American Railroads: History, Travel & Today’s Industry
Last revised: August 12, 2026
By: Adam Burns
American-Rails.com is a free educational guide to the railroads of the United States—classic fallen flags and streamliners, steam and diesel locomotives, engineering landmarks, today’s Class I freights and short lines, scenic tourist trains, Amtrak, museums, and railroad jobs. Whether you are planning a trip, researching a railroad that no longer exists, or simply love the iron horse, start with a path below or browse more than 2,800 pages of history and travel coverage.
A handsome Rio Grande F7A, #5664, in Denver, Colorado, circa 1970. Robert Eastwood, Jr. photo. American-Rails.com collection.
Start Here
Not sure where to click? These are the main doors into the site:
| If you want to… | Go here |
|---|---|
| Ride a scenic or tourist train (state guides, fall foliage, holidays) | Tourist Trains · Fall Foliage · Christmas Trains |
| Study classic railroads that merged or disappeared | Fallen Flags · Railroad History |
| Learn locomotives — steam, diesel, electric | Steam · Diesel · Locomotive History |
| Understand today’s freight industry | Class I Railroads · Regionals · Short Lines |
| Explore streamliners, landmarks & stations | Streamliners · Landmarks · Stations |
| Research railroad jobs & crafts | Railroad Jobs · Conductor · Engineer |
Seasonal Travel (Right Now)
- Fall foliage train rides — national hub; pair with state guides such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Colorado, and New Hampshire
- Dinner trains · All tourist / scenic trains
- Amtrak for long-distance and corridor travel (see also our Amtrak overview)
Swap this section when holidays approach: point to Christmas and Polar Express hubs.
Pillars of American-Rails.com
| Section | What you’ll find |
|---|---|
| Industry History | Origins, Golden Age, regulation & revival, timeline |
| Fallen Flags | Classic railroads absorbed by merger or bankruptcy |
| Tycoons & Barons | Builders of the Gilded Age network |
| Steam / Diesel / Electric | Locomotive types, builders, and eras |
| Passenger cars / Freight cars | Rolling stock explained |
| Interurbans & streetcars | Electric traction beyond main-line railroads |
| Narrow gauge / Logging lines | Mountain and timber railroads |
| Museums / State history | Where to visit and state-by-state context |
| Glossary | Terms and railroad language |
Santa Fe F3A #29-L just off the turntable at Redondo Junction in Los Angeles during the 1960s. Fred Worsfold photo. American-Rails.com collection.
A Brief Word on U.S. Railroad History
From early experiments in the 1820s through the steam locomotive and the Civil War boom, American railroads stitched together a continental economy. Mileage peaked near 254,000 route miles around 1916—the so-called Golden Age, when four-track mains, great passenger stations, and heavy freights defined modern transport.
Twentieth-century highways, airlines, and tight federal regulation eroded that monopoly. By the 1970s, bankruptcies (including Penn Central) forced Amtrak (1971) to take most intercity passengers and Conrail (1976) to reorganize Northeastern freights. The Staggers Rail Act of 1980 deregulated much of the rate and abandonment process; freight rail recovered into today’s Class I, regional, and short-line map.
For the full story—timeline, inventors, decades, and operating philosophy—see Railroad History (USA). For the classic corporate names that vanished into mergers, start at Fallen Flags.
Travel: America by Rail
Even under Amtrak, long-distance trains still cross New River Gorge country, Glacier, the Rockies, the Southwest, and the Pacific coast. Tourist railroads and dinner trains recreate pieces of the Silver Age experience—Strasburg steam, Durango narrow gauge, Napa Valley dining, and hundreds of state-by-state options.
- Scenic & tourist train rides
- Amtrak · Rail tours · Passenger train guide
- Dinner trains · Named streamliners (history)
Louisville & Nashville U25B #1602 leads a manifest northbound near Louisville, Kentucky, July 19, 1972. American-Rails.com collection.
About This Site
I have been interested in trains for as long as I can remember. When I could not find a single, detailed free resource covering American railroad history online, I began building one in 2007. American-Rails.com grew from that project into a large reference covering fallen flags, locomotives, passenger and freight equipment, landmarks, interurbans, logging roads, museums, tourist railroads, and employment crafts.
I do not claim to be an industry insider—only a careful student of the subject. If you spot an error, please contact me. Corrections from readers have improved the site for years.
More: About · Creating the site · Works cited / resources
Note: This site is not a railroad and does not hire employees. Job pages explain crafts and where to look; they are not a placement service. See Railroad Jobs.
Santa Fe F7A #260-C and other F units head west over Cajon Pass near Keenbrook, California, circa 1960. Fred Worsfold photo. American-Rails.com collection.
Popular Starting Pages
- Pennsylvania scenic train rides · National tourist train guide
- Fallen flags · New York Central · Railroad tycoons
- Steam locomotives · Diesel locomotives · Class I railroads
- Famous landmarks · Railroad jobs · Glossary
Use the site search or the navigation menu for a full directory. New articles also appear in the blog / recent articles feed below.
Thank you for visiting. Enjoy exploring America’s railroads—past and present.
Recent Articles
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Northern Pacific Railway: Map, Logo, History, Rosters
Nov 14, 26 12:15 AM
The Northern Pacific, chartered July 2, 1864, from Jay Cooke and the panic of 1873 to the last spike at Gold Creek in 1883, Stampede Tunnel in 1888, and Burlington Northern at 12:01 a.m. on March 2, 1… -
The Pacific Extension (Milwaukee Road): Map, Abandonment, History
Nov 13, 26 11:52 PM
The Milwaukee Road Pacific Extension, from Mobridge to Tacoma. A shorter northern transcontinental, the mountain electrification, and the decision to take the line up. -
Colorado Railroad Museum Lists Polar Express Fares
Nov 13, 26 11:44 PM
The Colorado Railroad Museum lists 2026 Polar Express train tickets through December 23. Standard seats are $80 and $100. First Class is sold by the table. Shows are at 5, 6:30, and 8 p.m. -
Essex Steam Train Lists the North Pole Express
Nov 13, 26 11:24 PM
The Essex Steam Train lists North Pole Express dates from November 20 through December 23, 2026. Coach is $60 or $70. The railroad says questions about this train are not taken by phone. -
Tennessee Valley Lists the North Pole Limited
Nov 13, 26 11:17 PM
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum lists the North Pole Limited on select dates from November 13 through December 23, 2026. Traditional tickets are $38 and $45. The page does not print a clock grid. -
Great Northern Diesel Roster (All-Time)
Nov 13, 26 10:59 PM
Great Northern all-time diesel roster. Alco, Baldwin, Electro-Motive, and General Electric serials, orders, and build dates. Cascade electrics stay on the company page. -
Alco "DH-643" Locomotives: Specs, Roster, Data Sheet
Nov 13, 26 10:39 PM
Alco DH-643: 4,300 hp diesel-hydraulic C-C road switcher. Three built for the Southern Pacific in September 1964. Specs, drive, and the production roster. -
Virginia Scenic Lists the 2026 Santa Express
Nov 13, 26 10:26 PM
Virginia Scenic Railway lists the Santa Express from November 28 through December 23, 2026. The ride is about 60 minutes. The page says it is not a scenic excursion. Coach is $50. -
Goleta Depot Stays Open Behind Storm Fencing
Nov 13, 26 07:20 PM
The City of Goleta says fencing and sandbags protect the historic depot. The museum building is closed for the season. Rides continue, and the Candy Cane Train runs November 28 through December 27, 20… -
Brandywine Museum Opens Its Holiday Railroad
Nov 13, 26 07:02 PM
The Brandywine Museum of Art opens the holiday model railroad on November 14, 2026. It runs through January 10, 2027, with holiday admission. -
Great Northern Steam Roster (Built Since 1900)
Nov 13, 26 04:14 PM
Great Northern steam locomotives built since 1900. Drury quantity column 1,376. Rebuilds counted once, 1,178 frames. Last steam run was in August 1957. -
Illinois Railway Museum Adds Three Burlington Gallery Cars
Nov 13, 26 01:54 PM
The Illinois Railway Museum says Burlington gallery coaches 702 and 709 and cab car 791 arrived on November 11, 2026. -
Great Northern Railway: Map, Logo, Rosters, History
Nov 13, 26 01:41 PM
James J. Hill and the Great Northern, from the St. Paul and Pacific to the last spike near Scenic on January 6, 1893, and into Burlington Northern at 12:01 a.m. on March 2, 1970. Steam and diesel rost… -
West Chester Lists Its 2026 Holiday Trains
Nov 13, 26 01:25 PM
The West Chester Railroad lists a 2026 Christmas Tree Train at 8 a.m. and a separate Santa Express of 75 minutes. The event pages do not print a calendar. -
Burlington Northern Diesel Roster (All-Time)
Nov 13, 26 12:49 PM
Burlington Northern diesel roster of locomotives bought new from 1970 through December 30, 1996. Electro-Motive and General Electric, with builder serials and order numbers. Predecessor fleets stay on… -
Atherton Train Station Museum Opens in the Old Depot
Nov 13, 26 12:21 PM
The Almanac reports that the Atherton Train Station Museum opened October 18 with six dioramas in the old depot beside Town Center. -
Manheim and Lititz Study a Strasburg Excursion
Nov 13, 26 12:15 PM
LancasterOnline reports that a working group and the Strasburg Rail Road are studying passenger trips between Manheim and Lititz if a line purchase goes through. -
Berkshire Scenic Railway Works to Replace Burned RDC
Nov 13, 26 09:53 AM
A fire on October 24, 2026 damaged New Haven 41 at the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum. Volunteers are trying to finish Boston and Maine 6126 for the Tinseliner. -
Conway Scenic Lists the Winter Mountaineer
Nov 13, 26 12:37 AM
Conway Scenic Railroad lists Winter Mountaineer trips from North Conway on select dates from November 28, 2026, through March 2027. -
Burlington Northern Railroad: Map, Logo, History
Nov 12, 26 05:29 PM
Burlington Northern, formed at 12:01 a.m. on March 2, 1970 from the Hill Lines. Powder River coal, the Frisco merger of November 21, 1980, and the Santa Fe combination of 1995–96. The diesel ros… -
Age of Steam Roundhouse Receives Chesapeake & Ohio 1308
Nov 12, 26 04:05 PM
Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 No. 1308 has arrived at the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum in Sugarcreek, Ohio, from Huntington, West Virginia. -
Hoosier Valley Santa Trains Begin November 21
Nov 12, 26 03:59 PM
The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum lists Santa trains on five Saturdays from November 21 through December 19, 2026, leaving North Judson, Indiana. -
Strasburg Rail Road Closes for Track Replacement
Nov 12, 26 12:44 PM
The Strasburg Rail Road homepage says the railroad is closed for track replacement until November 21, 2026. -
Union Pacific Diesel Roster (All-Time)
Nov 12, 26 12:22 PM
Union Pacific diesel roster with builder serials and order numbers. Alco, Baldwin, Fairbanks-Morse, Electro-Motive, and General Electric. Merger partners keep their own roster pages. -
Escanaba & Lake Superior Weighs a Trail on the Wells Grade
Nov 12, 26 12:15 PM
Michigan and the Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad are discussing a sale of 60 miles of inactive grade between Wells and Channing for a trail, with the grade kept for possible rail use. -
Oklahoma Railway Museum Repaints Santa Fe FP45 90
Nov 12, 26 11:58 AM
The Oklahoma Railway Museum is repainting Santa Fe FP45 90 in the blue-and-yellow Freight Bonnet it wore as 5990. The museum does not plan to operate the locomotive. -
Pullmans Move Toward a Chicago Home With a Norfolk Southern Switch
Nov 12, 26 11:49 AM
Friends of the Pullman National Historical Park held a spike-setting on November 9, 2026. Norfolk Southern has installed a switch and committed $250,000 toward a future rail connection. -
Sloss Furnaces Entrance Gets a Norfolk Southern Grant
Nov 12, 26 11:44 AM
Norfolk Southern awarded a $146,460 Thriving Communities grant to the Sloss Furnaces Foundation for the 32nd Street entrance in Birmingham. -
Union Pacific 2-10-2 5511 Passes Its First Steam Test
Nov 12, 26 12:12 AM
Union Pacific 2-10-2 5511 passed a steam test at Silvis, Illinois. Railfan and Railroad reports a summer 2027 target. A November 6 Trains report had no immediate operating plan. -
Union Pacific Steam Roster
Nov 12, 26 12:03 AM
Union Pacific steam locomotives built since 1900. Oregon Short Line, Los Angeles and Salt Lake, and Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company numbers, with the 4-12-2s, Challengers, Big Boys… -
Union Pacific Railroad: Map, History, Logo
Nov 11, 26 11:56 PM
The Union Pacific, from the Pacific Railway Act of July 1, 1862, and Promontory Summit on May 10, 1869, through E. H. Harriman and the mergers that built the modern railroad. Steam and diesel rosters… -
Texas and Pacific Railway: Map, History, Timetables
Nov 10, 26 10:33 PM
The Texas & Pacific Railway, the federally chartered southern transcontinental that stopped at Sierra Blanca and became the Missouri Pacific's Texas and Louisiana main line. Merged October 15, 1976. -
Texas and Pacific Steam Locomotives: Texas Types and Mountains
Nov 10, 26 10:30 PM
Texas & Pacific steam: 70 Lima 2-10-4 Texas types, 600-669, classes I-1 through I-1d, and 10 Mountains, 900-909. No. 610 is at Palestine. -
Texas and Pacific Diesel Roster (All-Time)
Nov 10, 26 10:29 PM
All-time diesel roster of locomotives built for the Texas & Pacific. 246 units: E7s, E8s, 83 F7A and 35 F7B, NW2s, SW7s, SW8s, SW9s, GP7s, GP9s, GP18s, and GP35s. Serials and order numbers. -
Santa Fe-Southern Pacific Railroad: Merger, History, Paint Scheme
Nov 10, 26 10:07 PM
The proposed Santa Fe-Southern Pacific merger, from the 1980 attempt and the 1983 holding company through the ICC denial, the Kodachrome paint, and the sale of the Southern Pacific. -
CSX Santa Train Will Feature Locomotives 250 and 2026
Nov 10, 26 01:51 PM
The CSX Santa Train will feature locomotives 250 and 2026 on November 21, 2026. The 84th running covers 110 miles from Shelbiana, Kentucky, to Kingsport, Tennessee. -
Denton County Asks to Extend Stadler Car Relief
Nov 10, 26 01:05 PM
Denton County Transit Authority has asked the FRA to extend a waiver for its Stadler diesel multiple-unit cars. Comments run to January 11, 2027. -
FreightCar America Reports Third-Quarter Results
Nov 10, 26 01:02 PM
FreightCar America reported third-quarter revenue of $76.5 million and 662 railcar deliveries. Backlog stood at 2,660 cars valued at $284.5 million. -
Amtrak Has Filed a Train Control Amendment
Nov 10, 26 12:53 PM
Amtrak asked the FRA on October 26, 2026, to amend the safety plan for its Interoperable Electronic Train Management System. Comments are due November 30, 2026. -
SunRail Signal Waiver Is Open for Comment
Nov 10, 26 12:25 PM
FRA has asked for comment on a petition to extend signal-testing relief on the Central Florida Rail Corridor. The notice names both the corridor and CSXT. Comments run to January 11, 2027. -
Cars and Units Rose With BNSF Third-Quarter Earnings
Nov 10, 26 12:18 PM
Berkshire Hathaway reports that after-tax BNSF earnings increased 19.3 percent in the third quarter of 2026, with car and unit volumes up 3.9 percent. -
Amtrak Chicago Platforms Are Moving Toward Level Boarding
Nov 10, 26 12:13 PM
Amtrak says construction is underway soon on the first level boarding platforms at Chicago Union Station, a 112 million dollar, 30-month project. -
Maryland Has New Penn Line Times on November 16
Nov 10, 26 12:07 PM
MARC Penn Line schedules change on November 16, 2026, after Amtrak trains return to regular schedules. Weekend southbound trains are unchanged. -
Building Contract for Metrolink Sidings Goes to Granite
Nov 10, 26 12:00 PM
Granite says Metrolink awarded a 51.5 million dollar SCORE contract for sidings near downtown Los Angeles and in Rancho Cucamonga. -
EMD "F2" Locomotives: Specs, Roster, History
Nov 10, 26 12:22 AM
EMD F2, the 1,350-horsepower bridge between the FT and the F3. 104 locomotives, July through November 1946. Spotting features, specifications, and the production roster. -
Southern Pacific Diesel Roster (All-Time)
Nov 10, 26 12:08 AM
Southern Pacific diesel roster with builder serials, order numbers, Texas and New Orleans numbers, and the 1965 renumbering. Alco, Baldwin, Fairbanks-Morse, Electro-Motive, General Electric, Krauss-Ma… -
Southern Pacific Steam Roster: Post 1900
Nov 09, 26 11:56 PM
Southern Pacific steam locomotives built since 1900. Pacific Lines, Texas and Louisiana Lines, cab-forwards, the GS 4-8-4s, and five narrow-gauge Ten-Wheelers. The quantity column counts the rows as p… -
Canal Street Yard Assessment Stays Open Through December 7
Nov 09, 26 01:07 PM
The FRA signed the Canal Street Yard environmental assessment on November 6, 2026. Public inspection runs through December 7, and meeting dates are not confirmed. -
NS Legacy Cab-Signal Comments Are Due November 9
Nov 09, 26 01:05 PM
The FRA must receive comments by November 9, 2026, on a Norfolk Southern plan to drop legacy cab signals on 14 line segments and rely on positive train control. -
Elimination Grant of $27.8 Million Reaches Scott Road in Allen County
Nov 09, 26 12:53 PM
Allen County received $27,878,116, also stated as $27.8 million, to design and build a grade separation where Scott Road crosses Norfolk Southern.
