The boxcar was part of the Merci Train, which France gave to the United States in 1949.

Cool Finds

Long-Lost ‘Merci Train’ Given to New Jersey After World War II Has Been Found

To thank America for its support during the war, France sent a boxcar stuffed with gifts to each state. But in the late 1950s, New Jersey’s disappeared without a trace

Residents of Summerville have reported sightings of a mysterious glowing light over the town's old railroad tracks. The pictured tracks, while not the "haunted" site, were studied in an effort to determine the source of the 1886 Charleston earthquake.

The ‘Ghost’ Haunting This South Carolina Town Might Have an Earthly Explanation, Scientist Says

In a new research article, a seismologist argues that earthquakes are the reason for the mysterious lights associated with a local urban legend in Summerville

The spike is inscribed, "Presented to Col. Frederick Mears by the city of Anchorage in commemoration of the building of the Alaska Railroad 1915-1923."

The Alaska Railroad’s Golden Spike Hammered in by President Harding Will Return to Its Home State

The spike’s installation marked the completion of the Alaska Railroad in 1923. It’s spent most of the time since then in the hands of private owners

The 226 people trapped on board the City of San Francisco endured freezing temperatures, carbon monoxide poisoning and food shortages.

When a Deadly Winter Storm Trapped a Luxury Passenger Train Near the Donner Pass for Three Days

Snowdrifts stranded the vehicle in the Sierra Nevada in January 1952, imprisoning 226 people traveling from Chicago to California

The R46 trains started running in the subway system during the 1970s.

New York City Is Getting Rid of Its Iconic Orange and Yellow Subway Cars

Many New Yorkers feel attached to the instantly recognizable R46s, which debuted in the summer of 1975. Officials say their replacements will arrive by 2027

The former Motor City masterpiece-turned-American-ruin was on the brink of demolition until 2018, when Ford committed to a billion-dollar restoration project returning it to its Gilded Age grandeur.

Detroiters Have a Newly Restored Michigan Central Station to Be Thankful for This Holiday Season

With funding from Ford Motor Company, the long-dilapidated building is being transformed into a technology and innovation hub

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The Ten Best Books About Travel of 2024

These top titles of the year whisk readers away on adventures and remind us of the many wonders in this world

Thessaloniki's Venizelou subway station contains the ruins of a Roman-era thoroughfare.

Cool Finds

A New Subway System in Greece Is Decorated With the Artifacts Unearthed During Its Construction

An ancient marble thoroughfare and shards of classical pottery are on display in the city of Thessaloniki’s new underground “archaeo-stations”

Sotheby's recent Keith Haring exhibition, "Art in Transit," displayed the 31 artworks in an immersive recreation of the New York subway.

Keith Haring Created These Striking Subway Drawings While Waiting for Trains on His Way to Work

The artist used white chalk to draw on blank advertising panels inside subway stations. Now, 31 surviving examples of these works have sold at auction for more than $9 million

Divers saw nine species of game fish and soft coral starting to grow on the submerged cars last month.

No Longer Full of Commuters, Atlanta’s Old Subway Cars Are Now Filled With Fish

Two Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority railcars were added to an artificial reef off the coast of Georgia to create more wildlife habitat

Electric taxis known as Electrobats drive through Manhattan in 1898. A similar vehicle fatally struck Henry Hale Bliss on September 13, 1899.

On This Day in History

On This Day in 1899, a Car Fatally Struck a Pedestrian for the First Time in American History

Henry Hale Bliss’ death presaged the battle between the 20th-century automobile lobby and walkers in U.S. cities

Travelers can get rewarded for participating in sustainable activities.

Copenhagen Is Rewarding Tourists for Good Behavior

A new initiative incentives activities like riding a bike, taking public transit and cleaning up litter

Denver's historic train depot dates back to 1881. Today, it's a thriving community hub.

See Inside Denver’s 143-Year-Old Train Station

The transit hub, which just got an $11 million makeover, is deeply connected to the city’s history

Located in Noblesville, Indiana, on the outskirts of Indianapolis, Nickel Plate Express offers both train rides and railbike tours.

Railbiking Is Catching On Across the Nation—Here’s Where to Try It Yourself

Sit back, relax and pedal your way along historic railroad tracks

Researchers discovered broken pottery in a medieval ditch beneath a bridge in the city's center.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Medieval Artifacts Ahead of Bridge Demolition in England

Found during a construction project near the railway station in York, the trove includes pottery and bones

Researchers found the train car during excavations in northern Antwerp.

Cool Finds

Rare 100-Year-Old Train Carriage Found Buried in Belgium

The wooden LNER train wagon was a “removals truck” used to move people’s belongings between residences

A man exits the Euclid Avenue stop in Brooklyn.

These Photos Capture Every First and Last Subway Stop in New York City

Photographer Rita Nannini traveled across 665 miles of track and snapped some 8,000 images

A train whizzes through snowy hills with frosty peaks from the Stanovoy Ridge mountains in the distance.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

Get Your Year on the Right Track With These 15 Photos of Trains Around the World

With 2024 in its earliest days, take to the rails with inspiring images of life on and around train lines

Aerial view of construction work on the Maya Train on August 31, 2023

First Section of Mexico’s Controversial Maya Train Opens

The rail system, built to connect tourist destinations, has been criticized for endangering archaeological and environmental sites

Between Christmas Day in 1941 and April 1, 1946, North Platte Canteen volunteers met as many as 24 trains carrying 3,000 to 5,000 military personnel every day.

Untold Stories of American History

How the Women of the North Platte Canteen Fed Six Million Soldiers During World War II

Volunteers based out of a Nebraska train station offered American troops encouragement and free food, including birthday cakes and popcorn balls

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