Todd DeFeo

Remembering the Budds Creek Disaster of 1869

July 28, 2019 Todd DeFeo

The 1869 disaster at Budds Creek in Tenessee left five people dead and more than two dozen injured. The tragedy garnered a considerable number of headlines in newspapers nationwide, but what happened is a mystery.

Five key moments in the history of the Western & Atlantic Railroad

July 1, 2019 Todd DeFeo

A look at the “State Road,” the Western & Atlantic running between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

How much do you know about Positive Train Control?

June 18, 2019 Todd DeFeo

Positive Train Control (PTC) is a hot-button issue in the railroad industry, but many may not be aware of its deep history. Here is a brief overview of PTC and a few interesting facts about its development.

Celebrating the sesquicentennial of the First Transcontinental Railroad

May 10, 2019 Todd DeFeo

Completing the First Transcontinental Railroad was among the most significant railroad accomplishments, if not the single greatest, in railroad history.

The Bizarre History of the Indiana, Alabama & Texas Railroad

February 1, 2019 Todd DeFeo

The Indiana, Alabama & Texas Railroad has a confusing corporate history. Despite its name, the railroad only built 58 miles of track in Tennessee and Kentucky.

A Robbery so Brazen, This Could Have Been the Wild West, Not Outside of Atlanta

January 16, 2019 Todd DeFeo

The southbound Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway train from Nashville, Tenn., pulled into Vinings on the evening of January 16, 1914. What happened next is remarkable.

The Fateful First Trip Over the Western & Atlantic

December 24, 2018 Todd DeFeo

On Christmas Eve of 1842, a locomotive and a single car pulled out of Atlanta, marking a new era in the city’s history. The railroad was operational.

Remembering Atlanta’s Railroad Stations of Yesteryear (And One From Today)

October 25, 2018 Todd DeFeo

Atlanta currently has one passenger station in use, serving Amtrak’s Crescent train running between New York and New Orleans. But, the city has a long history with passenger stations.