What is your favorite(redone)

[boomertom]

I am sorry that you original request disappeared especially as it was for a school project.

I am a big fan of the C&O which should be obvious.

And as C&O controlled the B&O and Western Maryland to form  Chessie System it has a place in there also.

CSX even incorporates the Clinchfield into the mix so I guess I have to say in terms of modern day railroads it would be CSX.

Tom

[jward]

while short lines and smaller railroads are lesser known, they are some of the most fascinating.

who doesn't like the rio grande, western maryland or clinchfield? mountains, heavy coal trains mixed with high priority trains, on a single track railroad. all 3 beg to be modelled. plus, they were small enough to actually model....

short lines, some of the one i saw in the 1970s and 1980s were the modern equivalent of the run down narrow guage lines of the 1930s. they were standard guage, yes, but who wouldn't love watching old worn out locomotives creeping along through the weeds on track that hadn't been rebuilt in many years? plus they were usually friendly folks. you could just show up at the enginehouse and often get a cab ride....

[jsmvmd]

Jeffrey,

I'm with ya, buddy!  I used to ride the old line from Cape May to Philly, silver cars, probably diesel-electric, I believe.  That was in the early '70's.

Having grown up near Conway, there used to be a small refinery in Freedom that used switchers.  As you said, one time in the late 1950's the engineer waved my Dad and us two boys into the cab.  We got the ride of our lives!

In the 1980's my brother got to ride with the big wigs on the one millionth ton of coal to traverse the Horseshoe Curve.  I wonder if he did not enjoy the switcher better!

As always, if any of our rail friends are in Altoona, call me for a day of rail fanning and coffee and TastyCakes!

Best Wishes,

Jack

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

As always, if any of our rail friends are in Altoona, call me for a day of rail fanning and coffee and TastyCakes!

Spoken like a true Pennsylvanian. ... 

[Santa Fe buff]

I actually want to get a house up in Pennsylvania when I get older.

Joshua

[Pacific Northern]

The Soo Line (because it is the only Canadian road on the list.)

Jim

How could you overlook CN Rail? CN rail lines run the farthest distance in North America.

http://www.cn.ca/en/shipping-maps.htm

Have you an idea how much trackage CN now has in the USA?

[jettrainfan]

I was planning that too but did not write it down. So yeah, sorry.

[pdlethbridge]

The CN runs through Buffalo on its way to Corning and beyond. It crosses a bridge in Letchworth park that is awesome.


It's called the grand canyon of the east.
Letchworth State Park is 17 miles long and encompasses over 14, 350 acres.  The Genesee River runs through the middle of the park and over three magnificent waterfalls.  The highest of which is 107 feet high.  The cliffs, created by the river are 600 feet high.

[jward]

jack,
i have a few horseshoe curve stories of my own.....

my friend and i used to hang out at the station in downtown pittsburgh, where the helpers were based out of. we knew most of the crews, and often were invited for cab rides as they pushed eastbound trains to pack, just outside blairsville. there they'd cut off and run light back to pittsburgh.

occasionally, they'd change the plans and we'd push straight through to altoona, around the horseshoe curve. when this happened, the crew would often jitney back to pittsburgh, with 2 unauthorized passengers. one night, for some reason they decided to send the helper crew to a hotel and that left us stranded. since the broadway limited was due, we walked to the passenger station in altoona to buy tickets.

inside the station we ran into a crew we knew from pittsburgh. they'd been "borrowed" for amtrak duty. in those days amtrak used conrail crews, they hadn't taken over the crews yet. to make a long story short, we were told to wait across the tracks until amtrak came in, then climb aboard the second unit. we rode an f40ph just like the one bachmann makes, all the way back to pittsburgh.

as for shortlines, if you grew up near conway you undoubtedly knew about the montour rr just down the river in coraopolis. they were good for cab rides. so was the cambria & indiana near ebensburg.

[jettrainfan]

OK note to everyone who helped (old or new subject) I got my math grade up from a B to an A-......THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks to all of you i got 2 A's. I am very happy and hope everyone who volunteered is proud of them selves . 

P.S. WHAT THE?! IT'S PURPLE?! I guess I've been doing my homework....

[Cody J]

Norfolk Southern for me

[Santa Fe buff]

Jim

...

Have you an idea how much trackage CN now has in the USA?

Canadian National is the largest railroad in North America. it's mainlines run from the tundras of Canada to the Gulf.



Okay, let's get off of CN, they run right in my town, they run WAY too many SD70ACes around here...

Cheers,
Joshua