Welcome to the Trainscapes segment! Each week here on Geek Alabama, Trainscapes will feature train content including videos of trains and behind the scenes action of trains and locomotives. Some people have an interest in seeing trains, and we here at Geek Alabama aim to please the train lovers!
Often called “The Pittsburgh of the South,” Birmingham is Alabama’s second-largest city and the state’s busiest rail terminal. By the 20th century, it had become a major industrial center, thanks to rich deposits of iron ore, coal, and limestone—the key materials for steelmaking. Railroads were vital in transporting these resources, and Birmingham grew around its major industrial complexes like Sloss Furnaces and Ensley Works.
While its industrial prominence faded in the 1960s and 70s, some coal mining remains, and the city’s economy has diversified. Birmingham is now a major banking center and home to two Fortune 500 companies, Regions Financial and Vulcan Materials. Railroads like Norfolk Southern, CSX, and BNSF still play a critical role by serving local industries and operating major classification yards.
