This site is best viewed at a screen resolution of 1440x900. Constructed for Microsoft Internet Exploder
Ferroequinology
Def - Study of the "iron horse".
At one time, the railroads in this country, if not dead, were being given Last-Rites. Just 35 years ago, the combinations of airplanes, semi-trucks, and poor management led to contraction and abandonment of thousands of miles of trackage across the country. The rail networks that remained in operation suffered from neglect and deffered maintenence. Huge rail-companies, such as Penn Central, fell into bankruptsy, taking the rail infrastructure of enitre regions of the country with it. Finally, with every family in America keeping two automobiles in the garage, national passenger rail service did die. as freight railroads abandoned passengers for higher profit margins.
What a difference thirty-five years make. Now, railroads are making a grand come-back. Touted as fuel and cost efficient, and posed to take advantage of congested highways and a shortage of semi-truck drivers, the freight railroads of America are being seen by some as the only way to save our transportation infrastructure from total collapse. Money is being invested in record amounts in increasing capacity with new locomotives, rolling stock, and upgraded track and signals. And, for the first time in a long time, railroad companies are applying to build new rail lines.
Passenger railroading is still dead, but in a day when it costs about $20 a day to get to work, even Amtrack's lifeless body is starting to warm up. The coming years are going to be an interesting time to be a rail-fan!
What's New - August 20, 2008
(Railroad News is updated daily or as it becomes available)
CHASER CAM DVD - The trailer is out for the planned Chaser Cam DVD, to be released in September. The DVD is compilation of the videos that are shown on the website, plus a few that have not been seen yet. I've screened an unfinished copy in my home theatre, and I must say, it looks pretty darn good so far!
The trailer video is embedded in the web-page for easy access. If you get the "Active X Control" warning at the top of the web page, just click it and follow the prompts to view the video.
CSX - Mid-morning at Fairmount, Georgia as a northbound general merchandise freight rumbles through on the K&A sub.
CSX - Northbound freight, soon out of Moon siding, on the elevated track at Acworth, Georgia.
FILE 13 - Locomotives idle on the interchange line at the Georgia Northeastern Railroad
A fast moving auto-rack train captured near Carbondale, Georgia
.WMV, 1:40, 25 MB
Got a comment, suggestion, criticism or correction? Mail your thoughts to the Saxman at Trainmaster
Check out SMM Rail Photos and thousands of other fan-photos on RRPictureArchives.NET database
SMM Rail Photos is now listed in the Railroad Data. Com directory database