Online Railroad Collection
10 artifacts in this set
Steam Locomotive "Sam Hill," 1858
Steam locomotive
This 1858 Rogers steam locomotive is typical of those used in the United States in the second half of the 19th century. Its flexible wheel arrangement, high power output, and light weight were well suited to the tight curves, steep grades, and hastily constructed track that characterized American railroads. This locomotive struck an agreeable balance between practicality, safety, and economy.
Bangor & Aroostook Railroad Passenger Coach Replica
Passenger car (Railroad car)
This coach replicates a typical passenger car used on American railroads circa 1860. Its varnished interior surfaces resisted dirt and stains, while its mohair-covered seats stood up to heavy use. Opening windows offered ventilation in summer, and a woodstove provided heat in winter. Other amenities included a drinking water dispenser and a small restroom.
Baldwin "Consolidation" Steam Locomotive, 1909
Steam locomotive
Locomotives like this hauled heavy freight at relatively slow speeds. These brutes were based on practicality and increasing understandings of scientific principles, not aesthetics. This locomotive brought iron ore south and coal north on the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad, connecting Pittsburgh with Lake Erie. The B&LE played a limited but utterly crucial role in a nationally important heavy industry: steel.
Detroit & Mackinac Railway Combination Car, 1901-1905
Combine car (Railroad car)
The combination car combined the functions of a baggage car and a passenger coach. These economical railcars were ideal for distant branches or short-line operations where traffic was light. This car, built circa 1905 and used on Michigan's Detroit & Mackinac Railway, includes three compartments: a baggage area, a smoking compartment, and a seven-seat parlor.
Henry Ford's Private Railroad Car "Fair Lane," 1921
Passenger car (Railroad car)
By 1920, Henry and Clara Ford found it increasingly difficult to travel with any degree of privacy. They purchased a private railcar and named it Fair Lane. The car had four private rooms, an observation lounge, a dining room, and a fully equipped kitchen. It could accommodate eight passengers. The couple made over 400 trips using Fair Lane before selling the passenger car in 1942.
Canadian Pacific Snowplow, 1923
Railroad snowplow
This plow was one of 36 built by Canadian Pacific Railway's Angus Shops in Montreal between 1920 and 1929. It is a 20-ton, wedge-type plow made for use on a single track. Built without a self-contained power source, the snowplow was pushed by one or two locomotives. Although they are seldom seen in action, snowplows are necessary to keep trains moving in harsh winter weather.
1924 Railroad Refrigerator Car, Used by Fruit Growers Express
Refrigerator car
Modern refrigerated rail cars have mechanical cooling units, but well into the 20th century, ice cooled refrigerator cars like this one. Since 45-55 pounds of ice melted each hour, icing stations had to be located at regular intervals along the route, and adherence to strict schedules was necessary to prevent spoilage. The ability to ship meats and produce in refrigerator cars, far from their points of origin, greatly expanded both farmers'...
Detroit Toledo & Ironton Railroad Caboose, 1925
Caboose
The caboose was the conductor's office, the crew's quarters, and the observation platform from which to spot problems with the train. It could also be dangerous. "Slack action" -- sudden movement when slack ran in and out of a moving train -- could toss riders about. Computerized record keeping, trackside defect detectors, and smaller crews made the caboose obsolete by the 1980s.
Ingersoll-Rand Number 90 Diesel-Electric Locomotive, 1926
Diesel-electric locomotive
This is one of the earliest diesel-electric locomotives used on American railroads. Diesel-electrics offered many advantages over steam locomotives. They required less maintenance, were more fuel efficient, and could be operated by smaller crews. This locomotive's body houses an Ingersoll-Rand diesel engine that drives a General Electric generator, which in turn powers electric motors on the axles.
Allegheny Steam Locomotive, 1941
Steam locomotive
The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway's massive Allegheny, introduced in 1941, represents the peak of steam railroad technology. Among the largest and most powerful steam locomotives ever built, it weighed 1.2 million pounds with its tender and could generate 7,500 horsepower. Just 11 years later, C&O began pulling these giants from service. Diesel-electric locomotives proved more flexible and less expensive.
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