What railroad(s) did we grow up by?

[Anonymous]

Growing up in Lincroft/Middletown New Jersey the railroad was the New York and Long Branch. Got to see CNJ freights and passenger trains. I particularly remember the multi colored trains when either CNJ or NJDOT picked up a bunch of Great Northern/Burlington Northern etc passenger cars. Also there were always PRR/PC E units. When my dad and I would take the train to NYC the coolest was when the engines were switched at Amboy to GG1's. Way cool railroading!

[Anonymous]

I grew up near a Chrysler assembly plant serviced by the CNW with car carriers and huge 89' high cube box cars.

---jps

[johngraser]

A Southern Pacific branch in Huntington Beach, CA

John

[n2mopac]

I grew up in West-Central Missouri along the origional Missouri Pacific line between St. Louis and Kansas City. I was a teenager when MoPac merged with UP, so I watched the flaming chickens turn to Canaries and eventually blend into pure UP colors/schemes. I have since lived in two other towns along that some line, including my present home. For several years we would see quite a bit of CSX equipment/locos along this line, but those days are obviously gone. This is also the line that carries the Missouri Mule, Amtrak's versions of MoPac's old twice daily round trip between St. L. and KC.

I lived for 4 years in a town in North West Missouri which had mains for BNSF (this was just post merger, so we saw lots of Santa Fe, BN, and early merger paint schemes) and Norlolk Southern (former Wabash line).

Ron

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Harrington Park, NJ, two houses east of the NYC West Shore line. Double track and commuter trains were the norm until 1959. Lightning striped RS3's on the commuter trains are a vivid memory, other NYC power is a little vague, but FM C-liners with their big headlights were a little spooky to me as a first grader walking to school. And I did see the Krauss-Maffei DRGW hydraulic demo set....that was my show-and-tell contribution that morning.

Three Erie lines were within short driving distance. Closest was the Northern Branch in Closter, NJ. A little farther in the other direction was the Pascack Valley Branch (or the New Jersey & New York). The Erie main line was a little farther away...my first intercity train ride started in Ridgewood, NJ in the spring of 1961 with my grandmother to visit relatives in Horseheads, NY.

[Anonymous]

I grew up a few blocks from the Milwaukee Roads, Milwaukee to Chicago Main, and if you took a short walk you could see the CNW's Chicago to Milwaukee Main.

[Anonymous]

Wow... Where I grew up in eastern VA, it was N & W and the Southern. There was an N & W branch line a couple of tenths of a mile from where I lived, with a siding at a sand pit. We used to climb all over the hopper cars several times a week. I think it was the Southern that ran the train ferry across the Chesapeake Bay to the Eastern Shore; the south point being at Little Creek, very close to where I lived. Traveling on the northern side of Hampton Roads, one would see C & O. During the summer, we almost always went to West Virginia, and I remember seeing Virginian coal trains winding through the Appalachians.... Yea... I'm old, don't say it....

[Anonymous]

I live next to the "Heart of Wales line" - it's been dubbed this by the enthusiasts though it's part of the normal British Rail (now some private operator, think it's Arriva at the moment) network. There's a load of photos of the line back in the '80s here www.railcar.co.uk/Gallery/Heart.htm though we don't get those old railcars now - pity really, the units from that era had decent seats and a good view out - now you're folded up like a deckchair and unable to see ahead (the old railcars were set up so you could see the line ahead over the driver's shoulder)!

[retsignalmtr]

i grew up in the bronx ny across the street from the NYC'S harlem line in the 50's and 60's.. it was also three blocks from the railroads mott haven yard where the 20th century was brought for service. the line was also shared by the new haven. i saw many passenger and freight trains and i also watched a freight train as it was derailing. my grandfather worked for the nyc, my father worked for the nyc, pc and conrail. my younger brother worked for the pc and conrail. i was the black sheep of the family that went to work for the nyc subway.

[Anonymous]

Virginian,

That ferry to Little Creek always fasinated me when I was stationed there. I always hoped we get underway so that we would pass close to one . . . but never happened.

[Anonymous]

Mostly Conrail and BN. Moved to Chattanooga TN in 98, which of course is the home of a NS Debutts yard, so lots of those. Live in Southern Ohio now, where there's mostly CSX and NS, but you see the occasional UP or BNSF going by while in Huntington, WV, just across the river.

[garr]

I grew up along the Georgia Railroad in Thomson, GA. I was a teenager in the late '70's and used to ride the Georgia Railroad's mixed trains frequently. An 11 mile ride in a dusty, make that a very dusty, Budd coach at the caboose end of a 125 car freight cost 36 cents. The railroad would only bring the train to a slow crawl and the conductor or flagman would grab my arm and pull me aboard. Usually after the running boarding, the train would stop anyway since it was fighting a grade when going west towards Camak. Imagine this procedure today in our litigious society!

The mixed trains stopped running in 1983 when CSX was formed. I was away at college and did not get to ride the last run. However CSX took them out in style.

Jay

[espeefoamer]

From birth to age 15 months,PRR. From age 2 to 4,SP main line. After age 4 UP main line with SP freights operating on trackage rights.

[jabrown1971]

I grew up in Edwardsville, Il......along the N & W (NKP) line and the CNW (L & M). In my young days I remember long NW freights moving through town, meeting other freights, and 4 or more CNW trains a day. The Illinois Terminal would also put in an appearance via trackage rights from nearby LeClaire tower. Long gone was the traction line to Peoria, but the T & E Belt still had action. In the early 80's the NW through freights moved to the ex Wabash main across town, the NW bought the IT and closed the T & E and LeClaire tower, then NS abandoned the NKP line through town followed by the UP taking out the CNW. My parents still live in that house, but the trains no longer go by it.

[Anonymous]

The B & O and the Pennsylvania RR. The Reading was not to far away. I love the Pennsy because of its 4 tracks and track running all day long.

[Anonymous]

I think I had the best of both worlds. One block east of my home was the PRR, and best of all the PRR yard. One block west of me was the great WMRY. I used to watch both alot. At the PRR yard I could watch the turntable running, engines in the roundhouse and see what was going on in the train shops, and when I walked to school I could watch the WMRY switching on major sidings in my town. Thirteen miles north was where Reading track began and 24 miles south was the Hagerstown MD yard. Although I never went to Hagerstown to watch as I couldn't drive : ) . Also though I don't remember (lol no I am not THAT old) there was the Cumberland VAlley Railroad. So I have to say I enjoyed myself alot and have MANY nice memories.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in the early '70's. The Milwaukee Road came right through the middle of the entire town and had two sidings where grain could be loaded from two elevators. Then the Milwaukee pulled up tracks around 1981 and that was it. The Burlington Northern ran a very busy track 7 miles from my hometown and right through my Grandparents town. I spent alot of time by Gpa & Gma and the BN line was one block from there house so I remember running to meet the passing trains with my cousins alot.

Today, that BN line is now a very busy BNSF line and I live one mile from it. My son and I still chase after trains! A farily busy UP line is about 15 miles from me and I pass it nearly everyday at work so I get my "fix" of UP's there.

[bcammack]

Alaska Railroad. 1956-1972

[Morpar]

I have 3 in my hometown (Frankfort, IN.). The main (and still operating) was N&W (former NKP) going right through town. I watched a lot of work getting done at the then still operating turntable and roundhouse. Next closest to my house was the Penn Central (former Pennsy), this was the line we hiked out of town for about 2 miles on our hunting trips. Last was the L&N (former Monon), this line ran alongside PC on the north side of town and had a field full of rabbits between them! We usually followed the L&N north from town, almost to where I live now. I have a lot of old (and not very good!) photos of the different trains that we saw on these various trips. The best were the winter shots, watching the trains plow through some rather deep snow.
Today, NS runs trough town, bringing locos from all over the country. I remember that a Union Pacific loco was a very strange sight back then, now I can see UP, BNSF, WC, SP, pretty much you name it going by the yards now. The old Monon has long been abandoned, I actually saw the last train ran on this part of the line from my current home. The old Pennsy still has trackage intact just north of town, but I rarely see any CSX trains on it. I do believe that Frankfort's days as a "railroad town" are pretty much gone, but at least there is still some activity. I really wish someone could persuade NS to reawaken it's steam program again. I got to see 611 the first time it came through town, plus 759 and 587 a time or two. My kids deserve to see the same!!

[Anonymous]

Guilford Transportation during the late 80's, early 90's.

[Anonymous]

I grew up near the Maine Central / Portland Terminal and the eastern end of the B&M. My grand father and dad both worked for Maine Central in Portland. I spent many weekends with my dad at Rigby Yard in So. Portland. Now I live on Guilford's NH mainline.

NHGUY21

[JPowell]

Well, I was brought up watching Conrail doing action in and around the DeWitt NY hump yard that they had. Now, I live even closer to the yard...about a 5 minute trip from my current houseand it's all CSX w/ the occasional NS, CN, and very rare BNSF's and UP's. My great grandfather was a conductor w/ NYC working out of either here in Syracuse NY or Auburn NY. The hump is no longer a part of the CSX mix, but the DeWitt Yard is very busy now as a Intermodal yard.
I have a spur that serves a local beer distrobutor across the street from my house that I get to see CSX GP38-2's on atleast 2x a week. I'm thinking of modeling my block w/ the beer distro @ the end of it on my layout.
Since the local UAW unions here voted last week to accept the contract to become New Process Gear, Inc, I'm wondering if the new parent company, Magna, Int. (a Canadian co) is thinking of having CSX start serving the facility again, since they (Magna) want to make it the headquarters for their drivetrain unit?

[Anonymous]

Nothing near my childhood home. But for ten years (1950 - 1959) my parents took us on family vacations to a cottage on Rock Lake near Lake Mills WI. CNW's Madison - Milwaukee line was located directly behind our cottage. I can still vividly recall the daily three- car passenger train - E unit and heavy weight mail storage car, RPO, and coach. Local freights were powered by Alco RS-2s or 3s with huge mars lights on top of the nose at each end. Occasionally extra trains were operated over the line including some steam powered freights, and a diverted Dakota "400". We used to fish off the huge crossbeams of the CNW trestle near the lake. My parents would warn us to keep our heads down and don't panic if a train ever came. Well, one day a train came, and their advice paid off. Needles to say my CNW experience at Lake Mills WI played a very big role in developing my interest in trains.

[Anonymous]

In my home town of Langenburg, Saskatchewan, CP runs right through town, so as I kid I grew up watching CP. I also have a lot of exposure to CN, too, though, as they're pretty prominent here as well.

[Ziggy]

Grew up a couple miles from the L&N Evansville Howell yards, till I was about 5. My grandfather was engineer with the L&N, running mostly Evansville to St. Louis runs... frieght and passenger. He would take me down to the yard sometimes and would get to climb all over the engines and cars. I got a few pictures doing that. Rode in the cab with him on the last passenger train service on that line between Mt. Vernon and Evansville.
Moved to Mt. Vernon in '75, barely used old C&EI line was about 1/4 mile behind our house (country) across the fields. My aunt and cousins lived in town with their backyard connected to the right of way through town for the L&N, and the depot was right on the other side of the tracks from there.

Ahhh... the good ol' days.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jabrown1971

I grew up in Edwardsville, Il......along the N & W (NKP) line and the CNW (L & M). In my young days I remember long NW freights moving through town, meeting other freights, and 4 or more CNW trains a day. The Illinois Terminal would also put in an appearance via trackage rights from nearby LeClaire tower. Long gone was the traction line to Peoria, but the T & E Belt still had action. In the early 80's the NW through freights moved to the ex Wabash main across town, the NW bought the IT and closed the T & E and LeClaire tower, then NS abandoned the NKP line through town followed by the UP taking out the CNW. My parents still live in that house, but the trains no longer go by it.

Yeah, Edwardsville's railroads just kind of got butchered up...You used to have the NYC, NKP, maybe the C&EI, and Wabash lines all coming into town from the Northeast. Then almost all of the tracks heading into town from the NE got abandoned.

I should also note that before the KCS, there used to be a regional around here named the Gateway Western until 1997 when the KCS bought them out, I don't really remember anything about them but every once in a while I still see a car with Gateway Western painted across it.

[Anonymous]

I could watch the 1950s Missouri Pacific from my front porch. A bicycle took me to Frisco's Lindenwood Yard(Frisco freight was still black and yellow then), and a short walk took me to some T.R.R.A. (Terminal Railroad Association)trackage. In the late 60s my wife and I lived by the UP main in Kansas. Now it's BNSF, UP, KCS and Amtrack.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in a town who had very little service by the Reading that was then on it's deathbed. About 15 Miles away Reading still had passenger service up until the mid 70's to Pottsville, PA with an RDC.
The best part was my Aunt lived in St Clair PA and right across the street was the Readings M<ill Creek Yard. It was massive and had all of the old buildings such as a Roundhouse and Coaling tower still in it. Today it the home of an industrial park and one track to Service Yuengling Beer Americas Oldest Brewery. Dave

[AltonFan]

The first trains I ever watched were Milwaukee Road trains that ran by a playground where my Dad used to take me when I was very, very, young.

When we moved to the suburbs, the Soo Line was about a mile to the east, and the Chicago and North Western New Line (which was shared at this point with the Milwaukee Road) was about a mile to the west. By the time I was in high school, the Regional Transit Authority took over the C&NW commuter trains, and before long, RTA gave way to Metra.

I was bummed when the Milwaukee Road was absorbed first by Soo Line, then by Canadian Pacific. I liked having three railroads run through town. But I was cheered when Wisconsin Central started running on the former Soo Line tracks. I was even happier when WC began allowing steam excursions. I was able to watch Frisco 1522 and CMStP&P 261.

[jrbernier]

I grew up in the 50's in Minnesota. My grandfather worked of the Chicago Great Western, and my first train ride was on the Burlington 'Morning Zephyr'. As a teenager, I hung around the St Paul Union Depot and watched the streamliners/locals from many midwestern roads. I later worked for both the 'Q' and the Milwaukee for summer jobs.
My modeling is centered around Milwaukee branchlines in SW Wisconsin. But I do have things like a CGW RS-2, a GN E7A,and a CRI&P E8A in my display case. I love to look at that Rock Island E8A with it's classy paint scheme(just as God & EMD meant a passenger engine to look like..).
I tend to feel that many of us tend to model what we saw when we really got serious about scale railroading. For me, that is the late 50's and early 60's. I have a friend who started modeling in the late 80's - All of his models are SD60/dash 9/etc with current paint schemes.

Jim Bernier