North Coast Limited (Northern Pacific), U. S. A.

The North Coast Limited was a  passenger train operated by the  Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle via  Bismarck, North Dakota. It commenced service on April 29, 1900, served briefly as a Burlington Northern Railroad train after the merger on March 2, 1970 with  Great Northern Railway and  Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, and ceased operation the day before Amtrak began service (May 1, 1971). The Chicago Union Station to St. Paul leg of the train's route was operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad along its Mississippi River mainline through Wisconsin. The train also had a Portland section which split off the Seattle section at Pasco, Washington and was operated by NP subsidiary Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway between Pasco and Portland. For much of its history, the North Coast Limited was particularly noted for its dining car service which ranked among the best in the railroad passenger business.

The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad , New Mexico, U.S.A

The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is hidden away in a little-known corner of the southern Rocky Mountains, and is a precious historic artifact of the American West. Built in 1880 and essentially unchanged since, the C&TSRR is the most outstanding and best known example of steam-era mountain railroading in North America. The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is known around the world for its spectacular scenery, unique machinery, and historic structures. It is America’s highest & longest coal fired, steam operated, narrow gauge railroad. It’s total distance is 64miles. The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad has four operating coal fired, steam operated, narrow gauge locomotives - #484, 487, 488, and 489 which travels between Chama, NM and Antonito,CO. Passengers traveling on the train will witness magnificent mountain peaks, historical buildings and sweeping pastures with bright colourful wild flowers.

Berlin HBF & Lehrter Bahanhof, Germany.

 

Berlin HBF is the main railway station in Berlin, Germany. It began full operation two days after a ceremonial opening on 26 May 2006. It is located on the site of the historic Lehrter Bahnhof, and until it opened as a main line station, it was a stop on the  Berlin S-Bahn suburban railwaytemporarily named Berlin Hauptbahnhof–Lehrter Bahnhof. 

Lehrter Bahnhof (Lehrte Station) opened in 1871 as the terminus of the railway linking Berlin with Lehrte, near Hanover, which later became Germany's most important east-west main line. In 1882, with the completion of the Stadtbahn  (City Railway, Berlin's four-track central elevated railway line, which carries both local and main line services), just north of the station, a smaller interchange station called Lehrter Stadtbahnhof was opened to provide connections with the new line. This station later became part of the Berlin S-Bahn. In 1884, after the closure of nearby Hamburg Bahnhof, Lehrter Bahnhof became the terminus for trains to and from Hamburg.

Following heavy damage during WW 2, limited services to the main station were resumed, but then suspended in 1951. In 1957, with the railways to West Berlin under the control of East Germany, Lehrter Bahnhof was demolished, but Lehrter Stadtbahnhof continued as a stop on the S-Bahn. In 1987, it was extensively renovated to commemorate Berlin's 750th anniversary. After  German reunification  it was decided to improve Berlin's railway network by constructing a new  north - south main line, to supplement the east-west Stadtbahn.  Lehrter Stadtbahnhof was considered to be the logical location for a new central station.

Madrid Atocha Railway Station & AVE Trains - Spain.

 

AVE stands for Alta Velocidad Española, a network of fast quality trains in Spain. With speeds of up to 300 km/h (186 mph), you can travel between Madrid and Barcelona in less than 3 hours. The central hub of the AVE system in Madrid is the train station Puerta de Atocha. Here you see the trains at the Madrid Railway Station awaiting a departure. In a different post I have written about the Madrid Railway Station.