Nobody likes exploding trains, but Americans can’t yet seem to quit their unhealthy relationship with fossil fuels, and so we get exploding trains. Five this year, as a matter of fact. You know who ...

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American Well, this is becoming an unfortunate trend.

In 1948, a devastating boiler explosion in Chillicothe, Ohio turned a steam locomotive into a twisted mass of metal and marked a symbolic end to steam’s dominance in American rail. Though not the ...

In 1948, a devastating train explosion exposed a dangerous flaw in railcar design. Gas buildup inside the cars created the conditions for a catastrophic blast that killed dozens and shocked the ...