Maybe I’ve spent just a little too much time in Cook, Dupage, and Kane Counties (Illinois) over the past two years chasing the ghosts of electric traction, but I really would have loved to have seen the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin in action.
The C.& N.W. branchline between South Elgin and Crystal Lake, Ill. followed the bucolic Fox River Valley through some beautiful old industrial towns like East Dundee, Carpentersville, and Algonquin. It surely would have been great if the Illinois Railway Museum would have acquired and operated that line. Too bad too that the northern extension of this line doesn’t go into Lake Geneva and Williams Bay, Wisc. anymore. That section of right-of-way should have been railbanked!
…Reviving an old RofW…It would be difficult to do now, {because of highway construction and some buildings since constructed}, but there was a coal hauling line 50-60 years ago {B&O, Boswell Branch}, and the portion I’d like to see would be from Friedens, Pa. to near Boswell…but now it would have to stop where route 30 east - west highway passes as the bridge was removed when that highway was rebuilt. It would make an excellent tourist line. It had a half dozen or more horseshoe curves, and about 4 of them were end to end. One location the railroad crossed a county highway {twice}, within a few hundred feet as it wound around a hillside mound {180 degrees}, simply to gain elevation and retain a good grade.
I only read the first page of posts, but I think I might even be in the majority by voting for the Royal Gorge route – at least as far as passenger is concerned.
For freight, the question is more “what concept of transport would you revive?” For example; logging trains, mining trains; and obviously economics rule here.
I only read the first page of posts, but I think I might even be in the majority by voting for the Royal Gorge route – at least as far as passenger is concerned.
For freight, the question is more “what concept of transport would you revive?” For example; logging trains, mining trains; and obviously economics rule here.
Mail and express on passenger trains might even allow Amtrak expansion, like from Concord, NH, to Montreal… Washington State has bought rail lines for wheat because it’s cheaper than repairing truck damage on roads – sugar cane trains in Hawaii are not far behind!
I only read the first page of posts, but I think I might even be in the majority by voting for the Royal Gorge route – at least as far as passenger is concerned.
For freight, the question is more “what concept of transport would you revive?” For example; logging trains, mining trains; and obviously economics rule here.
I only read the first page of posts, but I think I might even be in the majority by voting for the Royal Gorge route – at least as far as passenger is concerned.
For freight, the question is more “what concept of transport would you revive?” For example; logging trains, mining trains; and obviously economics rule here.
Since I was one of the first to get on the Royal Gorge/Tennessee Pass bandwagon, I will restate my wish for that route to be revived. We lived in Canon City from 1999 to 2007 and it was a sad sight to see the tracks west of Parkdale gathering rust, weeds and fallen rocks. I would recommend a drive up US 50 from Canon City to Salida and then on US 285 /24 to Leadville and beyond to apprecaite the beauty of this line in the Arkansas Valley
During the years I was in CO there were rumors about the line such as: BNSF was going to by it to avoid trakage rights on the Moffat Route, UP was going to reopen it as an alternative for coal etc. But we left CO with the line still dormant.
Always thought it would be a great extension of the Canon City and Royal Gorge excursion train.
I agree with you, I’d consider altering any roads in the way to run next to it, and I’d do anything to put the rail line back exactly the way it was, and should be…even if it is more than anyone can handle. And in addition, I’d recommend making people’s perceptions towards the railroad believe that they would be helping them.
I was scrolling through the thread and having fun names. Saw one about reviving the Carson & Colorado, had an urge to reply and then noted I did a bit over 16 years ago under my old handle.
I agree with an earlier post, that I would like to have seen BN revive their ex-MILW line over Snoqualmie Pass which was about 500’ lower in elevation that the ex-NP summit. However I would point out to those who point out that the MILW Pacific Coast Extension was well engineered, engineering does not overcome the inferior route of the PCE which crossed 5 summits, vs. the GN route which crosses 2 summits.
The PCE from Morbridge to Harlowton was nicely located, with one grade near Rhame, ND that looks like it could have been eased with moderate effort. In between Terry and Forsyth the Milw line is much straighter than the NP line. OTOH, the line west from the Columbia river is an abomination when compared to the NP’s line.
