Here's a thread that I hope won't be found to be controversial.
As a kid in Cleveland I sometimes passed by a large old factory called Cleveland Frog & Crossing. I have always liked the musical alliteration of that name. Later, in college, my buddy told me about Union Switch & Signal. Another musical name!
What are some other railroad-related companies with nice, old-fashioned, alliterative names? Anyone? Anyone?
And does anyone know what's become of the above two companies?
Western Cullen Hayes
Can't forget WABCO.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
zugmann Can't forget WABCO.
Which is now largely WABTEC
LC
NKP guyAnd does anyone know what's become of the above two companies?
Cleveland Frog on Crossing manufacturer of rail was located on Bessemer Ave., eventually became known as Pettibone, I believe they went out of business late 1990.
US&S merged with Ansaldo STS in 1996, manufacturing basically the same type equipment.
NKP guy,
Well, I'm now the big 70, and can remember several of the former class I's. I had the privilege of riding the Cannonball from St. Louis to Detroit in the early sixties. Steam would have been great but my trip was behind diesel. Wabash was still king then. That was my last and most memorable railroad trip. I clocked the train with my stpowatch at a steady eighty MPH. I couldn't have asked for better back then.
I live about forty miles away from Milan, MI, and when I visit with NS crews there we all have fond remembrances of days gone by. They are a good bunch or railroaders..
Norm
Adlake Locks...
*Star* Lanterns (and beacons). Not as musical as Adlake.. but, cmon.. *STAR*
K4sPRR NKP guyAnd does anyone know what's become of the above two companies? Cleveland Frog on Crossing manufacturer of rail was located on Bessemer Ave., eventually became known as Pettibone, I believe they went out of business late 1990's
Cleveland Frog on Crossing manufacturer of rail was located on Bessemer Ave., eventually became known as Pettibone, I believe they went out of business late 1990's
Nope: Emerged from the ashes as Cleveland Track Material (CTM - Resurected by Bill Willoughby and Ch. Engr. Carl Axthelm ) ...now a division of Vossloh. Main plant is still on Bessemer Avenue...
I've been in the plant. (still recycles railcar axles into angle bars.)
-Racor Duweld & Ramapo add to the list
IT'd add Conely Frog & Switch on E. Bodley Ave. in Memphis,Tn. IIRC
About 1990 they purchased a big chunck of railroad business from Bethelem Steel ( Steelton, Pa.(?)
I'm not 100% sure on the last part, I know at about that time tere were some articles in the Memphis newspaper about it.
Maybe, Paul North can confirm/deny the last part. That's up in his neck of the woods.
zugmann Adlake Locks...
And Adlake is a contraction of Adams and Westlake....
- Erik
Of course the classic was Conrail, from Consolodate Railroad, still alive as Conrail Shared Assets, still in Blue too!
And the Soo Line. Someone else spell out the full name.
Laural Line for Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley, another interurban that should be running today and partly does! May the rest be restored, soon!
And the Katy.
And didn't was aways call the MP the Mopack? (But not the Upack, NoPack, nor SouPack.)
My candidate for most musical of all railroad names: Erie Lackawanna.
Also the best name to ever come out of a RR merger!
dakotafred My candidate for most musical of all railroad names: Erie Lackawanna. Also the best name to ever come out of a RR merger!
I agree wholeheartedly. DPM had a soft spot for Alabama Great Southern (part of Southern/NS). Another favorite of mine is Missouri & Illinois Bridge & Belt (part of BNSF).
daveklepper Of course the classic was Conrail, from Consolodate Railroad, still alive as Conrail Shared Assets, still in Blue too! And the Soo Line. Someone else spell out the full name. Laural Line for Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley, another interurban that should be running today and partly does! May the rest be restored, soon! And the Katy. And didn't was aways call the MP the Mopack? (But not the Upack, NoPack, nor SouPack.)
The "Hojack" - that portion of the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburgh that ran from Oswego to Niagara Falls.
How about the Pee Dee River Railway. It's part of the Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad which name has always fascinated me for some reason.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
....O&W Old Woman
Quentin
The Horny Toad - AQ to El Paso on ATSF
Bow & Arrow Country - CRIP branch lines in Iowa
CRANDIC in Hanel's backyard
samfp1943 IT'd add Conely Frog & Switch on E. Bodley Ave. in Memphis,Tn. IIRC About 1990 they purchased a big chunck of railroad business from Bethelem Steel ( Steelton, Pa.(?) I'm not 100% sure on the last part, I know at about that time tere were some articles in the Memphis newspaper about it. Maybe, Paul North can confirm/deny the last part. That's up in his neck of the woods.
Yes - but I believe what Conley agreed to buy in late 1992 was only BSCo's trackwork fabrication operation = "Frog & Switch Division" at Steelton, PA. See "Conley agrees to buy Bethlehem business - Conley Frog and Switch Co. acquisition of Bethlehem Steel's railroad track business - Brief Article" from the Nov. 1992 Railway Age at:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1215/is_n11_v193/ai_12908025/?tag=rel.res1
The Steelton rail mill stayed with Bethlehem, which - if I recall correctly - during the bankruptcy became part of Wilbur Ross's International Steel Group, which was then sold to Mittal Steel and became Arcelor/ Mittal, which is what it is today - see: http://www.rtands.com/newsflash/arcelormittal-steelton-investing-54-million-to-modernize-rail-mill.html (Feb. 19, 2010).
Some years before that, the BSCo spike and track bolt, etc. manufacturing operation at its Lebanon, PA plant was dismembered and sold - the Pohl Corp. of Reading, PA bought a good portion of it then. Pohl itself was acquired by Vossloh a few years ago. I have no idea if it is still there or running someplace else under whatever name, etc.
Some of these frequent sales and acquisitions remind me of a Monopoly game - the names and owners change alsmost weekly, it seems, and the sign-makers and stationery printers are the biggest beneficiaries of all that sound and fury . . .
My nomination: Delaware, Lackawanna & Western RR.
- Paul North.
Thanks, Paul;
I was hoping you could add some of the details!
For melodic railroad name: How about the Ontario and Western
--was commony called the "Old and Weary" in upstate NY.
There was also a railroad thet was nicknamed (In part) "The Skillet' my memory fails me on the rest of the details. Maybe someone else can help!
How about the "Alligator" nick name for the low nose RSD15's or the "Salad Bowl Express" for the perishable trains run by SP from the Salinas and San Juaquin Valley's to midwest and east coast destinations.
daveklepper And didn't was aways call the MP the Mopack? (But not the Upack, NoPack, nor SouPack.)
I remember when the UP proposed merging with MP that many rails called it "MOP-UP" as to what they would do with rest of the industry.
What's more meleflous than Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western? Not Deilay, Linger, and Wait!
New York,Ontario and Western...Old and Weary, the Old Woman, Owen Doubleyou..
..in fact, virtually anything with at least two words followed by "and" and a direction (Western, Eastern, Northern, Southern).
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Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha ("Omaha Road" in Minnesota and Wisconsin, "M&O" in Iowa and Nebraska).
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Kurt Hayek
OK. Now, what about clunky names? Are there any candidates for the most un-musical names in the railroad business?
NKP guy OK. Now, what about clunky names? Are there any candidates for the most un-musical names in the railroad business?
I'll open with Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific, the Cincinnati-Chattanooga main line of NS, closely followed by Pittsburgh & Conneaut Dock.
Clunky? HMMM...one word names like, Rutland, Monon, Burlington, Pennsylvania, even Erie; Florida East Coast is clumsy while Southern has a syllabic flow. Bangor and Aroostock sounds clunky yet who wouldn't want to ride a clunker down east on that road?
Norm48327 (snip)...Wabash was still king then. ....(snip)
(snip)...Wabash was still king then. ....(snip)
Dan
Clunky names:
Great Northern Pacific & Burlington Lines (the original name for the Burlington Northern merger).
Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Pittsburgh, McKees Rocks & Y (can't spell the rest, let alone pronounce it)
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