Which rail line do you think was the biggest mistake in abandoning? Please explain why.
In answering this question, if you must give a sentimental answer rather than a business-related answer, please say so.
For instance, I most miss the IC’s Springfield - St. Louis line. I could make a half-hearted argument that the IC wishes it still had it, because now it does not have an efficient line between Chicago and St. Louis. But, in my heart, I know that my argument is crazy, because that area is saturated with railroads, and it probably helped rather than hurt railroading when this line was abandoned.
I am told that the Rock’s Memphis line is really missed, as it would be invaluable to a BNSF as an intermodal gateway.
The trains travelled at 80mph (on jointed rail back in the '50’s), were electrically powered, and were perfect for commuters travelling between Chicago, Milwaukee, and points in between.
Considering the level of ridership on the Metra North line, and the renewed interest in rebuilding the ex-CNW between Kenosha and Milwaukee, I believe the line would be incredibly popular.
I recall the C&NW line that ran from Green Bay west to Wausau and then beyond to somewhere near Eau Clair. I recall seeing very long freights on this line when we lived in Wausau back in the 1970’s and they used to come through town from Green Bay and passed the old C&NW passenger station (by then Billy Moi’s One World Inn…a Chinese restaurant) and on west, they used to haul these with sometimes six or more old GP and really old FM Baby Train Master units!
I also miss seeing the C&NW up in the Minaqua/Woodruff Wisconsin area at about the same time passing east-west through Woodruff when we went camping in “dem dare nort woods”. Nowadays “roughing it” to me means a Holiday Inn with room doors that oprn to the outside. Also the C&NW line that went through Marshfield, WI…roughly paralelling the old SOO Line main line through town…now much traffic on the C&NW but colorful just the same. Add to that the old Milwaukee Road line through Wautoma, WI where we used to ship carloads of bath tubs to an old plumbing wholesale customer of mine (tracks now torn up and right of way long gone). Finally the Milwaukee Road line that went through Antigo, WI…I used to call on a plumbing across the street from the tracks VERY often just to be able to see the daily freight come past.
My answer is about 20 percent sentimental and 80 percent practical.
The Chicago area could use the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin interurban back in operation. And some historians who know more than I could make a similar case for the North Shore Line, as well. [Note added later – Zardoz was already taking care of the NSL while I was still composing this post. You know what they say about great minds…]
Because now the daily commute in Chicagoland isn’t from the suburbs into the city as it was in the 1950s and 1960s when these lines were deemed duplicitous and therefore obsolete; it goes in both directions. The CA&E was liquidated far too early – the rural communties it served for 60 years are now almost totally built-out, and the highway system is near gridlock. Both lines were before their time.
The Monon between Indianapolis and Chicago. A fast, direct line that would have been much better for Amtrak today than their current meandering route through Crawfordsville. It should have been saved as a banked corridor.
“Zardoz” (Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee) and “Poppa_Zit” (Chicago, Aurora and Elgin) said it all for me.
And should Michael Sol ever choose to contribute to this thread, I’ll second his comments about the Puget Sound Extension (The Milwaukee Road).
One line I get sentimental over is the C.& N.W. branch that ran along the Fox River in northern Illinois, the one which connected the cities of Elgin, East Dundee, Carpentersville, Algonquin, and Crystal Lake. Although many of the freight customers along this scenic line disappeared in the ensuing decades after WW2, I’ve often thought it might be a useful feeder for the Railroad’s Harvard Subdivision communter operations.
QUESTION: Did the Illinois Railway Musuem ever consider purchasing this line? Strung with trolley wire and operated with ancient interurban equipment, it would have easily become the bucolic tractionoperation in America.
Given the growing flood of intermodal traffic on CSX and NS, I would nominate the Erie main from Chicago to New York. In the past it never generated much local business because it bypassed most of the large cities. But it did well on reefer traffic, carrying perishables to eastern markets. It could repeat that act today, with high speed intermodal taking the place of the reefers.
For me, that would be sentimental. Is it practical? I leave that up to you.
I’ll add that any of the TMER&L lines today would have been in high growth area’s , i.e. Thiensville- Port Washington. All today are very busy corridors, not to mention Waukesha-Milwaukee, Burlington-Milwaukee ( How many lanes is Hwy 36 up to ?)
I agree with PZ, the CA&E could find alot of use nowadays. When I was growing up, I used to live a couple of blocks from the old CA&E right of way, that ran through Berkeley, and have vague memories of the CGW being torn up. Unfortunately rebuilding the CA&E would be alot of work, as most the line east of 1st Avenue is built over… but if you look on Google Earth, you can trace the route, as it is the Illinois Prairie Path through DuPage County… and, the old CA&E bridge in Wheaton still stands over the UP. (Great site for pictures of westbound trains…)
That said, it would make a great commuter line still… ah, the “if only’s”
Practicality–I’d say CNS&M and CA&E–provided CA&E somehow was able to run directly into Chicago again.
Sentimentality: Lines west out of Grand Rapids to Grand Haven and Muskegon. The line from GR to Muskegon might have been practical, as it would give the new short line a way to avoid the drawbridge at Grand Haven–which will only get balkier as time goes by.
Logic: Why am I asking to lose two of my favorite bicycle trails?
I miss the old Northern Central (part of the Pennsy) parts that no longer exist–Williamsport, PA to Northern NY and Harrisburg to Baltimore. These parts were basically abandoned after Hurricane Agnes in the 1970’s. The Nothern part is strictly for senimental reasons–great scenary and plenty of helpers heading towards Elmira. It was really something to see in the steam era which lasted until about 1957 on it. However, commuter-style rail service, similar to NJT’s longer distance runs to the NYC area, over the Harrisburg to Baltimore part could well have had a place today or in the near future given that the commuter territory for the Baltimore to north DC area now extends into southern PA up to about York, while York north is in the Harrisburg commuter range. (Although it would have taked some upgrading of the line.) For those not familiar with it, the southernmost part of the line is now part of the Baltimore light rail system which should be extending northward if funding becomes available and the NIMBY objections are overcome.
As for IRM ever thinking of purchasing this line I would have to say no. The line from Elgin to Crystal Lake was ripped out in the early 80’s, by that time IRM was pretty well established in Union.
I would like to second the nomination for the CA&E, built way ahead of its time. One line that I do not see mentions much is the ex CGW main across Illinois and Iowa. With all the traffic the UP has on the Geneva sub, you would think that they would kill to have another main across those two states and into Chicago.
I will jump right in and affirm the Erie Lackawanna. I also see the need for the Milwaukee Road PCE line from St. Paul westward. That would keep things much more civil, tho not as entertaining on this board.
I also believe from a lines on a map basis the B&O from Cincinnati to Washington would have been valuable.
The Kankakee Belt line to South Bend would have been a nice route around Chicago.
Sentimentally, it would be the Mattoon - Evansville lC line.
Well, Chicago is will represented. My Choice would be the Milwaukee Road’s lines west.
Right now, BNSF is at capacity with trains going over the Cascades. Steven’s pass is less then adequate with a summit tunnel that could kill, Stampede pass isn’t much better if not worse.
Snoqualmi pass twists and turns, but it’s a gentle grade. And the tunnels are pretty much already big enough for double stack.
BN and it’s Frisco managments couldn’t see the nose in front of their faces and have given themselves a headache now.
I miss the Lehigh Valley west of Sayre,PA, 90% of which is gone. The Finger Lakes operates a few miles of the Valley main out of Geneva, NY. Ontario Midland runs on the Shortsville-Victor remnant of the main, while one can ride into Niagara Falls NY on Amtrak from CP25 on CSX’s Niagara Sub into the Amtrak Station there, which happens to have been the LV freight house built in the early 60’s by the New York State Power Authority (that’s right, the power authority) in exchange for the old freight station, closed when the LV yard in the “Monteagle” section of Niagara Falls was taken out of service. Why them you ask? Well, the NYSPA and Niagara Falls removed NYC trackage (upon which LV had trackage rights) from downtown Niagara Falls to eliminate numerous grade crossings, and permit the authority to disrupt service on the “old” right of way while the water intake passages were drilled from the Niagara River to the power project site in Lewiston, north of the city. The LV was allowed to close it’s old yard to permit re-development of that area. They built public housing there. No further comment on that![tdn]
While it is still possible, one can ride to CP28 on the “Maple Leaf”, ATK 63/64, on Valley trackage.[8D]