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restoration

Meet the People Who Keep Vintage Rail Cars Rolling Across America

About two dozen classic carriages around the country offer time travel by train.
July 6, 2023
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economics

What’s the Real Christmas Tree Capital of the World?

At least a half dozen communities in North America have claimed the title. 
December 7, 2022
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preservation

The Historians Saving America’s Pint-Sized Railroads

From Maine to Alaska, narrow gauge is all the rage, including one of the most historic, Pennsylvania’s East Broad Top.
June 21, 2022
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aviation

Planespotting With the ‘Avgeeks’

For most people, planes are a necessary hassle, but for aviation enthusiasts they’re so much more. 
April 12, 2022
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color

It Takes a Lot of Thought and Planning to Paint a Train

Over the last 50 years, Amtrak has seen many designs come and go.
April 28, 2021
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jobs

In Montana, Remote Fire Lookouts Keep a Century-Old Tradition Alive

As wildfires rage across the West, an old job feels more critical than ever.
October 1, 2020
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storms

The Birth of Avalanche Forecasting in North America

In 1910, the deadliest snowslides in U.S. and Canadian history occurred just days apart.
March 20, 2020
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ski

Winter Fun, From Skijoring to Backyard Skating, Is Feeling the Heat of Climate Change

The impact is not just economic, but cultural and recreational, too.
February 5, 2020
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steam

Meet the Man at the Controls of the World’s Largest Steam Locomotive

After restoring the monster locomotive, Ed Dickens is hitting the rails.
February 14, 2024
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marketing

For 40 Years, Crashing Trains Was One of America’s Favorite Pastimes

From 1896 until the 1930s, showmen would travel the country staging wrecks at state fairs.
July 1, 2019
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engineering

America's Train Fans Are Having One of the Best Weeks of Their Lives

It's all thanks to Big Boy No. 4014, the world's largest steam locomotive.
May 7, 2019
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trains

New Hampshire’s Mountain-Climbing ‘Railway to the Moon’ Turns 150

The Mount Washington Cog Railway is still chugging.
March 14, 2019
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funeral

George H.W. Bush’s Funeral Train Revives a Lost Tradition

For presidents past, special rail cars provided a final journey home.
December 5, 2018
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engineering

One of the World’s Largest Steam Locomotives Is About to Make a Triumphant Return

Hold onto your engineer caps, railroad history lovers.
June 12, 2018
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fire fighters

The Century-Old Tool Being Used to Battle Flames in Northern California

Edward Pulaski's part hoe, part axe invention of the 1910s remains crucial to firefighters.
October 18, 2017