What railroad(s) did we grow up by?

[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

[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]

[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!

[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".

[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

[boomer5344]

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

[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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

***

[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.

[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

[SP4449]

[bow] SP Coast Line [:D] San Luis Obispo, CA, last three years of high school and a couple of years college. Even got to ride the old FM switcher in the flat yard after school some days. The Noon Daylight made appearances both north and south bound every day. And the Lark at Midnight, both directions. The engine facility had a turntable to turn the helpers for Questa Grade and a roundhouse. I was fired from my first real job because I could see the mainline out one of the plants windows. I thought I was really sneeky but the boss could tell I was watching the trains instead of stuffing the boxes. [|)]

[locomutt]

I 'grew up' in eastern Ky. almost all C & O.(some L & N )
Now I live in the Louisville area(30+yrs) and it's basicly
all CSX,NS, P&L,L&I.

[ericsp]

I grew up mainly by Southern Pacific and to a slightly lesser extend the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe. In my teenage years San Joaquin Valley Railroad came along, ATSF and BN merger, and UP swallowed SP.

[Anonymous]

Like Chris (Torino GT390) I grew up not too far from SP's Taylor Yard, although I was about ten or twelve miles north (maybe a little more). I used to see quite a few freights roll by on their way north towards Tehachapi, since all that was between my house and the tracks was a usually empty schoolyard (it's full of temporary classrooms now). The other line about two miles south headed west towards the coast, and when I saw trains on that line they would be either SP freights or Amtrak's coastal train. I vaguely recall seeing the freedom train going past in 1976, but can't remember much about it. I've moved from the area now, and am about 40 miles from the nearest tracks, except those on the models!

[Todd McWilliam]

I lived in a town that had 2 railroads run through it. The Chicago & North Western and the Milwaukee Road. My town had 2 eat depots and a cool interlocking tower. All of them are still standing and are currently being restored.

[passengerfan]

Grew up in Seattle not far from from the Seattle Portland line that carried the GN-NP-UP pool trains plus the Milwaukee Road mainline. Besides these mainline railrodas one also had a choice to Vancouver B.C. of taking the CPR Princess liners on a day trip to Victoria or overnight trip to Vancouver before the night boats were discontinued. Pretty good choice of logging railroads were stiil operating not far away such as Rayonier on Olympic Peninsula and Weyerhouser at Enumclaw.

[jwr_1986]

Nearest Rail Road is thirty minutes away. It is the NS. I don't know what line but it is the one that goes through Callicoon and Narrowsburgh NY. There are a few nice places to watch it. The only problem is that the odds of seeing a train are worse than winning the lottery.

[Anonymous]

CPR tracks were running in my backyard.

[halifaxcn]

Grew up in Arlington, MA. next to the Bedford branch of the then Boston & Maine. The line saw two RDC passenger trains, in bound to Boston at 7:45 AM and out bound at 5:45PM. The freight was a local that did some switching at some locations along the way. It was a monday through friday job.

On some weekends my parents would take me to South Station to watch the trains of the then New Haven, some NYC and the REA next door was always great to watch.

Now live in Attleboro, MA about 1/2 mile from Amtrak's NEC and about 7 miles from P&W small yard in Cumberland RI.

Regards

[jspinner]

Grew up in Bedfrod, Virginia area, NW steam, mid 1950s.

jspinner

[challenger3802]

The ex-LCDR, then ex-SR, then ex-BR, now South Eastern line runs through Gillingham. The carriage sheds still stand but the large locomotive depot has long since gone (my apartment is built on the site!) The station approach is through a deep cutting to the west, the station is a 3 platform affair handling fast and semi-fast expresses to London and the Kent Coast (Ramsgate and Dover). It's also the terminus for trains from the North Kent line via Gravesend. Up until 1984 it also provided the link to the royal naval dockyard (to the North of Gillingham), hence the need for a large locomotive depot. The dockyard may have closed and the volume of traffic decreased but the line is still in heavy use to this day with excursions adding to the passneger and occasional freight movement.

LCDR = London, Chatham and Dover Railway (c.1890 - c 1930's)
SR = Southern Railway (c. 1930's - 1948)
BR = British Railways (1948 - 1998)

Ian

[Anonymous]

It started out Santa Fe, then became BNSF, now it's the Timber Rock RR. The tracks, which are about 50 ft. behind my house, are still owned by BNSF, but, it's leased to WATCO as the TIBR (Timber Rock).[:D][8D][:)]

Robert

[trolleyboy]

I grew up in St Catharines ontario which was and still is a auto manufacturing town and therfore remember fondly being stopped by CN locos pulling auto parts down the middle of my street right in front of my house as a matter of fact! Also being in the niagara peninsula a ten min drive to Niagara falls brought you CP rail and some Conrail and before the CP take over the high hood geeps of the TH&B. TB

[Train1725]

Grew up a few blocks from Pennsylvania's Sunnyside yards, closer still to the #7 Train El. As a New Yorker my main fascination was with subway trains, I remember as a kid riding in the first car with my dad. Now that i moved i wish i spent more time than i di railfaning Sunnyside yards. Moved to Mansfield, MA...Boston to Providence main line runs through town, along with a few industry branches and some railroad history, so still a good railroad town!. I plan to model Sunnyside Yard and Hell Gate Bridge (NYCRR) on a future layout.

[GDRMCo]

Queensland Rail

[Robert Langford]

Union Pacific, Denver & Rio Grand, I grew up in Park City Utah, there was two trains a day one U.P. from Ogden, and one D&RG from Salt Lake. As a kid my dad would drive us to Weber Canyon and watch the BIG BOYS pull a hundred cars up the hill.What a site! A ride to Ogden and watch S.P. switch and turn on turntable and roundhouse. If I had only had a camera.
BOB

[CPPedler]

The London and North Eastern Railway ,latterly British Railways between 1946 and 1969 here in Cambridge U.K. In the days of steam . Remember the British use buffers between each rail vehicle and the sound of clanking buffers and three link couplings as stock was shunted (switched) at 2'o clock in the morning is forever etched on my memory. But I woundn't have missed it for all the world, I believe that kids today have missed an important part of railway history. ... Here I go , get the violins out .. PLS