Everyone seems to be familiar with the "fallen flags" since 1960, when the EL was formed. Yet, there were some sizable railroads in the modern steam era (after 1920) that seem to be relatively unknown. In this group, I would include the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh, Wheeling and Lake Erie, Pere Marquette, Nashville, Chattanooga and St Louis and Denver and Salt Lake. Can anyone think of any others? If it wasn't for preserved steam locomotives that are popular, the PM and NC&STL would be even more obscure. I'm not including any sublettered roads like the various NYC System subsidiaries.
I'm tempted to add the Delaware & Hudson, a major railroad in it's time that really should be a little more known than it is.
I could also add the Lehigh & New England and the Lehigh & Hudson River.
BackshopEveryone seems to be familiar with the "fallen flags" since 1960, when the EL was formed. Yet, there were some sizable railroads in the modern steam era (after 1920) that seem to be relatively unknown. In this group, I would include the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh, Wheeling and Lake Erie, Pere Marquette, Nashville, Chattanooga and St Louis and Denver and Salt Lake. Can anyone think of any others? If it wasn't for preserved steam locomotives that are popular, the PM and NC&STL would be even more obscure. I'm not including any sublettered roads like the various NYC System subsidiaries.
Those you mentioned are far from unknown among knowledgeable railfans, however, in the world where BNSF, CN, CP, CSX, NS and UP are the existing Class 1's we are ever further removed from when the BR&P was incorporated into the B&O; the PM got incorporated into the C&O; NC&St.L became incorporated into the L&N. As we know the B&O, C&O and L&N were incorporated, along with the ACL & SAL to form CSX.
Back when I was working I stumbled across a computer file that defined all the 'railroads' (physical & financial) that formed Chessie System through mergers and acquisitions and bankruptcy proceedings from the founding of the B&O's charter in 1827 and laying of the 'First Stone' in 1828 - well over 500 corporate names were involved. A similar filer for the SCL heritage included over 400 corporate entities.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Balt, all us thinning gray hair railfans know about those railroads, but I'm talking about anyone under 50.
Flint--I'll give you the L&NE but the L&HR, while very important, was small and I think the D&H is pretty well known. You did make me think of another one though, the NYO&W.
BackshopBalt, all us thinning gray hair railfans know about those railroads, but I'm talking about anyone under 50. Flint--I'll give you the L&NE but the L&HR, while very important, was small and I think the D&H is pretty well known. You did make me think of another one though, the NYO&W.
As I mentioned the number of 'companies' that formed the basis of the current day CSX approaches one thousand, and likely exceeds one thousand if one were to illuminate the companies that went into forming the portion of ConRail that CSX got.
NYO&W went bankrupt and was abandoned in place, CRI&P and MILW both went bankrupt and had their bones picked by other carriers. Railroading is a dog eat dog undertaking and only the strong survive.
BaltACDNYO&W went bankrupt and was abandoned in place,
Unfortunately, that is the Old & Weary's claim to fame...
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...
Just to reiterate, I'm not talking about all railroads from all time, merely major ones in our parents' lifetimes (more or less).
Ann Arbor.
https://www.american-rails.com/ann.html
Car ferries, heavy automotive traffic and a classy paint scheme.
tree68 BaltACD NYO&W went bankrupt and was abandoned in place... Unfortunately, that is the Old & Weary's claim to fame...
BaltACD NYO&W went bankrupt and was abandoned in place...
Central of Georgia.
https://www.american-rails.com/georgia.html
GS-6-variant 4-8-4s called Big Apples, Nancy Hanks and Seminole passenger trains.
kgbw49 Central of Georgia. https://www.american-rails.com/georgia.html GS-6-variant 4-8-4s called Big Apples, Nancy Hanks and Seminole passenger trains.
OvermodAnd here I thought it was flying F units!
Well, them, too.
The Colorado & Southern Railroad (C&S). became part of BN then BNSF.
I'd nominate the Susquehanna (NYS&W) which had some highly-interesting passenger equipment, a tunnel under the Palisades, a grade crossing across a major US highway, and presaged the O&W by abandoning a (relatively) enormous amount of mileage, all the way from central New Jersey to the Wilkes-Barre area, in the early '40s.
(They were also my introduction to GP18s...)
BackshopFlint--I'll give you the L&NE but the L&HR, while very important, was small and I think the D&H is pretty well known. You did make me think of another one though, the NYO&W.
Well, the reason I mentioned the L&HR was yes, it was a small bridge line but was VERY popular with local railfans as it was a very railfan-friendly 'road. So it certainly wasn't famous out of its homeground but was well-loved just the same.
The D&H was a pretty big operation in its time but in my opinion should be a bit more well-known than it is. For some reason it didn't and doesn't attract much attention, not like the other 'roads in the area did.
Good point on the NYO&W! The "Old & Wobbly" did have its fans and still does.
Houston & Texas Central Railway
Chicago Great Western
Akron, Canton, and Youngstown Railroad
Norfolk Southern Railway (the original one based in Raleigh, NC that operated throughout NC and VA)
Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
Detoit, Toledo, and Ironton
It's almost invisible since the parent roads (CSX/NS) supply the motive power, but I would nominate Conrail Shared Assets as being somewhat more than relatively obscure.
Three more:
Northern Alberta Railway
Ontario Northland (still in operation however I would say fairly unknown to most outside of Ontario).
Pacific Great Eastern (became better known subsequent to name change to British Columbia Railway)
I would add Gulf Mobile and Ohio. Other than the Chicago - St. Louis mainline I believe it was relatively low density.
Other than the passenger trains, not sure how much the Chicago - st. Louis line handled. Cannot image there was much freight as they competed with IC, Wabash, Chicago & Eastern Illinois, and to a lesser degree Chicago and North Western.
GM&O's line to Kansas City was subpar and couldnt compete on Chicago - KC or St.L to KC.
Ed
Chicago & Alton, Texas & Pacific, Fort Worth & Denver. I guess the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient (The Orient) was absorbed by ATSF too early (1928) for the intent of this topic, but it's similarity to KCS/KCSdeM is interesting and even visionary.
Rick
rixflix aka Captain Video. Blessed be Jean Shepherd and all His works!!! Hooray for 1939, the all time movie year!!! I took that ride on the Reading but my Baby caught the Katy and left me a mule to ride.
Would the B&LE (Bessemer & Lake Erie) qualify for mention here?
Remember we have gone from roughly 130 Class 1 carriers of the 1950's to nominally 6 today.
Well, if the Wheeling and Lake Erie qualifies as "sizable", then so too should the Minneapolis and St Louis the "Tootin Louie"
Overmod I'd nominate the Susquehanna (NYS&W) which had some highly-interesting passenger equipment, a tunnel under the Palisades, a grade crossing across a major US highway, and presaged the O&W by abandoning a (relatively) enormous amount of mileage, all the way from central New Jersey to the Wilkes-Barre area, in the early '40s. (They were also my introduction to GP18s...)
All true, but the Suzie-Q is still around, I believe jointly owned now by CSX and NS but still operating under the Susquehanna name. They only run two main freights at various times during the week, SU-99 westbound and SU-100 eastbound. They also get spillover traffic from CSX and NS.
NKP guy Would the B&LE (Bessemer & Lake Erie) qualify for mention here?
I'd say "Certainly!"
The L&NE folded still solvent and making a profit, but realized the coal traffic that was the key to their operation was going away and their wasn't enough traffic to the NH at Maybrook to support both it and the L&HR. And the L&HR was owned by the roads that fed traffic to both, so how much was the L&NE going to get. CNJ picked up the viable pieces in the "Cement Belt" around Allentown
Some other nominees
Iron Mountain - St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway - Wikipedia
International-Great Northern - International–Great Northern Railroad - Wikipedia
Miuskogee Group (The Oklahoma City, Ada & Atoka, The Midland Valley, The Kansas Oklahoma and Gulf) - joint ownership Muskogee Roads - Wikipedia
Norfolk Southern - Norfolk Southern Railway (1942–1982) - Wikipedia
Piedmont & Northern - Was it an interurban that thought it was a railroad or a railroad that thought it was an interurban? Piedmont and Northern Railway - Wikipedia
Morgan's Louisiana & Texas - "The Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Railroad was a partly double-track, standard-gauge, steam railroad, situated entirely within the State of Louisiana. The main line extended from Algiers, on the Mississippi River opposite New Orleans, to Lafayette, where it connected with the line of the Louisiana Western Railroad Company. It formed an important link in the through route of the Southern Pacific Company between New Orleans and San Francisco. The principal branch lines extended from Lafayette to the Mississippi River opposite Baton Rouge, from Lafayette to Cheneyville, from Breaux Bridge to Port Barre, from Breaux Bridge to Cade, and from Thibodaux Junction to Napoleonville. There were a number of other branch lines of an average length of about 10 miles, which served the numerous sugar plantations along parts of the line"
Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Kankakee Beaverville & Southern along with Green Bay and Western are 3 my hubby talks about.
In my neck of the woods, The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway - The Omaha Road. The reason it was relatively obscure was that The Chicago & Nortwestern controlled it for 90 years before merging it. Most people didn't know it as anything other than the C&NW.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
You almost never see Seaboard Air Line mentioned anywhere.
Chicago Great Western.
Awesome name.
Three dozen 2-10-4 steam locomotives with 92,590 lbs tractive effort and another 13,300 lbs from a booster to tie the whole yard to the tank and pull it all out of town.
Long consists of covered wagons doing the same thing a generation later.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.