Is railroading still a thing?
Rail transportation in the United States
One possible reason for this difference in design principles between American and European carbuilding practice could be the average distance between stations on the two continents. While most European railroads connected towns and villages that were still very closely spaced, American railroads had to travel over much greater distances to reach their destinations. Building passenger cars with a long passageway through the length of the car allowed the passengers easy access to the restroom, among other things, on longer journeys.
Adventure racing
Adventure racing (also called expedition racing) is typically a multi-disciplinary team sport involving navigation over an unmarked wilderness course with races extending anywhere from two hours up to two weeks in length. (What Is Adventure Racing Video) Some races offer solo competition as well. The principal disciplines in adventure racing include trekking, mountain biking, and paddling although races can incorporate a multitude of other disciplines including climbing, abseiling, horse riding, skiing and white water rafting. Teams generally vary in gender mix and in size from two to five competitors, however the premier format is considered to be mixed gender teams of four racers. There is typically no suspension of the clock during races, irrespective of length; elapsed competition time runs concurrently with real time, and competitors must choose if or when to rest.
Steer roping
Steer roping, also known as steer tripping or steer jerking, is a rodeo event that features a steer and one mounted cowboy.
Woodford, Oklahoma
Ranching was another important industry here at this time. There were only a few ranchmen here before statehood. Some of these owned their ranches and others rented them. Stock law hadn’t been organized here at this time. Most of the stock ranged on the outside. When branding time came the ranchers and cowboys would round all their cattle up in small rail corrals, which had been built for this purpose. Three or four men would be at the corrals ready to brand the cattle. When the cattle were ready for shipping they were rounded up and driven across the mountains to the nearest shipping point. When this required more than one days’ drive the ranchmen would camp on some creek for the night. Sometimes the cattle wouldn’t be very worried from traveling and would give quite a bit of trouble during the night. In these days cattle were allowed to run in stalk fields and pastures during the spring and winter time until branding time. It was often the case that someone came along and caught the calves and took them home to their ranch and pasture and claimed them.
The Chinaman Pacific and Frisco R.R. Co.
But as Wong notes, the railroad is an ambivalent symbol for Chinese Americans, since it represents both the American dream of mobility, luxury and power but also the historical difficulties of the Chinese workers, who often had no choice but to take railroad jobs and who were never allowed the sort of mobility the railroad offered to Anglos. The narrator of "The Eat and Run Midnight People" also recognizes that the heroic songs about railroad workers are fundamentally silly and feels trapped by the restricted range of motion found on railroads: although they allow a great range of mobility, they do not allow much freedom of direction—their path is predetermined. The narrator longs for the free motion of birds' flight but also finds himself pondering death by falling as a way to escape the life of constant riding.
Mushing
Bikejoring is dog mushing similar to skijoring, canicross, and dog scootering. A dog or team of dogs attached to a towline a bicycle. Bikejoring is a non-snow season, or dryland, activity. Bikejoring and canicross probably developed from skijoring and dogsled racing. Bikejoring is also sometimes used to train racing sled-dogs out of season.
Railway colleges in the Soviet Union
Railway colleges are higher educational institutes which train students for railway careers, mainly in engineering. They differ from other colleges by offering various classes on railway topics (such as Railway electrification, railway operations, etc.) and most students major in some railway specialty. The Soviet Union inherited a few such colleges from the Russian empire and both expanded them and created many new railway colleges. After the demise of the Soviet Union and the resulting decline in railway transportation in the Post-Soviet states, most of these colleges (often renamed as a "University") continued to operate with government support.
Forest railway
In Asia and Oceania (Australia and New Zealand) the history and fate of logging tramways/forest railways is similar to Europe, with most lines either converted to motorised truck transport or closing down in the 1960s. Significant numbers of locomotives and other remnants of the former lines are found in museums and museum railways in Australia.A logging railroad describes railroads, pole roads, tram roads, or similar infrastructure used to transport harvested timber from a logging site to a sawmill. Logging railroads vary in gauge and length, with most forested regions of the world supporting a railroad of this type at some point.
Pleasure riding
Pleasure riding is a form of equestrianism that encompasses many forms of recreational riding for personal enjoyment, absent elements of competition. Pleasure riding is called hacking in British English, and in parts of the eastern United States and Canada. In the United States, particularly the American west, the term trail riding is used to describe pleasure riding, particularly on public lands.
Interurban
The interurban (or radial railway) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like light electric self-propelled railcars which run within and between cities or towns. They were prevalent in North America between 1900 and 1925 and were used primarily for passenger travel between cities and their surrounding suburban and rural communities. Limited examples existed in Europe and Asia. Interurban as a term encompassed the companies, their infrastructure, and the cars that ran on the rails.
Rail Wars!
The series takes place in an alternate version of Japan where the nationalized railway system was never privatized. Naoto Takayama is an ordinary high school student who aspires to a comfortable life working at Japanese National Railways. He ends up working as a security force trainee, where he unwillingly has to deal with his strange colleagues as well as RJ, a group of extremists who are fighting to privatize the railway.
Railfan
Another appeal of the railroads is the business side of railroading. Railroads were long central to economic growth and commerce, and still are to some extent. The history of railroads and railroaders (such as James J. Hill) is a fascination for some, whether they view them in a positive way as capitalist heroes or in a negative way as robber barons.
Riding a rail
Being ridden on a rail was typically a form of extrajudicial punishment administered by a mob, sometimes in connection with tarring and feathering, intended to show community displeasure with the offender so they either conformed their behavior to the mob's demands or left the community.
Rail transport
Since the 1980s, there has been an increasing trend to split up railway companies, with companies owning the rolling stock separated from those owning the infrastructure. This is particularly true in Europe, where this arrangement is required by the European Union. This has allowed open access by any train operator to any portion of the European railway network. In the UK, the railway track is state owned, with a public controlled body (Network Rail) running, maintaining and developing the track, while Train Operating Companies have run the trains since privatization in the 1990s.
Railroads Illustrated
Railroads Illustrated, formerly known as CTC Board, was a monthly magazine, published by White River Productions (WRP), devoted to railroad photography. WRP purchased "CTC Board" magazine from Hundman Publishing after the May 2006 issue, and rebranded the magazine as "Railroads Illustrated", and used the CTC Board name for the news section. December 2014 marked the final monthly issue, with future expanded editions to be released annually. The news section and some feature content now appears in an expanded "Railfan & Railroad", which was acquired by WRP in 2014.
Rail fastening system
In most of the world, flat-bottomed rail and baseplates became the standard. However, in Britain, bullhead rail-and-chairs remained in use until the middle of the twentieth century. They are now largely obsolete but can still be found on the London Underground, some sidings and at London Waterloo Platforms 1-4.
Raid (boating)
Raid – A sail and oar adventure This is a leisure pursuit combining sailing and rowing. It involves a fleet of small boats capable of being rowed and sailed, exploring a coastline or inland waterway over several days, often with some competitive element. 
In describing raiding, the organiser of the 2010 & 2011 English Raids states; "The idea of making coastal voyages in company, in open boats powered by sail and oar, was given currency by the French group Albacore, led by Charles-Henri le Moing during the 1990s, starting in Portugal and Scotland... The word raid has slipped into English and lost its usual associations of pillage and destruction – to those who participate at least."
Roller skating
Roller skating has had a checkered past over its nearly-three century history. Given its ebb and flow of popularity over the past century, writers labeled each generation's attraction a "craze!" The caption in a 1904 Decatur newspaper read, "Old Craze Comes Back," adding, "Roller skating promises to be as popular as it was twenty years ago." Reported on October 11, 1904, the statement announced the opening events of a new Decatur, Illinois roller rink. In 1906, with the opening of another Chicago rink, the "Inter Ocean" newspaper complained that "after twenty years of exemption from the affliction the desire to roll is again taking possession of American adults...the mania has struck Chicago!"
Nearly forty years later, Charlie Tyler would write, "This current roller skating 'craze' is nothing new." Tyler wrote for Chicago's "Herald-American" in September 1941 and described the opening of Chicago's Madison Gardens Rink's thirty-fifth season on the eve of World War II. Tyler was referring to the first roller skate craze at the turn of the twentieth century, when ball bearings revolutionized roller technology and roller skaters staged spectacle events and speed-skating marathons. Clamp-on skates were mass-produced for those with great aspirations. Tyler's reporting attempted to temper the rebirth of enthusiasm for the new roller styles that had become popular, including roller derby and dancing on rollers, suggesting that we had seen this before. Today, the acceptance for roller skating is not unlike a waning moon but the sport persists. Roller skating continues to thrive as a part of pop culture in the form of recreation for leisure, dance and sport. Rollers, past and present are diehards.
Railroad electrification in the United States
Most of the systems discussed in this article are either no longer electrified, or are now part of the Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor systems used by Amtrak and several commuter rail lines. One exception is the Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad, an isolated system hauling coal from a mine to a power plant. Most mass transit, streetcar and interurban systems electrified very early—many from the beginning—but are not within the scope of this article.
Semmering railway
Even while being built, the Semmering railway was perceived as an effort of "landscape gardening", i.e. it attempted a harmonious combination of technology and nature. The unique travel experience which the Semmering railway offered contributed significantly to the original opening of the Semmering region for tourism. Numerous hotels and mansions are witnesses of this epoch. This enormous upswing to the turn of the century and the re-evaluation of the region as a winter sports area in the first third of the 20th Century were interrupted first by World War I and then by the changed recreational needs of the population. Therefore, this unique culture landscape could be preserved with little change. A trip on the Semmering railway, which is in full use 160 years after its building, still impresses the traveller as a special experience by its varied landscape, the typical style of its mansions and the characteristic sequence of viaducts and tunnels.
Rail transportation in Oregon
Rail transportation is an important element of the transportation network in the U.S. state of Oregon. Rail transportation has existed in Oregon in some form since 1855, and the state was a pioneer in development of electric railway systems. While the automobile has displaced many uses of rail in the state (as elsewhere), rail remains a key means of moving passengers and freight, both within the state and to points beyond its borders.
Paper railroad
In the early days of railroad construction, paper railroads had to exist by necessity while in the financing stage. It allowed incorporation of a company and the seeking of capital to build a proposed railroad. In the 1850s, speculation of stock of paper railroads became rampant, causing a bubble of their stocks. This led in large part to the Panic of 1857. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, this specific connotation of the phrase "paper railroad" was consistent: a proposed, often speculative (and sometimes wildly speculative) venture in which a company stock exists, but no physical assets to run a railroad do. In many cases, these railroads still existed as corporate entities long after plans to build them had been scrapped.
Railtour
One type of railtour which is currently popular is the nostalgic excursion using a preserved train, or sometimes a train hired from a railway operator. Preserved steam locomotives are popular performers on UK railtours, sometimes covering 400 miles in one day at speeds of over 75 miles per hour. Train, branding and route are often chosen as to reflect a common theme, sometimes tracing an aspect of railway history. Railtours are organised both on a commercial basis and as a fund-raising method for railway preservation societies.
Railroad brotherhoods
The Railroad brotherhoods are labor unions of railroad workers in the United States. They first appeared in 1863 and they are still active. Until recent years they were largely independent of each other and of the American Federation of Labor.
National Reining Horse Association
Reining is a western riding event that judges the athletic ability and willingness of the horse to perform patterns that each consist of certain maneuvers. To rein a horse is not only to guide him but to control his every movement, the best reined horse will guide with little or no apparent resistance and will be dedicated to completely.
Railway archaeology
Railway archaeology is the study and enjoyment of relics from past eras of rail transportation (including railways and tramways of all gauges and sizes). The aim of railway archaeology is to learn about the history and see images of the previous appearance of a defunct rail system that became redundant or abandoned and to enjoy searching out these remains and exploring them.
Railfan
Some railroad photographers have become well known for their works. Many railfans are familiar with the works of H. Reid, Otto Perry and O.Winston Link; in the UK with Derek Cross (1929–84), John Whitehouse, Maurice W. Earley (1900–82), Rev. Alfred H. Malan (1852–1928), Brian W. Morrison, Ivo Peters, Jim Spurling (1926–Present), H. Gordon Tidey and Rev. Eric Treacy; in New Zealand, with W.W. (Bill) Stewart (1898–1976); or in Germany with Carl Bellingrodt (1897–1971).Digital manipulation of railway photographs is the practice of image editing using graphics software to correct flaws or improve the aesthetics of a photograph of a train. The ethics of the practice are debated amongst railway enthusiasts, as it allows the creation of images that may appear to be other than their actual subjects. Modern features may be removed so that an image of a surviving locomotive hauling a modern special is made indistinguishable from a period photograph.
Railroad Wars
Railroad Wars were business rivalries between railroad companies, which occurred frequently in American history. Although they were usually little more than legal disputes inside a courtroom, they sometimes turned into armed conflicts. There has been competition between railroad companies since the beginning of railroading in the United States, but violent confrontations were most common in the final quarter of the 19th century, particularly in the Old West.
Trail riding
Trail riding is riding outdoors on trails, bridle paths, and forest roads, but not on roads regularly used by motorised traffic. A trail ride can be of any length, including a long distance, multi-day trip. It originated with horse riding, and in North America, the equestrian form is usually called "trail riding," or, less often "hacking." In the UK and Europe, the practice is usually called horse or pony trekking.
Railheading
In the UK, railheading refers to the practice of travelling further than necessary to reach a rail service, typically by car. The phenomenon is common among commuters seeking a more convenient journey. Reasons for railheading include but are not limited to:
Rallying
Rallying became very popular in Sweden and Finland in the 1950s, thanks in part to the invention there of the "specialsträcka" (Swedish) or "erikoiskoe" (Finnish), or special stage: shorter sections of route, usually on minor or private roads—predominantly gravel in these countries—away from habitation and traffic, which were separately timed. These at long last provided the solution to the conflict inherent in the notion of driving as fast as possible on ordinary roads. The idea spread to other countries, albeit more slowly to the most demanding events.
The RAC Rally had formally become an International event in 1951, but Britain's laws precluded the closure of public highways for special stages. This meant it had to rely on short manoeuvrability tests, regularity sections and night map-reading navigation to find a winner, which made it unattractive to foreign crews. In 1961, Jack Kemsley was able to persuade the Forestry Commission to open their many hundreds of miles of well surfaced and sinuous gravel roads, and the event was transformed into one of the most demanding and popular in the calendar, by 1983 having over of stage. It is now called Rally GB.
Rail trail
The land over which railways pass may have many owners—private, rail operator, or governmental—and, depending on the terms under which it was originally acquired, the type of operating rights may also vary. Without rail banking, on closure, some parts of a railway's route might otherwise revert to the former owner. The owner could reuse them for any purpose, or modify the ground conditions, potentially prejudicing the line's future reuse if required. However, the landowner must agree to keep the infrastructure such as bridges and tunnels intact.
Train surfing
Train surfing is illegal on most railways in the world, with some exceptions. Many railroad companies usually take a zero tolerance policy to practice of riding on exterior parts of trains, and employ railway police and guards in an attempt to prevent the practice. Police officers and guards usually patrol the territory of large passenger stations and freight yards, and can arrest train surfers if they are spotted. In some countries, railway police can patrol the territory of railways in utility trucks, SUVs ("bullmobiles"), or even standard police cars. In countries where the practice of trains surfing occurs regularly, the police frequently organize raids in order to detect and remove surfers off the trains and arrest them. The most common form of punishment for train surfers is fine, however, in some countries, such as the United States or Canada, train surfers can be not only fined, but imprisoned too.
Railfest
"Railfest" is the name given to occasional railway festivals at the National Railway Museum in York, England. There was a Railfest in 2004, and another in 2012. The 2012 event was sponsored by the magazines "RAIL", "Steam Railway", and "Model Rail".
Randonneuring
Randonneuring (also known as Audax in the UK, Australia and Brazil) is a long-distance cycling sport with its origins in audax cycling. In randonneuring, riders attempt courses of 200 km or more, passing through predetermined "controls" (checkpoints) every few tens of kilometres. Riders aim to complete the course within specified time limits, and receive equal recognition regardless of their finishing order. Riders may travel in groups or alone as they wish, and are expected to be self-sufficient between controls. A randonneuring event is called a randonnée or brevet, and a rider who has completed a 200 km event is called a randonneur.
The international governing body for randonneuring is Audax Club Parisien (ACP), which works with other randonneuring organisations worldwide through Les Randonneurs Mondiaux (RM). Randonneuring is popular in France, and has a following in the Netherlands, Belgium, United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, United States, Canada, Brazil, Ireland, India and Japan.
National Model Railroad Association
The National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) is a non-profit organization for those involved in the hobby or business of model railroading. It was founded in the United States in 1935, and is also active in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. It was previously headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, and was based in Chattanooga, Tennessee next to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) from 1982 to 2013 and has since relocated to Soddy Daisy.
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway track into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding and snowmobiling. The characteristics of abandoned railways—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various developments. The term sometimes also covers trails running alongside working railways; these are called "rails with trails". Some shared trails are segregated, with the segregation achieved with or without separation. Many rail trails are long-distance trails.
Sittingbourne
The preserved former paper mill railway the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway still exists today. In 1965 it was decided that the railway was uneconomic, with the significant progress made in the use of the car, and so lorries were more commonly used for transporting produce. Consequently, by 1969 the Bowater Light Railway, much loved as it was by the firm (and with assistance of Capt Peter Manisty) was handed over to the Locomotive Club of Great Britain to be preserved and operated as the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway. It has since become a significant feature in the town's tourist industry, and provides the only method of transport to the annual Sittingbourne Beer Festival. However, it has been under threat of closure since 2008 when M-real sold the site to a property developer.
Reining
Reining is a western riding competition for horses where the riders guide the horses through a precise pattern of circles, spins, and stops. All work is done at the lope (a slow, relaxed version of the horse gait more commonly known worldwide as the canter), or the gallop (the fastest of the horse gaits). Originating from working cattle, reining is often described as a Western form of dressage riding, as it requires the horse to be responsive and in tune with its rider, whose aids should not be easily seen, and judges the horse on its ability to perform a set pattern of movements. The horse should be willingly guided or controlled with little or no apparent resistance and dictated to completely. A horse that pins his ears, conveying a threat to his rider, refuses to go forward, runs sideways, bounces his rear, wrings his tail in irritation or displays an overall poor attitude is not being guided willingly, and is judged accordingly.
History of rail transport in Great Britain 1948–1994
Both these factors were related to a failure by the Modernisation Plan to successfully redfine what the purpose of the railways were. British Railways remained bound by its legal status as a common carrier, which obligated it to provide carriage for virtually any type of goods, regardless of quantity (large or small) from any two stations on the network, at set and published rates. This legislation dated back to the 19th century to prevent the railways abusing their monopoly as the sole practical long-distance transport provider for much of the country, but the growth of road transport had left the railways locked into a highly disadvantageous position. Road freight operators had no legal restrictions and could turn down work that was uneconomic, which BR could not, and could easily undercut BR's carriage rates which the railway could not alter without legal consent. The common carrier requirements also saddled BR with the necessity to maintain thousands of goods yards and other facilities, plus rolling stock and staff to service them, even when there was ever-decreasing actual demand for those services and such traffic as did exist was very rarely profitable. This issue had been identified during the Great Depression and the Big Four had campaigned for repeal of the common carrier legislation as a 'Fair Deal' during the 1930s. However, this did not happen until the Transport Act 1962 gave BR freedom of contract, and until then the Modernisation Plan had to commission locomotives, rolling stock and facilities to manage the ever-declining but legally-required wagonload freight traffic.
Arrangements between railroads
In 1997 the British Railways network was privatized as a single company Railtrack, and after this proved a total failure as a non-profit company Network Rail. Multiple companies hold rights to operate trains on the national network either as for-profit operators or government aided passenger franchises. A formal safety process exists for gaining access along with driver and equipment requirements as well as a pricing scheme. Any organisation meeting all these requirements can become a railway operator and access the national network.
Railway colleges in the Soviet Union
Today (2015), about 25 years after the demise of the Soviet Union that founded many of these colleges, railway universities are still quite active but the mission statements of the two largest ones don't even mention "railways". Instead, they imply their major mission is "transportation" which, of course, includes railways. Two major railway universities in 2015 are in St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Railroads Illustrated
While the magazine's focus was on railroad photography, it included current news for railfans, as well as articles from railroad professionals such as Jack Wheelihan of General Motors' Electro-Motive Division, and Bob Eisthen, a private investment analyst. Among "CTC Board's" notable works was a series devoted to the last logging railroads in North America, the race for high-horsepower locomotives in the U.S. during the 1960s, photo essays showcasing the work of U.S. railroad photographers, and a retrospective on the end of the Milwaukee Road's Pacific Coast Extension. In addition, the magazine explored thematic issues, such as "Storm Light," (photographs taken under stormy weather conditions), "Black and White Forever" (showcasing contemporary black-and-white photography), and photographs taken on a single day, entitled a "Day in North America."
Railway nationalization
Railway nationalization is the act of taking rail transport assets into public ownership. Several countries have at different times nationalized part or all of their railway system.
Dieselisation
In rail transport, dieselisation refers to the replacement of the steam locomotive or electric locomotive with the diesel-electric locomotive (often referred to as a "diesel locomotive"), a process which began in the 1930s and is now substantially complete around the world.
The replacement of either steam or diesel haulage with electric locomotives is known as electrification. Whereas the benefit of replacing steam traction is indisputable, there is some dispute as to whether it is best replaced by dieselisation or electrification. Electrification has a high initial capital cost but the operating costs are lower. The overall savings depend on the effect of the investment cost compared with the savings due to lower operational and maintenance costs and the influence of better acceleration and tractive effort on railroad throughput. These are obviously different for e.g. urban networks and very long-distance networks with low frequencies. However, many railway commentators are increasingly suggesting that the ability of railways to operate with electricity not produced from fossil fuels may offer a decisive advantage over diesel power.
Rowing at the Commonwealth Games
Rowing is one of the sports at the quadrennial Commonwealth Games competition. It has been a Commonwealth Games sport since 1930. It was held at every edition from 1938 to 1962, but was not held again until 1986. It has not been held since. It is an optional sport and may, or may not, be included in the sporting programme of each edition of the Games.
Rail trail
Since railbanking began in 1983, nine railbanked corridors have been approved for reactivation by the STB. Some of these reactivated corridors had only short sections reactivated, while others had the entire corridor reactivated. Two of these approved have not yet been reopened, though both are in the process (as of March 2010). Railbanked corridors are usually utilized as multi-use recreational trails for cyclists, walkers, joggers, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, and horseback riding.
Rail trail
In North America, the decades-long consolidation of the rail industry led to the closure of a number of uneconomical branch lines and redundant mainlines. Some were maintained as short line railways, but many others were abandoned. The first abandoned rail corridor in the United States converted into a recreational trail was the Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin, which opened in 1967. The following year the Illinois Prairie Path opened. The conversion of rails to trails hastened with the federal government passing legislation promoting the use of railbanking for abandoned railroad corridors in 1983 which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1990. This process preserves rail corridors for possible future rail use with interim use as a trail. By the 1970s, even main lines were being sold or abandoned. This was especially true when regional rail lines merged and streamlined their operations. As both the supply of potential trails increased and awareness of the possibilities rose, state governments, municipalities, conservation authorities, and private organizations bought the rail corridors to create, expand or link green spaces.
Rail trail
On the other hand, there are a growing number of cases where existing rails and infrastructure, in service or not, are being called to be torn up for trails. Two cases of this are in New York State, against the Catskill Mountain Railroad in Kingston, New York, and the Adirondack Scenic Railroad in Old Forge, New York. In Connecticut, the not-in-service section of track on the Valley Railroad has been proposed by locals to be converted to trail. Though perceived by residents to be, as it has not carried a train since the 1960s, the railroad has never been formally abandoned. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection acquired the line from Penn Central in 1969, and subsequently signed a long-term lease with the railroad. The railroad has been continually working to bring this section of the line back into service. Both Departments strongly support the preservation of the line, and have provided support to the railroad with property encroachment from abutters and the provision of railroad ties. All three of these examples are heritage railroads, which serve to protect the history of the railroad. Their primary revenue is tourist operations, so rail traffic is seasonal; though all three have been granted rights to carry freight, should customers show interest.
Though rare, there are several cases in which trails convert back to active railroads. One example occurred in 2012 in Clarence, Pennsylvania, where the R.J. Corman Railroad Company received permission to rebuild to serve a landfill. Conrail had abandoned the line in 1990, and had since been conveyed to the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails.
Train Mountain Railroad
Other train meets for members and those who own, operate, or have an interest in gauge railroading are held seven times a year. These events attract participants from all over the US and Canada. They are popular with live steam enthusiasts due to the uniqueness of the layout, and the ability to operate heavy steam powered locomotives that may not be allowed at other railroads.
Railroad (disambiguation)
A railroad is a means of transport.
Model Railroad News
Model Railroad News is an American magazine specializing in the hobby of model railroading. It is the only monthly magazine dedicated exclusively to announcing news of upcoming model releases and reviewing new products in all popular scales. It was founded in 1995 by Mike Lindsay and Lamplight Publishing, and temporarily ceased publication in October 2011. The magazine has been published monthly by White River Productions since they acquired the title in 2012. The editor is Tony Cook, who also serves on the editorial staff of Railroad Model Craftsman and as editor of HO Collector magazine.
Switching and terminal railroad
A switching and terminal railroad is a freight railroad company whose primary purpose is to perform local switching services or to own and operate a terminal facility. Switching is a type of operation done within the limits of a yard. It generally consists of making up and breaking up trains, storing and classifying cars, serving industries within yard limits, and other related purposes. These movements are made at slow speed under special yard rules.
Trail riding
The term pleasure riding may encompass trail riding. This refers to a form of equestrianism that encompasses many forms of recreational riding for personal enjoyment, without any element of competition. Pleasure riding is called "hacking" in United Kingdom, and in parts of the eastern United States and Canada. In other parts of the United States, particularly the American west, the term trail riding is used interchangeably with pleasure riding when on natural trails or public lands. Many horses are suitable for pleasure riding, including grade horses and other animals of ordinary quality and good disposition. Such horses are sometimes called hacks, particularly in those areas where pleasure riding is known as hacking. In recreational trail riding, having fun and enjoying time spent in natures rather than speed and form are the goals.
Railway roundhouse
Since the great dieselisation era of the 1940s and 1950s, many roundhouses have been demolished or put to other uses, but a few still stand and remain in use on the railroads. Early roundhouses were too small for later locomotives. The unusual shape of the buildings can make them difficult to adapt to new uses, but can also be aesthetically appealing.
Skijoring
“The first reference to skijoring, where a skier is pulled by an animal, comes from China. During the Yuan and Ming dynasties (1271-1644) “tens of dogs pull a person on a pair of wooden boards. . . galloping on the snow and ice faster than a horse.” I have taken most of this material from A History of Chinese Skiing (in Chinese) published in 1993. The one account from the Tang dynasty, written by the Persian historian, Raschid ed-Din, has been known since 1878 and published numerous times in Western Languages.” p. 23 The Culture and Sport of Skiing: Antiquity to WWII by E. John B. Allen
For hundreds of years, Laplanders have been harnessing reindeer and strapping on Nordic skis as a way to travel across vast snowy expanses, and skijoring (spelled skijøring or skikjoring in Norwegian and meaning "ski driving") is still popular in all Scandinavian countries. Reindeer races are still held in Tromso, Norway; Inari, Finland; and Nadym, Russia. (www.skijor.com/) By 1912, skijoring behind horses was a popular activity in Switzerland, France and the Tatra Mountains of Poland. It did not take long for this activity to cross the Atlantic.
Off-roading
Off-roading is the activity of driving or riding a vehicle on unsurfaced roads or tracks, made of materials such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain. Types of off-roading range in intensity, from leisure drives with unmodified vehicles to competitions with customized vehicles and professional drivers. Off-roaders have been met with criticism for the environmental damage caused by their vehicles. There have also been extensive debates over the role of government in regulating the sport, including a Supreme Court case brought against the Bureau of Land Management.
British Rail
Because British Railways was such a large operation, running not just railways but also ferries, steamships and hotels, it has been considered difficult to analyse the effects of nationalisation. During the 1980s British Rail ran the Rail Riders membership club aimed at 5- to 15-year-olds.
Railroad Model Craftsman
Railroad Model Craftsman is an American magazine specializing in the hobby of model railroading. The magazine is published monthly by White River Productions, which acquired the title from Carstens Publications in 2014. Its first issue in March 1933 was called The Model Craftsman because it covered other areas of scale modeling as well. Founded by Emanuele Stieri, it was second owner Charles A. Penn who helped grow the company and lead the publication towards the hobby of scale models. In April 1949 it changed its focus to model trains and changed its name to Railroad Model Craftsman reflect this change in editorial content. While it can claim to be the oldest model railroading magazine in continuous publication in the United States, rival "Model Railroader" counters with the tagline "Model railroading "exclusively" since 1934." (However, both were predated by "The Model Maker," which dates from 1924, and showcased working models of steam engines, trains, and boats.) 
Over the years, several other titles have been folded into the publication, including "Toy Trains, Electric Trains and Hobby Railroading, Miniature Rail Roading, Model & Railway News," and "The O Gager."
Rail transport modelling
Railway modelling (UK, Australia and Ireland) or model railroading (US and Canada) is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale.
History of rail transport in the United States
During the post-World War II boom many railroads were driven out of business due to competition from airlines and Interstate highways. The rise of the automobile led to the end of passenger train service on most railroads. Trucking businesses had become major competitors by the 1930s with the advent of improved paved roads, and after the war they expanded their operations as the Interstate highway network grew, and acquired increased market share of freight business. Railroads continued to carry bulk freight such as coal, steel and other commodities. However, the ICC continued to regulate railroad rates and other aspects of railroad operations, which limited railroads' flexibility in responding to changing market forces.
H. Reid
Harold A. Reid (also known by the pen name H. Reid) (1925–1992) was an American writer, photographer, and historian. Reid is best known for his railroad-related photography and published works. An avid fan of steam locomotives, he helped capture the last days of steam motive power on America's Class I railroads, notably on the Virginian Railway, and ending with the Norfolk and Western in 1960, the last major U.S. railroad to convert from steam.
Rail trail
In places with many environmental laws and other governmental regulations as the United States, it is very difficult to restore an abandoned line, but it is easier with a railbanked line than one that has undergone a "total abandonment", as the Federal government guarantees the railroad the full rights to reactivate it. A railbanked line can be reopened within a year's time while an abandoned corridor could take years to be reactivated, if it was even possible. In railbanking, the government helps fund the line's rebuild. of railroad have been abandoned in the 25-year period from 1983 to 2008. Of that, , representing 56.8% of the lines abandoned in the past 25 years, were originally negotiated for railbanking agreements.
List of Class I railroads
Today there are only handful of survivors ranked as Class I Railroads and a very different criteria for classification of railways by an entirely different governmental entity than the United States Interstate Commerce Commission, born amidst strong anti-trust movements. The original one million dollars of revenues per anum is hopelessly meaningless nowadays, as are the intervening steps when the ICCC assigned revised ranking criteria. This is a list of current and former Class I railroads in North America under the older criteria and the newer as well as today's much different post-railroad consolidation classifications.
Current Class I's that are independently operating have their links in bold and further, have an asterisk (*) next to them. All the others are no longer ranked as Class I, and the entry here is merely historic. Today they may be current operating companies, or may be defunct, their operations turned into investments, some hanging onto a corporate skeleton owning properties as holding companies, or have assigned their properties in mergers, bankruptcy or other legal acts (dissolution of the corporation) and become extinct—their works either torn up and hopefully recycled, or sold off to operating companies. The reader must read to discern which by reading what is connected by hyperlinks. Many of the more famous small railways possessing key trunk lines have been merged into one of today's behemoths.
Rail trail
With almost 150 tracks in use, the United Kingdom has the second-largest network of rail trails in Europe after Germany. The development of rail trails in the United Kingdom grew after a major programme of railway line closures in the 1960s known as the Beeching cuts. The scheme, named after the then chairman of British Railways Dr. Richard Beeching, decommissioned approximately of railway lines all over Great Britain. Many rural and suburban lines were closed along with selected main line trunk routes. Since then, approximately of disused railway lines in Britain have been converted to public leisure purposes, and today the majority of rail trails are maintained by either the local authority or charitable organisations such as Sustrans, the Railway Ramblers or Railway Paths.
Many of these former railway lines form part of the British National Cycle Network, connecting with long-distance paths and towpaths along Britain's extensive network of canals. For example, the Milton Keynes redway system runs throughout Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, England, in parts using the former trackbed of the defunct Wolverton to Newport Pagnell Line (closed 1962) and the Grand Union Canal towpath. Together, these paths form part of the long-distance National Cycle Network Route 6 and Route 51. Other urban and suburban rail trails include the Fallowfield Loop Line in Manchester, the Middlewood Way in Cheshire and the Ebury Way in Watford. Notable rural rail trails include the Dava Way, running along the route of the former Highland Railway between Grantown and Forres in the Scottish Highlands, and the High Peak Trail in the English Peak District. In London, a more unusual scheme has been proposed to convert some disused London Underground tunnels into subterranean rail trails under the city, but this scheme has not been officially approved.
Arrangements between railroads
Consolidation happens when two railroad companies are consolidated. It is often the last step in an arrangement between two railroads, and is hard to undo, except in the case of bankruptcy, when different parts of the railroad may be sold to different buyers at auction.
Freighthopping
Freighthopping or train hopping is the act of surreptitiously boarding and riding a railroad freight car. In the United States, this became a common means of transportation following the American Civil War as the railroads began pushing westward, especially among migrant workers who became known as "hobos". It continued to be widely used by those unable to afford other transportation, especially during times of widespread economic dislocation such as the Great Depression. For a variety of reasons the practice is less common today, although a community of freight-train riders still exists.
Rail transport
The railroads invented the career path in the private sector for both blue-collar workers and white-collar workers. Railroading became a lifetime career for young men; women were almost never hired. A typical career path would see a young man hired at age 18 as a shop laborer, be promoted to skilled mechanic at age 24, brakemen at 25, freight conductor at 27, and passenger conductor at age 57. White-collar careers paths likewise were delineated. Educated young men started in clerical or statistical work and moved up to station agents or bureaucrats at the divisional or central headquarters. At each level they had more and more knowledge, experience, and human capital. They were very hard to replace, and were virtually guaranteed permanent jobs and provided with insurance and medical care. Hiring, firing, and wage rates were set not by foremen, but by central administrators, in order to minimize favoritism and personality conflicts. Everything was done by the book, whereby an increasingly complex set of rules dictated to everyone exactly what should be done in every circumstance, and exactly what their rank and pay would be. By the 1880s the career railroaders were retiring, and pension systems were invented for them.
Railways contribute to social vibrancy and economic competitiveness by transporting multitudes of customers and workers to city centres and inner suburbs. Hong Kong has recognized rail as "the backbone of the public transit system" and as such developed their franchised bus system and road infrastructure in comprehensive alignment with their rail services. China's large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou recognize rail transit lines as the framework and bus lines as the main body to their metropolitan transportation systems. The Japanese Shinkansen was built to meet the growing traffic demand in the "heart of Japan's industry and economy" situated on the Tokyo-Kobe line.
Newfoundland T'Railway
The trail is still a work in progress. To date, about 20% of it has been resurfaced with crusher dust or asphalt (mostly near urban areas) making it suitable for walking, running, cross-country skiing, cycling, wheelchairs, horseback riding, all terrain vehicles, and snowmobiles. The remaining 80% of the trail surface is still large crushed stone railway track ballast with conditions varying from region to region. Several bridges and culverts are usually undergoing repair or replacement every year. Trail signs have been posted in most urban areas.
Railroad shopmen
Beginning in the late 1820s, the technology of steam locomotion began to emerge as a commercially viable means of transportation in Europe and North America. The laying of train track and the production of locomotive engines, coaches, railroad cars, and other rolling stock became a major growth industry, attracting financial investors and entrepreneurs intent upon establishing lucrative railways for the transport of raw materials, finished goods, and passengers from place to place. The production and maintenance of this railway rolling stock became a major portion of business operations of these emerging transportation firms and dedicated employees collectively known as "railroad shopmen" were hired for the performance of these tasks.
H. Reid
The travels of Reid and his friends in search of rail subjects took him to sites as far from Hampton Roads as Louisiana, New England, and the Hudson River Valley in New York. H. Reid was fortunate in many ways, among them, that steam railroading was still occurring in his lifetime, and that restrictions to photographic locations for safety and security reasons were more open than in later decades. That does not mean his work was easy. In those days, the hobby of rail photography was still emerging, and railfans such as Reid occasionally slept in logging camps and rose with the sun to catch the work of steam locomotives on the short line railroads which were the last bastion of steam in the United States. Even in more populated areas, there are many tales told of H. Reid climbing embankments and standing precariously on signaling equipment to capture an unusual angle. To quote from a railway enthusiasts website, "Lest these tales of H. Reid be considered unbelievable, naysayers are directed to the photographic evidence."
Joint railway
"Joint railways" are called terminal railroads in the United States. Most true example of joint railways are in terminal areas, including union stations. Terminal railways are often co-owned by the railroads that connect with them. Among the more prominent joint operations were:The concept of trackage rights is more common than joint railways in the United States. The railroad that owns the track permits trains from another railroad to use the line. The owner railroad normally charges a fee, but sometimes there is no charge because the arrangement results from a merger or sale of a line. For instance, when the Louisville and Nashville Railroad acquired the Monon Railroad a condition of the sale imposed by government regulators was a trackage rights arrangement over the southern part of the Monon for the Milwaukee Road, an agreement that was handed down to successive owners of the Milwaukee Road and finally the Indiana Rail Road.
Rail transport modelling
Involvement ranges from possession of a train set to spending hours and large sums of money on a large and exacting model of a railroad and the scenery through which it passes, called a "layout". Hobbyists, called "railway modellers" or "model railroaders", may maintain models large enough to ride (see "Live steam, Ridable miniature railway" and "Backyard railroad").
Rail trail
Railroad property rights have often been poorly defined and sporadically enforced, with neighboring property owners intentionally or accidentally using land they do not own. Such encroachers often later oppose a rail to trail conversion. Even residents who are not encroaching on railway lands may oppose conversion on the grounds of increased traffic in the area and the possibility of a decline in personal security. Because linear corridors of land are only valuable if they are intact, special laws regulate the abandonment of a railroad corridor. In the United States, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) regulates railroads, and can allow a corridor to be "rail banked" or placed on hold for possible conversion back to active status when or if future need demands.
Train surfing
Train surfing (also known as train hopping or train hitching) is the act of riding on the outside of a moving train, tram or another rail transport. In a number of countries, the term train hopping is used synonymously with freight hopping, which means riding on the outside of a freight train, while train surfing can be practiced on any type of train. This type of travelling can be dangerous and even life-threatening, because there is a risk of death or serious injury from falling off a moving train, electrocution from power supply (overhead catenary wire, current collectors, resistors, etc.), colliding with a railway infrastructure (bridges, tunnels, platforms, railway signals or other trains) while riding outside off structure gauge on the side or on the roof of a train, or unsuccessful attempts to jump on a moving train or off it. Today, the practice is forbidden by statutes on many railroads in the world. Despite this, it is still practiced, especially on those railroads where the trains are overcrowded.
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of transferring of passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, also known as tracks. It is also commonly referred to as train transport. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles run on a prepared flat surface, rail vehicles (rolling stock) are directionally guided by the tracks on which they run. Tracks usually consist of steel rails, installed on ties (sleepers) and ballast, on which the rolling stock, usually fitted with metal wheels, moves. Other variations are also possible, such as slab track, where the rails are fastened to a concrete foundation resting on a prepared subsurface.
Train order operation
On major railroads, train order operation has been almost completely replaced by more modern operating methods. The Long Island Rail Road in New York is the last major railroad in North America to use a "traditional" Train Order operating practice on parts of its Greenport and Montauk Branches, as well as Train Order forms for non-standard operation on the remainder of its system. While the last traditional long hand train order form was issued on September 3, 2012, timetable and train order operating practices remain in effect. The second to last train order holdout, the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad, had retired its system in 2011.
Street racing
Street racing is typically an unsanctioned and illegal form of auto racing that occurs on a public road. Racing in the streets is an ancient hazard, as horse racing occurred on streets for centuries, and street racing of automobiles is as old as the automobile itself. But it became especially prevalent during the heyday of hot rodding and muscle cars, and it continues to be both popular and hazardous, with deaths and maiming of bystanders, passengers, and drivers occurring every year. In the United States, modern street racing traces its roots back to Woodward Avenue, Michigan in the 1960s when the three main Detroit-based American car companies were producing high-powered performance cars. A private racing venue was not always available, and therefore the race would be held illegally on public roads.
Train order operation
Train order operation, or more accurately timetable and train order operation, is a largely obsolete system by which the railroads of North America conveyed operating instructions before the days of centralized traffic control, direct traffic control, and the use of track warrants conveyed by radio. The system used a set of rules when direct communication between train dispatchers and trains was limited or non-existent. Trains would follow a predetermined operating plan, known as the timetable, unless superseded by train orders conveyed to the train from the dispatcher, through local intermediaries. Train order operation was a system that required minimum human overhead in an era before widespread use of technology-based automation. It was the most practical way for railroads with limited capital resources, or lines with limited traffic, to operate. To this day, a large number of short lines, heritage railways, and railroad museums continue to use Train Order operation.
Comparison of train and tram tracks
A railway or railroad is a track where the vehicle travels over two parallel steel bars, called rails. The rails support and guide the wheels of the vehicles, which are traditionally either trains or trams. Modern light rail is a relatively new innovation which combines aspects of those two modes of transport. However fundamental differences in the track and wheel design are important, especially where trams or light railways and trains have to share a section of track, as sometimes happens in congested areas.
List of train songs
A train song is a song referencing passenger or freight railroads. Trains have been a theme in both traditional and popular music since the first half of the 19th century and over the years have appeared in all major musical genres, including folk, blues, country, rock, jazz, world, classical and avant-garde. While the prominence of railroads in the United States has faded in recent decades, the train endures as a common image in popular song.
Street racing
In modern society it is rather difficult if not impossible to organize an illegal and extremely dangerous road race, but there are still a few events which may be considered racing, such as the Gumball 3000, Gumball Rally, and Players Run races. These "races", better known as rallies for legality's sake, mostly comprise wealthy individuals racing sports cars across the country for fun. The AKA Rally, however, is designed for individuals with a smaller budget (approximately $3,000). Entrance fees to these events are usually all inclusive (hotels, food, and events). Participants "rally" together from a start point to predetermined locations until they arrive at the finish line. The AKA Rally in particular has organized driver oriented events, e.g. autocross or drag strip races, away from public roads to minimize the risk of drivers getting too enthusiastic on public roads. The latter racing community has even spawned numerous TV and video series including the "Mischief" film series and "Bullrun" reality TV show. The AKA Rally was featured on MTV in a 2004 episode of "True Life" and was filmed in 2008 for a six-part series on the Speed TV network. Numerous games are based on the cannonball run type race, most famously Sega's "OutRun" arcade game. It was also parodied in the 1960s–1970s Hanna-Barbera series "Wacky Races".
Gale B. Aydelott
Professor Don L. Hofsommer writes in "Railroads in the Age of Regulation", "Aydelott rose through the ranks . . . learning the necessity of continually maintaining and upgrading railroad properties . . . . He completed dieselization, ordered more rolling stock, and insisted on new and heavier rail for the main routes . . . . At the same time [he] energetically sought to guard the company's frontiers - - a difficult task, given the strong railroads bracketing the Rio Grande." Hofsommer quotes Aydelott as of 1963, the Rio Grande President saying "We are proud of what we have done as a separate road, and we think we can continue to do a better job for ourselves and our territory by staying that way." To do this, Hofsommer notes, Aydelott "required that the Rio Grande pay special attention to the needs of customers, who had a choice not only among rail carriers, but, more importantly, also among the various modes of transportation." Aydelott focused on keeping his sales forces constantly in touch with their shippers, and his operating department moving Rio Grande trains expeditiously. In these efforts he was very successful, Hofsommer noting "The Rio Grande . . . gained a favorable reputation among shippers by following this path." Aydelott himself became one of the railroad industry's "most respected leaders."
Jewell train
In railroading, a Jewell train is a train which is composed entirely of locomotives and hauls no cars. Many railroad crews enjoy operating this way because it makes the engine easy to control and they are not responsible for a consist. However, most railroads do not like to operate locomotives this way because it burns fuel without hauling cars, and thus generates no revenue for the railroad. Therefore, most Jewell trains are en route to pick up a consist or other equipment, or en route for repairs.
Passau–Hauzenberg railway
The railway would have still been important today, because granite and graphite are mined in this area. The agricultural and forestry industries transport a large amount of produce by road and the line would also have been useful for tourism. One section of the railway is, like so many branch lines today, a footpath and cycle way. The Erlau–Obernzell line still exists as does the Passau–Hauzenberg railway, but since the floods in 2002 they have been closed. The DB refuses to reactivate it; repairs to the section at Innstadt are however are manageable. This section was renewed only a few months before the flood, as can be still be seen today from the light-coloured ballast. The Passau Railway Society as well as a citizen's lobby are fighting for the retention of these lines.
Blackbirding
Since colonial times in the United States, the Reverse Underground Railroad existed to capture free African-Americans and fugitive slaves and sell them into slavery, being particularly prevalent in the 19th century after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed. People of African and mixed ancestry commonly took part in these operations in order to make a living. Some worked under white employers, playing instrumental roles in deceiving fellow African-Americans and luring them into traps, while others pointed slave owners to the location of their escaped slaves to catch the bounty on the slave's head. The kidnappers were recorded to have acted against their own family members in addition to other members of their community. Their careers also tended to be long, due to African-Americans, particularly children, being more inclined to trust them than white people. Successful kidnappings mainly relied on the blackbirders developing a connection to their target by using their shared racial and cultural identities. New York City and Philadelphia were particularly prominent places for these kidnappers to work, causing fear of being kidnapped by anyone to become prevalent.
Paper railroad
In the context of recent times, the phrase "paper railroad" is still used, but generally refers to railroads which are subsidiaries of larger parent railroads, or formerly existed and still have locomotives or rolling stock in the former railroad's livery. Reasons railroads are operated this way include those of internal corporate structure, tax ownership or locale, or for public relations purposes. If not actually operating, these railroads are "non-operating subsidiaries" of the parent railroad.
RR (film)
RR (a.k.a. "Railroad") is a 2007 film by American filmmaker James Benning. Shot in 16 mm film, as most of Benning's films are, "RR" is another in Benning's series of American experimental landscape films; this one focusing on trains and their surrounding environs. In "Railroad", Benning explores themes of American consumerism and overconsumption in what Benning calls a "collaboration" with the trains themselves.
Freestyle skateboarding tricks
A Railstand is when one edge of your board is on the ground and you are standing on the other, usually with your feet also on the wheels. From this position you can do many tricks, including Flips, 180s, 360 Spins and combinations of the above (landing into another railstand if you wish), landing into Casper, into 50/50, etc. The railstand and many variations were invented in the 1970s by Bobby "Casper" Boyden. A Heelside Railstand is to stand on the board in railstand, with your griptape facing your back, and toeside is the reverse. There are several ways to get into Heelside Railstand as opposed to the limited ways, if not just one way of getting into Toeside Railstand. A common variation of a Railstand is a Cooperstand, which is a Railstand with one foot on a wheel, and the other on the nose. While in Railstand, the limit to what you can do is almost non existent. You do not have to just flip. You can kick the board under you so it spins without flipping while you stand on one wheel, you can walk along the rail in a series of cross-stepping maneuvers, or you can spin a 360 on one wheel while the board remains in place.
Railing
Railing or railings may refer to:
Trail
Rail trails or paths are shared-use paths that make use of abandoned railway corridors. They can be used for walking, cycling and horse riding. They exist throughout the world and the following is a description of trails in Australia:
Most trails have a gravel or dirt surface suitable for walking, mountain bikes and horses. In the USA the 27 mile/43 km long Cheshire Rail Trail, in New Hampshire, can be used by hikers, horseback riders, snowmobilers, cross-country skiers, cyclists, or even a dogsledders.
In Canada, following the abandonment of the Prince Edward Island Railway in 1989, the government of Prince Edward Island purchased the right-of-way to the entire railway system. The Confederation Trail was developed as a tip-to-tip walking/cycling gravel rail trail which doubles as a monitored and groomed snowmobile trail during the winter months, operated by the PEI Snowmobile Association. A considerable part of the Trans Canada trail are repurposed defunct rail lines donated to provincial governments by CP and CN rail rebuilt as walking trails. As such, much of the Trans Canada Trail development emulated the successful Rails-to-Trails initiative in the United States, The Trail is multi-use and depending on the section may allow hikers, bicyclists, horseback riders, cross country skiers and snowmobilers.
Railtour
A railtour is a special train which is run in order to allow people to experience rail travel which is not available using timetabled passenger services. The 'unusual' aspect may be the route of the train, the destination, specific sections of railway track (for example, freight-only lines), the locomotive hauling the train, the rolling stock (passenger carriages), or any combination of these. Organisers may own or hire locomotives or rolling stock, or tours may be organised by railway management or other bodies outside the railway fraternity. Perhaps the most famous railtour in England was the Fifteen Guinea Special, the last steam hauled main line train run by British Railways. Railtours are often identifiable through the use of a train headboard, often identifying the name of the specific tour or the tour operator. On TOPS, railtours are always given a 1Zxx headcode.
Railway surgery
Railway surgery was a branch of medical practice that flourished in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It concerned itself with the medical requirements of railway companies. Depending on country, it included some or all of; general practice for railway staff, trauma surgery as a result of accidents on the railways, occupational health and safety, medico-legal activities regarding compensation claims against the company, and occupational testing.
Train surfing
In the Soviet Union during the 1980s, teens and youths sometimes surfed trams. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the practice of surfing on electric multiple unit trains appeared during the 1990s in Russia and some other post-Soviet countries due to economic crisis and growing of interest for extreme recreational activities among teens and youths, who live near the railroads. At the beginning of 21st century, they also began to surf subway trains in Moscow Metro and organized train surfing crews and web-communities. In the mid-2000s, a problem of frequent cancellation of commuter trains and crowding inside rail cars appeared in the Moscow region. In summer 2010, dozens of commuter trains were cancelled due to track repairs on the Moscow railway, so the crowding of trains and number of train surfers in Moscow region has risen dramatically. It was the first time when a train surfing became a wide phenomenon in modern Russian Railways and it caused a big scandal. Train surfing was mostly a teenager hobby before this. After the railroad reconstruction the situation became stable and the cases of roof riding among the ordinary passengers disappeared.
Railfan
Some railfans are interested in other aspects of railroads not directly dealing with the trains. They may be interested in studying the history of the railroad companies, their infrastructure, law, financing and operations, including never-built plans. Abandoned railroad grades can often be found long after the railroad stops using them. Trams (and occasionally even monorails) may also be of interest.
History of the Quakers
The Southern states, however, were still very prominent in keeping slavery running. Because of this, an informal network of safe houses and escape routes—called the Underground Railroad—developed across the United States to get enslaved people out of America and into Canada (British North America) or the free states. The Quakers were a very prominent force in the Underground Railroad, and their efforts helped free many slaves. Immediately north of the Mason-Dixon line, the Quaker settlement of Chester County, Pennsylvania—one of the early hubs of the Underground Railroad—was considered a "hotbed of abolition". However, not all Quakers were of the same opinion regarding the Underground Railroad: because slavery was still legal in many states, it was therefore illegal for anyone to help a slave escape and gain freedom. Many Quakers, who saw slaves as equals, felt it was proper to help free slaves and thought that it was unjust to keep someone as a slave; many Quakers would "lie" to slave hunters when asked if they were keeping slaves in their house, they would say "no" because in their mind there was no such thing as a slave. Other Quakers saw this as breaking the law and thereby disrupting the peace, both of which go against Quaker values thus breaking Quaker belief in being pacifistic. Furthermore, involvement with the law and the government was something from which the Quakers had tried to separate themselves. This divisiveness caused the formation of smaller, more independent branches of Quakers, who shared similar beliefs and views.
American business history
The fourth dimension was in management of the workforce, both blue-collar workers and white-collar workers. Railroading became a career in which young men entered at about age 18 to 20, and spent their entire lives usually with the same line. Young men could start working on the tracks, become a fireman, and work his way up the engineer. The mechanical world of the roundhouses have their own career tracks. A typical career path would see a young man hired at age 18 as a shop laborer, be promoted to skilled mechanic at age 24, brakemen at 25, freight conductor at 27, and passenger conductor at age 57. Women were not hired.
Road rally
Historically, all rallies were once road rallies. Gradually, events started to include a number of "special" stages which were often run off-road. In time these special stages started to comprise the majority of events, and as rallying became faster and more of a recognised sport, the number of competitive stages run on the public road dropped to zero. Thus stage rallying became the main form of rally as recognised by most people today. However, road rallies did not go away, but they became less attractive to commercial interests, and so became the amateur sport that still exists today. Because of their heritage, and in spite of efforts by some lobbyists, the sport remains fully legal and regulated by the sport's governing body, the Motor Sports Association. Note that some stage rallies are run on the public roads in many places, but the key distinction here is that such roads are closed to the public for the duration of the event. In the UK, however, closed roads are only available on the Isle of Mull, the Scottish Borders, and Northern Ireland. In Ireland and the Isle of Man, however, roads are routinely closed for sanctioned stage events. Road Rallies by contrast run competitively on the public road, but these are not closed to the public. Conflict is minimised by using rural roads very late at night (many events don't start until midnight).
1939 New York World's Fair
Railroads were a major form of transportation for both passengers and freight in 1939, as airlines are for passengers today. Many visitors to the fair arrived in New York by railroad, and most visitors had at least a moderate interest in the topic. The centerpiece of the Railroad Conference exhibits (on seventeen acres) was "Railroads on Parade", a spectacular live drama re-enacting the birth and growth of railroads. It had music by Kurt Weil and choreography by Bill Matons. In addition to the show, there were important historical objects on display by the various railroads and manufacturing companies, such as the "Tom Thumb" engine. The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) had its S1 engine on display, mounted on rollers under the driver wheels and running continuously at all day long. The British London Midland & Scottish Railway sent their Coronation Scot express train with a locomotive LMS Princess Coronation Class 6229 "Duchess of Hamilton", (disguised as sister locomotive 6220 "Coronation"), to the fair. GM's Electro-Motive Division had a display of their then new streamlined diesel-electric passenger locomotives. The Italian state railways displayed one of their record-setting ETR 200 electric multiple unit cars.
Motorcycle racing
Historically, "road racing" meant a course on closed public roads. This was once commonplace but currently only a few such circuits have survived, mostly in Europe. Races take place on publics roads which have been temporarily closed to the public by legal orders from the local legislature. Two championships exist, the first is the International Road Racing Championship , the other is the Duke Road Racing Rankings. The latter accounts for the majority of road races that take place each season, with an award for the highest placed rider. Prominent road races include the Isle of Man TT, North West 200, and Ulster Grand Prix on long circuits. Ireland has many road racing circuits still in use. Other countries with road races are the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain (Oliver's Mount), the Czech Republic, Ukraine, New Zealand and Macau.
Rolling highway
In rail transportation, a rolling highway, or rolling road is a form of combined transport involving the conveying of road trucks by rail, referred to as Ro-La trains. The concept is a form of piggyback transportation.