This would be my third choice, Bert.
When the UP Overland Route was closed for several days at Galt thanks to a derailment taking the old double-truss bridges down over the creek, I couldn’t help but wonder if the UP was wishing the CNW wouldn’t have pulled the plug so fast on the CGW. That would bring the UP closer to even with BNSF, which has two double-track mains into Chicago from Galesburg and points west.
while it was the most economic choice to do, i still wish CNW didnt abandon their main from Eau Claire to Superior. there were 3 additional trains through altoona due to that track, now there are a mere 2 manifests left. all coming through at night. i will forever hate BN for ripping the CN haulage rights out of CNW’s hands and forcing them to abandon the line…jerks
The Pacific Electric. L.A. has finally realized the mistake,and are spending BILLIONS of $$$$ to replace the P.E. bit by bit.
<>Well I might be a bit biased but I think scrapping the Modoc was a mistake. They could have kept it in good enough condition (well for slow running anyway) to restore, on short notice, as a detour, for relatively little money, at a minimum. There are only 3 sets of gates between Alturas and Wendel to re-activate and put the arms back on, plus 3 detectors to turn back on to change its status from railbanked to active. As long as they keeped up on maintaining drainage and vegitation controll, and make sure Caltrans doesn’t pave the crossings, then it could have been a valuable emergency relief route in the event of closures elsewhere. When heavy snowfalls hit Donner or the Feather River Canyon is one big slide zone, the Modoc offered a way to get at least a limited amount of traffic around the blockage in relatively few detour miles (at least by western standards). It could also detour traffic from a closed Shasta line to Flannigan, and through the FRC for I-5 corridor traffic. It would also be the logical alternative for UPs Portland-Pocotello exOSL line should a major closure be caused by something big like a volcano eruption or even a flood or major bridge closure.
That’s if keeping it open were not practacle. It is only 100 miles of track (ripped out) that could save the day for several other routes in the event of a prolonged closeure (Donner / Feather River route, Shasta route, OSL route and even BNSF detours). Not to mention with capacity becomeing scarce another transcon connector (shortcut) might come in handy. The biggest logistic issue is crew availability and the capacity constraints of running on dark territory with limited sideing capacity. But hey, in an emergency, limited detour capacity is better then no capacity.
That’s all assumeing there is not justification to keep the line open for through traffic on it’s own merrits as a shortcut. The Modoc line saves 240 miles and 5-6k feet of ele
Also, the portion of the PCE between Forsyth and Lombard would be a much better route than the MRL/BNSF line via Billings and Bozeman.
The ex-SP&S between Spokane and Pasco - a superior profile to the ex-NP route current used, although I would liked to have seen the SP&S itself rerouted from Kalotous to Pasco via Connell, getting rid of the Snake River bridges and allowing bi-directional flow movements to the Pasco yard. So I guess that makes the ex-OWR&N/ex-NP ROW between Connell and Kalotous 2a?
The ex-UP/Milwaukee line through Spokane - When the '74 World’s Fair came to Spokane, the powers that be convinced (forced?) the UP to use BN’s ex-NP viaduct line through town, with the new Latah Creek bridge thrown in for good measure, so that the UP Union Depot and the ex-GN depot grounds could be used for the park. Problem is, the ex-NP viaduct is both an eyesore and has low clearances, and has become a planning headache for area street managers. The ex-UP line avoided downtown with the depot skirting the northern part of downtown right next to the river, then tunneled under the eastern end of downtown. The depot could have been actively incorporated into the Expo s
not really torn out, but not likely to see trains again is the tennesse pass line, absolute beautiful to photograph. sentimental i know but that was mountain railroading.
Track #2 around Horseshoe Curve.
The B&O — many of my family worked for them including my granfather and the railroad was their whole life . He lived very near the tracks at Oldtown, Maryland and I’d hear one coming as a kid and run to the tracks to listen and watch up close ! Darn I miss those days . Then the engineers would always yank that whistle/horn to see me jump and stars light up in my eyes. Seeing the engineer or anyone in the cab wave was like seing santa claus ! And get this there was a real HOBO who would stop by every once in awhile and my grandmother would give him food and a drink ! She’d always say "GOD BLESS HIM " after he left . You can’t buy memories like that . I’d just stare in amazement – he was a very sweet old man .
FM, most of that can be blamed on bad Frisco managment. It’s a railroad legacy that managment from the subsumed road be given prominant roles in the parent railroad. BN went on a slash and burn of lines and those flatlanders had no idea what they had.
As for snoqualmie, Prying it out of the state’s hands would be difficult, but not impossible.
Chicago & Northwestern. The (iowa) Oelwein- Clarion line, the Oelwein- St. Paul line, and the Oelwein- Chicago lines. These were 3 of the 4 lines that CGW constructed out of it’s hub (oelwein). When C&NW took over CGW in '68, they ran the lines for a while, but in 1981 the St.Paul and Chicago lines were abandoned, the Oelwein- Clarion line lasted till '84.
This is mostly for senimental reasons.
My vote would be for sections, especially the west end, of the Kettle Valley (CPR). With bigger, more efficient saw mills in Princeton and Merritt along with the demand for co-gen (using wood waste) and a resurgence in coal mining at Coalmont there are a lot of trucks on narrow roads hauling stuff that should be on rail.
Why would you want to? It’d be better for the State to keep it and develop it as a cross state OA supplemental line.
Actually, you may as well hate the CNW and SOO for ripping the MILW out of CN’s GTW hands, which is why CN said “heck with the both of you” and sent their trains via BN!
My choice for lines that should still be around would be CNW’s line from Waukesha to Madison – partially for sentimental reasons, though I understand it is an awesome bike trail now – but it is also the most direct Milwaukee-Madison route, and was the first choice for high-speed passenger rail before it was removed.
The other is the ends of the Clyman Jct-Ft Atkinson line, which could make a nice direct route for Wisconsin & Southern! The north end connects to the WSOR just west of Horicon (Minnesota Junction), and the south end would connect nicely at Milton (formerly Milton Junction). But – oh well!
I do kinda wish the state legislature wouldn’t have had their hangup about “freight railroad” TMER&L and had subsidized it anyways…
Miss the most?
For purely sentimental reasons-mine. Specifically the C&NW branch that ran through my hometown. That has to be the one that hooked me on trains as a kid. We only lived a few blocks away and there was enough switching (and time for the crew to go for lunch) for me to go down and watch/follow them as they set out cars at the feed mill, plywood mill, etc. Ah, memories…
I’ll vote for TN Pass and it has nothing to do with the money.
There are definitely some lines in the Washington area that I’d like to see back in service as commuter lines. For example, the Washington & Old Dominion which got abandoned at a time when Loudon County, VA was sparcely populated. Now, that Loudon County, VA is heavily populated, it would be nice to have a commuter connection from Leesburg to Arlington via Herndon, the Dulles Airport area, and Vienna. Maybe as light rail, but if the W&OD was still around, it would cost a lot less to build the Metro connection to Dulles Airport.
It would also be nice for commuter reasons if the B&O Georgetown Branch was still in service. A line from Rockville to Georgetown would be very popular and help with traffic. Plus, if there was some sort of Metro service or light rail/trolleys to Georgetown (which of course there used to be) it would really help with congestion/parking in that area. Of course, its hard to feel any sympathy for Georgetown given that they blocked a Metro stop in the 1970s because they were afraid that the Metrorail would attract the “wrong elements.” So, in a way its fitting that they are stuck watching business go elsewhere where people don’t have to walk a mile to get to a Metro Station. But, it would be a useful line - plus, it would be a shorter connection from the Red Line to the Orange and Blue Lines and make the Rockville area to Arlington connection more attractive to riding Metro and perhaps relieve some traffic pressure on the American Legion Bridge and congestion on the Red Line and in the Metro Center station.
ATSF, MP, MKT. Also the old BN branch in KS from Wichita into southeast KS.
I miss the Pennsy double track line through Fort Wayne. Sixty passenger train a day, plus freight! The line still exists as a single track shortline with one or two trains a day with a top speed of 40mph. In the line’s heyday a K4 (built in the local shop) set a speed record on this line west of town. Born too late, I guess.[:(]
It does have one small glimmer of life. This line has been identified as a possible route for the Midwest Hi-Speed Passenger Initiative out of Chicago, but I won’t hold my breath.
Good idea, we are still waiting to see the DL&W restored in Northwestern New Jersey, and waiting and…[banghead][zzz]
Overall, I think the line rationalization of the late 20th Century was done very well. Please note I did not say it was done perfectly. The extra capacity needed today is generally not where is was and was taken out. (Low use branch lines add to congestion, they don’t aleviate it.)
On the freight side, the only big mistakes I can think of are some old ACL double track that CSX probably wishes it had back. But who knew? And the old Rock Island between Memphis and Amarillo that fell through the cracks.
As for passenger service, having the North Shore and “Roarin Elgin” in place here in Chicagoland would help. NW Indiana is booming and the South Shore is a definite asset.
Since the old C&IM is still in place, I don’t have any “emotional” losses as far as trackage.
What I miss is much of the “urgency” freight. The livestock, the mail, the fresh meat. I’m convinced much of the perishable business will find its way back to rail movement. But we ain’t never gonna’ see a livestock extra or a mail train again.
Now, I wrote this in four paragraphs. If it doesn’t come out thata’ way, it’s not my fault.
Added on edit: Well, I can now fix the paragraph thingy, but it’s pain in the caboose.