I like the BNSF. It has double. triple even quadruple track portions of its lines and is working on finishing double tracking the rest of its northern and southern trancson lines. It does not have to worry about Wall Street, Warren Buffet just lets its team of great mangers just run the railroad. I like mountain railroading so my favorite section of track is the Pikes Peak subdivision from Pueblo to Denver Colorado. They still use manned helpers for those very long very heavy trains to get over the Palmer divide. From Denver at 5280 feet up to the divide at 7980 feet then down to Pueblo at 4690 feet.
I grew up on an Illinois Central branch line in Southern Illinois and loved the IC. However, it was a floundering railroad in the 1970s...barely survived.
The Chicago and Eastern Illinois has not been mentioned here. It is not the most obvious FF, but consider this...the merger and splitting of the C&EI allowed two railroads - L&N and Missouri Pacific to reach Chicago. By the time of the merger, the original intent of the railroad - coal hauler was pretty much over but what was left became two important mainlines to Chicago. Not bad for a small railroad that only ran in two states.
Ed
The Nickel Plate wasn't a part of that, it was Wabash to Toledo and then the W&LE on east toward the Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal.
ccltrains My favorite railroad is the hard luck Wheeling Pittsburgh Terminal. When Gould was assembling his transcontinental railroad he had a gap that he had to build. His transcontinental rail line consisted of the WP, D&RGW, MP, Wabash, NKP, W&LE, WPT, and WM. He had a gap between Pittsburgh Junction Ohio and Connellsville PA. He assembled this group of lines and built the WPT between Pittsburgh Junction and Pittsburgh. Then a financial panic hit and Gould lost his railroads. Several years later the stretch between and Pittsburgh and Connellsville was completed, but the Gould transcontinental idea had died.
My favorite railroad is the hard luck Wheeling Pittsburgh Terminal. When Gould was assembling his transcontinental railroad he had a gap that he had to build. His transcontinental rail line consisted of the WP, D&RGW, MP, Wabash, NKP, W&LE, WPT, and WM. He had a gap between Pittsburgh Junction Ohio and Connellsville PA. He assembled this group of lines and built the WPT between Pittsburgh Junction and Pittsburgh. Then a financial panic hit and Gould lost his railroads. Several years later the stretch between and Pittsburgh and Connellsville was completed, but the Gould transcontinental idea had died.
Since I missed this thread before... D&H of course, "We were doing Precision Scheduled Railroading when Hunter Harrison was in Kindergarten!" -Some random T-shirt I saw online
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
5632 was a magnificent machine.
https://www.reddit.com/r/trains/comments/e1hbgk/cbq_5632_steaming_through_the_highlands_commuter/
it is too bad one of the survivors have not been restored.
Within my hometown, the C&NW and CA&E. Nearby, CGW, IC and the the CB&Q, which ran steam excursions when I was a teen.
My favorites would be Monon and Erie Lackawanna. Both ran on the CWI within a few hundred yards of where I grew up. Monon had C420's on everything, including the "Thoroughbred", and EL had RS3's on locals and transfers, with mostly a variety of SD45 models on the through freights.
My favorite is the Northern Pacific!! I hired out on the NP in 1966 and retired from the BNSF in 2004, all as a clerk in Minneapolis Yards.
Ed Burns
My favorite railroad is the hard luck Wheeling Pittsburgh Terminal. When Gould was assembling his transcontinental railroad he had a gap that he had to build. His transcontinental rail line consisted of the WP, D&RGW, MP, Wabash, NKP, W&LE, WPT, and WM. He had a gap between Pittsburgh Junction Ohio and Connellsville PA. He assembled this group of lines and built the WPT between Pittsburgh Junction and Pittsburgh. Then a financial panic hit and Gould lost his railroads. Several years later the stretch between and Pittsburgh and Connellsville was completed, but the Gould transcontinental idea had died. Thanks to bankruptcy and buy outs/sales the WPT morphed from WPT to P&WV, N&W, NS, and finally being part of the reconstituted W&LE. I saw part of the dismantling of the WPT bridge at the end of WW 2 over the Monongahela river at Pittsburgh and 12 years later I walked their bridge over the Ohio river as we lived just north of the river crossing. Do not recommend this as I met a train coming my way.
Of course mine has to be the Frisco. Mom was 3rd generation to work for them after her grandpa came from Ireland and laid track for them in MO. All 5 sons went to work for them, 4 as conductors freight and then passengers, incl. my grandpa, one stayed as switchman, daughter married an engineer. Mom went to work for them too as keypuncher at General Office in St. Louis, met Dad at company picnic, he started at freight house and later Lindenwood Yard and the office. Only reason I did not was because they were moving most of office staff to Springfield, MO and I do not want to do that. So we were definitely a Frisco family and why I have that as my logo and screename. Sunnyland was their last passenger train to Memphis and farther south. Stopped running in 1967 so they never joined Amtrak. I do like others too, like SP which took us part way to CA 3 times on their combined City of St. Louis with UP. Others we took trips on Dad's pass, B&O, IC, Wabash, Pennsy, NYC, ACL, and the original CZ with WP, RG, and Q.But that last one was with tour group, Dad could not get pass for that and never rode Santa Fe for that reason either. Friends and I rode with CP and CN in Canada, never been on VIA. They are not fallen flags except for their passenger trains. Same with UP
Kewaunee, Green Bay & Western.
With the Ann Arbor and their ferries to Kewaunee on the east end, and the Milwaukee Road at Winona on the west end, fast freight auto parts to the St. Paul Ford Plant presaged just-in-time delivery. The freights were pulled by 1929-built 2-8-0s and 1936-built 2-8-2s with 64-inch Boxpok drivers.
https://www.midcontinent.org/equipment-roster/steam-locomotives/kewaunee-green-bay-western-49/21-2-tif/
https://www.steamlocomotive.com/whyte/2-8-2/USA/photos/gbw401-builders.jpg
http://w.greenbayroute.com/s_402_1938.htm
Toledo, St. Louis & Western - "The Clover Leaf Route", home of "The Commercial Traveler", merged into NKP in 1922.
Illinois Terminal has my vote. It may not have been the largest interurban railroad (that was the Pacific Electric), but it apparently had the longest distant lines you could ride over.
Here's my list:
Santa Fe
Southern Pacific
Burlington Northern
Chicago Burlington & Quincy
Gulf Mobile & Ohio
Denver & Rio Grande Western
Missouri Pacific Lines
Missouri Kansas Texas Lines
Texas & Pacific
Rock Island
Milwaukee Road
Kansas City Southern
Louisville & Nashville
New York Central
Pennsylvania
Erie
Lackawanna
Baltimore & Ohio
Chesapeake & Ohio
I can't believe I forgot my other top FF. The Great Northern. The GN is responsible for setting the groundwork for our beautiful National Park system with the establishment of Glacier National Park. The first private construction of a transcon without land grants. GN was the epitome of efficiency building out as traffic and resources allowed.
It's all personal to me. No 1: Monon-close to home, first passenger trips, family worked for them. No. 2: Rock Island-most passenger trips, ran through back our HS campus so watched trains there often. No. 3 tied:Wabash and Nickel Plate-the other two lines that were close to home and often watched.
Wow. So many to choose from (sadly).
Class 1's: SAL. I live very near the old SAL Columbia-Hamlet line and cut my teeth railfanning the SCL there growing up.
Frisco. Grew up for a little while in Amory, MS on the SL-SF mainline.
Rio Grande. 'Nuff said.
Shortlines: Piedmont & Northern. The South's only interurban, and built well and in the right places. While much of it has been sold off, it is almost still complete in the hands of shortlines.
Oahu Railway. The Standard Railroad Of The Pacific. A truly amazing railroad on Oahu in Hawaii. 12 miles still exist in the hands of the Hawaiian Railway Society. I had the pleasure to work on the line for 3 years.
Columbia, Newberry & Laurens. A heavy-duty funnel for ACL traffic that is still a major CSX route.
I'll second the Mineapolis and St. Louis. I remember their red locomotive led trains passing a lake we lived on in Albert Lea, MN. Always thought it interesting that their their principal line was Minneapolis - Peoria, but technically never made it to St. Louis. Just like the Frisco never made it to San Francisco I suppose. Similarily, did the CB&Q really go "Everywhere West"? Or, why did the Rock include "Pacific" in their name? If I had to guess, friendly connections coupled with operating agreements may have given license to proclaim an expanded system. Not a rant, just an observation.
The Rock Island and the Minneapolis & St. Louis. Dad was born by the Rock Island tracks. Mom was born on a farm where the M&StL cut through the corner. I was born in a town that had both railroads. If I die on my property, it will be next to the BNSF.
SD60MAC9500 I thoroughly enjoy fallen flags just as much as anyone else in the hobby and have my favorites. They may be cherished for; paint scheme, good freight and passenger service, work environment, or just plain good ole' PR. Though I want to look at this from a different perspective. The innovation these FF have brought to the table, and how modern RR's benefit from these past creations. I'll start with my list and just a brief explanantion why they are held in my personal regard: Southern Pacific; Not only my top FF. SP is responsible for double stack technology. While they failed to capitalize on their own creation with a prototype produced by American Car Foundry. It wasn't until American President Lines and Sea-Land offered land bridge service with SP and later UP that the concept took off. Double Stacking greatly increased utilization, efficiency and train productivity. New York Central; NYC has many innovations under it's belt from early containerization experiments in the early 1900's to Flexi-Van. The first modern hump yards utilizing automation. Along with creating the first CTC and car reader systems. Santa Fe; The harbinger of mainline Diesel Locomotives to serve in the water stressed Southwest. Santa Fe led the charge in DEL's leading to more efficient operation. Santa Fe would later become a innovator in Intermodal. Intermodal would not have gathered its momentum without ATSF. From Fuel Foiler to the landmark deal with JB Hunt in 1989. Santa Fe set the tone for future intermodal business and successor BNSF continues this legacy. Who's on your list and why?
I thoroughly enjoy fallen flags just as much as anyone else in the hobby and have my favorites. They may be cherished for; paint scheme, good freight and passenger service, work environment, or just plain good ole' PR.
Though I want to look at this from a different perspective. The innovation these FF have brought to the table, and how modern RR's benefit from these past creations. I'll start with my list and just a brief explanantion why they are held in my personal regard:
Southern Pacific; Not only my top FF. SP is responsible for double stack technology. While they failed to capitalize on their own creation with a prototype produced by American Car Foundry. It wasn't until American President Lines and Sea-Land offered land bridge service with SP and later UP that the concept took off. Double Stacking greatly increased utilization, efficiency and train productivity.
New York Central; NYC has many innovations under it's belt from early containerization experiments in the early 1900's to Flexi-Van. The first modern hump yards utilizing automation. Along with creating the first CTC and car reader systems.
Santa Fe; The harbinger of mainline Diesel Locomotives to serve in the water stressed Southwest. Santa Fe led the charge in DEL's leading to more efficient operation. Santa Fe would later become a innovator in Intermodal. Intermodal would not have gathered its momentum without ATSF. From Fuel Foiler to the landmark deal with JB Hunt in 1989. Santa Fe set the tone for future intermodal business and successor BNSF continues this legacy.
Who's on your list and why?
I suppose favorites would be where one once lived. For me, it’s Central New Jersey roads – Pennsylvania RR, Lehigh Valley, Reading, Jersey Central, Raritan River, Rahway Valley, New York Central, Erie, Lackawanna, Erie-Lackawanna and later in life the Santa Fe and Denver & Rio Grande Western.I recall the great train wreck of The Broker in Woodbridge, NJ; the runaway diesel locomotive of the Jersey Central stopped in South Amboy, the B&O passenger trains riding the Jersey Central rails to Jersey City, the coal trains heading towards Perth Amboy on the Lehigh Valley branch, the old Tuscan Red PRR MUs commuter trains to Newark and Penn Station NY, and the original NY Penn Station. After a hurricane damaged Erie’s mainline along the Delaware River, Erie’s long haul freights plied the PRR’s Northeast Corridor until normal service could be restored. Lots more comes to mind as I reminisce.Why? It’s a busy bygone era that will never be seen again.
RJ Emery near Santa Fe, NM
For me it is Missouri Pacific, Rock Island, Cotton Belt in that order. An MP branch ran within 100 ft of my house growing up, RI was the orphan line in town and Cotton Belt was all the way accross town so I had little contact with it.
Lithonia OperatorWell, GARR is known for being perhaps the last Class 1 with a mixed train. So there! Well, I THINK it (combined with AWP and WofA) was a Class 1 ...
Well, I THINK it (combined with AWP and WofA) was a Class 1 ...
In the CSX Dispatching Center the Georgia Sub was known as the worst of both forms of rules that were in effect for the property. It had 'automatic block signals' however, the signal system was not trusted to the extent that trains could have 'proceed blocks' to FOLLOW a preceeding train on signal indication. Trains had to possess and then release a block for a following train to obtain the block and operate through that block.
The Automatic Block Signal System on the A&WP/WofA was robust enough for following trains to operate on 'proceed blocks' and follow preceding trains on signal indication authorization.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Well, GARR is known for being perhaps the last Class 1 with a mixed train. So there!
Still in training.
Back to SD70MAC's original theme, technology: My favorite road, Missouri Pacific, developed computerized freight car tracking (originally using punch cards) adopted by other roads. Not as flashy as double-stacks and intermodal, but an important advancement nevertheless.
cefinkjr BaltACD B&O - created the industry. Do I detect a little bit of bias there, Balt? I'll match you and add very early use of computers to the innovations that can be credited to NYC.
BaltACD B&O - created the industry.
B&O - created the industry.
Do I detect a little bit of bias there, Balt?
I'll match you and add very early use of computers to the innovations that can be credited to NYC.
https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/businessdevelopment/how-baltimore-invented-the-modern-world/
Virginian RWY (VGN) because my grandfather was an engineer. As a child, I rode in the cab of his FM H16-44 sometimes.
ChuckAllen, TX
CB&Q Obviously - the road of Presidents i.e groomed more presidents for other RR's than any other RR. The innovator of Zephyrs, etc and THE 1st name of America's biggest/best RR - BN! (after all the wizard of Omaha bought them rather than the UP despite it being in his backyard!)
Chicago Great Western. Noted for 10 F-Unit lash ups, early developer of TOFC, unique rural rail hub (Oelwein), and one of the last Class 1 railroads ever built. At peak, less total route miles than the Milwaukee Road's Pacific Coast Extension but magaged to serve the major gateways of Chicago, Kansas City, Omaha, and the Twin Cities. Nearly all track has been abandoned.
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