A simple name like the Kansas City Southern

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

If all the Class 1 Railroads had simple names like the Kansas City Southern they would be different.

Norfolk Southern would be the same

CSX would become Jacksonville Northern

Union Pacific would be Omaha Central

BNSF would be Forth Worth Northern

CN will be know as Toronto Western

CPR will be called Calgary Central

I like those names as a change of pace.

Andrew Falconer

2

Ahmmm…CN would be the Toronto Western?..you’re forgetting they’re based in Montreal from Halifax, NS to Prince Rupert, BC and down to the southern US coast in LA. CN is the only true transcon…the others are really only REGIONALS…yupp…UP also.

3

The Union Pacific – if the federal government didn’t guarantee that name, it came close (I’m harking back to Union Pacific / Central Pacific).

Also, it’s the only one of the Big Seven besides KCS that kept its ancestral name and headquarters. They moved buildings a few years ago, but it was just across Dodge Street in Omaha, NE.

Even KCS has a branch line up to Council Bluffs, so it looks like 100 percent of nomenclatural purity escapes all the lines…

4

C.P.R. would be Moose Jaw Central ( Only the “suits” are in Calgary) KCS would be Panama Canal Southern.

5

Don’t complain! The Panama Canal part of the railroad makes good money! - al

6

BNSF could use the name of a local band, that was popular when I was in college: Midwest Coast. They’d also get a lot of free advertizing, from the gazillion semi vans operated by a local carrier with that name.[:-,]

7

Your forgetting that CP serves New York City and Vancouver, BC making it also a true Transcontinental.

8

Here’s a novel idea: How about leaving the names as they are.

9

The CSX Logo without a name has been around for 25 years.

The CN Logo without the name has been around since 1960.

Have these become durable symbols or have they been burned out and need real names?

Perhaps railroads do not need real names anymore and the UNION PACIFIC could just follow along and contract to UP.

Andrew Falconer

10

I think Union Pacific likes it’s name, trademark, and logo just fine. Must be a phoamer thing.