Railfanning.org Digital Library

Three Inches That Changed Everything

April 22, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library

Among the many changes to the Western & Atlantic Railroad since its inception, the change of the line’s gauge in 1886 ranks among the most significant — and also among the most misunderstood.

Three Inches, a Nation, and a Night of Change

April 15, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library

In early May, Railfanning.org Publisher and Editor Todd DeFeo will explore a chapter of railroad history that is often mentioned, but seldom fully examined.

Gilmore, Georgia: A Railroad Community that Faded Into the Map

April 2, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library

If you’re expecting a railfanning video to open with a locomotive in the background, this one may throw you off. There are no trains in the shot. No flashing signals. No horn echoing off the buildings.

A Deadly Night on the Rails: The 1933 Louisville & Nashville Derailment Near Bartow, Georgia

March 30, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library

On the evening of April 17, 1933, a Louisville & Nashville passenger train derailed near Bartow, Georgia. Two railroad men and two trespassers lost their lives, and 11 others were hurt.

‘Fanning Around the World: A Railfan’s Guide to Walt Disney World

March 24, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library

For railfans, Walt Disney World is full of opportunities to experience the magic of trains up close. From historic steam locomotives to futuristic ride systems, rail travel plays a starring role across the resort.

Come on, And Take a Free Ride on the Lawrenceville Branch

March 23, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library

When a locomotive engineer on the Lawrenceville Branch Railroad reported for duty on an April morning in 1881, he found quite a surprise.

Birmingham, Alabama, Railfanning Before Dinner

March 22, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library

What’s better than a nice dinner in Birmingham, Alabama?

Passenger Trains on the Western & Atlantic? Experts Break Down Running Passenger Trains on Class I Mainlines

March 13, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library

Talk of restoring passenger rail service on the Georgia-owned Western & Atlantic Railroad between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tennessee, often runs into the same refrain: It would be expensive to “upgrade the line.”

A Postcard View of the Pennsylvania Railroad Tunnel Beneath the Hudson River

November 4, 2025 Railfanning.org Digital Library

The Pennsylvania Railroad tunneled beneath the Hudson River between 1904 and 1908.

107 Years Ago: Malbone Street Wreck, New York City Subway’s Deadliest Crash

November 1, 2025 Railfanning.org Digital Library

On Nov. 1, 1918, 107 years ago today, a speeding Brooklyn Rapid Transit train derailed on a sharp curve beneath Willink Plaza in Flatbush, killing roughly 100 people.