Surprisingly, I mostly model my second favorite road! I grew up watching, chasing and photographing the IC (and later IGC, CC&P, and IC again), and have always been an IC fan first. But I became a huge steam fan while I was a young IC railfan, and started chasing NKP steam (759, 765 and 587). With no exposure to IC steam I became an NKP steam freak, and started modeling it. The NKP was also a more manageable size than the IC (do I model their four track mainline, or their three track main?).
These days, I’m in the happy situation of being able to model BOTH roads, where they crossed at two different cities. SO I suppose that they’re my paired favorite roads, making the Soo or C&NW my second favorite (I had a lot of exposure to both of those fallen flags as a kid too)
I model a freelanced Appalachian Plateau coal hauler and I, therefore, am partial to the railroads that service that region. I suppose that if I were to designate a ‘second best’ it would be Granger railroads: MoPac; Frisco; Katy; Northwestern.
I am also intrigued with Milwaukee’s ‘Pacific Extension’, Milwaukee had the shortest route between Puget Sound and Chicago; they also had a management with a very shallow imagination. Milwaukee should, today, be giving Onion Specific and BNSF a run for their money on that route.
I actually have two favorites, and thus a tie for second place. I am a lover of steam locomotives first, and everything else derives from that. I want to model just a section of the New River, East of Glen Lynn, where they were on opposite sides of the river.
Burlington Northern. I would of had SOO. But I’m modeling it along with the WC.(Even though the era I’m modeling is 4 years after SOO got mergered.) Also another close one is DMIR. I love there locos and huge ore drages. I also like Milwaukee Road, they had some pretty cool locos and when SOO got them, they looked even better in Bandit colors. It’s a tough choice.
I never met a railroad I did not like! I am not sure which is first on my list, let alone making a choice for second place. If I counted my model locomotives by railroads, that would name a certain Giant still in the industry as first. Second place would have to be a fallen flag railroad.
Norfolk Southern…they are just so bad. best run railroad in the states? How can you argue with the heir to the N&W?
Delaware and Hudson…how they stuggled on, y’know gotta give them the love. Plus best paint scheme.
Erie Lackawanna…the old rust bucket line. And what a name.
Western Maryland…too bad CSX got 'em. What a great railroad. Cumberland, MD, what a great rail town.
CSX…i’ve gotten over my distaste that this northeastern/appalachian railroad is based in Jacksonville…FLORIDA, and now does an increasing amount of their remote control from there, with their executives no doubt luxuriating on lawn chairs in between checking their options and playing golf on breezy, verdant courses. I have too much love of the old C&O lines and WM to go on hating CSX for being CSX forever. And each new derailment or screw-up they have adds to the spice of life. And you got to have someone to compare NS to with a smile. [(-D]
I do wish Conrail lived, though. Long live Conrail locos and cars!
My first favorite stays the same - the Washington, Idaho & Montana Ry.
My second favorite “floats” between the three lines that interchanged with the WI&M - the Milwaukee, NP and GN.
But, my third favorive really floats between lines like the Minneapolis & St. Louis, Wabash, NYC, PRR, etc . . . What usually happens is that a magazine article, roster photo, or some other bit of information will spark a sudden interest in a railroad I don’t know much about, and this will send me off on a frenzied, but short-lived, quest to learn more about that line. About the time my interest in that railroad wanes, a new quest will begin that takes me in an entirely different direction. It’s actually quite fun!
LNER (London North Eastern Railway) much as I love modelling the CB&Q and Wabash on my RR I have a great deal of affection for the racehorse passenger steamers of my homeland.
I grew up in northern California so the Sp was my first favorite RR. Then in my teens I discovered the Rocky Mountains and the D&RGW (1980’s).
Rio Grande
Southern Pacific
The best thing is that I can sort of have both since the SP loco’s and freight cars were often pool on the D&RGW and in the late 80’s and early 90’s were regular power.
Mate, why not? Japan has the most diverse - and in my opinion the most interesting - railway network in the world. And I say that as someone who has worked in the industry for over thirty years, and travelled widely in that time.
Like Chuck, I model my second favourite Japanese railroad. My favourite is the Kinki Nippon Tetsudo, or Kintetsu. They had a network of electrified 762mm gauge lines in Mie Prefecture, originally using steeplecab locos and trailer cars, later using multiple unit stock. Two lines remain in service today. One, the Utsube line, is still operated by Kintetsu, while the Hokusei line is now owned by the Sangi Tetsudo.
I was in Japan for a short while in 1966 and it didn’t take long to figure out that,the railway system was how one gets around over there. Their rail systems work,man. Even a greenhorn sailor like myself could figure out how to get from Yokusuka to Tokyo and back again in time for muster. The other cool thing was that a 19 yr. old kid could travel by himself in uniform, as if I didn’t stand out enough as it was, and be perfectly safe. I would like to think that it is still that way.
With my favorite and choice of modeling being the P&LE… my second favorite is the mighty CSX… its all over the place in Pennsylvania and I always smile when I see a dark future pulling some cars.