Big Mess

Railroading has changed a lot since I took this photo of a massive coal train derailment on the shared BN/CN route through Burnaby, a suburb of Vancouver.

Built ... (more)

Snow removal on the tracks of the Cinuos-chel-Brail station on the Rhaetian Railway. Snow blower mounted on an agricultural tractor.

For years, Colorado’s Minturn yard has sat empty, rusty and forlorn, as seen on June 4, 2018. The sand tower is now gone and weeds grow between the rails that once supported interstate commerce.... (more)

It is now 2021 and the B&O station and hotel have seen better days. Built in the early 1900’s, the hotel was used by train crews to take rest before coming back to take another train. Amtrak onc... (more)

Rails worn by heavy tonnage, the late afternoon sun glints off the diamonds of Burlington Northern’s crossing of Soo Line’s former Milwaukee Road main line at Savanna, Illinois, on September 1... (more)

Bringing up the rear of HRR 400 is The Algonquin Park, one of 18 dome-sleeper-observation Park-series cars named for famous state & national parks in Canada, was built for Canadian Pacific in 1954... (more)

On a cold and dreary night, crossties with rails freshly pulled sit spread apart on the ROW of the former N&W Mate Creek Branch constructed off the Pocahontas District mainline to access coal mine... (more)

Transport of tanks of the Swiss army on Slmmnps cars of the SBB (owned by the Swiss army) in Ems Werk. There are 6 main battle tanks of type "Leopard" (Pz 87) and 2 armored recovery vehicles "Büf... (more)

It's a long way down..... This image, made back in 2008, gives you the view that Mt. Washington Cog Railway passengers have as they descend Cold Spring Hill, just below the Waumbek Water Ta... (more)

Once upon a time in the Emmental. Passengers change from the snout postbus to the train of the Emmental-Burgdorf-Thun Bahn (EBT). A Peter Minder photo charter scene.

The Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railroad sweeps through the twists and turns of the Reading and Northern mainline through the gorge. A string of former Lehigh Valley and Reading Company coaches always mak... (more)

A Wisconsin Central welder has just lit off a thermite weld pot on the WC main line at Duplainville, Wisconsin, on March 23, 1996. A one-time-use form is attached to the rails surrounding the join... (more)

This former Family Lines caboose patiently waits under the stars for a trip with its new operator, Atlantic Railway. The Atlantic Railway is the new operator of the 11 mile stretch of railroa... (more)

Accurate positioning of the new concrete sleepers on the ballast bed during track renewal on the Rhaetian Railway near Davos Platz.