JULY 2021: When Santa Fe and Southern Pacific announced their bombshell merger plans and started painting locomotives in the new SPSF Railway image in 1985, everyone assumed it was a done deal. Elrond Lawrence was trackside for this turbulent time in Western railroading, recording the most famous merger that never was. Marcus Stevens takes us on a tour of Canadian National’s busy Dundas Sub in southern Ontario, while we take a swing through Michigan to chase vintage Ann Arbor GP35s on the Great Lakes Central. All this and more in the July issue of Railfan & Railroad!
Whippany Railway Museum Completes Restoration of Lackawanna ‘Club’ Car
Built in 1912, Lackawanna 2454 was reserved for the railroad’s most exclusive commuters who paid an extra fare to ride.
SPSF: Shouldn’t Paint So Fast
Beginning in fall 1985, Southern Pacific and Santa Fe quickly rolled out their bright new SPSF merger image, never thinking their proposal would be denied. For trackside railfans, it meant an uncertain future for two giants of the West.
Alco Parts and EMD Hearts: Great Lakes Central Geeps
Riding on Alco trade-in trucks, these vintage Ann Arbor EMD GP35s are still going strong in home territory, now operated by Great Lakes Central.
Photo Line: West Virginia’s Cass Scenic Railroad in 2021
Take a trip on West Virginia’s Cass Scenic Railroad with Railfan & Railroad Magazine Editor Steve Barry.
Photo Line: Early Amtrak with Jim Boyd
In the 1970s, former Railfan & Railroad Editor Jim Boyd was trackside capturing the early days of American’s national passenger railroad.
Camera Bag: When the World was Black & White
There are few practitioners of black & white photography anymore, and most of them do it for nostalgic sport while shooting color in their real cameras.
The “Friendly” Southern Pacific
How can a company as monopolistic, heavy-handed, and miserly as Southern Pacific also be charming and beloved by railfans?
Explore the world of White River Productions
