Railroad history

Classic Trains magazine celebrates the 'golden years of railroading' including the North American railroad scene from the late 1920s to the late 1970s. Giant steam locomotives, colorful streamliners, great passenger trains, passenger terminals, timeworn railroad cabooses, recollections of railroaders and train-watchers.

Railroads have played a role in the history of Cape Girardeau. Here is a collection of photos from the history of rail travel in the area, taken from the Southeast Missourian archives.

Hold onto your engineer caps, railroad history lovers.

Circa 1910 postcard view of a C. C. C. & St. L. (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis) Railroad train approaching the depot in Fairmount, Indiana. The company was commonly referred to as the “Big Four.” The locomotive number appears to be 2144. An empty baggage cart stood nearby and the bags in the foreground were probably ready to load onto the train. At least one wagon was parked nearby. None of the people in the scene appeared to be waiting passengers. An AMERICAN EXPRESS CO. sign…

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We decided to bring the kids to see the New Brunswick Railway Museum in Hillsborough this summer. They have dozens of old locomotives and rail cars. The museum used to be bigger and some trains were even operational. Unfortunately, an arson attack on the engine shop in 1994 destroyed or damaged several locomotives and historic freight and passenger cars. The museum is now a static display of the history of the railroad in New Brunswick. Displayed here is an ex CN double ended snowplow. It is…

The B&O Railroad Museum shares and preserves the storied legacy and experiences of American railroading. Come see where it began!

High quality photograph of White Pass & Yukon Route Rotary Snow Plow # WPY 1 at White Pass, British Columbia, Canada.