Which one's better...

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

In your opinion, which one is better: UP, CSX, or BNSF?

2

analog kid

  • better for or better in what?

Better to model, better in servicing their customers, better in maintaining their equipment, better, better…???

These 3 roads are distinctive carriers, each in their field of market, so it is, IMHO, impossible to say which one´s better.

Personally, I like the looks of UP locos better than the looks of BNSF locos, but only marginally better than CSX´s color scheme.

3

I don’t know… Like, which one do YOU like better, or which one is your mind is cooler. This ain’t for modeling, more like finding out which railroad is more popular.

4

Then the post belongs in the “Trains” section, not on the “Model Railroader” board.

5

Sir Madog hit the answer on the head!

These three, along with NS–was there some reason you left that one off your list?–represent power railroading in the modern US. And, of course, one can’t forget the two Canadian Roads which have made some hefty investments down here in the lower 48.

I’m not really sure that this post does belong in the “Trains” section because our foundation for performance will, to a large extent, translate to our modeling preference. Some modelers–most probably–are attracted to the Onion Specific because of the Big Boy and the Turbines and DDs. I don’t know that CSX is any better than either of the other two you mention but it does parallel my freelance Seaboard and Western Virginia Railway which runs from the Chesapeake into the midwest so I am inclined to view it quite favorably as a “prototype”.

6

For popularity I like tbe Ma&Pa, WW&F, EBT, NYO&W, and B&O. And many others.

Enjoy

Paul

7

I can never forgive CSX for abandoning swaths of the old Monon main line. Those other two? Heard of 'em, but the Pennsy’s far more interesting than either.

So, None Of The Above.

8

That depends on whether you like roast beef, fried chicken or raw fish (aka sashimi.)

Or maybe snowmobiles, power boats or hang gliding

In my admittedly biased opinion, none of them can hold a candle to the pre-privatization Japan National Railways.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

9

Yes…and no.