With the 75^th anniversary running of CSX’s Clinchfield Railroad Santa Train on Nov. 18 just a few days  away, it’s a good time to review the Clinchfield story in print.  Several great books have been put together about the Clinchfield, a regional railroad built to outstanding engineering standards through some of the most difficult terrain of the Appalachian Mountains. Under the control of the Atlantic Coast Line and Louisville & Nashville since the 1920s, the railroad was a coal mover and a short-cut for merchandise traffic between the Midwest and Southeast. Beloved for its dramatic scenery, friendly railroaders, and family atmosphere, it has long been a fan favorite as the Rio Grande of the East. That was especially so 1968-1979 when the railroad fielded its own steam excursions with 1882 4-6-0 No. 1. Today, the Clinchfield is a part of CSX, but much of its character and personality remain strong in the hills and hollows of Eastern Kentucky, Southwestern Virginia, East Tennessee, Western North Carolina, and northern South Carolina. Here are five titles you’ll want to consult and possibly own as they take you across the CRR story, from start to finish. 

1. William Way’s “The Clinchfield Railroad.” Originally published in 1931 as a master’s thesis at University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, Way’s book is the alpha of a Clinchfield library with detailed information about the construction and early operation of the railroad. Long difficult to find (my first copy was a photocopied version from the Charlotte library), a paperback reprint has made this incredibly valuable resource readily available to another generation.
2. James A Goforth’s “Building the Clinchfield.” Long the only book readily available on the railroad, this is a civil engineer’s accounting of the construction feat that was the only mainline railroad through the Appalachians with modest grades. The layout of the famous loops between Marion, N.C., and Altapass, N.C., alone is worth of study with its many tunnels, bridges, and fills designed to lift the railroad from the Piedmont Plateau to the Eastern Continental Divide.
3. Steve King’s “Clinchfield Country.” A gritty pictorial look at the railroad in its environment. Lots of eye candy and lingering and longing for the fast-fading CRR as an independent in the 1980s.
4. Ken Marsh’s “The Clinchfield in Color.” Continuing the CRR story into the last half of the 20^th century, this volume is a colorful window into the contemporary Clinchfield from the 1950s to its 1970s amalgamation into Family Lines and its ultimate fate as part of Seaboard System in 1982. All of the gray and yellow diesels on mainline freights and locals are here along with an all-time roster.
5. Jerry Taylor and Ray Poteat’s “The CSX Clinchfield Route in the 21^st Century” brings the CRR story up to date, at least to 2008 as the railroad continues to operate in some of the most spectacular scenery in the Eastern United States. Poteat’s long-time service to the CRR and his enthusiasm for the subject alone make this a worthy bookend to remind everyone that the Clinchfield spirit is alive and well, even in the 21^st century. 

That’s a quick look at an essential Clinchfield library for the veteran CRR aficionado or the novice who wants to learn more about this amazing railroad that has legions of dedicated followers 35 years after its flag joined the fallen. Maybe the “C” in CSX isn’t really for Chessie after all.   

CSX’s Santa Train: When Union Pacific No. 3985 played Clinchfield 676

When Clinchfield F7 No. 800, the railroad’s first diesel locomotive, heads up the 75^th anniversary Santa Train on Saturday, it will be a landmark event: The 1948 unit in its original gray and yellow garb, back on home rails, and once again in charge of the world’s longest Christmas parade, a trip of about 100 miles from Shelbiana, Ky., to Kingsport, Tenn. But not that long ago, 25 years to be exact, there was another special locomotive heading up the train, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 No. 3985, imported all the way from Cheyenne, Wyo., and disguised as Clinchfield No. 676 in honor of the CRR’s own fleet of dearly departed Challengers. It was an unbelievable event to honor the 50^th running of the train. I mean, a UP steam locomotive traveling across the continent to portray a regional railroad’s biggest and best steam power … well, that’s just the stuff of railfan dreams. But it happened. And yes, it was truly good. Big steam powered the train. Gifts were tossed off the back platform. Children smiled. I know because I was there, and I even got paid overtime to be on the train. Here’s how it happened.

In 1992, I was a writer for the Charlotte Observer. At the time, just about every newspaper in the nation had one reporter who was their designed “railroad writer.” It was very much of an honorary title. We all covered something else full time, and wrote about railroads as the opportunities came along because we wanted to. Some of us were overtly fans. Some had a passing interest. We may have not covered railroading day to day, but when something big happened, we were the go-go guys to explain it to our readers. We knew what was important to the populace at large outside of “train world.” So, knowing that this was the 50^th anniversary of the train, I went to my editors with the idea of covering the train for the Observer. It was a long shot – Kingsport, Tenn., is a long way from the fartherest reaches of the Observer’s coverage area. But it was also a great story of generosity, and barring any crazy news, would make a great centerpiece for the Sunday paper. To my amazement, they approved it.

So, on a beautifully sunny November day, a Nikon slung on my shoulder and reporter’s notebook tucked into my back pants pocket, I arrived in Kingsport and went looking for the renumbered and relettered Challenger. I was horrified. Things weren’t going well. The guest superstar was stuck on the wye, unable to complete her turn to pull the deadhead train northbound. I smelled disaster – all this trouble and effort all for naught when the wye wouldn’t cooperate. I also sensed trouble on a professional level: This wasn’t what I had promised my editors. But relief was soon in coming. I learned that CSX and UP had a activated Plan B. A diesel would pull the train and the No. 676 would remain pointed south. The next day, the big day, she would be pointed in the right direction to pull Santa’s train. All was indeed well.

I boarded the deadhead train and settled in for the ride into the darkness. Socializing became the point of this trip. I enjoyed dinner with my friend and CSX executive Frank Dewey in dining car Greenbriar. I met Passenger Train Journal Editor Carl Swanson (now a colleague at work, where he is editor of Classic Toy Trains), and spent quality time with good friend and Trains contributor Ron Flanary. After a short night in a hotel in nearby Pikeville, Ky., we were up way before dawn, on the train, and soon moving southbound on this dream come true trip.

Being a good reporter, I was in my seat 30 seconds and off in search of the story. I wandered back to the tail car, West Virginia, which was packed with plastic tubs full of toys, school supplies, and treats for distribution off the back platform. This was the business end of the Santa Train. While the power on this trip was special, it was here that the spirit of giving came alive. I was in awe. While I stood there dumbfounded, one of the Santa Train workers came up to me, introduced themselves, and demanded that I surrender my Nikon and set aside my notepad for a few minutes. I was invited to stand at the railings of the back platform, shown an open plastic tub, and invited to toss items off to anyone who might appear trackside. “Everybody has to do it,” my host implored. “You have to experience it. When you do it, this will be your Christmas.” She was right. Seeing the excited kids and adults trackside as I opened my hands and let fly with another round of goodies was a different kind of thrill: The joy of giving to others. The fleeting connection, one human to another. I was living that fantasy moment in the movie The Color Purple where Whoppi Goldberg stands on the back platform of a train and tosses off gold coins to her younger self. For me, it was a great moment that was about to suddenly get better.

Minutes later, I was introduced to another back platform guest. “Meet Jerry Davis,” they said. Starstuck, I almost fell over the handrails and onto the roadbed receding behind us. Davis was the executive vice president and chief operating officer at CSX; he’d come aboard after an upper management job at Southern Pacific (and eventually left CSX in 1996 for Union Pacific’s top job). They gave Davis the same instructions as me. If you see someone, toss goodies. Be generous. Don’t fall off. Davis was friendly and conversational. My admiration for this whole operation swelled. Was there something special pulling the train? Oh, yes, there was.  

Throughout the day, I alternated been an open dutch door, where I took in the sights and sounds of No. 676 eating up miles, my seat for note taking, and hitting the ground to interview people and snap pictures. This happened throughout the morning and early afternoon. When we got to famous Copper Creek viaduct, we paused for photos perched high over the creek and the parallel Norfolk Southern line. The engine crew decided to blow down the engine, and there was a joke on the radio about taking a leak on the NS far below. Satisfied with this day, everyone got a good laugh. And then, it was the short dash into Kingsport, and it was over. It was a huge letdown when it all came to a screeching halt. After arrival, Santa left the train for the city’s annual Christmas parade, and I departed for a nearby hotel room to write my report. But things weren’t over.

Nobody and I mean nobody was going to move a 4-6-6-4 across the land just to run it one day only. Not UP, not CSX, nobody. The day after the Santa Train CSX ran No. 676 and the office cars on a short shippers special to Miller Yard near St. Paul, about 1/3 of the distance of the Santa Train. It was raining to beat the band, but nobody cared. I joined friends Mike Cathey and Richard Morse in chasing this amazing encore. I stood and watched that big engine high atop Copper Creek in a moment of jubilant disbelief. 

At the time, I honestly believed that we’d seen the best Santa Train ever. There was no way that CSX could ever top the Challenger’s visit. Well, we’ll see about that – No. 800’s appointment in original garb to the front of the train may just rival the borrowed steam locomotive. But No. 676 and the Santa Train will always rank up there in the top 10 of my experiences as a railroad journalist.  

If you were watching CNN this past Sunday night, you did not imagining anything you heard. Yes, you did hear the name of one of the railroad enthusiast community’s earliest and most iconic champions, Lucius Beebe, called out. Yes, it was during a most unlikely program -- Anthony Bourdain’s profile of celebrity chef Jeremiah Tower. And yes, they were talking about the same Beebe you and I know as the author of “High Iron,” “Mixed Train Daily,” “Mansions on Rails,” and so many other railroad titles that make up the basic building blocks of a complete library.

In fact, the prolific railroad photographer and writer, gourmet, society writer, and dandy was the inspiration and hero for Tower, who gained prominence in San Francisco’s restaurant culture and reached his pinnacle as chef and owner of the popular restaurant “Stars.” In the documentary, Tower even quotes one of Beebe’s most famous lines as if it were a mission statement for his life, “If anything is worth doing it is worth doing in style, and on your own terms, and nobody's Goddamned else's!”

Food writers have taken note of Tower’s fascination with Beebe, a lover of the good life, café society, high fashion, and yes, office cars, notably the Gold Coast, now on display at the California State Railroad Museum (look for a feature about the museum in our January 2018 issue), and the Virginia City, which still plies the main line under the watchful eye of owner Wade Pellizzer (who is quoted in another January 2018 edition feature story about the private cars that accompanied space shuttle booster rockets in transit via rail). Railroad authors continue to be fascinated with Beebe, as well – I know of at least two projects currently underway to chronicle Beebe’s unique passage through this mundane world.

Bourdain’s title for the documentary, Jeremiah Tower, the Last Magnificent, is even a reference to Beebe. It’s a nickname given to Beebe. This documentary once again proves an axiom of mine: No matter what the story line or subject, there’s a railroad angle to every tale. Even celebrity chefs. 

Not many people can say that their employer played a large role in their childhood – family business tycoons excluded. It is one of the perks of working for Trains (and down the hall from Model Railroader). This week, though, I was able to draw a link from my career back to my childhood thanks to some office cleaning.

I started subscribing to Model Railroader in grade school, an annual gift from my parents. Soon thereafter, Trains was added to the tab, too. I still recall a lot of what's in those old magazines, even though they haven't stayed with me through my many moves.

One issue still sticks out in my mind, the May 1993 Model Railroader with a story on the Burlington Northern's Bayard, Iowa, branch. Fifteen years later, in fall 2008, I was finally able to go see the line, by then under BNSF Railway ownership. That remains one of my favorite railfan trips to this day, and I doubt that I would've had any knowledge of that line without my childhood subscription to Model Railroader.

So this week, when various departments were doing some fall cleaning, I was able to bring home a stock of old Model Railroader bound volumes for my collection, including the first half of 1993 with that May issue and the Bayard branch story. It'll be a great way to relive my childhood – through my career – this winter.

There are some days in your career as a lover of railroads when words fail to describe the sheer enjoyment of a day spent trackside with a special subject and many good friends. Friday was one of those days.  We were with CSX and a group of people who’d made sure that Clinchfield F7 No. 800 and SD45 No. 3632 were ready to pull the 75^th anniversary Santa Train on the former Clinchfield Railroad. Today was the positioning move for the Santa Train, running from Kingsport, Tenn., to Shelbiana, Ky., near Pikeville. The railroad wisely and generously invited the supporters of this project to have special power on the point and made sure the train was positioned at scenic locations for photos. We’ll have more on this weekend and tomorrow’s Santa Train, but today, enjoy these images from our day in Clinchfield Country.

Dawn at Copper Creek viaduct.

Posing at Fort Blackmore.

The classic church shot at Dante, Va.

 Charging across a bridge near Nora, Va.

The iconic shot at Pool Point, Ky., in Breaks Interstate Park. 

Readers and even one or two Trains correspondents have asked me in recent days why I didn’t write about China’s CRRC as a potential bidder for GE Transportation. And, to a lesser extent, Canada’s Bombardier.

My plain and simple explanation: Both are poor fits for GE Transportation as it stands today.

Bombardier first. The Canadian industrial giant is in trouble. It makes airplanes and passenger trains for international markets but relies heavily on support from the Province of Quebec and the Canadian national government for investment and low-interest financing.

So, while having a money-making (but show me the financial statements) GE Transportation would help give a shot in the arm to the ailing company, you have to wonder if the locomotive maker wouldn’t be just there to support the rest of Bombardier. You also have to wonder if the heavy industrial components of GE would mesh well with the more refined and sleek products of Bombardier. In railroading terms, this would be an end-to-end merger with separate markets, cultures, and products. I just don’t see this as likely, unless … unless Bombardier swoops down and takes just locomotives.

Now, for CRRC.

As much as we Americans like to think that we have the biggest and best of everything. We do not. Not always, anyway. CRRC is one example. The Chinese conglomerate can make turn-key railroads: rails, ties, tie clips, rolling stock, locomotives, signaling systems — you name it, they make it for railroads. Quibble, yes quibble, over perceived quality differences between Chinese-made rail supplies and similar goods made by U.S. or European counterparts, but there are few.

The Chinese company and affiliates and sister companies have already built railroads in Africa and Asia, not to mention much of China’s high-speed rail network. CRRC supplies locomotives to South America and is now selling subway cars in the U.S.

So when it comes to GE Transportation, the only thing it has to offer CRRC are heavy-haul diesel-electric locomotives and the software that goes with them. But is it worth spending the money and then dealing with U.S. politicians and newspaper editorials bemoaning takeover of an American industry by a competing foreign power? I think not.

CRRC will do just fine without GE. I think the real question is, what happens when CRRC decides to make 4,000 hp diesel-electric locomotives to compete with what’s left of GE Transportation?

Clinchfield. The word conjures images of a regional railroad defined by multiple sooted black six-axle units in run 8, working against gravity and curvature, hard against slide detection fences, soaring across bridges, and diving into the cool of 55 tunnels, to move coal out of the heart of Appalachia. It brings to mind railroaders, many of them multi-generational, working locals, mine runs, coal trains, and time freights across 277 of the most rugged and beautiful mountain railroad miles ever built in the Eastern U.S. And in more recent years, it has been synonymous with coal railroading’s waning fortunes, a route downgraded, where stored cars outnumber active loads, a virtual corpse in the day and age when mega trains and closed hump yards are the way to prosperity under Hunter Harrison.

So, Saturday’s 75^th anniversary run of the Clinchfield Santa Train, now CSX’s Santa Train, was a welcomed ray of light on a cloudy November day and at the height of an otherwise dismal time for this proud railroad and this beleaguered coal mining region. The corporate name may have been CSX for the last 31 years, but the Clinchfield Railroad spirit lives on – a family operation with a sense of determination and generosity, closely intertwined with its community, best illustrated by the tracks in front of the Union Baptist Church and homes in Dante, Va. Along the Santa Train route, from Shelbiana, Ky., near Pikeville, Ky., to Kingsport, Tenn., local residents flocked to see this annual tradition and collect gifts tossed from the back platform of office car West Virginia. For this region, hard hit by coal’s sudden and deep dive, the train is a connection to the past and a symbol of permanency. The word “CLINCHFIELD” spelled out across the nose of the CRR’s first diesel locomotive, freshly restored F7 No. 800, is undisputable proof that this much beloved railroad and the communities through which it passes will survive.

To honor the train’s history, CSX ran the privately-owned No. 800 through Huntington Shops, where the inspired paint shop crew carefully restored the unit to its 1948 appearance, a dazzling gray and yellow look that must have been striking almost 70 years ago and one that hasn’t been seen on a cab unit for more than 45 years when solid black replaced the more colorful look.

CSX rightfully selected No. 800 to pull Santa’s train – a railroad twist on the 1960s animated children’s Christmas program “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.” No. 800, with your gray and yellow so bright, won’t you pull my train? The answer, of course, was yes. Teaming up with the streamliner was Seaboard Coast Line SD45 No. 2024, part of the Southern Appalachian Railway Museum collection, portraying CRR No. 3632, next in line after seven of the 3,600-hp beasts traded to CRR in 1977 for the Clinchfield’s own orphan U36Cs. They represented the alpha to the omega of Clinchfield diesel power in the last half of the 20^th century in an era before Family Lines, before Seaboard System, and before CSX. They headlined the train while CSX’s executive train F40s Nos. 9992 and 9999 came along for the ride and to provide head-end power. That's the machinery story, but there's also a story to be told about the people who made it possible. 

Supporters of the No. 800 / No. 3632 combination on the point of the anniversary Santa Train worked quietly and tirelessly for more than 2 years to convince, cajole, secure permissions, make agreements, update, fine tune, paint, primp, move, paint, reletter, renumber, and check out every detail so their operation would be flawless, their appearance spot on. They could have given up or accepted less many times, but they didn’t. When one problem surfaced, they came up with the solutions. Like the Clinchfield, they got the job done. And when the big day came, they and all of us trackside, whether the family from Clinchco, Va., who turns out for the train each year, or the New York railfans who trekked here to see this sight, were rewarded magnificently with the sight of this rolling history and this tribute to the Clinchfield family. Under the hand of engineer Tony King, a CRR veteran, and the scores of CSX railroaders who made the extra effort to honor an important piece of history on a big anniversary, Santa came to town one more time and the Clinchfield Railroad proved unstoppable again. “How tomorrow moves” is CSX’s company slogan, but a one day reprieve in the likes of Marrowbone, Ky., Toms Bottom, Va., and Kermit, Va., does not tarnish it in the least. The sound of engineer King playing “Jingle Bells” on No. 800’s air horn, and No. 3632 answering, as they crossed iconic Copper Creek Viaduct was the kind of Christmas concert to gladden those within its hearing in the hills and hollows of Appalachia, a place forever known to those who love this land, its people, and this railroad as Clinchfield Country.

The quote about “all who wander are not lost” was on my mind over the holiday. My family and I were in Duluth, Minn., to visit family and friends. Normally, this is a cold, snowy place this time of year. We, however, were blessed with warm temperatures and no precipitation. There was snow on the ground to make it look like late fall in the Northwoods. So, that gave us opportunities to train and ship watch in this fascinating Midwestern port city.

Last spring, we were here for BNSF’s employee appreciation train, and we got to take a ride a few miles out of town on ex-Great Northern tracks. The train left from the BNSF Yard in Superior, Wis., and as we were driving to the boarding site I was so busy looking for the special that I neglected to see something unusual next to the railroad’s offices: A giant bronze bust of GN founder James J. Hill atop a granite base. The BNSF and U.S. flags flanked the bust, which faces north on 28th Street, which crosses the yard. Small plaques decorate the base. It is quite impressive.

On Thanksgiving weekend, as we were wrapping up a few photos of the almost empty yard and the bust, we marveled at this monument to one of the most famous founders of American railroad history. As we were wrapping up, a local resident on bicycle stopped to tell us that until a few years ago the statue stood at a local high school and that a twin statute is also located in Seattle. I found a little online about the bust being moved to railroad property in 2003, and a story or two about the bust in Seattle. They do appear to be twins, but I don’t have confirmation.

While two yard switchers at Superior were of interest in a burst of late afternoon sun on a mostly cloudy day, the bust was the real find.  Not many railroad companies today have a statue of one of their founding fathers out in the field where the business of railroading is actually done and the sound of couplers locking and prime movers revving up fills the air.

I am glad we wandered over to the yard at Superior, kept our eyes open, and found this tribute to James J. Hill. 

There are, without exaggeration, thousands of places across this continent to stop and watch a train. From a lonely grade crossing in Iowa to a jam-packed subway platform in Queens. (Our newest special issue "Hot Spots" details 75 of the best.) While I can't claim to have seen them all (there are a LOT of grade crossings in Iowa!), I believe that I have seen enough to make a few recommendations for our discerning readers:

Northwest Ohio

This is where I'm from, so of course I'm a little biased here. Ever heard of Deshler? Or Marion? Or Fostoria? They're all here, along with Toledo and Lima (of Locomotive Works fame), too. Lots of trains in a laid-back Midwest setting. Stop by one of the railfan parks or preserved depots, or just pick a grade crossing in the country. You'll see CSX and Norfolk Southern, run-through power, and short lines, too.

Cheyenne

Whats better than a busy Union Pacific main line? How about a little BNSF action, too? Yes, this is the original UP, from before the MoPac boys took it over. This is our nation's history. Just a short drive west puts you on Sherman Hill. And when the action dies down, stop downtown to check out the former UP station and peer into the steam shop backlot!

Cajon Pass

If Cheyenne is national history, then Cajon is railfan history. Follow the footsteps of Steinheimer, Walker, and others in Southern California's premier railfan destination. Watch trains grind upgrade to Summit while you play in hundreds of acres of public land. BNSF and UP both use the pass to drop into the LA Basin, so traffic is near-constant throughout the day.

Northeast Corridor

All aboard! North America's premier passenger train corridor comes alive for train-hungry visitors. You'll see Amtrak, for sure, and various commuter rail operators throughout the length of the line – MBTA, Shoreline East, Metro-North, NJ Transit, SEPTA, and MARC! Enjoy an afternoon at BWI Thurgood Marshal Airport before your flight home, or venture to Princeton Junction and rub elbows with the Ivy League set. There's something for everyone along America's Railroad!

Colorado

If you came to Colorado to get high, you're in luck! The Manitou & Pike's Peak Railway is the highest railroad in the U.S.! If extreme mountain climbing isn't your thing, you can take a more subdued run at the hill on the famous Durango & Silverton and Cumbres & Toltec narrow gauge operations. Denver now has a full rail transit system for you to explore, too. Be sure to look for Trains Magazine's tours to the Centennial State, too!

Iron Range

Make your home away from home on Minnesota's Iron Range! BNSF and Canadian National team up to bring you the automobiles, appliances, and bridges of the future. (Some assembly required.) The nearby Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth is also a fine way to spend a day when the weather on the range turns.

Rochelle, Ill.

Maybe it's a tad cliché now to include Rochelle in another hot spots list, but it's still worth the trip. The BNSF and UP crossing still sees close to 100 trains a day and the Rochelle Railroad Park is one of the best places to socialize with other railfans. If you can't make the trek, the Trains Magazine-sponsored Rochelle webcam will bring you all the action from sunrise to sunset.

BONUS: York, England

I didn't say that they'd ALL be in North America! If you ever cross the pond, spend a day at York – home of the world-class National Railway Museum. The busy main line curves through the city's main passenger station and hosts countless liveries of the nation's many operating companies. I know that it was my first time with Virgin Trains!

The "Hot Spots" special issue will be available in early 2018, in print and digital editions.

Where would you put a photo exhibit about the famous Milwaukee Road Beer Line if you had your choice of places? A brewery, of course! That’s what the Center for Railroad Photography & Art is doing with its photographic study of the Wallace W. Abbey images that record this famous freight route that served the industry that made Milwaukee famous and that included famous Fairbanks-Morse diesels for motive power. It opened Thursday night, and the Trains staff was there to check it out while enjoying, appropriately, one of the establishment’s finest products, a Smokehouse lager (which does indeed have a lingering coal-flavored taste and a tap handle with a Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 on it). Best of all, Lakefront Brewery is located in the Riverwest section of Milwaukee, and the tracks of the Beer Line were once located out front. The exhibit is up through Feb. 5, says Scott Lothes, the center’s executive director. View it, we recommend, with a friend and a beverage.

Here’s my list for the top 10 preservation stories for 2017.

1. Texas restored for Atlanta History Center

Besides the locomotives at Promontory, what pair of locomotives is more famous than the General and the Texas of Civil War Great Locomotive Chase fame? You’d be hard pressed to find a set that’s better known. Long confined to the dingy basement of Atlanta’s Cyclorama building in Grant Park, the 1849 Texas got a cosmetic overhaul prior to its placement in the Atlanta History Center: Gone were the garish colors of its 1930s overhaul and in its place were utilitarian black of its 1880s existence to which it was restored, except for the name Texas that gave it is fame during its earlier and literally more colorful years. Whether that’s a major faux pas, a minor inconsistency, or a witty compromise is in the eye of the beholder. What is true is that railroads made Atlanta, and that they’re at the base of its preeminence as transportation and economic of the Southeast. Steam Operations Corp., best known as the restoration team and maintenance outfit for Norfolk & Western No. 611, did the work on the Texas, proclaiming it takes care of steam from the earliest days to 100 years later. Watch for the Texas’ debut in its new place of honor, in a city that once included the likeness of a 4-4-0 on its seal.

 3. CSX restores Clinchfield No. 800 for Santa Train

Surprising everyone with a tip of the hat to its history, CSX outshopped privately owned Clinchfield Railroad F7 No. 800 just in time for the 75th anniversary running of the CSX Santa Train in November on the former Clinchfield. Workers at CSX’s Huntington, W.Va., shop took extra care with the Clinchfield’s first diesel, built in 1948, transforming it from its disguise as Chesapeake & Ohio No. 8016 back to its original gray and yellow. The unit looked great on the special with SD45 No. 3632 from the Southern Appalachian Railway Museum, then departed for a well-deserved vacation in Florida, operating on the new Royal Palm Rail experience on the Orlando & Northwestern. It was great to see CSX take a role in preservation and fantastic to see gray and yellow and Clinchfield markings return to home rails.

3. No. 1309 starts and stops

One of the most anticipated steam locomotive restorations of the early 21st century that was supposed to be completed in 2017 is also turning out to be one of the most frustrating ones for its keepers, supporters, and fans. The restoration of Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 No. 1309, the last steam locomotive Baldwin produced in 1949 for domestic service, has been on again and off again for most of 2017 as a series of events from funding and mechanical issues to personnel issues jostled the project. A debut in July slipped to fall and contractors say the engine is within 12 replacement staybolts of being ready for a hydrostatic test. Here’s a big engine that could be running regularly on a 17-mile mountain railroad in four to six months, but without the bucks, it will be cold in Cumberland, Md., this winter. Is there anyone with $530,000 laying around who can put this engine over the top?

 4. Jerry Joe Jacobson passes

Shortline entrepreneur, steam preservationist, builder of the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek. Jerry Joe Jacobson was all of those things. A nurse anesthetist who went into railroading, he had been transformed into a steam locomotive aficionado as a teenager after a Baltimore & Ohio crew befriended him. The Ohio Central and its steam roster were his crowning achievements in railroading. His legacy is the Age of Steam Roundhouse, a multi-million-dollar complex built in 2012 and sprawling over 36 acres with an 18-stall roundhouse, 115-foot turntable, fully equipped steam and diesel shop, a vintage-style water tank, and a separate depot and gift shop, all finished with an astounding attention to historical detail. Although the Jacobson family has not discussed future plans for Age of Steam Roundhouse, they have said the facility will continue to be preserved, supported, and operated. Jacobson said it best himself, “I love steam locomotives in any setting, but especially in a roundhouse. It’s home. It’s where steam locomotives ought to be.” Amen to that.

 5. Skip Lichter, Polson No. 2, Mid-Continent dispute

Just as we saw with Jacobson, steam locomotives drive passionate people, and passionate people restore and operate steam locomotives. It is a cyclical model. Skip Lichter is living proof. The owner of Polson Lumber 2-8-2 No. 2, he restored the locomotive with the agreement that it would return to its home since 1982 at Mid-Continent Railway Museum and the museum would pay for the restoration. The museum’s board of directors, however, felt otherwise and declined payment. In the end, they lost in court, and had to pay Lichter $200,000 plus the cost of moving the engine from North Freedom, Wis., to its new home at Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, a six-figure move for sure. The story becomes yet another cautionary tale of the vagaries of privately owned rolling stock on non-profit preservation railroads. Lichter pointed out himself that the whole mess could have been avoided if the two had kept open lines of communication. “Talk. Sit down and talk. Sit down and discuss things,” Lichter said. “That’s the lesson for every outfit in the country.” Need we say more?

 6. Southern Pacific No. 4449 returns to main line for first time in 5 years

The world’s most beautiful train cannot sit and look beautiful. It needs to move. That’s the lesson from Southern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 4449’s June excursion from its Portland, Ore., home to Bend, Ore., on BNSF Railway tracks. After a 1,472-day inspection, the Daylight wowed a sell-out crowd and spectators in the Columbia River Gorge. With any luck this red, orange, and black Lima product of 1941 will return again to the high iron in 2018. As Trains pointed out in its Big Steam is Back special issue and companion video, it’s a real task to put together a mainline steam excursion in the 21st century, but it comes with its own rewards.

 7. D&NE 28 returns to steam at Lake Superior Railroad Museum

Among the last regular service freight-only steam-powered holdouts of the 1960s, the Duluth & Northeastern provided visitors with visions of Northwoods logging railroading much later than should have been expected. In 2017, Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth provided steam lovers with a reprise as 2-8-0 No. 28 returned to service. American Locomotive Co.’s Pittsburgh Works built the engine in 1906 for the Duluth, Missabe & Northern as No. 332. It was operated by DM&N successor Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway until 1955, when it was sold to short line Duluth & Northeastern in Cloquet and renumbered to 28. The locomotive remained in service on D&NE until 1964. It last operated in September 1972, when the railroad used it inside the shop in Cloquet to dry sand, then ran it around the Cloquet Yard. The sight of it eating up miles along Lake Superior is just right.

 8. Norfolk Southern sells excursion coaches

In a signal that steam excursions are not a high priority under Norfolk Southern CEO Jim Squires as they were when Wick Moorman ran the railroad, the railroad auctioned off five of the coaches it had restored for the 21st Century Steam program. Tourist railroads and museums snapped up the five cars at significantly higher prices than most observers thought they would fetch ($275,000 for one coach). While the absence of the NS coaches doesn’t mean the railroad won’t host excursions, it does mean less of a direct role as the proud host of such outings. With Hunter Harrison at neighboring CSX, NS has to work hard to outperform the boys from Jacksonville so steam may become more scarce on NS rails. But this will not be the end. The pendulum is always swinging.

 9. Big Boy 4004 cosmetic restoration

Can you ever have enough Union Pacific Big Boy? The answer, of course, is “no.” In December the Cheyenne City Council voted to fund a cosmetic restoration of No. 4004, long on display in Holliday Park, and long suffering outside in Wyoming winters. Even worse, at least twice, the engine has been flooded. The timing for the project is great: Contractor Wasatch Railroad Contractors hopes to have the work done by the city’s depot festival in May, and just a few blocks away, Union Pacific is hard at work on Big Boy No. 4014 in hopes of a 2019 debut. Having No. 4004 ready to welcome visitors when its older sister is set to roll is a smart thing to do. Now, if she could only get relocated adjacent to the depot in downtown Cheyenne and get a roof over her head.

 10. Steam returns to the Como, Colo., roundhouse

In yet another testament to the immeasurable love for all things related to Colorado railroads, steam returned to the preserved roundhouse and depot at Como, Colo., for the first time in 79 years. In August, South Park Rail Society members steamed Klondike Mine Railways 2-6-2 No. 4. The 1912-built Baldwin No. 4 had an original Colorado & Southern locomotive whistle originally worn by C&S No. 74 for its inaugural run. Bill Kazel bought the roundhouse that houses No. 4 in 1984. Bill and his son, Greg began restoring the building and by 1995 the roundhouse roof was replaced, windows were installed and the engine bay doors were repaired or replaced. Chuck and Kathy Brantigan purchased the property with the roundhouse in 2001. The rail society purchased the locomotive recently with the intention of returning 3-foot-gauge steam trains to another portion of the Colorado Front Range. As with much of preservation, just when you think all is lost, the flame flickers to life once again.

Other stories that made our list in 2017:

• Nickel Plate Road 765’s visit to Chicago

• Royal Palm Rail Experience replaces Orange Blossom Cannonball in Florida

• Fire damages Yosemite Sugar Pine Railway

• Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum buys SR GP38-2s

• New River train goes all private varnish

• UP progress on 4014

• Big South Fork Scenic operator almost changes

• Georgetown Loop 40 returns to the Loop for restoration

• Rock Island E units restored for Iowa Northern

• Ty Smith joins California State Railroad Museum as executive director

• CSX restores B30-7 No. 8272 for Lake Shore Railway Historical Society

• ATSF 4-8-4 No. 2921 moved in Modesto, Calif.

• ATSF FP45 No. 92 restoration at Illinois Railway Museum

• ACL 250-ton derrick preserved at N.C. Transportation Museum

• Museum of Transportation cosmetic restoration of NYC 4-8-2 No. 2933

• SP 18 steams at Laws, Calif.

Nothing warms my heart more than looking at children’s artwork. It’s so innocent, intense, and uninhibited. Furthermore, I love to see railroads as the focus. Talgo sent its holiday email greeting by way of the winner of their holiday art contest. Here’s 12-year-old Roland Richards’ Talgo-themed Christmas card. Great job, Roland! Here are other winners from Talgo's contest.

Trains are so relevant to our lives in so many ways and can be shared with our children and grandchildren especially at this time of year. Whether its one of the holiday trains coming through your town, a Santa express train to ride, a model train around the Christmas tree, an opportunity to travel by train to visit family or see the holiday lights in the city, or any number of great gifts centered on the hobby, I hope you are sharing your love for railroads with the littles in your life.

I have two pieces of art in my office that my daughter made many years ago. They’re not just for the holidays. I look at them every day. One is the cover of my binder that I keep all of the production schedules and statuses for all Trains’ products. She was 7 when she made this.

The other is ever-so-familiar noodle art! I think she was 5 when she made this one. I love to see what kids picture in their minds that trains look like or how they function.

Please share your child’s train artwork with me at apusztai@kalmbach.com. I’d love to see it.

If you have a budding railfan in your life, we have two children’s train magazines, DVDs, puzzles, and other gifts to delight them for the holidays. Check them all out here. Also, be on the look out for a brand-new product out early next year: Great Railroads Flashcards. What a perfect way to have fun and learn about railroads.

Here’s hoping trains are part of your holiday celebrations with the children in your life! Let me know what your plans are below.

It has been a rough few days for all of us who love railroading. Everybody is heartbroken about the tragic Amtrak Cascades derailment. Many of us know people who were on the crew or who were among the passengers who were injured. Friends have lost colleagues or pals. It is our worst nightmare come true.

Compounding it all is the chatter that goes on in the fog that lingers in the minutes, hours, and days after a catastrophe. One of the safest ways to travel doesn’t seem so safe in the eyes of the uninformed. We hear a lot of reporting that shows how little the outside world understands how railroads work. We hear a lot of confusing facts and speculation that make no sense.

We’re crushed because something we know to our core to be so good — the joy of a passenger train — seems to have turned on us. It sickens us to see what should have been a small step forward in the Pacific Northwest and in the U.S. stumble in such a big way. In this era of technology and training, it’s hard for us to imagine, with so many safeguards in place and so many conscientious people at work at all levels of railroading, how something like this could happen.

Railroading is one of the greatest businesses in the world. It’s a work of passion, enthusiasm, and dedication for anyone who takes it up as a career or as a hobby. It is a way of life. Like I said, we love it. We wouldn’t trade it for anything. But here we are. Sad. Mad. Upset. Still in shock. In disbelief.

There’s a lot we don’t know right now about all of this. And that’s OK.

What we do know is that people who care will reach out to those who are injured physically or emotionally and say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done. We will make it better.

What we do know is that people who care will find out the cause of the accident. They will figure out how to make it so that this never happens again.

What we will always know and love about railroading is its resilience. We will mourn. We will cry. And then, we will remember that there’s much good in this thing we love called railroading. We’ll reflect that today is a gift, that tomorrow is never guaranteed. Eventually, we’ll get back to being train crewmembers, passengers, and enthusiasts. There’s a railroad to be run.

I was in Florida last week. No, I was not on vacation, neither at a beach nor Mouse World. In fact, it was rainy the first half of the trip, and down right cold (for Florida) on the second half (38 degrees Sunday morning. The primary railroad topic, as it has been in the Sunshine State for generations, was passenger trains. The newest of these trains, Brightline, was days from the start of revenue service. The oldest have been in museums for decades and date back to the early 20^th century. Both are worthy of attention.

On Thursday, I stepped on board the nation’s newest, most cutting edge, passenger train, Brightline, poised to start regular service between West Palm Beach, Fla., and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Saturday. The new Siemens-built trainsets are sleek, modern, and seem to include almost every conceivable amenity a passenger could want (food service, power outlets at the seats, bike racks, conferencing areas) and twin 4,400-hp Charger diesels flank five four-car trainsets that are color coded for the benefit of passengers and crew alike. Our shop tour was incredible. Again, it seems like Brightline thought of everything from the fuel pad, the mobile sand truck, and the portable wheel lathe. Other commitments took me away from the inaugural run, but I look forward to a return visit when I can try out the train that promises a most uncommon passenger train experience on U.S. soil.

The day before, I made my first visit to the Gold Coast Railroad Museum, where Florida East Coast 4-6-2s Nos. 113 and 153 and heavy-weight coaches of Florida East Coast and Seaboard Air Line ancestry are among stars of the collection. These were the passenger trains of Henry Flagler, the trains of the Key West Extension, the trains that brought in rescue and supplies to hurricane victims. The locomotives were once the oil-burning pride of the FEC, and their antiquity is in stark contrast the modern polished look of Brightline’s diesel locomotives. Heck, Brightline’s units are so sleek and colorful they could be toothpaste tubes.

Learn more about the fight for Florida railroad passengers with our video, Selling Sunshine: The Florida Trains, available at https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/dvd/15135

The Appalachian Mountains, where the Clinchfield Railroad operated, was a place of heavily forested mountains, dense hardwood forests, and rushing whitewater streams. The environment last week in which I found the railroad’s most famous diesel locomotive, F7 No. 800, was much different. It was a relatively flat expanse of land with numerous lakes. The exhaust tossled palm tree leaves and tickled the Spanish moss. Yes, this is a fish out of water story, the tale of a locomotive on winter break down south in Florida.

Last fall, CSX restored this classic cab unit to its original appearance to pull its 75^th anniversary Santa Claus train on the former Clinchfield. The sight of the gray and yellow EMD was a magnificent addition to the train. It was so good, we marked this achievement by putting No. 800 on the cover of our February 2018 issue (on sale now) and celebrating with 10 pages that explore our love for these timeless cab units. Following the Santa Train in November, privately-owned No. 800 immediately got another gig, pulling tourist trains for the new Orlando & Northwestern and its Royal Palm Rail Experience. Trains run on former Seaboard Air Line and Atlantic Coast Line tracks that belong to Pinsley shortline group’s Florida Central Railroad. The area is just north of Orlando. And General Manager Stephen Syfrett tells me the unit should be around well into the spring.

So if you want to ride behind this famous locomotive in a most unusual place, here’s your chance to photograph a real Clinchfield icon -- under palm trees.

What would you say is the most famous passenger car in the United States? The well-traveled PV Caritas? Lucius Beebe’s office car Virginia City. Amtrak office car 10,000?

It’s a debatable list, and one that would have to include in its top 10 an office car that I have heard about all my life and visited for the first time recently while on business in Florida: Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s office car Ferdinand Magellan. This classic heavyweight Pullman makes its home at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Miami. This car may top the list of all cars, having also carried Presidents Truman and Eisenhower. In the days before Air Force 1 this was how the president traveled the country.

The car is typical in that it features a kitchen, staterooms, and a dining room. It was one of six in the explorers’ series. But it is unusual because of its security and safety features that were put in place to carry the president. These additions include armor plating, extra thick windows, an escape door on the side, a 1,500-pound back platform door that would rival any bank vault door, and a submarine hatch in the observation room ceiling that would be used only to extract the occupants if the car were ever turned over and on its side. Bob Withers excellent book, “The President Travels by Train,” says the car was among the heaviest passenger cars ever once it was armored. It weighs 142 tons, vs. 80 tons for a typical car like it.

Withers also points out that Roosevelt traveled by train more than any other president, 243,827 miles, much of it on the Magellan, on 399 trips. He also points out that the Association of American Railroads purchased the car from Pullman. Can you imagine the howls that would result today of Boeing offered to build a new Air Force 1 for the president and the price tag was gratis?

To me, the interior is what I would expect it to be. It’s the back platform that is the story on this car. It’s the platform, where FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, and in 1984 on a campaign trip, Ronald Reagan, spoke on whistle-stop tours in the finest tradition of American politics. That was in an age when the country’s CEO went to the people to speak and when tweeting was still something birds did. Today, the microphones are still there as are the loudspeakers on top of the car. It is a car that looks like it is ready for a president to step out onto the back platform, acknowledge the crowd, and give a rousing speech. “Give ‘em hell, right?” Yes, I can see it. This is where Truman held up that copy of the Chicago Tribune that proclaimed “Dewey defeats Truman.” It is sacred ground in American 20^th century history.

The back platform is closed when visitors tour the Gold Coast Railroad Museum. That is too bad. Wouldn't it be great if it were open so that every citizen who visits could stand on the platform in front of the mics and feel the urge to launch into a speech with these words, “My fellow Americans…”? The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville lets visitors stand on the stage at the Ryman Auditorium and hold a guitar. I’d love to see the back platform of the Magellan opened up. It would surely be an inspirational moment for anyone who would choose to stand there.  

So, next time you are way south, visit this National Historic Landmark, an amazing part of American history. You’ll feel the same urge I did to stand on that back platform. It’s only natural. 

Our special issue, Hot Spots, is available now, and it has me excited about traveling to great train watching places this year. We broke down our 100-page guide into three categories: Places to watch a lot of trains. Places that are scenic wonders. And places that are icons in our common obsession. Like everyone else, I have my favorites. Here’s my top 10, and be sure to get your own copy of Hot Spots at https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/special-issue/vt-tr05180101-c.

1. The Loops near Old Fort, N.C. A sentimental favorite from near where I grew up. It is 13 twisting rail miles crammed into 3 air miles. There are 1,001 places on this railroad that are utterly fascinating to see how a railroad climbs a mountain via cuts, fills, bridges, and tunnels. Model railroaders would copy the route but people would claim it was unrealistic.

2. Sherman Hill. The stuff of Big Boys, gas turbines, and DD40X legends, three mainline tracks west of Cheyenne, Wyo., bespeak of the fight for traction and large volumes of trains. I made my first trip there in 1987, and I never tire of the place. I love Otto Road!

3. Rochelle, Ill. OK, the viewing platform at the diamond may not yield the most original photos, but sometimes the photos are secondary. It’s fun just to sit, watch, socialize, and let the trains do all of the work. That and two mainline railroads that are crazy busy.

4. Omaha – Council Buffs. Thanks to my wife’s family being from here, I get to this location a lot. It’s got variety — Amtrak, BNSF Railway, Union Pacific, Canadian National, Iowa Interstate. It’s got bridges, junctions, directional running. In short, a lot in a little space with plenty of action.

5. Roanoke, Va. Any compass direction you go yields great mountain railroading. But I am most fond of heading west of town on legendary Christiansburg grade. Here the original Norfolk & Western plays tag with the former Virginian, and then clings to the hillside for elevation. It’s as curving and twisting as it gets.

6. Byron Hill – Duplainville. In our backyard here in Wisconsin. Canadian National has created a mainline jumping with traffic that’s scenic. Add in the diamond with Canadian Pacific and the hill southbound out of Fon du Lac, the marsh at Theresa, and the sweeping curve at Slinger, and you’ve got yourself one amazing, action-packed main line. Check out our video for sale at https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/dvd/15144

7. Joint Line, Colorado. Who doesn’t like directional running on the edge of the Rockies? It’s not as busy as it once was, but it’s still a tonnage pipeline south of Denver for UP and BNSF. The area just north of Palmer Lake is among the last places along the Front Range that is blissfully undeveloped. Incidentally, we updated our On Location video of 25 years ago with new content as our Hot Spots brand so you can see it as well as read about it. Buy it here https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/dvd/15137

8. Rathole, Kentucky. A tonnage and scenery fan’s dream come true. Most of the tunnels went away 50 years ago, but the deep cuts and tall bridges are still a draw. Norfolk Southern between Cincinnati and Chattanooga never disappoints.

9. Echo Canyon. Sandwiched in between scenic Weber Canyon and impressive Wasatch grade, Echo Canyon is a literal gorgeous delight on the Union Pacific main line. I’m especially fond of the I-80 rest stop overlook that really brings out the colors of the red rocks in the morning sun and puts the trains in perspective.

10. Horseshoe Curve, Pa. Pennsy history. Dramatic mountain crossing. Heavy tonnage. Norfolk Southern puts its heart and soul into this fantastic spot that should be on every train watcher’s list of places they must see. We’ve also got a Hot Spots video on this one, too! Get it here https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/dvd/15140

They were neither well executed nor worth much as great art. Some were poorly composed, and others were over or under exposed. But they were amazing sights to me -- my first action railroad pictures with a good 35mm camera. And they were made 40 years ago this month.

The occasion was the first good weather in the winter of 1978 when, as a 16-year-old fan, I was ready to try out the Nikkormat FT-3 that my parents had given me the Christmas before. They’d heard my disappointment in my Kodak Pocket 110 camera’s images and seen the kind but firm rejection notices from Trains Editor David P. Morgan. Mom, God bless her, stopped enough fans at the Cass Scenic Railroad’s railfan weekend the spring before, to find out what kind of camera was needed for her boy to produce publishable images. After Christmas, dad took over with lessons about making photos: About shutter speeds, f-stops, composition. 10 years of reading Trains magazine didn’t hurt either when it came to knowing what a train picture should look like.

So, when there was a decent Saturday that February, we left our home in Franklin, N.C., to visit relatives an hour away in dad’s hometown of Westminster, S.C., and photograph what we could on the Southern Railway main line between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, Ga. The camera was loaded with Plus-X ASA 125 speed film. I was ready to go.

The day turned out to be a good one with a parade of through freights with big six-axle units up front, a work train that had been cleaning up a derailment, and lots of bay window cabooses. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Southern’s main line south of Greenville, S.C., was mostly a nighttime railroad, so we missed much of the show. But what I saw and photographed that day pleased me, and it was the beginning of a lifetime of enjoyment and a fulfilling career. From time to time, as my travels have allowed me, I’ve been back to Westminster and snapped a photo of a train. I need to do that again as it’s been a while, and neither I nor my cousins are getting any younger.

In the 40 years since, I’ve made thousands of images trackside and on board trains. But I’ll always think back to those 20 first black and white negatives, and the day when a new passion was born in the place where my father had grown up. Dad was right. Your life is like the wink of an eye. All of this seems like only yesterday in some respects and another time and place in others.

[caption image="/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-07-48/2727.Crozet-NTSB.jpg" position="right"]The NTSB investigates the fatal Jan. 31 grade crossing collision in Crozet, Va. By photo by National Transportation Safety Board[/caption]As we learn more this Sunday morning about the overnight collision between Amtrak's Silver Star and a CSX Transportation freight, I can't help but think that the national passenger carrier is on the cusp of a major change – for better, or worse.

With three high-profile incidents in less than 60 days, Amtrak is undoubtedly under scrutiny from regulators, legislators, and host railroads. It's possible (but not likely) that none of those will be found to be Amtrak's fault; it's also possible (but again not likely) that they will all be found to be Amtrak's fault. We just don't know yet.

What those answers are will change the course of passenger rail in the U.S. Amtrak could march on with positive train control, new equipment, and expanded frequencies on non-corridor routes. Or it could be defunded and gone as a national entity in the next budget cycle.

Amtrak is consistently moving record numbers of passengers on a network that's smaller than at its inception with equipment that is often older than that it used at start-up. People want trains. The unknown here is at what cost.

Ask the editors at Trains.

When I read the statement from Amtrak at 12:49 p.m. (Central) in my email inbox, I swore — a lot.

One trainset of the one and only high-speed rail service in the Western Hemisphere pulled apart on the Northeast Corridor. 

The New York Post reports that Acela Express train 2150 was moving at 125 mph when it separated in Maryland. The news organization shows a photo of what appears to be a loose drawbar on the semi-permanently coupled trainset hanging between cars as though it had nowhere in particular to go. Thank God, no one was hurt.

But this happened. 

In the United States of America.

So far, most media organizations haven't grasped the gravity of this. The closest I can come up with is if the Acela were an airplane, this would be the wing coming off in mid-air. Or if it were a automobile, the auto's frame split in two with the back section falling out and the front still moving forward.

Regardless of the analogy, each incident is an example of a catastrophic failure of things coming apart that shouldn't unless you have an acetylene torch and some time. And this incident comes just days after the Silver Star crash near Columbia, S.C.

I'm tempted to prognosticate on the future of Amtrak and safety, or call on fellow rail enthusiasts to band together for a higher purpose to pass a law, draw attention to the issue, or something. Only, I don't know what we should call for. We need more safety, more money for infrastructure, a leader at the Federal Railroad Administration, and new and more Amtrak equipment, to start. That is before we can get to high-speed passenger corridors around the country, a durable positive train control network, and more cities with a rail alternative to commuting on highways. I thought we might be making a little headway as a country with more Charger locomotives, light rail projects here and there, and a handful of infrastructure grants sprinkled generously for good effect in urban areas.

But an Acela pulled apart on the Northeast Corridor today. Before today, it was unthinkable.

I shudder to think what other unthinkable things await us.