NKP guy Would the B&LE (Bessemer & Lake Erie) qualify for mention here?
Would the B&LE (Bessemer & Lake Erie) qualify for mention here?
I'd say "Certainly!"
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...)
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.
Well, if the Wheeling and Lake Erie qualifies as "sizable", then so too should the Minneapolis and St Louis the "Tootin Louie"
Remember we have gone from roughly 130 Class 1 carriers of the 1950's to nominally 6 today.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
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.
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
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)
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.
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
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.
The Colorado & Southern Railroad (C&S). became part of BN then BNSF.
OvermodAnd here I thought it was flying F units!
Well, them, too.
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...
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.
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.
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...
Unfortunately, that is the Old & Weary's claim to fame...
Ann Arbor.
https://www.american-rails.com/ann.html
Car ferries, heavy automotive traffic and a classy paint scheme.
Just to reiterate, I'm not talking about all railroads from all time, merely major ones in our parents' lifetimes (more or less).
BaltACDNYO&W went bankrupt and was abandoned in place,
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.
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.
Balt, all us thinning gray hair railfans know about those railroads, but I'm talking about anyone under 50.
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.
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.
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.
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