Union Pacific of course
Conrail and ATSF
Canuck National, aaah [:0] oops, I mean Canadian National. [:D]
# Southern Pacific
Not sure if it qualifies or not, but the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic.
WichitaTerminal Assocation in KS formed 1-1-1910 to provide switching in the industry district of north Wichita. Company has always used engs from the city rrs on a yr to yr rotation. Currently, BNSF & UP engs are used swapping out every 18 months.
My favorite would have to be the Soo-Milwaukee System, from the 80’s. Maybe because of the variety of power that you could see on the line. I am currently modeling it in good ol’ 1:87 (Anybody out there who keeps bidding me up on those “Bandit” units, Please STOP! Money doesn’t grow on trees, ya know!)
My favorite railroad company is the Burlington Northern, it sure is a treat getting to see the old Burlington Northern freight cars, I also like Santa Fe and Missouri Pacific.
Florida East Coast Railway. The only railroad bold enough to build a brige across the ocean for 7 miles in 1914!!! [wow]
From my childhood: the Rock Island. I used to live in the Chicago suburb of Midlothian, Illinois which is still a stop for Metra commuter trains. In my humble opinion, this granger played it smart. It had the advantage of have more direct connections to the eastern trunk likes than any other line going west. Not only it handled traffic of the Overland and Golden State Routes (UP at Bluffs Yard and SP at Tumanchi, NM), but because of its route to Denver, they also handle Rio Grande Traffic in and out of Chicago, Kansas City and St. Louis!
As regaurding today: The CN is my pick. Since I currently live in Centralia, IL, the ex- IC’s Mainline Of Mid-America isn’t far from me. Since the Illinois Central was (indeed) then first railroad here, this town was named after the railraod! (Central + ia = Centralia) Since the Canadian National purchased this railroad in 1999, it is the prime railroad in this town. Then NS and BNSF all have to wait in order to cross the diamonds around 10th street. Then signals that gaurd the IC line are only dormant when nothing is going on; but the joint BNSF-NS line (roughly a mile or two in length) is always on an always red until the train is granted permission to cross.
Then CN recently went from the worst to the best in just TEN YEARS! [:O] Now you don’t run into that everyday! Their operation ratio is the lowest in the business: 66.7% last I heard! This is one railraod I wi***o invest in!
NS and CSX but i have to say Chessie was good in its day.
EJ&E, DMIR, BS, BLE, URR… Basically any of the USS steel roads. There’s lots of other shortline stuff too… Trona, PHL, NCR, Tacoma Rail.
Dave
-DPD Productions - Featuring the TrainTenna LP Gain RR Scanner Antenna-
http://eje.railfan.net/dpdp/
SOUTHERN PACIFIC!
After that,
Santa Fe
PRR
New Haven
Rock Island
MILW
BN
Ah!!! The Lehigh Valley & Nickel Plate. Oh you mean Now!! Rochester & Southern & Genesse & Wyoming. Although about anything where steel wheels meet steel rails will work!!!
HMMM… Lehigh Valley, nope, gone thirty years… Canadian National is about (aboot there, eh?) as good as they get now. CSX is[censored]as they have tried to kill the old New York Central, though New York’s outrageous taxes must be singled out for blame for this revolting state of affairs to exist! Oh, and the [banghead][censored]Pinheads in “Homeland Security” who have banned railfanning, if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time!
Chicago & North Western! Growing up living next door to a C&NW engineer made that happen.
But I also like EJ&E, DM&IR and WC.
B&O is the way to go!
southern pacific 1970 to 75 E.M.D kings
ATSF from start to finish also BN and CNW