railroads

On Wired.com, a gallery of the coolest subway systems in the world.

Subways are as much a part of big-city living as high-rises and gridlock, and they get about as much love. For many people, subways are crowded, noisy places only marginally better than being stuck in traffic — and most of them are. But the best of them are not only efficient, they reflect the character of the cities they serve and the people they carry.

In honor of the first test run of Chicago’s “L” train, we’re touring the globe by subway.

You might imagine running into an old friend after 25 years apart would result in a lot to talk about. And you’d be right, even if one of them weighs 368,000 pounds, changed their name, and doesn’t speak much.

Steve Eshom over at Dogcaught ran into such a friend and took pictures: the erstwhile BN 8127 (Burlington Northern) now known as FURX 8127 (First Union Rail), a diesel locomotive he last saw in 1983. From “25 Years of 8127”:

It finally happened! I was reunited with an old friend and old friends do what old friends do, they conjure up memories. My happy reunion caused me not to reflect so much on myself but on 25 years of railroading and how much or how little it has changed.

This being the Web, you can browse tons of cool info and photos on BN 8127 (aka FURX 8127) or any other locomotive, thanks to railfans across North America. You can also read up on the model General Motors EMD SD40-2 on Wikipedia.

Angel’s Flight Funicular by Ron’s Log

The Times has an article on the upcoming reopening of a longtime landmark, “Rebirth of Angels Flight”. This would be cool enough news as is, but it also gives an opportunity to consider what’s changed since it was forced to close six years ago.

When Angels Flight, the L.A. landmark dubbed “the shortest railway in the world,” closed in 2001 after a fatal crash, many wondered whether it was gone for good.

Officials announced Tuesday that the funicular will reopen this summer — but Angels Flight will return to a decidedly different downtown Los Angeles.