After reading those comments about how the BNSF makes it a point to get the Amtrak over it’s rails with as little as fuss as possible, I am beginning to think that the BNSF is or has emerged as the premier railroad in the US of A.
I am, personally, partial to the UP because my Grandfather was an engineer on that line from North Platte to Grand Island, Nebraska. But the UP is slow about everything. The are slow in letting the Amtrak through. They are slow in hiring new help. I applied for a train service job that closed in December and have yet to hear anything. Upon contacting the UP, they told me it could take up to six months to make a decision.
In contrast, I have applied for three different jobs on the BNSF and they quickly responded after the position closed( I wasn’t hired, but nobody does every thing right).
So may be the BNSF has there act together or at least as number two, they try harder. I am thinking I should switch my loyalities.
Who do you think is the best running railroad in the U.S. today, and more importantly, why?
Best running? Probably CN. Most interesting developer? KCS, Fastest? BNSF
Most interesting new mainline route: T&P (U.P.) Ft.Worth / Sierra Blanca (ElPaso)
Most scenic: tie UP& BNSF Most fun to watch: BNSF’s Chi-LA route for its speed and scenery. Most missed fallen flags: SP SSW RI KATY Sou SLSF (for me)
Favorite current RR: KCS Do I want any more mergers? emphatic NO !!!
Do I like the latest spin-off short lines and regionals? Yes. Most interesting to me: DM&E’s coal route expansion if it comes about. Favorite shortline: Ft.Worth&Western
[tup]
I grew up by a CN branchline and to this day I still love CN despite all the negative things people say about them.
I was a big fan of BC Rail, until recently.
Absolutely beautiful right-of-way, they used to run lots of passenger service (BUDDS) and the Royal Hudson 2860 (Steam), they had electrics running in coal service, I like their Blue/White/Red paint scheme on their Dash-8’s, and my grandfather lives on their right-of-way, so I spent lots of time as a youngster watching their passenger and freight traffic.
They have now been eaten up by the CN, and nothing much is the same as it used to be.
Thet barely run a train a day on the right-of-way between North Vancouver Prince George.
Best two railroads that no longer exist 1. Pennsylvania Railroad 2. Reading Railroad
Best current line (Class 1) CSX
Best Railroad in my opinion Amtrak because you can ride it for the time being all over America.
I don’t think there are any wrong answers here. Everyone so far has made their case for railroads past and present. There are many more lines that have not be represented yet. What is keeping you from responding? Don’t want to? That’s okay, I don’t want to be pushy, I just enjoy reading your responses.
Whats’ better in Canada: CN, CP or VIA?
Its all personal pref.
This one is gonna be different for everyone, but i like the LV because it went through my dads hometown and is just plain ol’ cool.
Adrianspeeder
Cool, yes. LV is in my blood too.[;)]
Guilford rail system. I own just about every peice of HO scale model rr equipment with their logo on it.
“Whats’ better in Canada: CN, CP or VIA?”
It all depends on who you ask. The rank and file employees will not have that all-encompassing glowing opinion that the employers and investors do.
Signal Mechanic. Signal Department. Canadian National Railways.
I have to admit it,All the Railroads are great,But the No.1 thing the RR’s need to do is STOP thinking about their money problems and start thinking about their costomers.
Costomers come first. enabel to have a well good running railroad you have to have good management someone who knows how to run it. The UP for one thing has had it’s problems already and now they are trying their damnest to make things better and they “WILL”. The UP will give the others a run for their money. Other than, The UP must be doing realy much better because their has been an increase in Train traffic.
As for you question,I realy can’t say much as for my Best Favorite RR. I realy like all the RR’s.
My favorite railroad is the BNSF, that’s where I had my first memories at seeing the long freight trains go by (back when it was BN) and when I was 7 years old on a fishing trip, we weren’t no further than about 15 feet away from the train tracks.
Out of those 3 I’ll pick CP.
The variety of power isn’t as good as CN, but the locomotives are often cleaner, and they’ve been running a lot of the Brand New, Blue leased CEFX AC4400s.
I call them the “Big Blues”
I had two favorites the Great Northern and Santa Fe both are part of the BNSF today. When they were individual railroads they were well managed and operated fine passenger trains to the end. Their track and maintenance programs were second to none. NBot only did they operate fine passenger trains but also some of the fastest freight trains in the country as well. Pacific Zip and Super C. Found every crew superb on either roads trains and probably witnessed more on time arrivals than the other railroads that traveled comparable distances.
SP, no argument
Yeah, they were slow. But they looked good clean or dirty. Who wants to see a moldy peach or grease yellow? Now a good ol’ scarlet and grey grungebucket? mmm
Places: 2nd:milw 3:WP 4:SF 5:D&RGW 6:PRR 7:NS 8…
Southern Pacific.
The crews were willing to talk with us railfans. Plus the scenery over the Coast Line and Donner Pass.
BC Rail! How could you not love it!? Widecab ALCo/MLWs running into the 80s, low nose RS-18s, they got the last ALCo locomotives, the last SD40-2s, and they ran thsoe mighty GF6C electrics on Tmbler Ridge coal trains! They ran through difficult conditions in great scenery, and served the lumber industry well. Of course, that all changed with CN…it became far too much like CN as the years went on…until finally, it was gone.
So today my choice is CP. ALCo/MLWs running into the late 90s, great paint schemes, and Rob Ritchie making it shine! (Until recently, IIRC)
My impression from what I’ve read over the years is that UP (and to an extenet NS) run more centralized, “top down” management structures, so that will make them slower to do things. BNSF and CSX seem to be built around a looser, decentralized way of doing things. On the one hand, not everything has to go all the way up the food chain to be decided but, on the other hand, things aren’t always implimented systemwide as well as they could be. Again, just impressions but, if correct, that might explain some things.
Favorite current road? Alas, I’m getting too old-I have to sit for a moment and count out who they actually are! I still think of UP, SP, D&RGW, MP and C&NW as seperate. I remember BN but forget that it’s now BNSF. N&W includes Wabash but not Southern. CSX might be the only one I’m current on, only because I never had contact with any predecessor lines to stick in my (otherwise faulty) memory. Oh, wait; this is all pre-Conrail merger! Argh!
There’s another question for everyone. What decade/time period is your “mental map” of railroads stuck in (if any)?