1. Home
  2.  ›
  3. Creating American-Rails.com

Creating American-Rails.com

Last revised: May 6, 2023

Upon clicking to this page you might be wondering, “Okay, Adam, and what does this have to do with railroading, or anything related to American Rails at all?!” Well, and this may sound a bit confusing, but to be honest, everything and nothing.

Yes, of course this topic is nothing directly related to American Rails, at least as far as content is concerned.

However, if it were not for this service called SoloBuildIt! (also known as Sitesell or SBI) there is absolutely no way that I could bring you American-Rails.com or have even developed this website, not to mention the fact of being able to do something that I thoroughly enjoy.

I guess the best way to go about this is to just start from the beginning and tell you how American Rails came about.

Yes, you may have already heard me talk about how the site came together but I guess this is more of the “reason” and “why."  

During the early fall/late summer of 2005 I had been out of college for a few months and was still, for the most part, at a loss as to what I really wanted to do with my life, at least as far as a career was concerned.

Yes, I had earned my degree in a field I was interested in and from a highly respected institution.

However, I still just did not know what I wanted to do, except that I knew I wanted it to be something that I very much enjoyed, brought a sense of self-accomplishment, and lastly earned a little money as well.

Back in the spring of that year I had also helped put together another website.

Although it was just a hobby/freelance project I very much enjoyed working on it (and still do today). As I continued working on it, the idea of having my own website business began to grow on me and by the late summer of that year I began looking more seriously into the idea.

If owning and developing your own site is either something you are interested in doing for a living or as a means of making a little extra income during these tough economic times, you probably very well know that after just a bit of research there are literally hundreds of websites out there.

Many of these are “get rich quick” schemes and claim that you can earn thousands of dollars in a single month or that they give you all of the tools you need to run a successful Internet home business, which most of the time turns out to be a half-truth at best.

Well, needless to say I tried a few of these sites and quickly learned that the amount of work required (something which they never tell you and more about it later) was just so overbearing and astronomical that not only was the pay-off not worth it but also the enjoyment was no longer there as well.

And, on top of everything already mentioned, I certainly did not “get rich quick.” (The unfortunate truth behind many of those services is that someone else is making the money at your expense.)  

As I continued to look around I found a few home business sites that were better but still not exactly what I was interested in, and to be honest I was becoming a bit burned out on the idea and not sure I even wanted to continue pursuing it.

Then, somewhere along the line I stumbled upon information regarding Sitesell and figured at this point, what could it hurt at least learning more about it?

As I read more about the service it was sort like that proverbial ton of bricks hitting you, Sitesell was it.

Recent Articles

  1. Wabash Diesel Roster (All-Time)

    Oct 31, 26 12:35 AM

    28374236529735892362689389708.jpg
    Wabash diesel locomotives, each frame once, through the lease at 12:01 a.m. on October 16, 1964.

    Read More

  2. Wabash Steam Roster (Built Since 1900)

    Oct 31, 26 12:30 AM

    67o10293172461y242795086260970978.jpg
    Wabash steam locomotives built since 1900. Moguls, Mikados, Mountains, and the O-1 Northerns.

    Read More

  3. Wabash Railroad: Map, Rosters, History, Logo

    Oct 31, 26 12:28 AM

    91287365123512534162471587189569.jpg
    History of the Wabash Railroad, from the Northern Cross of 1838 to the Norfolk & Western lease at 12:01 a.m. on October 16, 1964. Follow the Flag. Steam and diesel rosters are separate pages.

    Read More

  4. Court Clears $257.7 Million in Notes for Brightline Florida

    Oct 31, 26 12:18 AM

    brightline-delray-dk.jpg
    A New Jersey bankruptcy court on October 29, 2026 authorized $257.7 million in notes for Brightline Trains Florida. The operating company is not one of the 17 debtor holding companies.

    Read More

  5. Brightline West Still Waiting on a $6 Billion Federal Loan

    Oct 31, 26 12:11 AM

    brightilne-west-media.jpg
    Brightline West said October 27, 2026 that it is still working through a $6 billion federal loan and still talks about opening in 2029. The Florida restructuring is a separate company.

    Read More

  6. BNSF Reopens the Gallup Subdivision After New Mexico Flooding

    Oct 31, 26 12:06 AM

    bnsf-reopen-gallup.jpg
    BNSF said October 28, 2026 that both Gallup Subdivision main tracks are back after flooding near Laguna, New Mexico. The El Paso Subdivision was still out of service.

    Read More

  7. CSX Says Interchange Is Moving Again After a Technology Outage

    Oct 31, 26 12:01 AM

    csx-rabbit-2021-rb.jpg
    CSX said October 29, 2026 that interchange with other Class I railroads is moving again after a technology outage that began October 27. Dispatching and positive train control stayed up.

    Read More

  8. Baldwin "Baby Face" Locomotives: Specs, Photos, Roster

    Oct 30, 26 11:01 PM

    nyc-dr441500-3401.jpg
    Baldwin's Babyface cab on the early road diesels: 50 short-cab units, 1946-1948, plus the related Centipede. Construction numbers, specs, and the sharknose that followed.

    Read More

  9. California High-Speed Rail Chief Resigns

    Oct 30, 26 08:36 PM

    san-joq-bridge.jpg
    Ian Choudri resigned October 28, 2026 as chief executive of the California High-Speed Rail Authority. The board named Joe Stephenshaw interim chief executive.

    Read More

  10. The 1910 Portal Bridge Is Handed Over for Demolition

    Oct 30, 26 04:03 PM

    portal-bridge-demo.jpg
    Amtrak handed the 1910 Portal Bridge over for demolition on October 29, 2026, during the final cutover to Portal North. Regular NJ Transit and Amtrak schedules are expected November 15.

    Read More

  11. Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern Merger Review Runs to 2027

    Oct 30, 26 03:59 PM

    up-7663-rb.jpg
    Union Pacific says the Surface Transportation Board's review of the Norfolk Southern merger gathers information through May 28, 2027. A closing still depends on board approval.

    Read More

  12. Amtrak Board Will Hear Restructuring Comments on November 10

    Oct 30, 26 03:41 PM

    amtrk-trn-371-rb.jpg
    Amtrak's board will hear public comments on its restructuring on November 10, 2026, from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern. Written comments were due October 30. A proposal goes to the board in December.

    Read More

  13. Canadian Pacific Selkirk 5931 Restored in Calgary

    Oct 30, 26 01:36 PM

    cp-5931-palliser.jpg
    Heritage Park in Calgary unveiled a cosmetic restoration of Canadian Pacific 2-10-4 No. 5931 on October 27, 2026. One of two surviving Selkirks. It stays on display.

    Read More

  14. Gettysburg Railway to Host Steam for Lincoln

    Oct 30, 26 01:18 PM

    440-york-17-jw.jpg
    Northern Central Railway of York No. 17 will recreate Lincoln's arrival at Gettysburg on November 18, 2026, with public steam trips November 19-21.

    Read More

  15. NC&StL No. 576 to Steam for the Public in Nashville

    Oct 30, 26 01:00 PM

    ncstl-484-576-alco.jpg
    Nashville Steam will fire NC&StL 4-8-4 No. 576 for the public on November 7, 2026, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at 220 Willow Street. Admission is free.

    Read More

  16. Pennsylvania Railroad E8s Join the T1 Trust

    Oct 30, 26 12:38 PM

    prr-e8-5761.jpg
    The T1 Trust has acquired former Pennsylvania Railroad E8A diesels 5702A and 5761A from the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society. They are bound for Cumberland.

    Read More

  17. Ligonier Valley Railroad: History, Roster, Timetable

    Oct 30, 26 12:03 PM

    ligonier-280-594.jpg
    The Ligonier Valley Railroad ran 10.5 miles from Latrobe to Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Opened December 1, 1877. Last day August 31, 1952.

    Read More

  18. Toledo, Peoria & Western Diesel Roster (All-Time)

    Oct 30, 26 10:25 AM

    47211399_2027303127561614_7742391129064079360_n.jpg
    Toledo, Peoria & Western diesel locomotives, each frame once. Thirteen Alcos, three Lima-Hamilton switchers, and 26 Electro-Motive units.

    Read More

  19. Toledo, Peoria & Western Steam Roster

    Oct 30, 26 09:14 AM

    tpw-280-10.jpg
    Toledo, Peoria & Western steam locomotives from the Rogers Consolidations of 1895 through the 4-8-4s of 1937

    Read More

  20. Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway: Map, Roster, History

    Oct 29, 26 11:12 PM

    28023048283766152h1j2860287098.jpg
    History of the Toledo, Peoria & Western. The Peoria & Oquawka, George P. McNear, the Santa Fe and Pennsylvania years, and the railroad that came back in 1989.

    Read More

  21. Cotton Belt Diesel Roster (All-Time)

    Oct 29, 26 07:58 PM

    12419291241256456126172538656.jpg
    St. Louis Southwestern diesel locomotives, each frame once. Baldwin switchers, F units, and new Cotton Belt-lettered power through the GP60s of May 1990.

    Read More

  22. Cotton Belt Steam Roster (Built Since 1900)

    Oct 29, 26 06:52 PM

    ssw-484-805.jpg
    St. Louis Southwestern steam locomotives built since 1900. Consolidations, Ten-Wheelers, and twenty class L-1 4-8-4s. The quantity column is 297.

    Read More

  23. Cotton Belt Railroad: Map, Logo, History, Rosters

    Oct 29, 26 10:56 AM

    663988500itcnvhgfjwo94857593.jpg
    History of the St. Louis Southwestern, the Cotton Belt Route. The Tyler Tap, Paramore's silver spike, the Thebes Bridge, the Blue Streak, and Southern Pacific control. Steam and diesel rosters are sep…

    Read More

  24. Pere Marquette Steam Roster (Built Since 1900)

    Oct 28, 26 11:54 PM

    1222109095utgklpop0597573892.jpg
    Pere Marquette steam locomotives built since 1900. Consolidations, Mikados, Pacifics, and 39 Berkshires. The quantity column is 503.

    Read More

  25. Pere Marquette Diesel Roster (All-Time)

    Oct 28, 26 11:48 PM

    9127348142681257926859027.jpg
    Pere Marquette diesel locomotives, each frame once. Two SW1s, 14 NW2s, three GE 70-tonners, eight E7As, and six BL2s delivered lettered Chesapeake and Ohio. The quantity column is 33.

    Read More

  26. Pere Marquette Railway: Map, Logo, Rosters, History

    Oct 28, 26 11:44 PM

    1010580949utbnnjotop959180993726ye.jpg
    History of the Pere Marquette Railway. Timber roads, the Prince years, the Van Sweringens, the Ludington car ferries, and the Chesapeake and Ohio merger of June 6, 1947.

    Read More

  27. Nickel Plate Road (Railroad): Map, History, Rosters

    Oct 28, 26 10:51 PM

    19058nkplpe870598u1yiu09085.jpg
    History of the Nickel Plate Road, the New York, Chicago and St. Louis. The Seney syndicate, the Van Sweringens, the Berkshires, and the Norfolk and Western absorption at 12:01 a.m. on October 16, 1964…

    Read More

  28. Nickel Plate Diesel Roster (All-Time)

    Oct 28, 26 10:48 PM

    q3958712571285236892368937904890.jpg
    Nickel Plate diesel locomotives, each frame once. Alco switchers and PAs, GP7s and GP9s, and the GP30s. The quantity column is 440. The 1950 fleet was 117.

    Read More

  29. Nickel Plate Steam Roster (Built Since 1900)

    Oct 28, 26 10:43 PM

    92384127461234727352786898398788.jpg
    Nickel Plate steam locomotives built since 1900, including the Lake Erie and Western, the Clover Leaf, and the Wheeling engines that took Nickel Plate numbers. The quantity column is 786.

    Read More

  30. EMD "E9" Locomotives: Specs, Roster, History

    Oct 28, 26 10:37 PM

    GMS4VzFXYAA3SBB.jpg
    EMD E9 cab units and boosters, 2,400 horsepower, built April 1954 through January 1964. Gear ratios, specifications, and the production roster by owner, serial, and order.

    Read More

  31. NYC 4-6-4 #5344, "Commodore Vanderbilt"

    Oct 28, 26 04:31 PM

    GK2FP3jXYAIVQpd.jpg
    NYC J-1e Hudson 5344, the Commodore Vanderbilt. Alco, November 1931. Carl Kantola’s shroud, December 1934, then a Dreyfuss bullet nose in 1939. Scrapped at Collinwood in 1954.

    Read More

  32. New Jersey, Indiana & Illinois Railroad: A South Bend Shortline

    Oct 28, 26 11:05 AM

    njii-nw2-2.jpg
    The New Jersey, Indiana & Illinois, the Jersey Line, ran from South Bend to Pine. Singer built it in 1905. Wabash stock control came in 1926. Two diesels, and the steam the record names.

    Read More

  33. Monon Diesel Roster (All-Time)

    Oct 28, 26 10:13 AM

    monon-f3s-emd.jpg
    Monon diesel locomotives, each frame once. F3s, nine BL2s, the C420s, and eight U23Bs. The quantity column is 96. The 1951 fleet was 57.

    Read More

  34. Monon Steam Roster (Built Since 1900)

    Oct 28, 26 10:09 AM

    monon-280-271.jpg
    Monon steam locomotives built since 1900. Twelve-Wheelers, Mikados, light Pacifics, and thirteen six-wheel switchers. The quantity column is 148.

    Read More

  35. Monon Railroad: Map, Photos, History, Logo

    Oct 28, 26 09:55 AM

    36386222_1923855317906396_2801775267905798144_n.jpg
    History of the Monon, the Hoosier Line. The New Albany & Salem, the X at Monon, Barriger's streamliners, and the Louisville & Nashville merger of July 31, 1971.

    Read More

  36. Missouri-Kansas-Texas Diesel Roster (All-Time)

    Oct 28, 26 09:48 AM

    83052935482357348683093748-090.jpg
    All-time diesel roster of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas. 406 locomotives, each frame once. Baldwin switchers, Alco cab units, F units, Geeps, and the SD40-2s.

    Read More

  37. Missouri-Kansas-Texas Steam Roster (Built Since 1900)

    Oct 28, 26 09:43 AM

    mkt-080-53.jpg
    Missouri-Kansas-Texas steam locomotives built since 1900. Moguls, Mikados, Pacifics, and the narrow-gauge shop tanks. The quantity column is 715.

    Read More

  38. Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (Katy): Map, History, Rosters

    Oct 27, 26 11:02 PM

    69001098676156172u2u789800997.jpg
    History of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas, the Katy. The race into Indian Territory, Gould, the 1923 railroad, the Texas Special, and the 1988 sale. Steam and diesel rosters are linked.

    Read More

  39. Soo Line Diesel Roster (All-Time)

    Oct 27, 26 10:55 PM

    1098241824672157826892097.jpg
    All-time diesel roster of the Soo Line and the Wisconsin Central. 786 locomotives, each frame once. Cab units, Geeps, the Milwaukee Road engines, and the SD60s. The South Shore's 24 stay on that page.

    Read More

  40. Soo Line Steam Roster (Built Since 1900)

    Oct 27, 26 10:49 PM

    soo-210-950.jpg
    Soo Line and Wisconsin Central steam locomotives built since 1900. Consolidations, Mikados, Pacifics, 21 Mountains, and four Lima 4-8-4s.

    Read More

  41. Soo Line Railroad: Map, Logo, History, Rosters

    Oct 27, 26 10:24 PM

    298568734723757863894978090798.jpg
    The Soo Line, from the flour millers' railroad around Chicago to the Sault, the Wisconsin Central, and the Milwaukee Road. Steam quantity 422. Diesels 786. Canadian Pacific took full control in 1990.

    Read More

  42. Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway: Map, History, Rosters

    Oct 27, 26 10:32 AM

    23lj8500dsyqo85081094iu7757835.jpg
    The Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern, the Dan Patch Line that became a Twin Cities belt. Steam, gas-electric mules, motor cars, and the 22 diesels, through the Soo Line.

    Read More

  43. Minneapolis & St. Louis Diesel Roster (All-Time)

    Oct 27, 26 10:27 AM

    129128712461556.jpg
    All-time diesel roster of the Minneapolis & St. Louis. 97 locomotives, each frame once. Switchers from 1938, 35 RS-1s, the FT and F-unit cabs, two SD7s, and 23 GP9s. Builder numbers included.

    Read More

  44. Minneapolis & St. Louis Steam Roster (Post 1900)

    Oct 27, 26 10:25 AM

    mstl-282-634.jpg
    Minneapolis & St. Louis steam locomotives built since 1900. Moguls, Consolidations, 35 Mikados, and five Pacifics.

    Read More

  45. Minneapolis and St Louis Railway: "The Peoria Gateway"

    Oct 27, 26 09:52 AM

    o83237527836982689390739070948.jpg
    The Minneapolis & St. Louis, the Tootin' Louie, from the 1870 charter to the Peoria Gateway and the Chicago & North Western sale on November 1, 1960.

    Read More

  46. Alco "PA" Locomotives: Restoration, Specs, Engine, Rosters

    Oct 27, 26 12:12 AM

    2374283752368572683475309748.jpg
    Alco's PA passenger cab, 297 locomotives built from 1946 to 1953. The 244 engine, the production roster, the Delaware & Hudson PA-4s, and Nickel Plate Road 190.

    Read More

  47. Milwaukee Road Diesel Roster: (All Time)

    Oct 26, 26 01:44 PM

    2835896727953278623768937078.jpg
    All-time diesel roster of the Milwaukee Road. 1,208 locomotives, each frame once. Alco, Baldwin, Davenport, EMD, Fairbanks-Morse, General Electric, and Whitcomb, with builder numbers.

    Read More

  48. Milwaukee Road Steam Roster (All-Time): Post-1900

    Oct 26, 26 01:38 PM

    milw-464-100-alco.jpg
    Milwaukee Road steam locomotives built since 1900. Prairies, Mikados, the N-class articulateds, the S-class 4-8-4s, and the Hiawatha Atlantics and Hudsons. Quantity column 1,974. Unique frames 1,951.

    Read More

  49. Milwaukee Road: Map, Electrification, Logo, History

    Oct 26, 26 01:20 PM

    028342735235782396838946778.jpg
    The Milwaukee Road, from the Milwaukee & Mississippi of 1850 to the Pacific Coast Extension, the Hiawathas, and the Soo Line sale. Why Lines West should have stayed.

    Read More

  50. Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad: Map, Roster, History

    Oct 25, 26 11:38 PM

    61092408157172y181600810907109789.jpg
    Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad, reporting mark LSI, from the Marquette Range to the Presque Isle ore dock. The 1954 steam list and the diesels the railroad owned.

    Read More