Features:

River of Empire • by Eric Williams— We venture trackside along the mighty Hudson River, a critical route of commerce to and from New York City for centuries, as CSX, Metro-North, and Amtrak move the people and goods of the region.

Henderson Overton Branch • by Yago Cecchini— When Union Pacific filed to abandon this former Missouri Pacific branch line in the East Texas piney woods in 2008, Blacklands Railroad saw an opportunity for growth.

 Conveyance: The Art of Transport • Special— "Conveyance” was the theme of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art’s 2024 John E. Gruber Creative Photography Awards, drawn from 383 submissions from 32 states and eight countries.

BN Executives Hauling Coal • by Carl Graves— Burlington Northern CEO Gerald Grinstein made the move to acquire the first production fleet of SD70MAC units in America to haul coal, dressed in the same cream and green worn by the executive fleet.

Have Engine, Will Travel • by Isaac Miller— The Gramling family of Indiana operates a small fleet of 0-4-0 tank engines that bring the drama and excitement of steam operation to museums and tourist railroads around the country.

Departments:

Departures — commentary: Alexander Benjamin Craghead 
River Railroads Stand the Test of Time

Railnews — top news stories and photos from our readers

Transit Currents — transit news: Bob Gallegos

Railroadiana — new product, book, and video reviews

Timetable — railroad event listings submitted by our readers

Through My Lens — trackside memories: Kevin EuDaly
A Masterpiece in Failure

Preservation Topics — Historic railway preservation/Justin Franz
Introducing Next Generation Railroaders

Camera Bag — Photography tips and techniques/Jeffrey Smith
File Backup and Syncing Software

The Observation Car — Culture, art, food, and film/Justin Franz
 Preserving the Story of ‘Dirt’

Markers — Additional thoughts from your editors

Parting Shot — David Schauer