Video

HawkinsRails chases Amtrak's Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle and back again along the rails of the Great Train Story layout at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. Filmed March 2023 by RWH. See our complete Museum of Science and Industry transportation scrapbook at hawkinsrails.net/preservation/msic/msic.html

Blue Ridge Southern - chase to Asheville NC

In December of 2020, HawkinsRails spent a day on the western end of the Blue Ridge Southern, in western North Carolina, chasing the local freight from the yard in Canton to Addie, and return, switching customers along the way. All video filmed and edited by Ella Hawkins, HawkinsRails' third-generation railfan. See our complete railfan scrapbook at www.hawkinsrails.net

In late December 2020, HawkinsRails.net chased a wintertime run of the Great Smokey Mountains Railroad's Nantahala River train. Footage begins in Bryson City, North Carolina, follows the train across Fontana Lake to the Nantahala River, and then along the train's return. All video was filmed and edited by Ella Hawkins, HawkinsRails' third-generation railfan. For much more Great Smokey Mountain ...

Laissez les bons temps rouler! Welcome to HawkinsRails' official documentary introducing our great friend Gordon Payne's fantastic Louisiana, Texas & Pacific outdoor riding railroad, located in suburban New Orleans, Louisiana, and now more than a decade in service. Produced by HawkinsRails (Ralph and Ella Hawkins,) the film features video and still shots on location at the LT&P over many years,...

With the support of its producer, HawkinsRails is honored make available on our channel "Steam in the Big Easy," a video documentary about the return to steam of Southern Pacific locomotive #1744 for a brief tourist career on the New Orleans & Gulf Coast Railroad. Filmed and produced in 2001 by our great friend Gordon Payne, this documentary features restoration photos, action footage, and inte...

HawkinsRails has made two visits so far in 2020 to pal Gordon Payne's fantastic Outdoor Division of his Louisiana, Texas & Pacific Railroad. In February, we shot drone footage all over the railroad as my daughter Ella operated the Southern NW2 named for her grandfather and the Southern Pacific steamer with a mixed train consist. In July, my daughter filmed various runbys as I operated the NW2, ...

The Daughter-Dad team at HawkinsRails.net spent a foggy February morning chasing two turns of freight service on the Madison Division of Georgia shortline-hauler CaterParrott Railnet. Team Hawkins caught the southbound local near the village of Shady Dale, Georgia. After dropping outbounds for the Norfolk Southern, and picking up inbounds for online customers, HawkinsRails chased the northbound...

HawkinsRails' corespondent in north Louisiana captured an eastbound manifest freight rolling through Ruston, Louisiana, along the "Meridian Speedway" the former Illinois Central mainline between Vicksburg and Shreveport. Drone video by John Hawkins III. January 2020. See our online scrapbook at www.hawkinsrails.net

Amtrak's southbound train #89, the daily Palmetto, makes a station stop at Richmond's Staples Mill Road station on New Year's Eve, 2019. HawkinsRails video by Ella Hawkins. See our complete Amtrak scrapbook at hawkinsrails.net/mainlines/amtk/amtk.html

The engineer on the leading edge of Amtrak's daily #20 gives a friendly honk as the Crescent gently glides under the Jefferson Davis Parkway overpass in New Orleans, Louisiana. The train has just departed the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal right on time, and begins its multi-day journey northeast to New York City. Video by Ella Hawkins; edited by Ralph Hawkins the father-daughter team of ...

The father-daughter team of HawkinsRails.net chased Amtrak's southbound #19, the daily Crescent service, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, west to Meridian, Mississippi, two days before Thanksgiving, on November 26, 2019. This video includes scenes from three locations: 1. #19 at track speed passing under the U.S. Route 11 overpass at Allison, Alabama 2. Chase footage along U.S. 11 as it parallels the ...

The father-daughter railfan team at HawkinsRails.net captured Amtrak's southbound #19 arriving at the depot in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for station work two days before the Thanksgiving holiday. After unloading and loading coach passengers, the train is moved forward for sleeping car customers and baggage work, before departing southbound for Meridian, Mississippi. This #19 featured one each of the...

HawkinsRails.net visits the Conyers & Hightower Trail Railroad, the outdoor scale-riding operation of the North Georgia Live Steamers in Conyers, Georgia. We make two different trips around the clubs double dog-bone layout during their October 2019 public run day. See our North Georgia Live Steamers scrapbook at hawkinsrails.net/preservation/ngls/ngls.html

T. R. Miller Mill Company #101 - Brewton AL

Newport Industries fireless switcher - Pensacola Fl

Gulf Power Co saddle tank - Pensacola Fl

Southern Railway #6910 - Cleveland Tn excursion

Schlitz Circus Parade - Milwaukee Wi

East Broad Top Railroad - Orbisonia Pa

Mixed Train to Silverton - 1959 Denver Rio Grande & Western ride

SAM Shortline - Cordele to Americus Ga

Louisiana Texas & Pacific - Outdoor Divison July 4 meets and mainline

Amtrak's Crescent in the Cemeteries - Metarie La

Amtrak's Crescent arrival - Anniston Al

Aberdeen, Carolina & Western pace - Eagle Springs, NC

Amtrak's Auto Train pounding the diamond at Pembroke, NC

CaterParrott Railnet - Shady Dale climb

Louisiana, Texas & Pacific - Outdoor Divison Black Friday running