Louisiana Archives Railroads of Saint Helena Parish -
The Louisiana railroads were a great asset to the small communities because in addition to the hauling of logs and strawberries, there were passenger cars. The trains used the local forests and their supply of pine knots to fuel the trains, and with open windows the smoke, ash and cinders blew in and covered the riders... Not unlike other parts of the country, some trains gained the name of "Skunk Train", because of the heavy odor of smoke that permiated the passengers' clothing upon disembarking.

The Louisiana Rail Site -
This web site is a one-stop source for contemporary and historical information on the railroads of Louisiana. Railroads have operated in Louisiana since 1831, so there has been a lot of railroad activity - and variety - here: main lines, branch lines, short lines and industrial operations; with horse, wind, steam, compressed air, electric, and diesel power!

Boothbay Railway Village -
Have you ever thought about the years when the fastest way from Boothbay Harbor to Albion was to catch the stage coach, meet the two footer narrow gauge train in Wiscasset, to Whitefield all the way past Hibbert's Gore ( population 2 ) and continue to Albion ? (And much, much more)

Bridgton Narrow Gauge Railroad -
Brief History of The Bridgton & Saco River Railroad ("Bridgton & Harrison Railroad" after 1927). Established in 1882, the Bridgton and Saco River Railroad was a narrow-gauge railway that connected Bridgton, Maine with Hiram, which was located on the standard-gauge Maine Central Railroad (for freight transfer, cars had to be off-loaded from one to the other on parallel sidings).

Maine Central Railroad -
The history of the Maine Central Railroad is as old as railroading in Maine itself. The first railroad to be built in Maine was the Bangor and Piscataquis Canal and Railroad Company, which completed its line from Bangor to Old Town in 1836. This railroad operated the first steam locomotive in Maine, the Pionéer, an 1832 product of Stephenson & Son in England.

Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum -
The history of the building of railroads in the United States during the Nineteenth Century in many ways mirrors that of the nation. As the emerging nation s population and economy grew, so too did the many "ribbons of steel" that crisscrossed the expanding land to provide it with the many new lines of communication necessary to support the transformation of the United States from an Eighteenth Century confederation of former British colonies nestled along the Atlantic seaboard to a Twentieth Century continent-wide industrial giant.

Railroad History of Maine -
"Railroad technology was first developed in Great Britain, and included Richard Trevithick's steam locomotive of 1804 and George Stevenson's locomotive "Rocket" of 1829. The first railroad companies in Maine were chartered in 1832 and 1833, and, after some initial difficulties, the first trackage was completed in 1836 by the Bangor & Piscataquis Canal & RR from Bangor to Old Town. This became the second railroad in New England after the Boston & Lowell RR, which began operations in 1835." - quote from the web site.

Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad -
"For more than fifty years, Franklin County, Maine enjoyed the best two foot gauge railroad in the country. The Sandy River Railroad was started in 1879. In 1908, the Sandy River merged with all of the other Franklin County Lilliputs and emerged as the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad, boasting over 120 miles of track and thirteen engines. It flourished until the 1920's when autos and trucks made inroads into its once prosperous business. Its untimely demise came in June, 1935." - Website

B & O Railroad Museum -
"The B&O Railroad Museum is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American railroading through the history and stories of the B&O Railroad, the C&O Railway, the Western Maryland Railway, and the railroads of the mid-Atlantic region. The museum is committed to exploring the broader social, economic, political and cultural issues associated with a technological industry that touched every aspect of American life." - quoted from the web site.

Western Maryland, Parkerburg Road-Federal Hill -
"Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 734 after pounding around Woodcock Hollow horseshoe curve and swinging around the point of the ridge above Mt. Savage has be audible for a while on a hot, humid Friday. Now the sound intensifies as the locomotive comes into sight below Parkersburg Road, black smoke rolling. With this headlong shot, the locomotive sways noticeably adding to the stomach tightening drama as the locomotive approachs." - quoted from the web site.

Boston & Albany Railroad Webpage -
"The Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society established an Archive in 1971 at the time of the Society's founding. The purpose of the Archive was to preserve the histories of railroads, primarily that of the Boston & Maine Railroad and those absorbed by it, but also of other railroads in New England. In December of 1988 the Archive moved into the University of Massachusetts Lowell Libraries, Center for Lowell History, located in the Patrick J. Mogan Cultural Center at 40 French Street Lowell, Massachusetts." - from the website.

Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society Archives -
"This site is dedicated to the fans and former employees of the Boston And Albany Railroad and dealing only with the steam era and early diesel ("Lightning Stripe") period. I hope you will take the time to view the images, read the text, and learn about the portion of the New York Central System which was definitely NOT part of the famed "Water Level Route." - from the website.

History of the Railroads of Massachusetts -
"The first railway charter granted in Massachusetts, was that of the Granite Railway Company, March 4th, 1826. This company was chartered for the purposes of transporting granite from the quarries in Quincy to tidewater in Neponset River. The road was built and put in operation the next year, and its first business was transporting the stone for Bunker Hill Monument. This company has combined the ownership and management of the quarries with that of the railroad, and has been in successful operation since its establishment..." - from the website.

Railroad Stations in Massachusetts -
"The B&O Railroad Museum is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American railroading through the history and stories of the B&O Railroad, the C&O Railway, the Western Maryland Railway, and the railroads of the mid-Atlantic region. The museum is committed to exploring the broader social, economic, political and cultural issues associated with a technological industry that touched every aspect of American life." - from the website.

Michigan Passenger Stations -
"For nearly 100 years the passenger train was the only good way to travel. One could take a passenger train almost anywhere. Michigan surely had hundreds, if not thousands of passenger stations. They ranged from simple shelters to elaborate statements of wealth, status, and power. Each station is a unique bit of history about the railroads that built them, the towns they served, and the architectural style of the times.

This site is a look at some of the passenger stations still standing in Michigan. The thumbnails below, while in no particular order, are links to pages covering that depot with photos, descriptions, and when known, histories of the building. For the complete list of over 100 depot pages see the Alphabetical Index." - quoted from the Website.

Lake Superior Railroad Museum and The North Shore Scenic Railroad -
"Duluth was a thriving community during the 1910 era, with a population of more that 78,000 (today it is about 82,500) and was part of an economic boom that involved mining, lumbering, manufacturing, distribution, and transportation. The DEPOT SQUARE exhibit recreates that era along two streets, Union Street and Railroad Street, and invites visitors to participate in and explore one of Duluth s more historically important periods." - Quote from the Web Site.

Railroad Transportation in Minnesota -
"There are many ways rail transportation shapes our lives in Minnesota. Shipping freight on rail lines allow us to move goods through the state and provide access to global markets. You'll find some basic information about the railroads that operate in Minnesota." - Quote from the Web Site.

T. C. & W. Online (Connecting Railroads) -
"The TC&W connects with all railroads in the Twin Cities area, except for Amtrak. Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), Candaian Pacific (CPRS), Union Pacific (UP), I&M Rail Link (IMRL) and the Wisconsin Central Ltd. (WC), now Canadian National (CN). The TC&W also interchanges cars with the Minnesota Commerical (MNNR) at Midway/St. Anthony Yard. At Norwood, the TC&W is connected with the Minnesota Prairie Line (MPLI), ex-Minnesota Central (MCTA), which is a sister railroad to the TC&W. They also connect with the Sisseton & Milbank (SMRR) at Milbank, South Dakota." - Quote from the Web Site.

Casey Jones Railroad Museum State Park -
"Located near the site of the train wreck that took the life of the legendary enginéer, the Casey Jones Railroad Museum State Park commemorates Jones' life and the story of railroading in Mississippi. Shortly after midnight on April 30, 1900, the "cannonball" left Memphis, Tennessee with Jonathan Luther "Casey" Jones at the throttle. Trying to make up time in the run from Memphis to Canton,Mississippi, Jones has just run through a stop signal when a freight train came into view..." - from the Website.

Godchaux Plantation Railroads -
"Leon Godchaux, realizing the importance of the plantation railroad in bringing about the centralization of the grinding and refining on the many plantations he purchased, built an amazing system of tramways. Of all the Louisiana plantation railroads, these were in a class by themselves. The Mississippi River Sugar Belt Railroad's many years of service for the Godchauxs, the sugar industry, and for the local economy." - from the Website.

Mississippi Rails -
" In 1830 a railroad was completed for several miles out of Charleston, S. C., on which was operated a wonderful steam car, running 15 miles an hour. In April, 1831, a railroad four and a half miles long, from New Orleans to Lake Ponchartrain was opened. In the same year the Mississippi legislature chartered a railroad company to build from Woodville, Mississippi, to St. Francisville, Mississippi." - from the Website.

All Aboard! -
Railroad folklore includes disasters, heroes, stories of hobos, and incidents of all kinds. This area has it's own folklore, the tale of the Iron Mountain Baby. Multiple listings for Missouri Historic Railroads.

Chuckster's Southwest Missouri Rail Site -
"Steam and diesel Frisco locomotives from 1903 to 1953. Also has a few pages devoted to motor cars, cabooses, stations and bridges. Many photos, mostly BW but a few color. Complete steam and diesel roster, excellent modeling source." - quoted from the web site.

Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri: Railroad Articles -
The Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri was edited by Howard L. Conrad and published by the Southern History Company, of New York, Louisville, and St. Louis, in 1901.

Railroads of Clinton and Henry Counties -
Histories of The Missouri Kansas & Texas Railroad, The Frisco, The Blair Line (Kansas City Osceola & Southern Railroad), The Leaky Roof (Kanswas City Clinton and Springfield), The Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis Railway (parent of KCC&S), The Rock Island's St. Louis Line, The Clinton Street Railway.

Alter Gulch Short Line Railroad -
"In 1964, Charlie Bovey established the Alder Gulch Short Line, a mile and a half railroad between Virginia City, Montana and Nevada City. Historically, railroad service never reached Virginia City. It only went as far as Alder, ten miles away. With the arrival of the Baldwin 1910 locomotive, the Alder Gulch Short Line looks more like the real thing. It even sounds like it." - quote from the website.

Montana Railroads -
"The telegraph linked Virginia City with Salt Lake City as early as 1866 and by 1910 a network of railroads was constructed across the state. The railroads played a significant role in the economic development of Montana. After the Civil War, railroad builders turned their attention to the far West, where the local people  ranchers, miners, and town boosters  begged for rail connections to lucrative markets. To remote Montana communities the railroads meant everything..." - quote from the website.

Montana Railroads Photography -
"Railfanning Montana is an experience that surpasses almost anything I could have imagined. A look at a map will quickly make you realize just how large a state it is. It would appear nearly impossible to adequately travel the state to cover all the railroad lines that pass through it. My visits have been relatively brief but each time I have come away with a strong desire to return for another rail photography adventure. If you've ever thought you might like to go, my suggestion is to do it, and take lots of film with you. Around every hill, in every valley and with each turn of the railroad tracks, there's another view. Some will take your breath away." - quote from the website.