Spring 2012

Classic Trains is a quarterly magazine celebrating the "golden years of railroading." Each issue covers the North American railroad scene from the 1920s to the late 1970s with extraordinary photographs and compelling writing. Giant steam locomotives, colorful streamliners, down-home local trains, great passenger terminals, recollections of railroaders and train-watchers . . . they're all in the pages of Classic Trains.

Feature Articles

Battleship of the Rails

By Preston Cook

Pennsy's mighty S2 steam turbine, built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in 1944, employed the same propulsion principle as the latest warships

See some of the patent drawings covering elements of the Pennsy's S2 turbine locomotive

Flying Amtrak

By J. David Ingles

How train rides to and from the 1973 NRHS convention vaporized . . . twice!

Farewell Old Woman

By Jim Shaughnessy

Always marginal, the Ontario & Western finally faded for good on March 29, 1957

Riding the Ajo Cannonball

By Barry Anderson

A unique Western railroad adventure in 1976

Photo Section

All color! Milwaukee Road, Illinois Central and depot, Chicago & North Western, New York Central, Southern Pacific, Maine Central, Boston & Maine, Canadian Pacific, Narragansett Pier

Central of Georgia's Nancy Hanks II

By Jeff Darter

Connecting small rural towns with Savannah and Atlanta, the 1947 train had a 19th century ancestor

The Friendly Soo

By Lou Gerard

In the bygone times of 50 years ago, Dad's employer let me feel like a true "family member"

Bird's-Eye View: Overlooking SP's Oakland Mole

By Rod Crossley

A rock-filled pier in the bay was the eastern rail gateway to San Francisco

A Hidden Shortline Treasure

By Frank C. Kozempel

Pennsy steam made its last stand on New Jersey's little Union Transportation Co.

See more photos of the Union Transportation Co., including pictures of the two 4-4-0's that worked the line before PRR 5244 arrived

In Every Issue

Welcome

In the end, size didn't matter

Contributors

Meet this issue's crew

Head End

Steamboat obstructs the Rutland's local • Milestone for Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 261 • Jersey Central service • Center for Railroad Photography & Art Conference • Southern Pacific recollections • Obituaries: Arthur D. Dubin, Warren W. Wing

Fast Mail

Letters from our readers

True Color

A colorful third career of the Chessie System Special

Fallen Flags Remembered

Georgia & Florida: Class 1 in income only

Classics Today

The last active Pennsylvania Railroad steam locomotive is an 0-6-0

The Way it Was

Bound for Blackwater Canyon • Smoldering Embers of a Different Age • Double Thrill on the Oil Flyer • Meet Henry and John, Erie Fender-Makers • The Train That Never Came

Car Stop

Streetcars on Cleveland's Public Square

Ready Track

Reviews of new books and new CD

Second Section

Nancy Hanks coach lives on—up North!

Bumping Post

Pulling out of Winnipeg on the Canadian National