Extra Board
Welcome to Railfan & Railroad Extra Board, a monthly exploration of the passion for trains from many perspectives. Extra Board welcomes your submissions. We’re looking for about 1500 words accompanied by two or three photos. Each photo should be no smaller than 14 inches (or 1024 pixels) across at 72 dpi (no verticals, please). Brief caption information must accompany each photo. Please send your inquiries to the Webmaster for consideration.
February 15, 2014
The Same Genesee & Wyoming
The original salt-hauling railroad continues to perform the job it was first built for way back in 1891. Despite the worldwide growth of Genesee & Wyoming over the last 30 years, it is sometimes hard to believe that it all began in a hole in the ground in Livingston County more than 100 years ago.
January 10, 2014
Changing Times on the Maryland Midland
I headed down to the Maryland Midland with my brother Bruce Barry, and we met up with Bill Kalkman there. Rumors of new paint were in the air, and we wanted to get one last hurrah of the old blue and orange.
December 1, 2013
Christmastime in the City
Grand Central Terminal celebrated its 100th birthday in 2013 with a special Centennial Holiday Light Show at Christmastime.
July 10, 2013
A Brief Encounter with Susquehanna Steam
The summer of 2002 was a whirlwind of activity for me as I returned home to find a number of main line excursions operating not far from home, including trips with Susquehanna 142.
May 14, 2013
Consider the Commuter
Consider the commuter on your next railfan journey. America’s secondary commuter trains are a great alternative to the sameness and uniformity of Amtrak.
January 5, 2013
Has it Really Been 30 Years?
Conrail was a reluctant custodian of the commuter trains operating out of Grand Central Terminal and wanted to desperately get out of the passenger business altogether. Though the MTA provided a subsidy for the service, broken trains continued to limp through a decaying infrastructure.
December 16, 2012
Chasing Canadians
Towards the middle of November 2012, there were rumblings that Amtrak was going to lease some passenger equipment from VIA Rail Canada to help alleviate the shortage of equipment due to the increase in holiday passenger traffic.
November 15, 2011
Silence in Rutland: Epilogue
The Rutland Railway’s main shops in Rutland, Vermont, were stangely quiet when photographer Jim Shaughnessy visited in 1963.
February 10, 2011
So Long, Jim Boyd (1941-2010)
It was a sad start to the new year in northern New Jersey when the news broke about the passing of Railfan & Railroad founding editor Jim Boyd on December 31, 2010. He was 69.
June 12, 2010
Last Light at 12th Street
Guilds Lake in Portland, Oregon, is a railroad industrial park like many others. It’s a sea of vast, sprawling buildings, divided by wide streets and narrow alleys filled with tracks. This was a place built for the switch engine.
