The top 10 railroad cities in the U.S.?

[MP173]

Might as well jump in on this.

My favorite place to watch trains is Flagstaff, Az.

ed

[jclass]

What about the Twin Cities?  There were rail lines all over the place.

Way back when - Buffalo?

[Ishmael]

Sorry to say, I agree with Oltmannd about St. Louis. My old home town used to be the most interesting to be found anywhere, excepting Chicago and Kansas City.

Many of our old lines and branches are now hiking trails, and even a drive down the river reveals more abandoned lines. West Alton used to be very active but the flood of 1993 finished it off. I could go on and on. We do get all six of the present major railroads, UP, BNSF, CSX, NS, CN and KCS but mostly runthrough, not much switching.

But let me say in defense of East St. Louis, it's not very dangerous. Not much is left over there but vacant lots. I go there from time to time, but I know my way around.

[PBenham]

OK, Buffalo is not what it was, we only lead the way in raising taxes! Before CSX kills it we still have lots of trains on the old NYC. But, that could be over at the least provocation, something the NYSSR is far too good at for my comfort! So...

10. Milwaukee, WI (I am NOT kissing up!!)OK, Atlanta.

9. San Bernadino,CA

8. Bill, WY!

7. Selkirk NYSSR

6.Orbisonia,PA

5. Durango, CO.

4. Altoona, PA

3.Cleveland OH

2. Ft. Worth-Dallas Metroplex!

1. (drumroll, please) Binghamton, NYSSR (if you read a certain regional rail newsmag!)

[wcfan4ever]

1.   Porter, IN                     NS/Amtrak--BNSF/CP/CN/CSX/IC/GTW/NS/SP/UP/WC Power

2.   Rochelle, IL                  UP/BNSF  --BNSF/CP/CN/CSX/NS/SP/UP Power

3.   Twin Cities, MN            BNSF/CP/CN/SOO/UP Power

4.   Kansas City, MO           Everyone's Power

5.   Boone, IA                      Mostly UP Power

6.   Chicago, IL                    Everyone's Power

7.   North Fond du Lac, WI  CN            --BNSF/CN/IC/GTW/NS/UP/WC Power

8.   Ames, IA                        Mostly UP Power

9.   Wellsboro, IN                 CN/CSX   --BNSF/CP/CN/CSX/IC/GTW/NS/SP/UP/WC Power

10.   Gibbon, NE                  UP             --CN/CSX/NS/SP/UP Power

There, I went my personall railfanning favorite locations!  I also belive that Porter/Chesterton, IN has the best variety of different railroads locomotives running on NS's tracks.  One summer I caught 75% power from everyone but NS!

[espeefoamer]

1.Chicago

2.New York/Northern New Jersey area

3.Kansas City

4.Fort Worth/Dallas

5.Los Angeles

6.Portland OR. for variety and scenery

7.St. Louis

8.Philadelphia

9.Minneapolis/St.Paul

10.Vancouver,B.C.( I know this is Canada, but it is a great train watching city.)

[Jack_S]

      I know that Chicago has always been considered the #1 railroad city, for obvious reasons.  My city *might* rank around 983.  What would you say is the top 10, as far as railroad cities in our country?  My guess would put Kansas as #2.  Beyond that, it gets a little hazy, perhaps St. Louis,Memphis, Los Angelos,Omaha, and Houston?  What do you think?

      Are there any cities that would have been in the top 10 list 100 years, that wouldn't be today?  Milwaukee, perhaps?

Chicago has got to be at the top of any list.  3 years ago, looking down from the Sears Tower it was obvious the place is a rail yard with stations around which a city is laid out.

I will, however vote for Fullerton, CA as the most comfortable and convenient place that I know of to watch a variety of trains.  Easy access by rail or road, lots of good places to get a bite to eat, nearby hotels, a restored 1930s vintage station still in use, and, on weekdays, about 90 to 100 trains, and a sizable group of congenial local railfans.  Commuter, CA Amtrak, long distance Amtrak, and lot of long heavy freights.

jack

[Jack_S]

      I know that Chicago has always been considered the #1 railroad city, for obvious reasons.  My city *might* rank around 983.  What would you say is the top 10, as far as railroad cities in our country?  My guess would put Kansas as #2.  Beyond that, it gets a little hazy, perhaps St. Louis,Memphis, Los Angelos,Omaha, and Houston?  What do you think?

      Are there any cities that would have been in the top 10 list 100 years, that wouldn't be today?  Milwaukee, perhaps?

Chicago has got to be at the top of any list.  3 years ago, looking down from the Sears Tower it was obvious the place is a rail yard with stations around which a city is laid out.

I will, however vote for Fullerton, CA as the most comfortable and convenient place that I know of to watch a variety of trains.  Easy access by rail or road, lots of good places to get a bite to eat, nearby hotels, a restored 1930s vintage station still in use, and, on weekdays, about 90 to 100 trains, and a sizable group of congenial local railfans.  Commuter, CA Amtrak, long distance Amtrak, and lot of long heavy freights.

jack

[PigFarmer1]

North Platte.  Incredible volume of trains AND approximately 10% of the city's population is employed by UP.  Any way one looks at it N. Platte is a railroad town.

[MP173]

I stopped in at North Platte in 1978 and was blown away.  At breakfast at the Hump Cafe, right by the yard.  It is probably gone by now.

Chicago has such an amazing diverse amount of railroading...elevated and subways (I am not a fan of either), Metra trains, Amtrak, the major class 1's, yards, junctions, towers (!), shortlines, industrials, steelmill operations(Indiana), the southside port operation...etc.etc etc.

BRC, IHB, and EJE are great terminal/switching railroads and the South Shore adds an electric element.

I missed it during the 60's and didnt spend nearly as much time as I should have during the 70's, but I appreciate it today.

ed

[GP40-2]

For those of you that have written off Pittsburgh as a major transportation center, consider these stats from the U.S. Department of Transportation:

CSX, NS, and river traffic amounted to over 275 million tons of cargo orginating in, or passing through the Port of Pittsburgh in 2004.

CSX and NS rail traffic alone amounted to over 220 million tons in Pittsburgh for 2004.

[Murphy Siding]

For those of you that have written off Pittsburgh as a major transportation center, consider these stats from the U.S. Department of Transportation:

CSX, NS, and river traffic amounted to over 275 million tons of cargo orginating in, or passing through the Port of Pittsburgh in 2004.

CSX and NS rail traffic alone amounted to over 220 million tons in Pittsburgh for 2004.

     Interesting.  How does that compare to say, 50 years ago?

[espeefoamer]

In 1995 I spent a day in Pittsburgh riding the light rail and general railfanning. I rode a one hour river cruise an saw over 8 trains in that one hour!

[GP40-2]

For those of you that have written off Pittsburgh as a major transportation center, consider these stats from the U.S. Department of Transportation:

CSX, NS, and river traffic amounted to over 275 million tons of cargo orginating in, or passing through the Port of Pittsburgh in 2004.

CSX and NS rail traffic alone amounted to over 220 million tons in Pittsburgh for 2004.

     Interesting.  How does that compare to say, 50 years ago?

There is more freight traffic going through Pittsburgh now than any point in history. The Port Authority predicts both rail and river tonnage to steadily increase.

[MLG4812]

My top 10 (including some I have personally fanned.)

 

1.) Flagstaff, AZ

2.) Galitzin, PA

3.) Gibbon, NE

4.) Marion, OH

5.) Folkston, GA

6.) Kenova, WV

7.) Erie, PA

8.) Tucson, AZ

9.) Harve De Grace, MD

10.) Porter, IN

 

The larger cities are shoe-ins. Most of the time, when you combine industry, population, and proximity to water...you're going to have a great transportation center. JMO

 

[kevikens]

If by top ten you means cities for railfanning for me it's a tie between Phila. on the East Coast and the Bay Area out west. Philly has Conrail, NS, CSX, CP, SEPTA NJ Transit and a trolley line using PCC's. The Bay area, PCC's, BNSF, UP, Caltrain, Muni. Two great places to enjoy railroading.

[Anonymous]

Well, here's the top ten Pacific Northwest railroad cities based on my observations of dependable, varietable train watching without the hassles of urban congestion or overt foliage:

Cheney WA

Sandpoint ID

Bonners Ferry ID

The Dalles OR

Kelso WA

Klamath Falls OR

Boardman OR

Athol ID

Wallula WA

Centralia WA

Of these, maybe Sandpoint might make a US top ten.

 

[Murphy Siding]

        Overt foliage?  Out here, I guess we'd have to deal with aggresive corn, and over-bearing beans

[CShaveRR]

That's as opposed to covert foliage, such as kudzu that will cover you up while you're waiting for a train.

[cr6479]

Ahhhhh. Don't forget Rochester NY. Rochester had alot of trains back in the day here are the railroads that were here:

1) PRR

2) PENN CENTRAL

3) NEW YORK CENTRAL

4) ERIE LACKAWANA

5) LHV

6) CONRAIL

7) Avon Livonia Lakeville

8) Livonia Avon Lakeville

9) Rochester Southern

10) Rochester Genesee Valley railroad

the present

1) CSX

2) Livonia Avon Lakeville

3) Rochester Southern

4) NORFOLK SOUTHERN

[SactoGuy188]

I think the Sacramento, CA area has to be up there due to the fact the historically, Sacramento was the old terminus of the original Transcontinental Railroad and Western Pacific had its service shops in the Sacramento, CA. Sacramento was also home to the Sacramento Locomotive Works, where many Southern Pacific diesel electric locomotives underwent the General Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (GRIP) rebuilds.

Today, Sacramento is the crossroads between the east-west Overland Route and the north-south "I-5" route. Just east of Sacramento is Roseville Yard, the largest UP railyard on the US West Coast.

[Anonymous]

        Overt foliage?  Out here, I guess we'd have to deal with aggresive corn, and over-bearing beans

Ooooops!  Forgot how creative wordplay can cause confusion for some folks on this forum!

But you know what I mean - we all like some foliage to enhance the train watching experience, but when you can't even see the tracks 20 feet away for the trees...........

 

That's why train watching in Eastern Washington is sooooo much better than trying to trainspot in Western Washington, you know, with all the d*** trees in the way!

[Limitedclear]

LAX is an airport...

Southern California might be worth including if you throw in the ports, Alameda Corridor and Inland Empire inland port facilities.

LC

LAX has to be right up there

 

      I know that Chicago has always been considered the #1 railroad city, for obvious reasons.  My city *might* rank around 983.  What would you say is the top 10, as far as railroad cities in our country?  My guess would put Kansas as #2.  Beyond that, it gets a little hazy, perhaps St. Louis,Memphis, Los Angelos,Omaha, and Houston?  What do you think?

      Are there any cities that would have been in the top 10 list 100 years, that wouldn't be today?  Milwaukee, perhaps?

[oskar]

Here's my Top 10. These are based on MY OPINONS!

10. Hamlet,NC-CSX

9. Salisbury,NC-NS,NCTM (actually NCTM is in Spencer, outside of Salisbury)

8. Marion,OH-CSX, NS

7. Flostoria,OH-CSX, NS

6. Chattanooga,TN-CSX, NS

5. North Platte,NE- UP

4. ATL

3. Chicago,IL about everything.

2. Rochelle,IL - UP, BNSF

1. The Folkston Funnel in Folkston,GA - CSX

 

Honorable Mention

Saluda,NC-NS home of the Saluda Grade.

 

 

kevin