who's your favorite current railroad

[Anonymous]

out of the current crop of railroads, who's your favorite(s) and why.
mine's the KCS, they are my hometown railroad, my grandpa and uncle worked for 'em, and I like that they are a (fairly)small, scrappy independant that occaisionaly makes a little noise, (like their part ownership of TFM). I have a lot of fond memories as a kid watching their trains, and I still like to watch 'em when I get back home.

[Anonymous]

The KCS is a great little road. Quietly hauling tonnage out of Port Arthur for years, it is now back-hauling tonnage to Mexico;all the while paying dividends and providing the base capital for mutual funds that are today big. My dad ran trains into KC and i saw some KCS transfer activity and 1 or 2 passenger runs in KCUS. My fave is the old SF out of loyalty and familiarity but i do admire a good operation when i see it.

[Soo2610]

The WC. I grew up three houses down from the tracks when they were still running steam and passenger trains as the Soo Line. At that time it was a double track mainline, since reduced to single track and now going back to double track with the introduction of commuter service. This has always been my favorite railroad and I still keep abreast of their doings. Have been to the yard in Fond Du Lac a number of times.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the WC. I grew up in Fond du Lac about three blocks from the WC (Lettered SOO, but technically the original WC)main during the late steam/early diesel period. When I was fairly young I spent a lot of time at the old Depot in Fond du lac. When I got old enough to bike to North Fond du Lac, my buddy and I spent a lot of time in and around the yards. I have lived in Montana for over 20 years and was never really a fan of BN, but since the BNSF combination, things have gotten pretty interesting here and I would have to rate BNSF as a close second. Ron.

[Anonymous]

I&M Rail Link. A QCA feature, plus the drama of their fight with the Big Muddy !

[Soo2610]

Sure didn't expect to find a WC fan in Montana. If you are from Fond Du Lac I'm sure you are familiar with the Soo steam engine on static display in the park by the lake. Did you notice that it has the original WC symbol under the cab window? They also have an E Unit and several passenger cars on display in Ladysmith, Wi. painted in the original brown and gold color scheme. Thy put this in about four or five years ago.

[Anonymous]

I guess I'm a big fan of the Dakota,Minnesota & Eastern. I 've seen them grow since 1986 to a really well established regional railroad. I know the proposed powder river extension has really given them alot of opposition from the NIMBY crowd but I think they've really turned around the line from Rapid City,SD to Winona, MN which the CNW was letting go to waste.

[jsanchez]

My favorite Railroad is the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern(Reading & Northern). They've taken a lot of rail lines that Conrail was destroying and abdanoning, and made them into a thriving, growing empire. Every class 1 could learn from this line, they go out of their way to serve the customers,(not just talk about it) have done much to improve the infrastsructure, they are friendly to Railfans(the owner is one!!)and have great paint schemes on their equipment schemes. The passenger excursions are first rate, I highly recommend them. In a part of the country where freight railroads has had the toughest time surviving. It's nice to see a railroad that is growing and expanding.

Thanks,
James

[Anonymous]

The WC is a great road. Enjoyed eyeballing the yards in Escanaba, MI and Oconto. Also passed that Soo steam engine you mentioned. Personally, I'm a fan of the Chicago & NorthWestern / UP. As a Metra rail commuter, I get a kick out of writing a check for tickets to the UP (used to be the C&NW.)

Doug (Crystal Lake, IL)

[Anonymous]

UNION PACIFIC is my favorite railroad. Why, DD40AX,Eunits,steamers,return of the the wings and the SD70Ms. Plus they run 60 to 80 trains a day thru my back yard.

[Anonymous]

The Grandmother of my best boyhood friend lived in one of two houses right across from the Soo loco in Lakeside Park. I don't know if the houses are still there. We were able to watch the loco being moved into place while sitting on her front porch. It was interesting to watch the temporary track laid and the loco gradually moved into position. I haven't been back to Fond du Lac for about 8 years, but at that time a local group was trying to restore the loco to operation. Haven't heard anything further on it, so I assume the effort failed. I believe the loco is numbered 2719 which makes it a WC loco. Similar SOO owned locos were I believe numbered in the 700 series. Ron

[Soo2610]

I used to write those checks, but not anymore! Now I just watch the trains.

[Soo2610]

The houses are gone, the temporary track is gone and the CN&W tracks are gone. Effort to restore engine to operating status failed last I heard.

[Anonymous]

I have two: Uncle Pete and Big New Santa Fe. MRL a close second.

[Anonymous]

Wisconsin & Southern. They still run the e-9 units on the circus train, excursions periodically, and have made viable several old
Milwaukee Road lines. Also, they have a good
paint scheme (when they re-paint their units),
and still use the Janesville, Wi roundhouse
as an engine facility

[Anonymous]

I agree, the Reading and Northern is my favorite railroad existing today. Its amazing how they grew from a 13 mile branchline into the 150+ mile operation that they are today. Neat paint scheme on their hoppers, domestic and international.

[Soo2610]

On a sad note, they announced last week that they are discontinuing most of the excursions after this year due to the high cost of liability insurance.

[Anonymous]

My favorite Railroad of all time is I&M Rail Link short for IMRL. And coming in a close second is Canadian Pacific. Could be because i live right by the Metra Train Tracks Which IMRL has trackage rights on and Canadian Pacific has a Yard two miles away.

[Anonymous]

Got my engine #s mixed up. 2719 I believe is the loco that HAS been restored to operation in Northern Wisconsin. The park engine in Fond du Lac I think is either 2714 or 2716. So far I have been unable to find some old snapshots of the engine to check the correct number. Ron.

[Soo2610]

Can't tell you for sure. It has been two years since I've been in the park and I don't remember the engine number. For some reason, I want to say that the restored running engine is numbered 2710.Ran across it on the way back from Hayward last July. Unfortunately, I was driving and my wife's photography, taken in great haste in all fairness to her , left the engine number blurry.

[Anonymous]

I have to say Susquehanna. I like the paint scheme(black and yellow) and the variety of engines. Also my grandfather worked for them up until 1959, so I'm happy to see them making a comeback of sorts.

[Anonymous]

The Susie 'Q' is a very colorful railroad. I enjoyed their presence when they took over the D&H run through trains through Allentown and Reading PA. Are they still operating their Alco's? If so where do they normally operate?

[Anonymous]

I am becoming a fan of the I&M despite their dark blue (almost MoPac-like) diesels. They don't run a lot of trains, but they seem to know how to run a railroad.

[Anonymous]

thanks for all the replys so far, just a note, IMRL seems to have a pretty loyal following, particularly since they haven't been around all that long. I was kind'of figuring it would be all UP,BNSF,CSX,NS, etc., glad to see it's not, come on KCS fans, where are 'ya? Just kidding, keep those replys comming!

[Anonymous]

my favorite would have to be UNION PACIFIC!!!!!!! why? beacause they are not afraid to try something new. they always always have the biggest and newest locos around. and they have a good sense of history ( their steam program and bringing back the wings) they just cant be beat. too bad i live in BNSF country now. all their consists look the same, with the same engines all the time. the UP paint job, albeit kinda plain, is excellent.


Union Pacific "We Will Devour"

[Anonymous]

I seem to be suffering from a case of CRS (Can't remember stuff) when it comes to 27XX series locomotives. The more I try to correct myself, the more I screw up. I'm going to have to dig into some old books and back copies of magazines to figure it out. The old memory ain't what it used to be.I did however, get to see that big black thing being put into Lakeside Park. Ron.

[Soo2610]

Man, I bet that was fun to watch! Did you get any photos? Or, were you too young to appreciate what you were seeing like I was when the SOO was hauling train loads of old engines to the scrap yard and I was too dumb to take any pictures with my Brownie camera.
Since you are familiar with the area you will probably be interested to know that the old Fox Valley tracks are being torn out and Johnson street is being converted into one huge overpass from Main street westward over the canal and train tracks. It is quite a project and a lot of houses disappeared in the process.

[Anonymous]

well, my favorite railroad is norfolk southern. but I am kind of partial to soo line because my granpa worked for them. but I kind of like cp. then I thought I might as well stick to a railway that I live close to. besides cp rail will most likely get to big for their own good.

[Anonymous]

Well, thanks to the Sept. 2001 issue of "Trains", page 23, I guess my CRS isn't as bad as I thought. It shows #2719 in excursion service at Ladysmith Wisconsin on June 17, 2001. According to Patrick Doran's book "SOO LINE", 2719 is an exception to the practice of numbering WC pacifics in the 2700's and Soo pacifics in the 700's. 2719 is actually a SOO loco.

I did take a few pictures of the loco being moved into Lakeside Park on my Brownie camera. So Far I haven't been able to find them in several boxes of old pictures, but I think I still have them. Also, I think the park loco is numbered 2714.

That's the first I've heard of the Johnson street project, sounds like a heck of a mess! I did work for the C&NW which later became the Fox Valley, for a short time in '66-67 and worked out of North Fond du Lac C&NW yard. I was so far down on the extra board that I couldn't support a wife and new baby, which led me to go back into the military, which to make a long story short, is how this WC/SOO fan wound up in Great Falls, Montana. Ron.

[Anonymous]

Mine use to be Conrail but now that's out of buisness so I like NS because I like their location.