On my RR I have 3 switchers as power units, different roadnames. All my rolling stock are from different roads, no one really stands out.
I assume/pretend one of the big players rolls thru town,drops off/picks up a cut of cars. My guys will deliver cars to the 15 customers, and then return the emtys/loads to the small yard for the next tru train.
Is this called a shortline,where only the power is owned by the Co. Or a interchange, branch or ?? Where are the lines drawen.
Could be a shortline with leased power, or a terminal switching company jointly owned by the 3 railroads that you locomotives are lettered for, each railroad providing a locomotive two the terminal railroad.
A shortline is a railroad that is a separate company from the class 1 (major railroad). If your railroad is owned by a company other than the UP, BNSF, NS, CSXT, KCS, CN, or CP (or AMTK) then it is a "shortline". The crews are not employees of the UP, BNSF, NS, CSXT, KCS, CN, or CP (or AMTK).
The power is really immaterial, they could own their own power, they could lease power from another railroad or a leasing company. What is says on the side of the engine really has nothing to do with it, except that the class one railroads probably would not be leasing a shortline power for an extended time.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Pioneer Valley Railroad is in Westfield, Ma with a small yard and connects to Holyoke, Ma. About sixteen miles.
Many hopper cars come in with plastic pellets to be unloaded by air pressuer into trailer trucks with hopper trailers for distribution to the companies that require plastic for coating or manufacturing products.
Connects with the CSX in Westfield and the Pan Am Railway in Holyoke, Ma where I sometimes see rolling stock stored on sidings.
They mostly are used for distribution in the area. I recall sometime ago seeing cars that looked like centerbeam cars.
You can see the distribution locations in Google maps.
I usually see a CF7 doing the work. They have more locos.
You can Google the railroad and see where they are, plus the loco roster. No idea how many of the locos are still in use or operational.
I use to work in a mill in Holyoke and sat at the end of a siding for lunch that is no longer used. An unlocked turnout was near me that was no longer used. Probably not the shortest RR though.
One in PA is about 4 and a half miles.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
With your description I'd call it a short line that serves an industrial area with multiple customers. The key is that it is a "common carrier" handling what ever comes along to its customers. An industrial railroad would only serve the one company and deny service to others. Examples would be some captive mining operations or large single owner industrial complexes such as a steel mill.
Ray
Conrail Shared Assetts is owned by both Norfolk Southern and CSX. They operate in Northern New Jersey, Southern New Jersey, and around the Detroit area. CSAO has diesels lettered for both of the owning railroads and at one time they wore Conrail paint with NS or CSX lettering on the cab.
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Mike Kieran
Port Able Railway
I just do what the majority of the voices in my head vote on.
If your diesels are a generation or two older than those of the connecting Class I they might have been purchased used and never repainted. A simple side of the cab patch, with a two digit number and your railroad's reporting marks, identify actual ownership. The big logo or speed-script name on the engine bay doors indicate that your shop crew puts keeping the machine running ahead of making it look pretty.
A sneaky trick would be to paint one or two of those doors gun metal grey - replacements for damaged doors, delivered in primer and not yet painted.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
UNCLEBUTCH On my RR I have 3 switchers as power units, different road names. All my rolling stock are from different roads, no one really stands out. I assume/pretend one of the big players rolls thru town,drops off/picks up a cut of cars. My guys will deliver cars to the 15 customers, and then return the emtys/loads to the small yard for the next tru train. Is this called a short line,where only the power is owned by the Co. Or a interchange, branch or ?? Where are the lines drawen.
On my RR I have 3 switchers as power units, different road names. All my rolling stock are from different roads, no one really stands out.
Is this called a short line,where only the power is owned by the Co. Or a interchange, branch or ?? Where are the lines drawen.
Sounds more like a terminal/switching road then a short line and there is a big difference. Terminal/switching roads serves industries within a city and suburbs just like you are doing a short line runs between towns on a former branch line or main line that the big road no longer wanted and the short line operator leases that track from either the railroad that owns ir or from the Port Authority that purchase that line..
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
tomikawaTT sneaky trick would be to paint one or two of those doors gun metal grey - replacements for damaged doors, delivered in primer and not yet painted.
Better would be to block out the road name with decals and add a locomotive leasing company initials like LTE,HELM GATX etc..
Thanks guys, You told me what I wanted to know but didn't know where to look
The AAR and the Fed's basically classify railroads by several criteria, with revenues the major consideration.
Class 1 are large railroads like BNSF, UP, CSX, CP, CN, NS and KCS. In the 'old' days, lines like GN, C&NW, PRR and SP would be Class 1 Roads.
Class 2 are generally 'regional' lines like MRL. In previous times, MStL, CGW and DSSA would have been Class 2 roads.
Class 3 lines are generally short lines and terminal switching operations.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
jrbernier The AAR and the Fed's basically classify railroads by several criteria, with revenues the major consideration.
And size is generally rated by operating revenue, in 2011 dollars they would be.
Class 1 $450 Million
Class 2 $37 Million
Class 3 Less than $20 Million
dehusman jrbernier The AAR and the Fed's basically classify railroads by several criteria, with revenues the major consideration. And size is generally rated by operating revenue, in 2011 dollars they would be. Class 1 $450 Million Class 2 $37 Million Class 3 Less than $20 Million
Dave,You are absolutely correct and there is several short lines and switching roads that has revenues between 20-40 million and technically a Class 2 even though they may operate on less then 25 miles of track..