Railroad ballast is a crucial component of the rail transportation system. It is a crushed stone or gravel material that is used to support and level the tracks in a railroad track bed. The primary […]
The Whyte classification, also known as the locomotive classification, was developed as a way to classify steam locomotives based on their wheel arrangements. The classification system is named after its creator, Frederick Methvan Whyte, who […]
The Pullman porters were some of the first African American men to have the opportunity to work in professional, well-paying jobs after the Civil War. However, they faced significant discrimination and mistreatment on the job, […]
Jim Crow laws were a series of laws and practices that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans in the United States, particularly in the South. These laws were in effect from the late […]
You know the movies – the ones where children scramble to board a train to the North Pole to see Santa Claus. Or the one where the single adult journeys across the country for Christmas […]
When you see railroad tracks, do you think of the Ancient Greeks or Romans? Do you think of Romans or Greeks jumping on railcars to get from Point A to Point B? Chances are this […]
Knowing the time has not always been as precise of science as it is now. Today, we simply turn on our cell phones, and it automatically tells you the local time. When railroads first arrived […]
Ghost stories are not reserved for Halloween. A few years after the Civil War, railmen on the Western & Atlantic Railroad (W&A) between Chattanooga and North Atlanta reported multiple sightings of Civil War soldiers and […]
George Mortimer Pullman was born in Brocton, New York on March 3, 1841. He is best known for his invention of luxury travel. He passed away on October 19, 1897 – 125 years ago today. […]
Train wheels are often overlooked as an amazing modern invention. Unlike the wheels on cars and other vehicles, train wheels have to keep the train on the tracks, and they have to go around corners […]
(c) 2019-2023 Southeastern Railway Museum.