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Interested in learning about historic railroad towns

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  • Member since
    July 2019
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Interested in learning about historic railroad towns
Posted by A Train Dog on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 3:52 PM

I live in a Virginia town that has quite a bit of railroad traffic. I enjoy trains and easy access to going trackside and watching the trains. However, I might be having to move south. Do you live in a railroad town? Does it see quite a bit of railroad traffic? If so, where is it? Thank you. 

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Posted by MMLDelete on Friday, January 24, 2020 1:10 PM

Where are you moving to? If you are anywhere near Folkston GA, you'll want to visit. LOTS of trains, and pleasant place to watch them.

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Posted by A Train Dog on Saturday, February 22, 2020 1:53 PM

Lithonia Operator

Where are you moving to? If you are anywhere near Folkston GA, you'll want to visit. LOTS of trains, and pleasant place to watch them.

 

i haven't decided yet. I am still looking for ideas of great places with trains. Thank you for sharing this town.

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Posted by BaltACD on Saturday, February 22, 2020 5:31 PM

There is a big diffence between a 'railroad town' and a town where railroads operate a lot of trains.

Folkston is where CSX operates a lot of trains, it is not a railroad town.  Waycross was a major railroad town - where a high percentage of all employment in the town was dependent upon those employed by the railroad.  Railroad employment in Waycross has been in decline for all this century.

Railroad towns are getting fewer and further between them.  PSR is decreasing all levels of employment that are required to operate a railroad - hence, railroad employment is decreasing in all the towns that relied on the railroad to be the towns prime employer.  Many towns that were once railroad towns are just towns that railroads may operate through - in other cases there are a number of railroad towns that have had both the employment and the tracks removed.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by samfp1943 on Sunday, February 23, 2020 9:22 AM

BaltACD wrote the following post[in part]

"...Many towns that were once railroad towns are just towns that railroads may operate through - in other cases there are a number of railroad towns that have had both the employment and the tracks removed..."

Parsons, Ks. currently resembles the above statement; It was founded in 1871 by Judge Levi Parsons as a Division point on the, then UnionPacific Rwy (Southern Branch) "The Katy" _Missouri, Kansas and Texas RR of which he was the president. 

 At oner time, it was estimated that there were about 7,000(?) Katy employees at Parsons [Major Shop Center, Yards, Offices,etc.].   Currently, it is a town that functions as a small yard, and crew change location on UPRR.  The former shop buildings are now 'owned'(?) by a railroad contractor(?).

 

 

 

 


 

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Posted by A Train Dog on Sunday, February 23, 2020 5:22 PM

Thank you! I didn't realize that. Manassas, VA isn't a railroad town by that definition. The town was built around it and it sees a lot of trains. I am looking for a town which sees a lot of train traffic. 

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    October 2015
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Posted by MP176 on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 8:15 AM

Chatham New York (MP 177 CSX Boston Line)  20 trains on CSX and 2 Amtrac's

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