The 10 Wildest Trains in American History: Jet Engines, Coal Turbines, and Insane Experiments

Imagine a train hurtling down the track with jet engines roaring overhead, or a locomotive so massive it could swallow a small car whole. America’s railroads have always been a place of innovation—but sometimes, innovation veered into pure madness. From jet-powered experiments to Frankenstein-style hybrid locomotives, American engineers often threw caution to the wind in pursuit of speed, power, and spectacle. Today, we’re diving into 10 of the most bizarre trains ever to ride American rails—machines so strange, you’d think they were dreamed up in a fever dream.

10. The Bud Metroliner: America’s First High-Speed Electric Experiment

In the 1960s, America decided it was time to compete with Japan’s bullet trains. Enter the Bud Metroliner, a sleek, futuristic electric train built in Philadelphia from 1966 to 1968. Designed to hit 150 mph, the Metroliner was America’s first serious attempt at high-speed rail on the Northeast Corridor, connecting New York and Washington D.C.

During testing, one train screamed to 164 mph, a record that electrified the press and inspired engineers. Its ultra-modern steel construction housed cutting-edge electrical systems developed with help from General Electric and Westinghouse. On paper, it seemed unstoppable.

Reality, however, was less glamorous. The electrical systems were temperamental, often failing at the worst possible moments. Penn Central finally put the Metroliners into service in 1969, but track limitations forced the trains to run at a safer 120 mph. By the late 1970s, constant maintenance woes meant fewer than two-thirds of the fleet were operational at any given time. Rebuilding just four cars in 1974 cost more than buying them new.

By 1981, the Metroliners were retired, replaced by conventional locomotives pulling coaches. Ironically, the body design lived on in the Ampfleet cars, which still run today. Sometimes being first means learning the hard way.

9. The Union Pacific Big Boy: Steam Giants of the Wes

When Union Pacific needed muscle to haul freight over the Wasatch Mountains, they didn’t settle for small. The Union Pacific Big Boy, built by ALCO between 1941 and 1944, became one of the largest and most powerful steam locomotives ever built. Standing 132 feet long and weighing over 1.2 million pounds, it could haul 3,600 tons over Sherman Hill solo—work that smaller locomotives could only attempt in teams.

The firebox alone could house a small car, burning 28 tons of coal and consuming 24,000 gallons of water per hour at full throttle. These titans dominated the rails during World War II and into the 1950s. Diesel technology eventually rendered them obsolete, with the last Big Boy retiring in 1961.

But legends never die. Union Pacific famously restored number 414 to operational condition in 2019, and it remains the most powerful operational steam locomotive on the planet, thrilling excursion-goers across the American West. Sometimes bigger really is better.

8. The GM Train of Tomorrow: Dome Cars and Dreams

After World War II, General Motors envisioned the Train of Tomorrow, a passenger train entirely composed of dome cars. The brainchild of GM Vice President Cyrus Osborne, the concept aimed to give passengers panoramic views of the American landscape while traveling in futuristic comfort.

The train consisted of four cars: Stardust Chair Car, Sky View Dining Car, DreamCloud Sleeping Car, and Moonglow Observation Lounge, each with Astro Domes—glass bubbles with 360° views. The dining car featured the first all-electric kitchen in a dome car, while the sleeping car offered unprecedented comfort.

From 1947 to 1949, the train toured 181 cities over 65,000 miles, attracting millions of passengers and inspiring a new era of American passenger rail design. Eventually purchased by Union Pacific, the Train of Tomorrow cemented the dome car as a staple of modern rail travel. The lesson? Sometimes, the future arrives right on schedule.

7. The Galloping Goose: Cars on Rails

During the Great Depression, the Rio Grande Southern Railroad was hemorrhaging money. Chief mechanic Jack Odenbaw devised a scrappy solution: the Galloping Goose, a hybrid vehicle cobbled from old automobiles and buses.

The first goose was a converted Buick; later versions were Pierce Arrow touring cars with freight compartments welded to the back. Silver-painted bodies, goose-like hoods, and honking horns gave these railcars a quirky personality. Able to carry mail, freight, and passengers, the geese wobbled across Colorado’s narrow gauge tracks and cut operational costs dramatically.

Even after losing their mail contracts in 1950, these eccentric creations were repurposed for tourism, and today, six of the seven surviving geese remain in railroad museums, still functional. Sometimes, the best engineering solution is whatever keeps the train moving.

6. The McKeen Motor Car: Nautical Rails

William McKeen, Union Pacific’s Superintendent of Motive Power, faced a problem: branch lines were losing money. His solution? A self-propelled railcar that looked like a knife-edge boat on rails.

Built from 1905 to 1917, the McKeen cars featured riveted steel bodies, aerodynamic pointed noses, and porthole windows, creating a distinctly maritime aesthetic. Gasoline engines delivered 100–300 horsepower, propelling passengers at speeds up to 70 mph.

While innovative, the mechanical transmission was fragile, and internal combustion technology wasn’t ready for rail demands. The last McKeen rolled out in 1917, but restored models, like the Nevada State Railroad Museum’s car, show these windsplitters were ahead of their time.

5. The Union Pacific DDA 40X Centennial: Twin Diesel Behemoths

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Golden Spike, Union Pacific built the DDA 40X, the world’s most powerful single-unit diesel locomotive. At 98 feet long with 6,600 horsepower from twin engines, the Centennial could haul colossal freight trains at 80 mph.

Built in the late 1960s, these locomotives were experimental, featuring modular electronic controls and dynamic braking resistors. Thirteen survive today, including number 6,936, which remains operational. These machines proved American railroads could still dream big, even in the diesel era.

4. The Union Pacific Gas Turbines: Jet-Like Locomotives

Diesel power wasn’t enough for Union Pacific. Enter the gas turbine locomotives, delivered between 1952 and 1961. These monsters burned cheap bunker oil and produced up to 8,500 horsepower, the largest fleet of turbine-powered freight locomotives ever assembled.

The roar of the turbines resembled jet engines, requiring hearing protection for nearby workers. They were so loud that California banned them in residential areas. At peak efficiency, one unit could replace three or four diesels. But maintenance was nightmarish; the turbines fouled constantly, and rising oil prices eventually killed the program. Only two survive today, relics of audacious ambition.

3. The GM Aerotrain: The Jetsons on Rails

In 1955, GM unveiled the Aerotrain, a futuristic attempt to modernize passenger service. Designed by Chuck Jordan, it featured a nose inspired by the F86 Saber jet and modified bus bodies for coaches. At 40 feet long and 16 tons per car, it was lightweight and fast—or so they hoped.

Testing revealed fatal flaws. The locomotives were underpowered, the air suspension designed for buses jolted passengers mercilessly, and helper engines were required on grades. Ultimately, both Aerotrain sets were relegated to low-speed commuter service, ending in 1966. Today, museum pieces preserve their wild, retro-futuristic charm.

2. The M497 Black Beetle: Jet Engines on Rails

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when engineers bolt jet engines to a train, the M497 Black Beetle answers. In 1966, New York Central strapped two B-36 bomber engines to a 13-year-old Bud RDC-3 railcar. The result? 183.68 mph, an American rail speed record that still stands.

The Black Beetle’s experimental flight proved jet propulsion on conventional tracks was possible—but fuel consumption, safety concerns, and terrified townspeople ensured the experiment ended after a single test run. The engines were later repurposed as snowblowers, while the car returned to regular service.

1. The Union Pacific Big Blow Coal Turbine: The Ultimate Frankenstein

And finally, the crown jewel of American rail experimentation: the Big Blow Coal Turbine. Built in 1962, this 226-foot monster combined a diesel cab, a gas turbine body, and a coal-fired tender. With 25 axles and 12 powered wheels, it was supposed to revolutionize freight hauling.

Reality was brutal. Pulverized coal sandblasted turbine blades, soot buildup was catastrophic, and the maintenance nightmare was relentless. After just 20 months and fewer than 10,000 miles traveled, the experiment was scrapped. The Big Blow remains a testament to Union Pacific’s audacious “go big or go home” philosophy—the ultimate lesson in engineering overreach.

America’s Rail Legacy: Where Madness Meets Ingenuity

From jet engines and coal turbines to bus-bodied Aerotrains and dome cars that seemed pulled from science fiction, these ten trains represent the wildest dreams—and occasional failures—of American engineers. They remind us that innovation often comes with risk, sometimes spectacularly so.

While most ended up in scrapyards, museums, or faded history books, their impact echoes in today’s passenger and freight rail systems. Every Amtrak rider, every freight engineer, owes a debt to the audacity, ambition, and occasional madness of these mechanical marvels.

American railroads didn’t just move goods and people—they chased the impossible, and sometimes, they nearly touched it.