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  • [ June 14, 2026 ] RAIB Opens Investigation After Passenger Train Strikes Rail Grinding Machine Left on Track World
  • [ June 11, 2026 ] RAIB to Issue Safety Digest After Train Strikes Equipment Left on London Track World
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History

Iron Horses and False Starts: The Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad Begins to Run

June 13, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library
By late 1859, after years of surveys, grading, and frustrated waiting, the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad reached a long‑anticipated milestone: it began operating trains.

Amtrak

The Day the Meatballs Entered Service

May 9, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library
Friday, May 9, 1980, was a watershed day in Amtrak history.

Featured

Surveying the Woods: Engineering, Labor, and the Reality of Building the MC&L

May 6, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library
By the mid-1850s, the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad existed on paper — and little else.

Featured

The Night the Railroad Moved: Changing the Western & Atlantic Railroad’s Gauge

April 30, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library
The Western & Atlantic Railroad’s gauge did not change overnight by accident.

History

The Crash at Crush: The Day Thousands Turned Out to Watch a Train Wreck

April 23, 2026 The Turntable
On Sept. 15, 1896, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, better known as the Katy, staged a head-on collision between two uncrewed steam locomotives at a temporary event site called Crush, Texas.

Featured

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.

Railroad tracks in Ringgold, Georgia.
Featured

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.

History

Dreaming of Rails in a River Town: The Origins of the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad

April 13, 2026 The Turntable
In the middle of the nineteenth century, Clarksville, Tennessee, was a town shaped by water.

History

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.

Featured

‘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.

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Top Stories

  • RAIB Opens Investigation After Passenger Train Strikes Rail Grinding Machine Left on Track
    June 14, 2026
  • Person Dies After Being Struck by Train at MARTA’s Civic Center Station
    June 14, 2026
  • Iron Horses and False Starts: The Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad Begins to Run
    June 13, 2026
  • MARTA Warns Faregate Vandals They Could Face Felony Charges
    June 13, 2026
  • RAIB to Issue Safety Digest After Train Strikes Equipment Left on London Track
    June 11, 2026

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  • RAIB Opens Investigation After Passenger Train Strikes Rail Grinding Machine Left on Track
    June 14, 2026
  • Person Dies After Being Struck by Train at MARTA’s Civic Center Station
    June 14, 2026
  • Iron Horses and False Starts: The Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad Begins to Run
    June 13, 2026
  • MARTA Warns Faregate Vandals They Could Face Felony Charges
    June 13, 2026
  • RAIB to Issue Safety Digest After Train Strikes Equipment Left on London Track
    June 11, 2026
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