Alternate Railways: V3
- Thread starter Duke Andrew of Dank
- Start date
Another railroads idea I had for a USA TL @HeX's A More Perfect Union loosely inspired.
NAME OF COMPANY: National Railways of Mexico (Ferrocarril Nacional de México)
GAUGE: 4 ft 8.5 in
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1846-present
HISTORY / DESCRIPTION: The year was 1846, and with the support of the United States and Great Britain, the viceroyalty of New Spain was now its own country. Having been a hot-spot of combat between the Anglo-Union Alliance and the Spanish-Confederacy Alliance, this colony had since taken up the southern half of New Spain and Spanish Central America to become the new nation of Mexico. Mexico was a state created with two purposes. The first, was to create an independent state for the indigenous people of New Spain to be equal in. The second reason was so that the United States could have one of several buffer between its new territory in what was once New Spain's northern half and Gran Columbia, which was still under Spanish rule [1], a purpose that was also fulfilled by them taking up the northern half of Panama. Desiring to link up with the United States for protection against a potentially revanchist Spain, the Mexican Government's first priority was to establish strong transportation links between the two nations. Part of that included a massive railroad network that would allow both countries to fend off Spain if it ever attacked again.
The first part of this new rail network was one that would link Mexico City, the nation's capital, with Torreon, a border city in the US State of Hamilton. This line was completed at last in 1857, and was a rather strong success, taking people of both nationalities in large numbers. However, all knew that this could only be the beginning. Phase two was the construction of a line from the capitol to Veracruz, and endeavor that went a bit quicker and was completed by 1861. However, further work with Americans would eventually be halted due to the US' own need to develop its rail network.
Enter investors from France and the UK. At the time, the two powers were still in their great power struggles for influence in the world. Wether it be via direct colonization like in the case of Africa, or control over trade with slightly stronger nations like China [2]. Mexico fit quite neatly into the latter camp, and what also helped was that the UK's alliance with the Union left the Mexicans with a reasonably good impression on them. As such, one of the first lines that would be built with English support was one from British-ruled Belize to Veracruz via the Yucatan Peninsula. This line began work in 1864 and was completed in 1871.
The next major trunk line for the railroad would be a joint Franco-American venture. It split from the original Mexico City - Veracruz mainline at Apizaco, and dipped to Puebla, then further south to Oaxaca. This line then eventually dipped south to Salina Cruz, and ran along through Gutierrez until it reached the state of Guatemala and its capitol of Guatemala City, after which it dipped down to Puerto San José on the Pacific Coast. This mainline would prove to be a key link in latter Mexican-American joint ventures later on in the 20th Century.
Building elsewhere in Mexico's south would prove to be a less than slightly bigger challenge. The states of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras were ones that were defined by thick, hazardous jungles, and indeed, many would go on to fall ill or die in efforts to keep the rail lines coming. Nonetheless, these efforts would go on to succeed thanks to two key American investors: The Santa Fe and Missouri Pacific railroads. Both lines linked with the NdeM at Torreon, and had provided key expertise in developing the network back in Mexico's northern half. With the ATSF linking Torreon to Chihuahua and El Paso. Whereas the MoPac ran lines from Laredo, TX, though Hamilton, to both Torreon and Tampico. As well as a second mainline to Mexico City via Caesar (OTL's Satilo), and across the border through San Luis Potosi.
Under the expertise of these companies, and other investors from Europe, the Mexican rail network would continue growing until all of Mexico was eventually linked via rail. In the steaming jungles of southern Mexico, truly magnificent feats of engineering were performed to allow Standard Gauge tracks to traverse the deep ridges and jungles. Ranging in nature from large trestles and viaducts to loop to loop gradients. However, progress to finish linking the entire country was halted thanks to the First World War, where Spanish forces in Gran Columbia broke through American defenses in Panama and invaded Mexico. Nonetheless, swift fighting in the jungle allowed Mexico to hold on while Britain attacked Spain itself. In the end, the chance to finish the railway finally came. That, and the US also had some more territory to add to Panama [3].
At long last, after decades of hard work and constant delays, the NdeM's line from Mexico City, though Central America, to the Panama Territory were at long last finished. What also helped was the US' own Panama Railroad which linked that territory to southern Mexico. Today, the NdeM is still an important artery in the movement of goods and people from South/Central America to the United States. With black, red, and yellow electrics strutting their stuff through the nation's southern jungles, to high-powered diesels along the Yucatan Peninsula, the NdeM is truly a worthy spectacle for any American rail enthusiast.
[1] ITTL, the US takes the Baja Peninsula and makes that part of California. Keeps Sonora and Chihuahua largely as they are, and merge Coahulia, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas into one state called "Hamilton".
[2] Another idea I had was that Scramble of Africa would be a bit different. For starters, I had the idea that at least in the UK's case, they would expand their empire by offering natives their financial support in developing the regions, in exchange for said tribes offering their allegiance to London.
[3] Once Spain joined the Axis though, some Americans regretted not taking up the whole thing.
NAME OF COMPANY: National Railways of Mexico (Ferrocarril Nacional de México)
GAUGE: 4 ft 8.5 in
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1846-present
HISTORY / DESCRIPTION: The year was 1846, and with the support of the United States and Great Britain, the viceroyalty of New Spain was now its own country. Having been a hot-spot of combat between the Anglo-Union Alliance and the Spanish-Confederacy Alliance, this colony had since taken up the southern half of New Spain and Spanish Central America to become the new nation of Mexico. Mexico was a state created with two purposes. The first, was to create an independent state for the indigenous people of New Spain to be equal in. The second reason was so that the United States could have one of several buffer between its new territory in what was once New Spain's northern half and Gran Columbia, which was still under Spanish rule [1], a purpose that was also fulfilled by them taking up the northern half of Panama. Desiring to link up with the United States for protection against a potentially revanchist Spain, the Mexican Government's first priority was to establish strong transportation links between the two nations. Part of that included a massive railroad network that would allow both countries to fend off Spain if it ever attacked again.
The first part of this new rail network was one that would link Mexico City, the nation's capital, with Torreon, a border city in the US State of Hamilton. This line was completed at last in 1857, and was a rather strong success, taking people of both nationalities in large numbers. However, all knew that this could only be the beginning. Phase two was the construction of a line from the capitol to Veracruz, and endeavor that went a bit quicker and was completed by 1861. However, further work with Americans would eventually be halted due to the US' own need to develop its rail network.
Enter investors from France and the UK. At the time, the two powers were still in their great power struggles for influence in the world. Wether it be via direct colonization like in the case of Africa, or control over trade with slightly stronger nations like China [2]. Mexico fit quite neatly into the latter camp, and what also helped was that the UK's alliance with the Union left the Mexicans with a reasonably good impression on them. As such, one of the first lines that would be built with English support was one from British-ruled Belize to Veracruz via the Yucatan Peninsula. This line began work in 1864 and was completed in 1871.
The next major trunk line for the railroad would be a joint Franco-American venture. It split from the original Mexico City - Veracruz mainline at Apizaco, and dipped to Puebla, then further south to Oaxaca. This line then eventually dipped south to Salina Cruz, and ran along through Gutierrez until it reached the state of Guatemala and its capitol of Guatemala City, after which it dipped down to Puerto San José on the Pacific Coast. This mainline would prove to be a key link in latter Mexican-American joint ventures later on in the 20th Century.
Building elsewhere in Mexico's south would prove to be a less than slightly bigger challenge. The states of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras were ones that were defined by thick, hazardous jungles, and indeed, many would go on to fall ill or die in efforts to keep the rail lines coming. Nonetheless, these efforts would go on to succeed thanks to two key American investors: The Santa Fe and Missouri Pacific railroads. Both lines linked with the NdeM at Torreon, and had provided key expertise in developing the network back in Mexico's northern half. With the ATSF linking Torreon to Chihuahua and El Paso. Whereas the MoPac ran lines from Laredo, TX, though Hamilton, to both Torreon and Tampico. As well as a second mainline to Mexico City via Caesar (OTL's Satilo), and across the border through San Luis Potosi.
Under the expertise of these companies, and other investors from Europe, the Mexican rail network would continue growing until all of Mexico was eventually linked via rail. In the steaming jungles of southern Mexico, truly magnificent feats of engineering were performed to allow Standard Gauge tracks to traverse the deep ridges and jungles. Ranging in nature from large trestles and viaducts to loop to loop gradients. However, progress to finish linking the entire country was halted thanks to the First World War, where Spanish forces in Gran Columbia broke through American defenses in Panama and invaded Mexico. Nonetheless, swift fighting in the jungle allowed Mexico to hold on while Britain attacked Spain itself. In the end, the chance to finish the railway finally came. That, and the US also had some more territory to add to Panama [3].
At long last, after decades of hard work and constant delays, the NdeM's line from Mexico City, though Central America, to the Panama Territory were at long last finished. What also helped was the US' own Panama Railroad which linked that territory to southern Mexico. Today, the NdeM is still an important artery in the movement of goods and people from South/Central America to the United States. With black, red, and yellow electrics strutting their stuff through the nation's southern jungles, to high-powered diesels along the Yucatan Peninsula, the NdeM is truly a worthy spectacle for any American rail enthusiast.
[1] ITTL, the US takes the Baja Peninsula and makes that part of California. Keeps Sonora and Chihuahua largely as they are, and merge Coahulia, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas into one state called "Hamilton".
[2] Another idea I had was that Scramble of Africa would be a bit different. For starters, I had the idea that at least in the UK's case, they would expand their empire by offering natives their financial support in developing the regions, in exchange for said tribes offering their allegiance to London.
[3] Once Spain joined the Axis though, some Americans regretted not taking up the whole thing.
The Best Museum in Indiana Part 1: An Overview
NAME OF COMPANY: The Indiana Transportation Museum
GAUGE: 4 ft 8.5 in
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1972-present
HISTORY / DESCRIPTION: This museum, easily one of the best railroad museums in the Midwestern United States, this one has its origins in the 1950s, when a group of preservationists secured permission to store some preserved interurban equipment at the Nickel Plate Road yard in Noblesville. However, the museum was only there for a few years until 1965. That year, the Erie Lackawanna purchased the Nickel Plate Road, and decided that it would probably want to keep the rail yard in Noblesville. As such, the EL management agreed to help the ITM locate elsewhere in Indiana.
At first, the proved easier said than done for the the fledgling museum. That is, until the city of Logansport came up to bat. Logansport had long been a railroad town with the Pennsylvania Railroad being the main rail line, with the Wabash running through town. By 1965 however, these circumstances had changed. The PRR had been undergoing a series of radical changes at the time in order to try and modernize itself. Among these plans was the sale and/or abandonment of numerous secondary lines across the Midwest and Northeast. Most notably, the branches from Effner to Logansport then the one on to Butler was being sold to the Toeldo, Peoria, & Western at the time. Whereas the mainline to Columbus was being electrified as part of a greater plan for electrifying the entire Panhandle. The South Bend Branch, on the other hand, was becoming largely left out because the Studebaker plant in South Bend, the branch's main source of revenue, was undergoing large reforms at the time thanks to a merger the Studebaker Company was had recently had with AMC [1].
On the other hand, the city of Culver had found its potential as a vacation spot for locals during the spring and summer months. This was especially the case thanks to Lake Maxinkuckee's growing popularity as the "Cape Cod of the Midwest". However, the town was also not too well-linked to most of the state's highways, which served as a disadvantage. What did directly serve Culver however, was the South Bend Branch, which was almost sure to be ripped up with the PRR's abandonment. That is, until the ITM came along, and worked out a deal with the PRR and the two cities. In only a few years, the tracks from Logansport to Culver were rebuilt, a display area in Logansport was erected, and a loop just north of Culver was established for trains to turn around.
The first few years of the museum mostly had them use diesel locomotives on the excursions - which consisted mainly of ex-ATSF Budd coaches. This changed in 1974, when the city of Indianapolis had the engine removed to make way for a new public library. A group called the "Friends of 587" joined with the ITM to study the possibility of the engine being rebuilt for use on the ITM's Logansport - Culver trains. Said reports confirmed that a restoration was possible, and she was moved to Logansport for restoration. The engine rolled out in 1979 on tests over the Chessie's ex-Wabash to Lafayette, and she was an excellent steamer. Soon, she had become the museum's crown jewel, and was running excursions both to Culver and on mainlines across the country. To fill in for 587, the ITM also bought Buffalo Creek & Gauley 2-8-0 #13 in 1985, and used her on excursions when the 587 was absent.
Visitors to the museum can start off at the display area, where the museum's collection of Indiana railroading themed artifacts are kept in the most pristine conditions possible. Ranging from dainty wooden trollies to the giants of the latter-day steam era. Eventually, passengers climb aboard their train for a ride through the Indiana countryside north of Culver. It is in that town where they get off, have lunch and can either stay all day or return to Logansport.
Nickel Plate 2-8-2 #587, the Museum's crown jewel, leads an excursion on the line to Culver on July 13, 1999 - at the back and ought of sight is former Union Pacific GP9 #200.
This photo depicts ex-BC&G Consolidation #12 at the northern terminus of Culver on the evening of June 13, 1988. This is her last run for the day, and she will soon be heading to the wye north of town so she can turn around, couple up to the other end of the train, and take one more load of primarily Logansport-bound passengers home.
[1] Special thanks to @TheMann for this idea.
NAME OF COMPANY: The Indiana Transportation Museum
GAUGE: 4 ft 8.5 in
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1972-present
HISTORY / DESCRIPTION: This museum, easily one of the best railroad museums in the Midwestern United States, this one has its origins in the 1950s, when a group of preservationists secured permission to store some preserved interurban equipment at the Nickel Plate Road yard in Noblesville. However, the museum was only there for a few years until 1965. That year, the Erie Lackawanna purchased the Nickel Plate Road, and decided that it would probably want to keep the rail yard in Noblesville. As such, the EL management agreed to help the ITM locate elsewhere in Indiana.
At first, the proved easier said than done for the the fledgling museum. That is, until the city of Logansport came up to bat. Logansport had long been a railroad town with the Pennsylvania Railroad being the main rail line, with the Wabash running through town. By 1965 however, these circumstances had changed. The PRR had been undergoing a series of radical changes at the time in order to try and modernize itself. Among these plans was the sale and/or abandonment of numerous secondary lines across the Midwest and Northeast. Most notably, the branches from Effner to Logansport then the one on to Butler was being sold to the Toeldo, Peoria, & Western at the time. Whereas the mainline to Columbus was being electrified as part of a greater plan for electrifying the entire Panhandle. The South Bend Branch, on the other hand, was becoming largely left out because the Studebaker plant in South Bend, the branch's main source of revenue, was undergoing large reforms at the time thanks to a merger the Studebaker Company was had recently had with AMC [1].
On the other hand, the city of Culver had found its potential as a vacation spot for locals during the spring and summer months. This was especially the case thanks to Lake Maxinkuckee's growing popularity as the "Cape Cod of the Midwest". However, the town was also not too well-linked to most of the state's highways, which served as a disadvantage. What did directly serve Culver however, was the South Bend Branch, which was almost sure to be ripped up with the PRR's abandonment. That is, until the ITM came along, and worked out a deal with the PRR and the two cities. In only a few years, the tracks from Logansport to Culver were rebuilt, a display area in Logansport was erected, and a loop just north of Culver was established for trains to turn around.
The first few years of the museum mostly had them use diesel locomotives on the excursions - which consisted mainly of ex-ATSF Budd coaches. This changed in 1974, when the city of Indianapolis had the engine removed to make way for a new public library. A group called the "Friends of 587" joined with the ITM to study the possibility of the engine being rebuilt for use on the ITM's Logansport - Culver trains. Said reports confirmed that a restoration was possible, and she was moved to Logansport for restoration. The engine rolled out in 1979 on tests over the Chessie's ex-Wabash to Lafayette, and she was an excellent steamer. Soon, she had become the museum's crown jewel, and was running excursions both to Culver and on mainlines across the country. To fill in for 587, the ITM also bought Buffalo Creek & Gauley 2-8-0 #13 in 1985, and used her on excursions when the 587 was absent.
Visitors to the museum can start off at the display area, where the museum's collection of Indiana railroading themed artifacts are kept in the most pristine conditions possible. Ranging from dainty wooden trollies to the giants of the latter-day steam era. Eventually, passengers climb aboard their train for a ride through the Indiana countryside north of Culver. It is in that town where they get off, have lunch and can either stay all day or return to Logansport.
Nickel Plate 2-8-2 #587, the Museum's crown jewel, leads an excursion on the line to Culver on July 13, 1999 - at the back and ought of sight is former Union Pacific GP9 #200.
This photo depicts ex-BC&G Consolidation #12 at the northern terminus of Culver on the evening of June 13, 1988. This is her last run for the day, and she will soon be heading to the wye north of town so she can turn around, couple up to the other end of the train, and take one more load of primarily Logansport-bound passengers home.
So tell me what yall think of this quick note the Richmond and Southern is the otl Richmond and Danville the Chesapeake and Allegheny is the otl Virginian between Norfolk and Salem and the JR &K is the C&o james River line taken to Charleston. I'm planning on this being part of an update in my tl after the current wars arcs are done.
Farmville Gets a Railroad
Since the start of the railroad revolution the small town of Farmville Virginia has sought a rail connection of it's own. In the early 1830s there was hope that the to be constructed Southside Railroad connecting Petersburg to Lynchburg could be persuaded to run its line via the central Virginia town. However the Southside Railroad went under before the first track was laid so farmville had to start over. The Richmond and Southern Railway entertained the idea of constructing the Southside RR's route from Burkeville to Farmville but the idea of bridging the Appomattox River made them pause and after the James River and Kanawah RR bought the R&S these plans were shelved permanently. However there was one Railroad left in the area the Chesapeake and Allegheny RR's low grade line from Norfolk to Salem ran to the south of Farmville. Finally Farmville found a Rail line. Beginning in 1839 the C&A would construct a branch line From Meherrin Va to Farmville with stations at Redd Shop, Worsham, and Kingsville in addition to Farmville. Despite the wars of the 1840s the line would open with only minor delays in 1848. This line would be expanded to north to the Willis Mountain Kyanite Mine and Dillwyn Va in the early 1900s
Farmville Gets a Railroad
Since the start of the railroad revolution the small town of Farmville Virginia has sought a rail connection of it's own. In the early 1830s there was hope that the to be constructed Southside Railroad connecting Petersburg to Lynchburg could be persuaded to run its line via the central Virginia town. However the Southside Railroad went under before the first track was laid so farmville had to start over. The Richmond and Southern Railway entertained the idea of constructing the Southside RR's route from Burkeville to Farmville but the idea of bridging the Appomattox River made them pause and after the James River and Kanawah RR bought the R&S these plans were shelved permanently. However there was one Railroad left in the area the Chesapeake and Allegheny RR's low grade line from Norfolk to Salem ran to the south of Farmville. Finally Farmville found a Rail line. Beginning in 1839 the C&A would construct a branch line From Meherrin Va to Farmville with stations at Redd Shop, Worsham, and Kingsville in addition to Farmville. Despite the wars of the 1840s the line would open with only minor delays in 1848. This line would be expanded to north to the Willis Mountain Kyanite Mine and Dillwyn Va in the early 1900s
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So in was reading a conversation in the Southery Railroad Facebook group I'm in. And I stumbled into the idea of a Southern MoPac merger and a N&W CN merger in place of the Southern N&W merger what do yall think? Either viable?
NAME OF COMPANY: Traverse & Dayton Railroad
GAUGE: 4 ft 8.5 in
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1973-present
HISTORY / DESCRIPTION: The 1950s and 1960s were a time where the railroads of America's Northeast were starting to shed off more and more of their smaller routes in an effort to save face. The Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central, once the Northeast's largest railroads, were anything but exceptions in that regard. Both railroads would spend much of the era abandoning numerous branch and secondary lines especially in the Midwest. However, fast forward to the 1970s, and the locals that said routes once served began to realize what they were missing without the big railroads to provide major transportation needs.
Some of these locals eventually realized that various abandoned routes in Michigan and Ohio could be used to whittle out a rail line. Said routes were the former PRR from Traverse City to Grand Rapids, and the NYC from Grand Rapids to Jackson. However, it was decided that to start, only the PRR Grand Rapids - Traverse City line would be operated. Generally hauling various agricultural products, aggregates, and some loads from the ports of Lake Michigan. However, the new route proved to be fairly successful, which convinced the management to expand their service to Jackson in 1989.
However, their greatest achievement would be in 1992, when they acquired a former New York Central line to Franklin, OH. The city of Franklin was sandwiched between the cities of Dayton and Cincinnati, which made for an excellent connection with railroads like the Chessie and PRR's ex-N&W that'd wish to bypass Cincy's congestion where possible. In accordance with the shortline's desire to keep costs low so more focus can be on ROWs, the railroad's locomotives are mainly acquisitions from the Class I rail lines. The most notable of these acquisitions was twelve B40-8W locomotives purchased new in 1993, making the T&D the only railroad to own these locomotives new other than the ATSF railroad.
Today, the railroad is one of the most successful short line railroads in the US. Although it is technically a Class II railroad by virtue of its extent, the railroad has never completely given up on its class III roots, and still uses short-haul services for a bulk of its revenue. In addition to the usual operations of freight behind mid-20th century diesels, the rairload has also hosted several steam locomotive excursions down its tracks. A particular favorite of theirs is Pere Marquette Berkshire #1225, which frequently hauls special excursion trips from Grand Rapids to Traverse City during the Summer months, though other steamers like Grand Trunk #6325 and even N&W #1218 have run over other parts of the system at times.
GAUGE: 4 ft 8.5 in
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1973-present
HISTORY / DESCRIPTION: The 1950s and 1960s were a time where the railroads of America's Northeast were starting to shed off more and more of their smaller routes in an effort to save face. The Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central, once the Northeast's largest railroads, were anything but exceptions in that regard. Both railroads would spend much of the era abandoning numerous branch and secondary lines especially in the Midwest. However, fast forward to the 1970s, and the locals that said routes once served began to realize what they were missing without the big railroads to provide major transportation needs.
Some of these locals eventually realized that various abandoned routes in Michigan and Ohio could be used to whittle out a rail line. Said routes were the former PRR from Traverse City to Grand Rapids, and the NYC from Grand Rapids to Jackson. However, it was decided that to start, only the PRR Grand Rapids - Traverse City line would be operated. Generally hauling various agricultural products, aggregates, and some loads from the ports of Lake Michigan. However, the new route proved to be fairly successful, which convinced the management to expand their service to Jackson in 1989.
However, their greatest achievement would be in 1992, when they acquired a former New York Central line to Franklin, OH. The city of Franklin was sandwiched between the cities of Dayton and Cincinnati, which made for an excellent connection with railroads like the Chessie and PRR's ex-N&W that'd wish to bypass Cincy's congestion where possible. In accordance with the shortline's desire to keep costs low so more focus can be on ROWs, the railroad's locomotives are mainly acquisitions from the Class I rail lines. The most notable of these acquisitions was twelve B40-8W locomotives purchased new in 1993, making the T&D the only railroad to own these locomotives new other than the ATSF railroad.
Today, the railroad is one of the most successful short line railroads in the US. Although it is technically a Class II railroad by virtue of its extent, the railroad has never completely given up on its class III roots, and still uses short-haul services for a bulk of its revenue. In addition to the usual operations of freight behind mid-20th century diesels, the rairload has also hosted several steam locomotive excursions down its tracks. A particular favorite of theirs is Pere Marquette Berkshire #1225, which frequently hauls special excursion trips from Grand Rapids to Traverse City during the Summer months, though other steamers like Grand Trunk #6325 and even N&W #1218 have run over other parts of the system at times.
Is there a way to make the Penn Central Succeed or is it one of those things that is doomed to failure regardless?
Only if you can have the talks of the NYC and PRR merging be anything more than desperate efforts to escape bankruptcy.
NAME OF COMPANY: Australian National Railway Museum, Canberra
GAUGE: Various (4ft 8 1/2in for operational locomotives)
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1956-present
HISTORY/ DESCRIPTION: The history of the ANRM began with a chance letter in 1953 to the office of the then Prime Minister, R. G. Menzies, from Victoria. There, the first of the S-class pacifics had been withdrawn, and the other three seemed set to rapidly follow with the arrival of the new B-class diesels. Menzies, after some discussion with Transport Minister Senator George McLeay and their counterparts in the Victorian Government and the family of the late VR Commissioner Harold Clapp, agreed to have one of the engines set aside for preservation. With the chosen engine - S302 Edward Henty - stored at Newport Workshops for the time beings, discussion now began over where to store the big locomotive.
At the same time, dieselisation was rapidly taking hold on the Commonwealth Railways in central Australia and the Northern Territory, largely due to the difficulties in providing water in the remote desert. Several classes of steam engine had already disappeared, and an argument was made that, if the S-class warranted preservation, surely some examples of these locomotives did too. A commission was set up by the government to look into the matter, and a few CR locomotives were earmarked for retention. At this point, the need to find housing for these locomotives, and Menzies' embarrasment at the 'village' that made up Australia's capital of Canberra, came together - in 1955, a largely disused portion of sidings and empty land in the suburb of Kingston was ordered to be turned into a museum of railway and industrial heritage. If nothing else, it at least gave Canberra a third claim to fame after Parliament and the War Memorial.
The Museum was opened in February 1956, although there was still much construction left to be done. Until the building was completed, S302 was placed on a plinth in the parking lot, which would soon necessitate a minor cosmetic restoration. The standard gauge CR locomotives C62, the lend-lease 4-6-0s CA78 and CN74, L-class 2-8-2 L80 and G-class 4-6-0 No. G5 were arranged in sidings, along with a few CR carriages and a couple of trucks that had been found resting in the sidings and hurriedly cleaned up. The mammoth Amiens Gun, a railway gun captured during the First World War, was soon obtained on loan from War Memorial, although it took until 1957 for the army to return it's bogies and mountains, having borrowed them during the war, and for the gun to be reassembled.
Once the main building, a modernist concrete structure, was completed, the S-class was moved inside, and the collection slowly grew (mostly from withdrawn Commonwealth Railways stock). With the foundation of the Australian Railway Historical Society and their preservation of the last of the VR X-class, some believed that the ANRM would largely concern itself with Commonwealth stock, and the states would handle their own equipment. This changed when the last of the C34s, a largely unsuccessful class of 4-6-0 from New South Wales, was approved for scrapping in 1962. The ANRM stepped in at the very last moment, but the near-death experience led the board to believe that they would need to be more proactive in future. A few more engines, mostly from New South Wales and South Australia, were thus aquired in the 1960s. Of note was the New South Railways Government Railways D58 4-8-2 No. 5808, South Australian Railways 600-class 4-6-2 No. 603, SAR 710 2-8-2 No. 713, SAR 720 2-8-4 No. 731 and the streamlined SAR 620 4-6-2 No. 620 Sir Winston Dugan (the only engine of the class to receive streamlining).
In 1964, the ANRM board expressed interest in running tourist trains on the lines to Goulburn and Bombala. Since most of the ANRM's growing collection were clapped out or only cosmetically restored (throughout the sixties and seventies there was much criticism of the museum's 'rotten row' out the back), they approached the NSWGR to see what operational locomotives they might be able to acquire. Three were eventually earmarked for the museum - two of the venerable C32 4-6-0s for general heritage work, and the C38 pacific no. 3803 for longer distance trains. In 1966, a fourth engine, C35 4-6-0 No. 3502, was added to the museum's operational collection. Yet it seemed even this was not enough for the board, and the ANRM's D57 4-8-2 No. 5720 was approved for full overhaul to working condition, an act that railway historian Leon Oberg later said had more basis in fantasy than reality.
The result of this spate of aquisitions was predictable - in 1972, the museum filed for bankruptcy. They turned to the Commonwealth, but the then-Prime Minister William McMahon ('disloyal, devious, dishonest, untrustworthy, petty, cowardly' was one of the nicer descriptions of the man that than Governor-General Paul Hasluck wrote of him[1]). McMahon made no effort to assist the museum; political commentator Laurie Oakes reported that the PM was waiting for the museum to go under so that the Commonwealth could sell its assets to the scrap merchants, and therefore claim to be stimulating an ailing economy. McMahon was shown the door before that could happen, and the Whitlam government agreed to bail out the museum and bankroll the rest of 5720's overhaul - in exchange the museum would cut back on their aquisitions and consult with the Commonwealth about the,, which was a bit of a moot point as steam was just about over and heritage organisations in the states already had their eyes on diesels as their working lives neared their end.
Little happened in the 1970s, save for a public spat with the new management of the NSWGR over use of the Bombala and Goulburn lines, which lead to the brief suspension of steam services beyond Queanbeyan, and the aquisition of the pieces of the dismantled 3813 for restoration at a later date (it ended up being well into the 1990s). The Hawke Government and the approaching Bicentennial led to the biggest shake up in the ANRM's history - the Australian Railway Historical Society in Victoria was planning a big event to mark the occasion, and Hawke determined that the Canberra museum was going to match it. The museum was completely refurbished, with new modern facilities, a roundhouse to display the operational steam (and increasing number of diesel) locomotives, a cafe and restaurant, and an archive of railway-related material similar to that of the War Memorial. The roundhouse wasn't finished by 1988 and the cafe was regarded as a bit underwhelming, but the rest of the museum opened to rave reviews. In April (close to Anzac Day in hopes that people would stay around after the AWM's services to visit, and thus generate the ACT more money), the 'Northern Festival of Steam' opened with the arrival of a train hauled by Canberra's own 1210 from Sydney. Although it didn't quite reach the level of success of Aus' Steam '88 in Melbourne, it was a roaring success, capped off by the double-heading of the famed 3801 and the visiting LNER A4 No. 4468 Mallard.[2] The next several months saw repeated visits by Mallard and it's fellow Gresley pacific Flying Scotsman as they traveled the nation.
Superficically, little has changed about the ANRM since 1988, although the exhibits and technology are periodically updated to keep with the times. The museum was passed from the Commonwealth to the ACT Government in 1989, and control of the permanent way from Queanbeyan to Bombala fell under their ownership after the NSWGR closed it down.
Today, the roundhouse contains five operational steam locomotives owned by the ANRM or the ACT Government - 1210, 3217, 3502, 3803 and 5720. A sixth engine, the privately owned 3112, is also stabled there, and CA78 is in the last stages of restoration - when it's finished, it will be the first operational standard-gauge CR steam locomotive since the late 1950s. A plethora of other locomotives, steam, diesel and electric, can be seen in the museum, although some are loaned elsewhere due to space concerns. The museum runs a twice-daily service to Bungendore on the Goulburn line, usually hauled by either the 32 or the 35, with trains to Goulburn and Cooma on Saturday and Sunday respectively. At the height of the steam season (generally March to October), a service is run to Bombala on most weekends. Most people come for steam, but Wednesdays and special calendar days are set aside for diesel haulage. At present, an annex of the ANRM is being built at the decommissioned workshops at Everleigh in Sydney, due to open in 2021, which will showcase Sydney's railway heritage and serve as a stabling point for heritage electric train services.
The cafe still leaves much to be desired.
[1] this is a real quote - although in his diaries he preferred 'that treacherous bastard.'
[2] This actually nearly happened - the organisers of Aus Steam '88 approached the NRM about bringing Mallard over, and York suggested they ask the Flying Scotsman's owners instead. Here the ANRM gets Mallard and Aus Steam 88 gets Scotsman - a bit of wish fulfillment but oh well.
GAUGE: Various (4ft 8 1/2in for operational locomotives)
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1956-present
HISTORY/ DESCRIPTION: The history of the ANRM began with a chance letter in 1953 to the office of the then Prime Minister, R. G. Menzies, from Victoria. There, the first of the S-class pacifics had been withdrawn, and the other three seemed set to rapidly follow with the arrival of the new B-class diesels. Menzies, after some discussion with Transport Minister Senator George McLeay and their counterparts in the Victorian Government and the family of the late VR Commissioner Harold Clapp, agreed to have one of the engines set aside for preservation. With the chosen engine - S302 Edward Henty - stored at Newport Workshops for the time beings, discussion now began over where to store the big locomotive.
At the same time, dieselisation was rapidly taking hold on the Commonwealth Railways in central Australia and the Northern Territory, largely due to the difficulties in providing water in the remote desert. Several classes of steam engine had already disappeared, and an argument was made that, if the S-class warranted preservation, surely some examples of these locomotives did too. A commission was set up by the government to look into the matter, and a few CR locomotives were earmarked for retention. At this point, the need to find housing for these locomotives, and Menzies' embarrasment at the 'village' that made up Australia's capital of Canberra, came together - in 1955, a largely disused portion of sidings and empty land in the suburb of Kingston was ordered to be turned into a museum of railway and industrial heritage. If nothing else, it at least gave Canberra a third claim to fame after Parliament and the War Memorial.
The Museum was opened in February 1956, although there was still much construction left to be done. Until the building was completed, S302 was placed on a plinth in the parking lot, which would soon necessitate a minor cosmetic restoration. The standard gauge CR locomotives C62, the lend-lease 4-6-0s CA78 and CN74, L-class 2-8-2 L80 and G-class 4-6-0 No. G5 were arranged in sidings, along with a few CR carriages and a couple of trucks that had been found resting in the sidings and hurriedly cleaned up. The mammoth Amiens Gun, a railway gun captured during the First World War, was soon obtained on loan from War Memorial, although it took until 1957 for the army to return it's bogies and mountains, having borrowed them during the war, and for the gun to be reassembled.
Once the main building, a modernist concrete structure, was completed, the S-class was moved inside, and the collection slowly grew (mostly from withdrawn Commonwealth Railways stock). With the foundation of the Australian Railway Historical Society and their preservation of the last of the VR X-class, some believed that the ANRM would largely concern itself with Commonwealth stock, and the states would handle their own equipment. This changed when the last of the C34s, a largely unsuccessful class of 4-6-0 from New South Wales, was approved for scrapping in 1962. The ANRM stepped in at the very last moment, but the near-death experience led the board to believe that they would need to be more proactive in future. A few more engines, mostly from New South Wales and South Australia, were thus aquired in the 1960s. Of note was the New South Railways Government Railways D58 4-8-2 No. 5808, South Australian Railways 600-class 4-6-2 No. 603, SAR 710 2-8-2 No. 713, SAR 720 2-8-4 No. 731 and the streamlined SAR 620 4-6-2 No. 620 Sir Winston Dugan (the only engine of the class to receive streamlining).
In 1964, the ANRM board expressed interest in running tourist trains on the lines to Goulburn and Bombala. Since most of the ANRM's growing collection were clapped out or only cosmetically restored (throughout the sixties and seventies there was much criticism of the museum's 'rotten row' out the back), they approached the NSWGR to see what operational locomotives they might be able to acquire. Three were eventually earmarked for the museum - two of the venerable C32 4-6-0s for general heritage work, and the C38 pacific no. 3803 for longer distance trains. In 1966, a fourth engine, C35 4-6-0 No. 3502, was added to the museum's operational collection. Yet it seemed even this was not enough for the board, and the ANRM's D57 4-8-2 No. 5720 was approved for full overhaul to working condition, an act that railway historian Leon Oberg later said had more basis in fantasy than reality.
The result of this spate of aquisitions was predictable - in 1972, the museum filed for bankruptcy. They turned to the Commonwealth, but the then-Prime Minister William McMahon ('disloyal, devious, dishonest, untrustworthy, petty, cowardly' was one of the nicer descriptions of the man that than Governor-General Paul Hasluck wrote of him[1]). McMahon made no effort to assist the museum; political commentator Laurie Oakes reported that the PM was waiting for the museum to go under so that the Commonwealth could sell its assets to the scrap merchants, and therefore claim to be stimulating an ailing economy. McMahon was shown the door before that could happen, and the Whitlam government agreed to bail out the museum and bankroll the rest of 5720's overhaul - in exchange the museum would cut back on their aquisitions and consult with the Commonwealth about the,, which was a bit of a moot point as steam was just about over and heritage organisations in the states already had their eyes on diesels as their working lives neared their end.
Little happened in the 1970s, save for a public spat with the new management of the NSWGR over use of the Bombala and Goulburn lines, which lead to the brief suspension of steam services beyond Queanbeyan, and the aquisition of the pieces of the dismantled 3813 for restoration at a later date (it ended up being well into the 1990s). The Hawke Government and the approaching Bicentennial led to the biggest shake up in the ANRM's history - the Australian Railway Historical Society in Victoria was planning a big event to mark the occasion, and Hawke determined that the Canberra museum was going to match it. The museum was completely refurbished, with new modern facilities, a roundhouse to display the operational steam (and increasing number of diesel) locomotives, a cafe and restaurant, and an archive of railway-related material similar to that of the War Memorial. The roundhouse wasn't finished by 1988 and the cafe was regarded as a bit underwhelming, but the rest of the museum opened to rave reviews. In April (close to Anzac Day in hopes that people would stay around after the AWM's services to visit, and thus generate the ACT more money), the 'Northern Festival of Steam' opened with the arrival of a train hauled by Canberra's own 1210 from Sydney. Although it didn't quite reach the level of success of Aus' Steam '88 in Melbourne, it was a roaring success, capped off by the double-heading of the famed 3801 and the visiting LNER A4 No. 4468 Mallard.[2] The next several months saw repeated visits by Mallard and it's fellow Gresley pacific Flying Scotsman as they traveled the nation.
Superficically, little has changed about the ANRM since 1988, although the exhibits and technology are periodically updated to keep with the times. The museum was passed from the Commonwealth to the ACT Government in 1989, and control of the permanent way from Queanbeyan to Bombala fell under their ownership after the NSWGR closed it down.
Today, the roundhouse contains five operational steam locomotives owned by the ANRM or the ACT Government - 1210, 3217, 3502, 3803 and 5720. A sixth engine, the privately owned 3112, is also stabled there, and CA78 is in the last stages of restoration - when it's finished, it will be the first operational standard-gauge CR steam locomotive since the late 1950s. A plethora of other locomotives, steam, diesel and electric, can be seen in the museum, although some are loaned elsewhere due to space concerns. The museum runs a twice-daily service to Bungendore on the Goulburn line, usually hauled by either the 32 or the 35, with trains to Goulburn and Cooma on Saturday and Sunday respectively. At the height of the steam season (generally March to October), a service is run to Bombala on most weekends. Most people come for steam, but Wednesdays and special calendar days are set aside for diesel haulage. At present, an annex of the ANRM is being built at the decommissioned workshops at Everleigh in Sydney, due to open in 2021, which will showcase Sydney's railway heritage and serve as a stabling point for heritage electric train services.
The cafe still leaves much to be desired.
[1] this is a real quote - although in his diaries he preferred 'that treacherous bastard.'
[2] This actually nearly happened - the organisers of Aus Steam '88 approached the NRM about bringing Mallard over, and York suggested they ask the Flying Scotsman's owners instead. Here the ANRM gets Mallard and Aus Steam 88 gets Scotsman - a bit of wish fulfillment but oh well.
NAME OF COMPANY: Cairo & North Eastern Railway
GAUGE: 4 ft 8.5 in
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1969-present
HISTORY / DESCRIPTION: Much like the other shortlines scattered across the Midwest, this route emerged from the ashes of various branch and secondary lines the major Northeast - Midwest mainline railroads abandoned during the 1960s and 1970s. Specifically, this shortline was born out of the PRR's Vincennes Branch from Indianapolis, which was one of several routes that the might "Keystone Route" axed to make upgrades to its mainlines more affordable. The New York Central was undergoing a similar process at the time, and abandoned its route from Vincennes to Cairo, IL soon thereafter.
However, the two lines did not go unused for too long. Soon after, several small business owners came together to use the PRR branch as a shortline route that'd shuttle goods between the two cities. This line was originally known as simply the Vincennes Railroad. Eventually, the community of Cairo and other ones along the NYC decided to work with the line to extend the services to Cairo over the abandoned NYC route. The main hope was for goods along the route to be shuttled to Indianapolis on a route that was cheaper and the Illinois Central, which ran the only other rail line between the two cities.
The Vincennes Railway eventually bought up and renovated the line to Cairo in 1970, in the process renaming itself the Cairo & North Eastern Railway. The line would continue to see massive success as a shortline railroad until the next big change took place in 1972. That year, the ICC approved the Erie Lackawanna's complete takeover of the Monon railroad as well as of the Chessie's ex-B&O Indianapolis - Hamilton, OH route. However, both acquisitions under the condition that the ex-NKP Indianapolis Division from its namesake city to Michigan City be sold off or abandoned. The C&NE saw this as a perfect opportunity to expand its scope of service even further, and bought up the route in its entirety, and also worked with the city of Noblesville to build a new routing that bypassed the street running that the NKP once used.
Ever since then, the line has become one of many successful class II and shortline railroads that have turned themselves into the "Flyover Railways" designed to cater to customers in the Midwest and Northeast that were abandoned by the big Class I trunk lines in the 1960s. In addition to the usual long freight hauls, there are also steam excursions hosted on certain parts of the railroad's main line during the summer months and on special events. Most notably frequent visits by Nickel Plate Mikado #587.
GAUGE: 4 ft 8.5 in
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1969-present
HISTORY / DESCRIPTION: Much like the other shortlines scattered across the Midwest, this route emerged from the ashes of various branch and secondary lines the major Northeast - Midwest mainline railroads abandoned during the 1960s and 1970s. Specifically, this shortline was born out of the PRR's Vincennes Branch from Indianapolis, which was one of several routes that the might "Keystone Route" axed to make upgrades to its mainlines more affordable. The New York Central was undergoing a similar process at the time, and abandoned its route from Vincennes to Cairo, IL soon thereafter.
However, the two lines did not go unused for too long. Soon after, several small business owners came together to use the PRR branch as a shortline route that'd shuttle goods between the two cities. This line was originally known as simply the Vincennes Railroad. Eventually, the community of Cairo and other ones along the NYC decided to work with the line to extend the services to Cairo over the abandoned NYC route. The main hope was for goods along the route to be shuttled to Indianapolis on a route that was cheaper and the Illinois Central, which ran the only other rail line between the two cities.
The Vincennes Railway eventually bought up and renovated the line to Cairo in 1970, in the process renaming itself the Cairo & North Eastern Railway. The line would continue to see massive success as a shortline railroad until the next big change took place in 1972. That year, the ICC approved the Erie Lackawanna's complete takeover of the Monon railroad as well as of the Chessie's ex-B&O Indianapolis - Hamilton, OH route. However, both acquisitions under the condition that the ex-NKP Indianapolis Division from its namesake city to Michigan City be sold off or abandoned. The C&NE saw this as a perfect opportunity to expand its scope of service even further, and bought up the route in its entirety, and also worked with the city of Noblesville to build a new routing that bypassed the street running that the NKP once used.
Ever since then, the line has become one of many successful class II and shortline railroads that have turned themselves into the "Flyover Railways" designed to cater to customers in the Midwest and Northeast that were abandoned by the big Class I trunk lines in the 1960s. In addition to the usual long freight hauls, there are also steam excursions hosted on certain parts of the railroad's main line during the summer months and on special events. Most notably frequent visits by Nickel Plate Mikado #587.
Based on some ideas I proposed for if @Murica1776 took up the idea of his next USA TL having a USA - UK - Kaiserreich Alliance.
NAME OF COMPANY: United Railways of the German Commonwealth (English)
Vereinigte Eisenbahnen des Deutschen Commonwealth (German)
Zjednoczone Koleje Wspólnoty Niemieckiej (Polish)
Sjednocené železnice německého společenství (Czech)
Vokietijos sandraugos jungtiniai geležinkeliai (Lithuanian)
GAUGE: 4ft 8.5in (mainly)
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1948-present
HISTORY/ DESCRIPTION: The Second World War left virtually the entirety of Eastern Europe in ruins. Nowhere was this more prominent than in Imperial Germany, and the Dominions of Poland and Lithuania. Pretty much everything had been severely damaged in one way or another, and the railways of Germany were no exception. Years of damage by Soviet invasion, as well as both pro-Allied and pro-Soviet partisans only added on. Naturally, Germany's solution was to nationalize all of the country's railways, as well as those of their neighboring Dominions: Czechia, Austria, Poland, and Lithuania.
Early railroading on this large, international network consisted mainly of whatever steam engines survived the war. With support from British, American, and German war machines. However, this would change when German government out of Berlin ordered the construction of new and powerful steam engines. Locomotives from a wide variety of builders, built for a wide variety of tasks, across the German Commonwealth were sent out to decide which locomotives should be replicated. One of the first locomotives built under this plan was the Berglokomotiv-1, a Mountain-type 4-8-2 based on a locomotive that had been built for use in Czechia before the formation of the URGC. Also featured in these construction plans were locomotives based on the 2-10-0s that builders across the German Commonwealth had built. The Polish builder Fablok got lucky with a design for a 2-6-2.
Nonetheless, electrification and/or dieselization had begun, and ended by 1980. Today, the company still runs virtually all of the rail lines in the European territory of the German Commonwealth. In addition, links have been developed with the rail networks of all the other major European rail networks.
NAME OF COMPANY: United Railways of the German Commonwealth (English)
Vereinigte Eisenbahnen des Deutschen Commonwealth (German)
Zjednoczone Koleje Wspólnoty Niemieckiej (Polish)
Sjednocené železnice německého společenství (Czech)
Vokietijos sandraugos jungtiniai geležinkeliai (Lithuanian)
GAUGE: 4ft 8.5in (mainly)
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1948-present
HISTORY/ DESCRIPTION: The Second World War left virtually the entirety of Eastern Europe in ruins. Nowhere was this more prominent than in Imperial Germany, and the Dominions of Poland and Lithuania. Pretty much everything had been severely damaged in one way or another, and the railways of Germany were no exception. Years of damage by Soviet invasion, as well as both pro-Allied and pro-Soviet partisans only added on. Naturally, Germany's solution was to nationalize all of the country's railways, as well as those of their neighboring Dominions: Czechia, Austria, Poland, and Lithuania.
Early railroading on this large, international network consisted mainly of whatever steam engines survived the war. With support from British, American, and German war machines. However, this would change when German government out of Berlin ordered the construction of new and powerful steam engines. Locomotives from a wide variety of builders, built for a wide variety of tasks, across the German Commonwealth were sent out to decide which locomotives should be replicated. One of the first locomotives built under this plan was the Berglokomotiv-1, a Mountain-type 4-8-2 based on a locomotive that had been built for use in Czechia before the formation of the URGC. Also featured in these construction plans were locomotives based on the 2-10-0s that builders across the German Commonwealth had built. The Polish builder Fablok got lucky with a design for a 2-6-2.
Nonetheless, electrification and/or dieselization had begun, and ended by 1980. Today, the company still runs virtually all of the rail lines in the European territory of the German Commonwealth. In addition, links have been developed with the rail networks of all the other major European rail networks.
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Interesting concept this one. Would be ITTL planned another Maglev lines around US? And what happens to original Northeatern Corridos, they became only commuter train or are abandoned?
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That's intense mate. It'd pair up nicely with some nuclear desalination to really open up the interior!
NAME OF COMPANY: Toledo, Peoria, & Western
GAUGE: 4ft 8.5in
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1863-present
HISTORY/ DESCRIPTION: Among all the American Class III and Class II railroads that grew to notoriety in the late 20th Century, the Toledo, Peoria, & Western is unique in that it had been around long before the other major shortlines and Class IIs we think of today, and had even run in the Golden Age of Railroading. Like most other early railroads, this line came from a formation of smaller routes, and eventually went on to extend from Effner, Indiana west to Peoria then the towns of Lomax, Illinois and Keokuk, Iowa. Overall, the line's existence was generally uneventful until George McNear Jr took control of the railroad in 1926. Under McNear's rule, the TP&W spend massive amounts on infrastructure improvements that included heaver rail, larger engines, and a new facility in East Peoria. TP&W during this time would also become the largest freight-only railroad in the United States during this time. Though that distinction was later eclipsed by the Western Maryland Railroad in 1955.
By the time McNear died in 1947, the TP&W had become known for its work as a route that railroads could use to have traffic bypass Chicago's congested terminals. Indeed, plans were considered to merge the railroad with the Minneapolis & St. Louis and Elgin, Joliet & Eastern to create such a belt line. However, the Illinois Central took over the M&StL in 1963 - killing that idea in the process alongside the TL&W's lack of a connection to the EJ&E. However, further growth for the TP&W did eventually come later in the decade. In 1965, the flailing Illinois Terminal interurban was eyed by the TP&W as a potential link to St. Louis, and was promptly acquired for that purpose. Major upgrades included 90-pount rail for the old interurban, and the omission of most electric services. Even so, the TP&W future expansions would not lie in entire networks, but rather the lines shaved off larger ones.
During the 1960s and 1970s, many railroads across America were abandoning or selling off various secondary and branch lines to make staying afloat easier. Among the most significant railroads to abandon such large swathes of their networks were the Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central, and in many cases they left behind ROWs that were ripe for all sorts of new purposes. Like use by other railroads, or becoming entirely new railroads, rail trails, and the occasional railroad museum with operating equipment. Indeed, the TP&W immediately recognized the value of these lines in becoming a "Chicago Bypass" belt line, and acquired the PRR branch from Effner to Logansport, Indiana on June 23, 1972. In October the following year, the TP&W also bought up another PRR branch from Logansport to Butler, Indiana, which gave them a connection with the Erie Lackawanna railroad.
Over the next few years, the TP&W worked mainly on upgrading the acquired PRR routes to accommodate heavier, and often faster, trains. However, the railroad's biggest acquisitions came in 1976. That year, the New York Central managed to abandon their network of secondary lines from Ft. Wayne, Indiana to Saginaw, Michigan via Waterloo, Indiana and Jackson, Michigan. Further west however, the Burlington Northern abandoned several ex-CB&Q lines that stretched from Keokuk to Shendoah, Iowa. These were immediately seen as opportunities by the TP&W, and both were acquired by March 1979. Now, the TP&W would also be able to get traffic from Detroit and Omaha out the way of Chicago.
Major changes to the railroad's infrastructure and image would take place during the 1980s. By that decade, the TP&W was shuttling freight from virtually every major railroad that reached within Chicago, Omaha, St. Louis, or Detroit. More importantly though, this era was when the railroad embraced its "Chicago Bypass" identity. Indeed, the railroad's locomotives were all painted into a crimson and white livery where the nickname was written in cursive apple green. In addition, the railroad also began to use public passenger excursions as a PR tool in the late 1990s; often employing locomotives like Nickel Plate Mikado #587 and Grand Trunk Western Pacific #5629, with the occasional outlier like Milwaukee Road Northern #261. As of 2021, the TP&W continues to make big bucks, and is slowly on its way in joining the likes of the Wisconsin Central as a "New Flag" (formed post - 1980) of the American Class I railroads.
GAUGE: 4ft 8.5in
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1863-present
HISTORY/ DESCRIPTION: Among all the American Class III and Class II railroads that grew to notoriety in the late 20th Century, the Toledo, Peoria, & Western is unique in that it had been around long before the other major shortlines and Class IIs we think of today, and had even run in the Golden Age of Railroading. Like most other early railroads, this line came from a formation of smaller routes, and eventually went on to extend from Effner, Indiana west to Peoria then the towns of Lomax, Illinois and Keokuk, Iowa. Overall, the line's existence was generally uneventful until George McNear Jr took control of the railroad in 1926. Under McNear's rule, the TP&W spend massive amounts on infrastructure improvements that included heaver rail, larger engines, and a new facility in East Peoria. TP&W during this time would also become the largest freight-only railroad in the United States during this time. Though that distinction was later eclipsed by the Western Maryland Railroad in 1955.
By the time McNear died in 1947, the TP&W had become known for its work as a route that railroads could use to have traffic bypass Chicago's congested terminals. Indeed, plans were considered to merge the railroad with the Minneapolis & St. Louis and Elgin, Joliet & Eastern to create such a belt line. However, the Illinois Central took over the M&StL in 1963 - killing that idea in the process alongside the TL&W's lack of a connection to the EJ&E. However, further growth for the TP&W did eventually come later in the decade. In 1965, the flailing Illinois Terminal interurban was eyed by the TP&W as a potential link to St. Louis, and was promptly acquired for that purpose. Major upgrades included 90-pount rail for the old interurban, and the omission of most electric services. Even so, the TP&W future expansions would not lie in entire networks, but rather the lines shaved off larger ones.
During the 1960s and 1970s, many railroads across America were abandoning or selling off various secondary and branch lines to make staying afloat easier. Among the most significant railroads to abandon such large swathes of their networks were the Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central, and in many cases they left behind ROWs that were ripe for all sorts of new purposes. Like use by other railroads, or becoming entirely new railroads, rail trails, and the occasional railroad museum with operating equipment. Indeed, the TP&W immediately recognized the value of these lines in becoming a "Chicago Bypass" belt line, and acquired the PRR branch from Effner to Logansport, Indiana on June 23, 1972. In October the following year, the TP&W also bought up another PRR branch from Logansport to Butler, Indiana, which gave them a connection with the Erie Lackawanna railroad.
Over the next few years, the TP&W worked mainly on upgrading the acquired PRR routes to accommodate heavier, and often faster, trains. However, the railroad's biggest acquisitions came in 1976. That year, the New York Central managed to abandon their network of secondary lines from Ft. Wayne, Indiana to Saginaw, Michigan via Waterloo, Indiana and Jackson, Michigan. Further west however, the Burlington Northern abandoned several ex-CB&Q lines that stretched from Keokuk to Shendoah, Iowa. These were immediately seen as opportunities by the TP&W, and both were acquired by March 1979. Now, the TP&W would also be able to get traffic from Detroit and Omaha out the way of Chicago.
Major changes to the railroad's infrastructure and image would take place during the 1980s. By that decade, the TP&W was shuttling freight from virtually every major railroad that reached within Chicago, Omaha, St. Louis, or Detroit. More importantly though, this era was when the railroad embraced its "Chicago Bypass" identity. Indeed, the railroad's locomotives were all painted into a crimson and white livery where the nickname was written in cursive apple green. In addition, the railroad also began to use public passenger excursions as a PR tool in the late 1990s; often employing locomotives like Nickel Plate Mikado #587 and Grand Trunk Western Pacific #5629, with the occasional outlier like Milwaukee Road Northern #261. As of 2021, the TP&W continues to make big bucks, and is slowly on its way in joining the likes of the Wisconsin Central as a "New Flag" (formed post - 1980) of the American Class I railroads.
NAME OF COMPANY: Fife Coast Railway
GAUGE: 4ft 8.5in
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1967-present
HISTORY/ DESCRIPTION: Situated on the beautiful East Coast of Fife, the story of the Fife Coast Railway, or FHR for short, is one of being in the right place at the right time at a time when closure of railways across the British rail network was rife.
In 1965 as part of the infamous Beeching cuts, the 28 mile stretch of railway running between Leven and St Andrews was earmarked for closure and in typical fashion of the day, much was done to try and keep the line open [1]. During 1966, a small society had been formed to try and keep the line open and run it as a heritage railway after being inspired of similar attempts down south, however the task in hand to save all the railway was way too much and instead the 12 mile section between Leven and Anstruther was to be saved.
Even with this cutback, one glaring fault remain as they didn't have a locomotive until they would find themselves getting some good luck. That same year in 1966, local farmer and Fife businessman John Cameron would buy the LNER A4 locomotive No. 60009 'Union of South Africa' for preservation [2] and was needing to find a Home for his new locomotive. He had planned to build a mile of track on his farm at Lochty which just so happened to have the trackbed of a now closed line to operate his locomotive [3] until wind of this plan caught the attention of society who contacted Cameron for help. In the end it was the best possible deal; the society needed an engine and Cameron needed a place to keep his engine and thus the two sides agreed to the proposal.
In 1967, 60009 was moved to it's new home at Anstruther by rail [4] and with the late edition of four MK1 coaches bought from British Rail, trains would begin running again in June that year between then and September [5] and thus Scotland's first heritage railway was opened.
While the society had planned to run to Leven, they could only run as far to Pittenweem, a journey of just over a mile, due to much of track still needing worked to be fit to run passenger trains on it. Nonetheless, the line itself in its first year was a huge hit with the famous locomotive becoming something of a famous icon in its own right with many flocking to the Fife Coast just to see the famous LNER engine. So successful was the takings for that year alone that Cameron, now the chairman of the FHR, remarked that he managed to make back the money he'd made from buying the locomotive.
Not surprisingly for the following year, more was needed and after much work on the line, the line would be extended to Elie, half way point on the line, and also was the acquisition of a former LNER observation coach [6] to help with the huge passenger numbers and also was a few more steam locomotives direct from BR, one of them was fellow sister A4 No. 60024 'Kingfisher' that was acquired following its withdrawal from service that year [7]. The line itself was growing from strength to strength in which passenger numbers by the end of the year were sitting at 90,000 with bigger numbers to expect with more extensions to follow.
1969 would see the railway extended further to Largo though the year had also seen the shock withdrawal of passenger trains to Leven and St Andrews on their respective branches by BR [8] much to anger of those who lived there. It wouldn't be much of a surprise in which the planned track lifting at Leven would be prevented when the FHR would take over the station at Leven and would end up running trains into Leven for 1970. Finally, in just a few short years the ambition of running trains on the 12 mile stretch between Leven and Anstruther would be fulfilled. An addition, the line past Leven was to remain open for freight trains to Methil Power Station [9] and it would end up being the FHR mainline connection.
After that, there were no extensions after that though the railway would see the arrival of more locomotives and rolling stock for preservation and both A4's would return to mainline running in 1973 following the steam ban being lifted in Scotland [10]. In 1977 nearby Leven station would see Kirkland Yard close that year and the FHR would acquire to become their new base of operations [11] and as of 2021, has become quite an impressive MPD.
As other heritage lines opened in Scotland, inspired by the FHR, BR would return passenger trains to Leven in 1993 albeit not on the original station site [12] and the FHR would also finally extend once again though this time eastwards towards Crail in 1996 where it remains the terminus of the railway to this day. Despite calls to go further towards St Andrews, its highly unlikely that this will ever happen due to the high cost.
When compared to the other heritage railways of the UK, the FHR is ranked as one of the best with its seaside views and beautiful scenery always are very popular with the passengers and plans are being made for the railway's 60th anniversary in 2027. As the old saying goes, watch this space...
[1] There was a society formed but it fell apart before it even started, you could say this is the POD here.
[2] As with OTL.
[3] Which IOTL he opened the Lochty Private Railway which ITTL never happens and the railway becomes nothing more than a mere footnote.
[4] This actually happened IOTL though it was being transported to Crail to be moved then by trucks towards Lochty.
[5] June to September running days were the same for Lochty so here they are repeated as they were for OTL.
[6] As with OTL though on Lochty.
[7] Bit of a stretch of history as steam in Scotland stopped running in 1967, here steam ends the following year which just enough time for Kingfisher to survive. Funnily enough, I personally know a guy who told me that he also bought Kingfisher for preservation back in the day but had to give up on that ad he was needing to buy a home. He does regret missing the chance though.
[8] As per OTL.
[9] As per OTL.
[10] As per OTL, though here has Kingfisher returning to the mainline here.
[11] Which today is the home of the Fife Heritage Railway so there is some connection there.
[12] This nearly happened but for whatever reason it never did take place. Here, we have more luck though the line to Leven is to reopen in 2023 so there is that.
So yeah, a line I feel almost could have happened and is now likely the best heritage railway that we never got. Hope you enjoyed it though.
GAUGE: 4ft 8.5in
PERIOD OPERATIONAL: 1967-present
HISTORY/ DESCRIPTION: Situated on the beautiful East Coast of Fife, the story of the Fife Coast Railway, or FHR for short, is one of being in the right place at the right time at a time when closure of railways across the British rail network was rife.
In 1965 as part of the infamous Beeching cuts, the 28 mile stretch of railway running between Leven and St Andrews was earmarked for closure and in typical fashion of the day, much was done to try and keep the line open [1]. During 1966, a small society had been formed to try and keep the line open and run it as a heritage railway after being inspired of similar attempts down south, however the task in hand to save all the railway was way too much and instead the 12 mile section between Leven and Anstruther was to be saved.
Even with this cutback, one glaring fault remain as they didn't have a locomotive until they would find themselves getting some good luck. That same year in 1966, local farmer and Fife businessman John Cameron would buy the LNER A4 locomotive No. 60009 'Union of South Africa' for preservation [2] and was needing to find a Home for his new locomotive. He had planned to build a mile of track on his farm at Lochty which just so happened to have the trackbed of a now closed line to operate his locomotive [3] until wind of this plan caught the attention of society who contacted Cameron for help. In the end it was the best possible deal; the society needed an engine and Cameron needed a place to keep his engine and thus the two sides agreed to the proposal.
In 1967, 60009 was moved to it's new home at Anstruther by rail [4] and with the late edition of four MK1 coaches bought from British Rail, trains would begin running again in June that year between then and September [5] and thus Scotland's first heritage railway was opened.
While the society had planned to run to Leven, they could only run as far to Pittenweem, a journey of just over a mile, due to much of track still needing worked to be fit to run passenger trains on it. Nonetheless, the line itself in its first year was a huge hit with the famous locomotive becoming something of a famous icon in its own right with many flocking to the Fife Coast just to see the famous LNER engine. So successful was the takings for that year alone that Cameron, now the chairman of the FHR, remarked that he managed to make back the money he'd made from buying the locomotive.
Not surprisingly for the following year, more was needed and after much work on the line, the line would be extended to Elie, half way point on the line, and also was the acquisition of a former LNER observation coach [6] to help with the huge passenger numbers and also was a few more steam locomotives direct from BR, one of them was fellow sister A4 No. 60024 'Kingfisher' that was acquired following its withdrawal from service that year [7]. The line itself was growing from strength to strength in which passenger numbers by the end of the year were sitting at 90,000 with bigger numbers to expect with more extensions to follow.
1969 would see the railway extended further to Largo though the year had also seen the shock withdrawal of passenger trains to Leven and St Andrews on their respective branches by BR [8] much to anger of those who lived there. It wouldn't be much of a surprise in which the planned track lifting at Leven would be prevented when the FHR would take over the station at Leven and would end up running trains into Leven for 1970. Finally, in just a few short years the ambition of running trains on the 12 mile stretch between Leven and Anstruther would be fulfilled. An addition, the line past Leven was to remain open for freight trains to Methil Power Station [9] and it would end up being the FHR mainline connection.
After that, there were no extensions after that though the railway would see the arrival of more locomotives and rolling stock for preservation and both A4's would return to mainline running in 1973 following the steam ban being lifted in Scotland [10]. In 1977 nearby Leven station would see Kirkland Yard close that year and the FHR would acquire to become their new base of operations [11] and as of 2021, has become quite an impressive MPD.
As other heritage lines opened in Scotland, inspired by the FHR, BR would return passenger trains to Leven in 1993 albeit not on the original station site [12] and the FHR would also finally extend once again though this time eastwards towards Crail in 1996 where it remains the terminus of the railway to this day. Despite calls to go further towards St Andrews, its highly unlikely that this will ever happen due to the high cost.
When compared to the other heritage railways of the UK, the FHR is ranked as one of the best with its seaside views and beautiful scenery always are very popular with the passengers and plans are being made for the railway's 60th anniversary in 2027. As the old saying goes, watch this space...
[1] There was a society formed but it fell apart before it even started, you could say this is the POD here.
[2] As with OTL.
[3] Which IOTL he opened the Lochty Private Railway which ITTL never happens and the railway becomes nothing more than a mere footnote.
[4] This actually happened IOTL though it was being transported to Crail to be moved then by trucks towards Lochty.
[5] June to September running days were the same for Lochty so here they are repeated as they were for OTL.
[6] As with OTL though on Lochty.
[7] Bit of a stretch of history as steam in Scotland stopped running in 1967, here steam ends the following year which just enough time for Kingfisher to survive. Funnily enough, I personally know a guy who told me that he also bought Kingfisher for preservation back in the day but had to give up on that ad he was needing to buy a home. He does regret missing the chance though.
[8] As per OTL.
[9] As per OTL.
[10] As per OTL, though here has Kingfisher returning to the mainline here.
[11] Which today is the home of the Fife Heritage Railway so there is some connection there.
[12] This nearly happened but for whatever reason it never did take place. Here, we have more luck though the line to Leven is to reopen in 2023 so there is that.
So yeah, a line I feel almost could have happened and is now likely the best heritage railway that we never got. Hope you enjoyed it though.
Was that K4 Great Marques Saved for the line? If not what other steam engines survived to run on it?
Yes, it gets bought up by John Cameron about the same time as OTL, however both her and 60009 do not get withdrawn from working order though are retired from mainline running though given they are running on a lovely stretch of line right on Mr Cameron's doorstep, it's perhaps a better fate for them here. Kingfisher was ITTL privately owned which almost happened by the guy I knew at the time and the member was of the SRPS in which I could see the engine going to the Devon Valley Railway (not the Bo'ness railway as with OTL due to preservation getting a better start in Scotland here.)
For the rest, here are the other engines for the FCR as follows:
- NBR J37 No. 64611 (saved from Motherwell scrapyard in 1967 and returned to steam in 1969 in NBR colours)
- NBR J37 No. 64620 (also saved along with her sister engine at Motherwell at the same time, returning to steam in 1972 in LNER colours - both J37 locomotives are the last surviving members of the class.)
- LNER J38 No. 65929 (withdrawn in 1967 but put on a reserved order shortly before it's due scrapping by the FCR, arrived on the railway in 1968 and returned to steam in 1970 - only member of the class to survive into preservation.)
- NBR Glen No. 256 'Glen Douglas' (sole surviving much like with OTL however would transfer ownership to the FCR in 1969 to become the railway's flagship locomotive, returning to steam in 1970.)
- LNER B1 No. 61072 (saved from scrap in 1967 though would not return to steam until 1973, one of only three in preservation.)
- BR WD/8 No. 90489 (saved from scrap in 1968 and returned to steam in 1976, one of two surviving class members and the largest steam locomotive on the line.)
- WPR Austerity No. 16 (has the same fate as OTL in which being withdrawn in 1970 though it, along with No.17 and a selection of WPR trucks and breakvans, end up travelling to the FCR under their own power to enter preservation much like No.20 did as with OTL. Still works on the FCR however only seldom due to the line's length.)
- WPR Barclay Tank No. 17 (like No. 17, arrived on the line in 1970 however never gets the many modifications made to her at Strathspey though rarely works as with No. 16 due to the railway's length.)
- Peckett BAC No. 1 and 2 (both are saved in 1971 like OTL though both end up going to the FCR - mostly now on static display though are hired out to other railways.)
- Barclay BAC No. 3 (Like with the other two, is bought into preservation to go to the FCR which means the three Burntisland locomotives remain together.)