Since we have favorite engines of all time, what is/are your favorite railroad(s) of all time. Here are mine: NYS&W, NYO&W, M&NJ, L&NE, L&HR, ERIE, DL&W, CNJ, PRR, NYC, LV, D&H, and RDG. Let the fun begin.[:)]
Change order and add: : DL&W, LIRR, M&E, LHR, LNE,O&W, NYSW,CNJ, PRR, NYC, ERIE,B&O, WAG
My favorite railroad would be the first that I ever rode on by myself (age 7) Southern. I certainly enjoyed traveling on Atlantic Coast Line, Seaboard, Florida East Coast, and later when in the Coast Guard the Pennsylvania and NYC. Much later when teaching in Scotland on a Fulbright Exchange, I will add British Rail although their coffee and tea, strangely enough were wretched.
My favorites are the GN NP SP AT&SF CB&Q SP&S CMSTP&P CN CP during the time period late fifties and throughout the sixties.
Al - in - Stockton
I’ll have to start with Seaboard Coast Line, because that’s the one I grew up with and railfanned the most. I miss those black and yellow diesels (who would have thought a black paint job would be attractive, but SCL’s was). We even got to see U36B 1776 rolling through here occasionally, on one memorable occasion at the point of the Tropicana Juice Train.
Following that would be SCL’s predecessors, the Seaboard and Atlantic Coast Line, which came together at Ocala, Florida’s beautiful Union Station, though by the time I was born the Orange Blossom Special was a memory and ACL’s purple E-Units had vanished from the tracks laid down the middle of Osceola Avenue downtown. ACL especially gets an “A” for preserving P-5a Pacific 1504, though that’s offset with a “D-” for not doing the same with one of their R-1 Northerns.
I also have to mention the Florida East Coast, which has painted several of its new diesels in tribute schemes to the original red, yellow and orange paint jobs its first diesels sported. I really need to get over to the coast more often to photograph the FEC.
Let me also agree with the Commodore on Southern - one of the biggest thrills of my life was standing on the platform at Washington Union Station in 1978 and seeing a lashup of four of those gorgeous green, gold and white E-8s rolling in with the Crescent.
And finally, I have to put in a good word for Amtrak. They’ve done yeoman’s work on a pittance of a budget to keep passenger trains alive in this country. If not for them, I would never have experienced the pleasure of traveling by train. May they get a fair shake from the new administration and Congress.
How can it be a “favorite” if it is in a list, unless that list is a priority. NYS&W is your favorite?
My Avatar says it all. during the steam/diesel transition era.
AgentKid
Texas Zephyr: Yes, NYSW is my favorite because I live near it. The others are in the order as they came to me. Does that clear up things?[;)]
The Southern , The L&N , The Monon , The CE&I ,LNAC ,Indiana Southern , SP&S , Seattle & North coast , The Everret & Monte Cristo , Illinios central , Norfolk Southern .
The Southern, Seaboard Air Line.
The Gulf Mobile & Ohio.
The famous MA&PA…
Maryland and Pennsylvania RR!!!
Roger
My favorites list begins with the Milwuakee Road- CMSTP&P, followed by the Northern Pacific, then to the Great Northern- (Seems to be a fallen flags of the Pacific Northwest trend there), then the Rock Island, Chicago Great Western, and Wabash- more fallen flags.
[tup][2c]
Road Fan
Mojax,Nice website and the articles and pictures are fine too! I see you are located in Jacksonville, Florida. I went to Landon High School and used to catch various trains out of Union Station on a regular basis. Some of them were The Royal Palm, East Coast Champion, Silver Meteor, and a Florida East Coast train down to Miami which I can’t remember the name. Anyway, thanks again for sharing the site.
All the best and all aboard,
Michae aka The Commodore
Mojax,Nice website and the articles and pictures are fine too! I see you are located in Jacksonville, Florida. I went to Landon High School and used to catch various trains out of Union Station on a regular basis. Some of them were The Royal Palm, East Coast Champion, Silver Meteor, and a Florida East Coast train down to Miami which I can’t remember the name. Anyway, thanks again for sharing the site.
All the best and all aboard,
Michael aka The Commodore
Well, my favourite Railways are Canadian Pacific#1 of course, Central Manitoba Railway, Canadian National Railways, CASO,NYC,D&H,BNSF/ML/Midland,Prairie Dog Central, Dominion Atlantic Railway, Esquimalt&Nanaimo,SMNR,OBRY,GWWD.
From a historical standpoint, I’d pick the Rock Island. It truly was a old school rr in pre merger era of the 1980’s. I grew up near the RI @ Wichita and have fond memories.Even though my ties were severed w/ the rr in 1972, to this day it remains one of my favorites. My interest is mostly around Wichita. In the near future I will try to get around to post some questions on RI in Wichita which was an area the company did not receive lots of coverage on.
Ma&Pa is my favorite also.
I also like the WW&F (Wiscasset, Waterville, & Farmington), PRR, O&W, B&O, EBT, and the Chesapeake Beach.
Enjoy
Paul
My favorite railroad should be obvious from my username.My first train ride was on the Southern Pacific at age 9. I rode the San Joaquin Daylight from L.A. to Oakland and came back on the Coast Daylight.The first train I ever rode alone was the Coast Daylight from San Francisco to L.A. in 1970.
The Japan National Railways, circa 1964, since sectored off and privatized (proving that not all changes are improvements.)
Working steam, ugly old box-cab catenary motors, EMU and DMU sets that allowed a view to the front, and the first few diesel-hydraulics, center-cab road switchers with a pleasing color scheme. Did I mention that even insignificant commuter branches that wandered off into the weeds hosted two dozen trains a day. A secondary main line would handle a hundred trains a day or more. As for the major lines - don’t ever try to cross one at grade!
The cherry on the banana split? A large, active and informed railfan community. What’s not to love?
Chuck