylvania Station in New York as seen from Gimbel's department store circa 1910. George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size | See the interior.

Chicago & North Western railyard, Chicago. December 1942. View full size. Kodachrome by Jack Delano. Camera: 4x5 Graflex Speed Graphic.

Wrecked Pennsylvania R.R. car on tracks south of Brunswick Street. Jersey City, N.J. November 6, 1909. View full size. George Grantham Bain Collection.

Train wreck near Middletown, Ohio. July 4, 1910 [erroneously reported at the time to have involved the 20th Century Limited -- see Comments]. View full size. Glass negative from the George Grantham Bain Collection.

Chicago & North Western classification yard, December 1942. The trestle runs from the ice house to the yard. The old cars in the foreground are used as living quarters for some yard workers and itinerant help. Town of Melrose Park is in background. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano.

April 1943. "Viola Sievers, one of the wipers at the Chicago & North Western roundhouse, giving a giant "H" class locomotive a bath of live steam at Clinton, Iowa. Mrs. Sievers is the sole support of her mother and has a son-in-law in the Army." Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. View full size.

April 1943. Clinton, Iowa. "Marcella Hart and Viola Sievers, wipers for the Chicago & North Western Railroad, cleaning one of the giant H-class locomotives." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. View full size.

Thomas Madrigal greasing a locomotive in the roundhouse, Rock Island R.R., Blue Island, Ill. April 1943. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information.

Tallest boy Johnnie Younts, 72 Kirk Street, Salisbury, North Carolina. Has worked at in Salisbury Mills for 8 years. Began at 7 years old. When can he get any education? Other boy one year in mill. December 1908. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. [At least they could afford nice clothes - Dave]