What railroad(s) did we grow up by?

[Anonymous]

I grew up about a mile from Taylor yard in Los Angeles used to watch all the SP movement there. Even saw the Daylight run thru sometime in the late 80's. To bad it's all gone now.

Chris

[Anonymous]

I live in Norwich, CT and the Maine Central comes thru here I saw once. And The Providence and Worcester. I see that all the time. I think They have U23B units come thru.

[grayfox1119]

The old Boston and Albany line ran through our town, the Rochdale section of Leicester, Ma. This line later merged with the NYC, and now Amtrak and CSX run through the line.
My grandfather's house was one town south of us, Oxford, Ma, and the New Haven ran through that town. Now the line belongs to the Providence and Worcester Railroad.

***

[bikerraypa]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mapep

Delaware, Lackawanna & Western-Peapack, Gladstone branch till Kindergarten then Central Railroad of New Jersey, High Bridge Railroad branch. Even commuted from Raritan, NJ to Elizabeth, NJ of the CNJ in my 30's. Now live accross the Allegheny River from the Buffalo & Pittsburgh, a division of the Gennessee & Wyoming!

I get home from work late on a pretty regular basis because I stop to watch the B&P working the refineries in Petrolia.

I grew up with the Western Allegheny in my backyard, across the creek.

[Anonymous]

Grew up south of Chicago, just old enough to remember NYC geeps on the Joliet branch, EJ&E Baldwin centercabs, C&EI freight trains zipping by downtown Chicago Heights as I ate fries in the old Kresges lunch counter while mom shopped. And mom had a sister in California, so visits would start at Joliet and i can still see that mars light on the lead Santa Fe F-7 on the Grand Canyon comin' round the bend.

[Anonymous]

In 1960s it was the Santa Fe in Wichita, KS I remember psgr trains such asTX Chief, San Fran Chief, Kansas Cityan/Chicagon plus aset of mail trains. The old switchers, painted in black & white, looked nice. In the 1970s/80s it was the SF and the Missouri Pacific in Newton, KS The Mopac operated a daytime local turn that I watched for several yrs. SF trains and yard switchers provided action. One block from the house was a large flour mill that SF switched twice a day everyday. This job would also work the MP transfer also. SW12 and high nosed gp7/9's were power used during this time.

[jockellis]

Three blocks away from my house on Connecticut Ave. in Atlanta was the Pullman plant at the beginning of the Georgia Railroad yards alongside DeKalb Ave. In 1950 or '51 and I was about two years old, my Mom and I were walking to a store when I saw a steam locomotive on a side track. Three diseasels were also in view, but of course I don't remember them. When I was 21 and in college, I climbed into the cab of a dead steam locomotive and was seen by a GA road worker who yelled at me: "Get the hell off there!"
Jock Ellis

[boomer5344]

Missouri Pacific, Rock Island, Cotton Belt w/ Frisco, KCS, MKT nearby.

[Anonymous]

Erie & Lackawanna, There where two railroad stations in Mountain View NJ. I still can see the steam locomotives entering and leaving the stations. Standing within a few feet of the drive wheels as they would do their initial slip on the rails as the engine would start to move. Also the burned grass on the sides of the rails from the hot cinders. Flying my Kites on the route 23 over pass as the locomotives passed underneath with all the smoke and steam. this was during the late 1940's early 1950's.
Now that we are retired we see the BNFS in Sourthern Missouri.
Rich Buttler

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Watertown, Connecticut and remember in my earlier days watching trains run up thru town along the old Naugatuck Valley Line that ran north next to the Naugatuck River. The last train to come thru town was on February 7th, 1974. I was 7 yrs old and remember it like it was yesterday. It was a local freight pulled by Penn Central #9354 (I found out detail info later in life when I began researching the road). It was a cold snowy day and we had the day off from school due to the snow. Me and a few friends were sled riding near one of the 3 tressles in town and I remember seeing the snow flying off the tracks as the engine plowed its way through. I still to this day remember the engineer waving to us, he was an older man with a full beard, kinda looked like Santa Claus. Later that year, they ripped out the 3 tressles. A bunch of years after, when I was in my teens, I was into chasing the local fire department to calls and taking pictures before I was old enough to join. One night, they got a call for a structure fire in the old train depot in town. I remember standing there, watching the building burn to the ground. The building was standing on property that was bought by a local contractor to build a strip mall on. The story about the fire that was circulating at the time was that the contractor could not tear down the old depot because it was a registered historic landmark. He had repeatedly tried to get the building condemmed for demolition but was stpped by the local historic society. Very mysteriously one night, the depot building, which was in poor shape to begin with, caught fire, along with another old building almost 75 feet away on the property that was a feed and grain store (also protected as a historic landmark). Rumor had it that the contractor figured if he couldn't tear them down, then he'sd burn em. Supposedly, he hired a few local punks to do the deed (this info is from actual fire dept. records) but it was never proven, and to this day, no arrests were made, but the strip mall was built. I am currently building an HO scale layout of the old line that went through Watertown. Much of the land along the old tracks hasn't changed much in 30 yrs, and what isn't there anymore is pretty much in my head from memories of walking the tracks as a kid and watching the old trains coming in and out of the depot. I do have a few old pics of the depot and the last train if anyone wants to see them. Thinking back now about that rail line and the old depot and grain store saddens me to know that my children will never get to see them, all because of something called "progress".

[johncolley]

I grew up with SP and WP "The Wobbly" in Oakland, CA. My stepdad was a 22 year SP conductor when he passed away in '48. Now I am retired to the northwest and I model GN in the Cascades...go figure!

[chaya]

NP, GN, and Milwaukee Road. My first train ride was aboard a train headed up by an NP E-unit. As we drove across the Cascade Pass in the dark, I remember seeing the lights of Great Northerns winding slowly across the pass. I saw a lot of Frisco and Western Pacific freight cars as well. I was pretty sad when BN came into being and sucked up the old railroads. Once I'd moved to Santa Fe, however, I was delighted when BNSF showed up: an excuse to combine all my favorite railroads, including the AT&SF, into one! [:D]

[andrechapelon]

Moved around a lot as a kid.

D&RGW in Denver for a year.

SP, UP, ATSF Pomona, CA.

SP, ATSF in Mojave (last year of steam in Tehachapi)

SP in Tucson.

SP in the Bay Area.

Andre

[SP9811]

Southern Pacific, in California, from day one.
Thom

[trcarson]

C&O with red, then yellow, then blue, and then back to yellow Cabooses. Didn't like the B&O engines showinfg up...thought that the B&O was taking over. Didn't learn 'til later that it was the other way around.
Now I live near the joint line. Enjoyed railfanning before theose ugly yellow and gray things showed up.

[Anonymous]

DM&E until I moved, then BN a hair before the merger to BNSF.

[Anonymous]

I have always seen CONRAIL, NS, and THE EAST BROAD TOP

[CBQ_Guy]

Chicago, 1960's...

B&O, C&O, Pennsy, C&OCT in the old house. IC/GM&O in the new house. ATSF "near" my first apartment after marriage (Corwith Yard, no less!)

Currently BN (just sold off to Illinois Railnet) and CSX/IAIS (Ex RI).

I've been in "Train"ing my whole life! [:D]

[Anonymous]

Delaware, Lackawanna & Western-Peapack, Gladstone branch till Kindergarten then Central Railroad of New Jersey, High Bridge Railroad branch. Even commuted from Raritan, NJ to Elizabeth, NJ of the CNJ in my 30's. Now live accross the Allegheny River from the Buffalo & Pittsburgh, a division of the Gennessee & Wyoming!

[cpcolin]

I still live by CNW (now UP) and Soo Line (now CP) by Mayfair Junction. Lots of METRA trains and the local for the Weber Industrial lead (UP). Amtrak runs by along the CP with the Hiawatha to Milwaukee and the Empire Builder. We still get a few freights for CP mostly cofc and tofc. When Soo line was operating there would be more general merchandise trains.

[Anonymous]

I grew up with the DM&IR, DWP, Soo and BN all within a very short distance of my house. My father was a DM&IR fireman on the steam and an Engineer later on. I and my friends use to hop the DWP freights to get to various places in town. Wasn't the brightest thing to do but it was fun.

[Green Bay Paddlers]

BN along the "racetrack" from Aurora to Chicago. Triple-Tracking! Metra & AMTRAK run as well as a variety of mixed freight inbound/outbound to the Cicero yard and points east...

[cisco1]

Lived two miles from the CB&Q, watched red and white Geeps and F units (and the occasional U-boats) turn to BN green after the brief riot of color during the merger in '70. Later on in the early '80s, had the good fortune to see a few of the FRISCOs fine machines before the green tide covered them. Oh yeah, almost forgot, the Rock Island ran through my Grandmas backyard until its demise in the late '70s. All these and Grandmas house too are gone now but what memories!

[Fergmiester]

CN The double main line ran east/west through Ricmond Hill North of Toronto. I lived just about a mile South of Steeles Ave. I can still hear the Diesels rumbling up the gade as the train passed under Young St. working a freight towards the Yard in Concord. Use to go to the tracks with a friend and take pictures with an old Kodak Bellows Camera. Someday I will dig up those old photos.

[ozzy01]

Growing up in Dayton,Ohio it was the B&O,EL,PRR and NYC. Then Chessie System,EL and PC. Mid 70's Chessie and CR and DT&I via trackage rights on CR. After GT bought the DT&I it was Chessie,CR and GT/DT&I. Now , where I live it's CSX

[darth9x9]

Why Chessie of coarse!

[jpmorrison]

in 1960-1970 i grew up along milwaukee road what a great time

jeff

[egmurphy]

I grew up in southern Connecticut, in the heart of NY, NH, & H country, although there were no tracks very near our house. My uncle, who was a car inspector for the New Haven, lived out in East Haven, with a house that backed up on the mainline. I used to spend time at their house in the summer, and did see a lot of trains. Unfortunately, I wasn't a diehard railfan at the time and didn't pay close attention to what I was looking at. I don't remember seeing any steam, although it's possible that I saw some of the last remnants. This would have been in the 50's.

We'd go to "The City" (New York) once or twice a year and would always take the train.

It's a little known fact, but the main waiting room in Grand Central Station is really the center of the universe! [:D]


Regards

Ed

[Anonymous]

Southern Pacific, then Union Pacific after the take over. A line with filthy bloody nose units flying by every few mintutes. Lots of activity left an impression that led to my creation as a railroader.

[Anonymous]

1950s--Western Pacific a mile to the west, Southern Pacific 2 miles to the east. I'm only sorry that I didn't take more pictures.
By the way, guess where?
Angus Macdonald
Petaluma Valley RR