#Railroad History

[earhartsease]

we're reading the discworld novel Raising Steam for the first time, and there are a couple of fight scenes that take place on a train (not to spoiler too much), and one or other of our heroes grabs "a jim crow" and as a brit this seemed really inappropriate but we thought (since this is a us edition of the book) "hmm perhaps the original says crowbar and this is what they're called in the us?" but no, look

and what the hell? and we've been looking online but have yet to find any explanation as to why the railroad tool was called that, but it feels like a "you know why" situation?

can any historians or railroad geeks on here point us to a source on this?

edit: see the notes for a discussion about the etymology - seems like it does have its roots (ugh) in the racist "jim crow" usage

[dashalbrundezimmer]

maybachstraße // köln neustadt nord

for me, the railway bridge over maybachstrasse is always a rich and inspiring source in terms of different lighting situations. i hope that it will be preserved with its columns and clinker walls for a long time to come and not fall victim to redevelopment as a boring concrete monolith.

[railwayhistorical]

Yard Engine

Here we see the yard engine working a seldom used spur that leads from the main, through a cut, to downtown Bloomington, Indiana. The EMD GP9 was built in February of 1955.

This is along Illinois Central's line between Effingham, Illinois, and Indianapolis. It was the Illinois Central Gulf at the time after a merger with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio four years earlier.

Three images by Richard Koenig; taken October 28th 1976.

[blueiscoool]

A STEEL RAILROAD SPIKE CLAD IN GOLD AND SILVER USED IN THE CEREMONY MARKING THE COMPLETION OF THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD, 10 MAY 1869 Unknown, but possibly G.W. Laird, San Francisco, 1869

Driving the last spike. The Arizona Spike—presented at the ceremony marking the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. Commissioned and presented by Arizona Territorial Governor Anson P.K. Safford, this was one of four ceremonial spikes used to mark the "meeting of the rails" at Promontory Point, Utah on 10 May 1869. Inscribed on the shaft: "Ribbed with iron, clad in silver and crowned with gold Arizona presents her offering to the enterprise that has banded a continent, dictated a pathway to commerce. Presented by Governor Safford."

135mm (long); 25 x 20mm (head); 11 x 11mm (shaft).

[new-york-central-official]

The only flat pass through the mountains to the interior of the continent and only the New York Central can take you through it.

[frankidacre]

There’s that one myth about Cornelius Vanderbilt being a major factor in the creation of potato chips…. I couldn’t help but just run with this idea 😭

[graintrainbrain]

A postcard from 1906 showing the Canadian Pacific Railway station in Brandon, Manitoba. Photo source

Brandon is a true railroad town; it may never have existed without the CPR. The railroad company chose and named the townsite in 1881, electing to run the trans-continental railroad just 3.2km west of the existing settlement of Grand Valley. Today, Brandon is the second-largest city in Manitoba, while Grand Valley is a Historical Site display cairn.

[wen316]

Mud never looked so good …..

[bunnyjoyce-blog]

I was reading Meet Me in St. Louis by Sally Benson (on which the Judy Garland film is based). Being the geekaboose that I am, the mention of the railroad jumped out at me.

The expressman would work in regards to an express car. If you’re familiar with the Wreck of Old 97 (which CB mentions in the Old London show), that mail train had one express car on its consist.

Anyway, on the odd chance that you need OC ideas or are writing Poppa’s and Belle’s backstory or a historical AU, there you go.

[rio-grande-zephyr]

“…bringing you the NEW in New York Central!”

[muttball]

The Golden Spike

Otherwise known as the Golden Spike Ceremony, this historic event not only celebrates the completion of the first transcontinental railroad, named the Pacific Railroad, but it also recognizes the significance of the immigrant workforce that helped the nation accomplish what many believed was impossible.

[urbs-in-horto]

Chicago's Grand Crossing - when railroads were the superhighway to industrial Chicago. 75th and South Chicago Avenue area.

Grand Crossing has a long history, back to the 1850's. Ever heard of the 'frog wars'?

[focr]

SUNDAY EXTRA: Mallard on the Settle and Carlisle

LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard is a 4-6-2 ("Pacific") steam locomotive built in 1938 for operation on the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at Doncaster Works to a design by Nigel Gresley. Its streamlined, wind tunnel-tested design allowed it to haul long-distance express passenger services at high speeds. On 3 July 1938, 'Mallard' broke the world speed record for steam locomotives at 126 mph (203 km/h), which still stands.

Here is a near-complete original recording of a VERY rare documentary recorded on its original and only ever transmission on BBC1 back on Monday 10th July 1989 which showed record-breaking 'A4' No. 4468 "Mallard" hauling rail tours on the beautiful Settle and Carlisle railway over the weekend of July 16th and 17th 1988.

[railwayhistorical]

Mud Tunnel

Here are two shots taken at Mud Tunnel on the Chesapeake & Ohio. This spot is just west of Covington, Virginia. We first see a westbound freight and then the eastbound Amtrak James Whitcomb Riley powered by a General Electric P30CH.

Update: someone on FB tells me this locomotive was destroyed later in 1977 when it struck a logging truck near Florence, SC.

Two images by Richard Koenig; taken March 23rd 1977.

[fisarmonical]

Railroad Workmen at Jake's Oil Shanty. Nine railroaders pose with some of their tools in this scene captured at East Altoona, Pennsylvania, circa 1895. Altoona was home to the Pennsylvania Railroad's Altoona Works -- its main locomotive and car shops -- and was a classic railroad town heavily dependent on rail-related jobs. At their peak in the 1920s, the Altoona Works employed 15,000 of the city's 60,000 residents. taken in East Altoona, Pennsylvania 1895. Source:  From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

[michael-rosskothen]

American steam locomotives from the 1850s