• A jet train built by New York Central RR in 1966, called the Black Beatle, had a streamlined cowling fashioned from the front of a Budd car. A crew adapted two G E J-47-19 jet engine boosters from a Convair B-36 and mounted them just above the engineer’s station in the front. The train ran on a straight run between Indiana and Ohio and posted a speed of 183.65 miles per hour. It is a U. S. Rail speed record that still stands.

• Round tenders and tank cars were constructed based on two wonderfully simple ideas: one, a round tank holds more volume than a rectangular box with the same surface area and two, a cylinder is capable of holding higher pressures (more liquid) than a box.

• Oil was used most often by railroads in the Southwest because of nearby, conveniently located oil fields. Using oil to heat the water had several advantages over coal. There were no sparks from the burning of the oil like coal burning created. This avoided the dangers of sparks from coal igniting forest and brush fires in areas it passed through. Oil had a higher heat content per pound than coal, making it a more efficient locomotive fuel.

• The Hudsons were named after the New York Central Railroad’s branch line north-south route, Hudson division, paralleling the Hudson River.

• The Norfolk and Western “J” locomotive was the last great locomotive steam engineering marvel. It was an extremely efficient and low maintenance locomotive that ran well over the years. The “J” ended an era of steam engines in 1951.

• In 1937, a diesel agreement stated that an engineer and helper would be used on all locomotives weighing 45 tons. Engines weighing 44 tons didn’t need the additional worker, thus saving money for the railroads. This gave rise to the creation of the 44 ton yard switcher.

• As consolidation hit the railroad industry, it was desirable to put into use the resources of the “fallen flag” roads as soon as possible, with as little cost as possible. Instead of gathering and repainting all the newly-acquired box cars, the large railroads took to “overstamping” their names and logos on the existing cars and getting them back into service in short order.

• In the early 1940's, the Chesapeake & Ohio R. R. required a new locomotive to transverse the mountain barrier between the Virginia coal fields and the East Coast. The Lima Locomotive Works answered the call with the Allegheny 2-6-6-6 locomotive. Weighing in at over a million pounds and having a maximum tractive power of 110,200 pounds, most railroad historians agree that the Allegheny was one of the most powerful steam locomotives ever built.

• To get a Lionel Hellgate Bridge 6464 box car, you had to purchase a new Lionel Hellgate Bridge #6-32904 and then ask to purchase the box car for an additional $45.00. Not everyone who purchased a bridge knew about this offer or chose to buy the box car. Since all of the bridges are sold out, this car will become a valuable collector’s item. Dealers are required to sell the car to you if bought the bridge from them.

• The New York City Subway and Elevated System is one of the safest rail lines in the world, carrying an average of over one billion people per year over its 714 miles of track, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year. Also, 88% of the city’s subways run on time, which is a remarkable feat.