Originally posted by dehanson The New York Central is the company my twin brother and I had the most contact with back in the 30's and 40's. Living in Chicago near the NYC's roundhouse at 63rd Street and Indiana we could not help looking in on the operations at that busy facility, coaling and filling the water tank in the tender were just a few of the sights to behold. There was smoke everywhere. Englewood Station, at State and 63rd Streets, was our favorite place to go and watch the Pennsy, NYC, Nickle Plate, and the Rock Island passenger trains and also many freights. The Pennsy's four tracks crossed the Rock Island's tracks causing loud clicky-ti-clacks as trains rolled over the crossing tracks. I remember talking to the engineer of a Streamlined Hudson, pulling the 20th Century Limited, as it waited to pick up passengers at Englewood. Even when I was a little boy living far from the tracks, I could hear at night while I lay in bed the distant puffing sounds from the smoke stacks of the steam locomotives strarting up, then wheels slipping, then starting up again. My first train ride, on the NYC's Pacemaker, came in 1943 when my brother and I returned to Chicago from New York after moving to the Bronx. Living in New York, we were able to see the operations of both NYC and New Haven trains and explore Grand Central Station. That trip to Chicago during the war, enabled us to see the vast stretch of the well maintained 4 track mainline between New York and Chicago on the waterlevel route through Buffalo, and see the spectacle of factories and railroads operating around the clock. There were many servicemen as well as military police on the train. I have built, for my HO layout, a working metal model of the lift bridge over the Harlem River that the New York Central and New Haven passed over on their way to and from Grand Central Station. Today it is known as the Metro North Bridge. Yes its NYC all the way! Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 8, 2004 3:14 PM mark up another Southern green and gold fan - Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 8, 2004 12:46 PM I am a Southern Green man, but I prefer the Southern Black with gold on diesels. I see a lot of KCS white, it is good looking also. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 8, 2004 2:43 AM I'm the most sentimental about the Rock Island RR. One of the quickest sights I've ever seen was the GM Aerotrain in 1957 blasting across 115th St in Chicago going to Denver. And the sight of one of their EMD TA 605's with that gyrating headlight pulling a passenger consist out of Chicago at night was a sight not to be forgotten. Reply Edit twhite Member sinceJuly 2004 From: Carmichael, CA 8,055 posts Posted by twhite on Tuesday, September 7, 2004 2:40 PM Grew up around Truckee, CA on SP's Donner Pass line, grew up with AC 4-8-8-2's, MT4-8-2's and 'Deck' 2-10-2's. Most amazing steam show in the world about 30 times per day. So, SP? No, believe it or not, my favorite railroad is the D&RGW, because it had to try harder! UP and ATSF did the smart thing, they went around the Rockies. Rio Grande just barrelled straight through and ended up with an accidental transcontinental route with a background of some of the most amazing scenery in the world. And they did it with BIG locos. Really HANDSOME articulateds and Mountains and Northerns and 2-10-2's. So: First is Rio Grande, second is SP, and running a close third, the C&O, mainly because their big steam made the railroad look like the Rio Grande of the Alleghenies. Okay, maybe in retrospect C&O ill-used their gargantuan 2-6-6-6's, but wouldn't you have just LOVED to have been at Clifton Forge VA for a day to watch them march through? I know I would! Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds! Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 28, 2004 10:31 PM The New York Central is the company I and my twin brother had the most contact with back in the 30's and 40's. Living in Chicago near the NYC's roundhouse at 63rd Street and Indiana we could not help looking in on the operations at that busy facility, coaling and filling the water tank in the tender were just a few of the sights to behold. There was smoke everywhere. Englewood Station, at State and 63rd Streets, was our favorite place to go and watch the Pennsy, NYC, Nickle Plate, and the Rock Island passenger trains and also many freights. The Pennsy's four tracks crossed the Rock Island's tracks causing loud clicky-ti-clacks as trains rolled over the crossing tracks. I remember talking to the engineer of a Streamlined Hudson, pulling the 20th Century Limited, as it waited to pick up passengers at Englewood. Even when I was a little boy living far from the tracks, I could hear at night while I lay in bed the distant puffing sounds from the smoke stacks of the steam locomotives strarting up, then wheels slipping, then starting up again. My first train ride, on the NYC's Pacemaker, came in 1942 when my brother and I returned to Chicago from New York after moving to the Bronx. Living in New York, we were able to see the operations of both NYC and New Haven trains and explore Grand Central Station. That trip to Chicago during the war, enabled us to see the vast stretch of the well maintained 4 track mainline between New York and Chicago on the waterlevel route through Buffalo, and see the spectacle of factories and railroads operating around the clock. There were many servicemen as well as military police on the train. I have built, for my HO layout, a working metal model of the lift bridge over the Harlem River that the New York Central and New Haven passed over on their way to and from Grand Central Station. Today it is known as the Metra North Bridge. Yes its NYC all the way! Reply Edit agentatascadero Member sinceMay 2003 From: US 163 posts Posted by agentatascadero on Saturday, August 28, 2004 9:02 PM For most of us, it's the line we grew up with, for this espee brat, it was the coast line. But I was always aware of the AT&SF, they outran, outshined us every day of the week. The espee defense: we're safer, if slower. For scenery, nothing can beat the CP western transcon, which I rode behind steam, in the famous open-observation car. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 28, 2004 6:59 PM Any of the roads which went into the Conrail merger. Specifically, Penn Central (PRR), and Reading. I grew up one hundred feet, more or less, from both lines as they made their way to Shamokin from Sunbury. I have a stronger leaning toward the Pennsy and that is what I'm modeling in N scale. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 28, 2004 1:46 PM GN and UP, I grew up close to the Seattle to Vancouver main line so the GN is a gimmee. They also had great steam and electrics. UP for all of its locomotives,steam, turbines and diesels. They both crossed a great diversity of country. After those two, Rio Grande, Santa Fe. NP and espee. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 28, 2004 11:29 AM my favorite railroad is the Adirondack Scenic RR it origanated in the 1800s by someone (I forgot his name...........) who wanted to get into his camp in the adirondack park. I belive in the 60s it merged with NYC RR and in the late 60s was abandoned. then it was temporaraly reopened for the 1980s olypics in lake placid. then in 1992 the Adirondack RailRoad Preservation Sociaty reopened as a turist line. Today it is still running Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 27, 2004 10:19 PM Bangor & Arostook, but don't ask why... Ciao ALM Reply Edit spankybird Member sinceApril 2003 From: Willoughby, Ohio 5,231 posts Posted by spankybird on Friday, August 27, 2004 6:40 PM We like the C & O. this is just part of it, check out our web page and see more of it tom I am a person with a very active inner child. This is why my wife loves me so. Willoughby, Ohio - the home of the CP & E RR. OTTS Founder www.spankybird.shutterfly.com Reply railman Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: Midwest 718 posts Posted by railman on Friday, August 27, 2004 9:47 AM hands down, in my book- the late great Milwaukee Road. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 27, 2004 12:05 AM [:)]My three favorites are the big three interurbans that served the Chicago area. I grew up on the South Side and lived near Grand Crossing where I could watch all the big guys and the magnificent streak of orange which was the South Shore. When we would travel to my grandmothers I had the opportunity to ride on the greatest of all the interurbans the North Shore. The road of service. Speed and punctuality marked the operation. When I was 14 we moved to Elmhurst and I had the opportunity to ride the Great Third Rail more times than I can remember. The Roaring Elgin was the most bucolic of the three and would light up the line at night as those third rail shoes would shuttle along. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, August 26, 2004 1:34 PM America's favorite railroad is the Pennsylvania. My second choice is the Southern because they kept the Crescent around for all those years. Reply Edit ClinchValleySD40 Member sinceJune 2001 From: Holly, MI 1,269 posts Posted by ClinchValleySD40 on Monday, August 23, 2004 10:10 AM Clinchfield #1. Southern, N&W, FEC, SCL, L&N, C&O all tied for #2. Larry http://www.youtube.com/user/ClinchValleySD40 http://www.flickr.com/photos/52481330@N05/ http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/page/1/ppuser/8745/sl/c Reply Valleyline Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: US 71 posts Posted by Valleyline on Saturday, August 21, 2004 8:15 AM It was hard to be a teenage railfan in 1940's Connecticut without the "New Haven" being your favorite railroad. It had everything from branch line locals, high speed main line running to heavy duty electrified operations. In addition to that it was railfan friendly with a large complement of wonderful employees. What more could you ask for? Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 20, 2004 2:04 PM There is little doubt that the Lackawanna (DL&W) was a "class act." I had the privilege of working a summer job and of all the roads I worked for (CNJ,Erie,RDG,NH&I,MCC,H&E,SVRR,BKRR,LVRC,TSRD,NH&VT,WACR,FWC) over m==the years in various capacities, the Lackawanna was the best overall. In looking over my old slides, photos, and movies, the property AND equipment were always in top notch shape. There is an old expression, "You can tell when a Lackawanna man enters the room-he does it with class!" Reply Edit 1234 SUBSCRIBER & MEMBER LOGIN Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more! Login Register FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP Get the Classic Trains twice-monthly newsletter Submit More great sites from Kalmbach Media Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
I am a person with a very active inner child. This is why my wife loves me so. Willoughby, Ohio - the home of the CP & E RR. OTTS Founder www.spankybird.shutterfly.com
Larry
http://www.youtube.com/user/ClinchValleySD40
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52481330@N05/
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/page/1/ppuser/8745/sl/c
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