The Esch Cummins Act: US Railroad Consolidation program

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

Now for my alternate take on Amtrak Midwest.

These trains are run by the HS E6 and E7 designs, (see my list of Amtrak rolling stock). While feeders use trains designed from the JetTrain.

The main line trains are painted in a version of OTL's Amtrak livery that includes a large blue stripe in the middle bordered by white and red. The feeder lines were originally a variant that replaced the blue with green, but this was changed to orange to both differentiate it from the Amtrak Southeast scheme. As well as to better compliment the blue livery of the mainline.

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

@TheMann

I was wondering what in your TL would be the case with rail travel in small towns like Logansport, IN.

Would there be feeder service or possibly slower trains?

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

Here are some possibilities I have considered if I keep the famou passenger trains ITTL.

1. The idea of toll roads happen.
2. Planes become less favored as their weaknesses become apparent.
3. Trains capitalize on where their advantages over cars lay.

In general, my idea is that eastern roads are first to surrender to Amtrak. While western roads, mainly the Rio Grande and Santa Fe, hold on until the 80s or 90s.

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

Here are some revised ideas regarding individual railroads...

Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy
While the Hill-Harriman war does lead to a new route to Chicago, the GN still shares stake in the Burlington with the MoPac. So that goods can be transport to the Northwest via Billings. Today, Mikado 4960 and Northern 5632 often haul fantrips mainly on the mainline from Chicago to Denver.

Missouri, Kansas, and Texas
Originally given to the Union Pacific in the Riply Plan, other major railroads began to share stake in it with the UP. Eventually, it was allowed to have semi-independence to the point of having its own rolling stock. Today, almost all diesels are painted in green and yellow.

Richmond, Fredricksburg, & Potomac
At first, the revised Ripley Plan gave stake in it to just the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Air Line, the latter of which eventually became part of the Illinois Central. However, the Pennsylvania Railroad joined the fray and the three railroads opted to split their stakes. Leaving the RF&P as a semi-independent road. With its shareholders funding for them to build an extension to Norfolk via a bridge over Chesapeake Bay. The RF&P also had its own fleet of 4-8-4s and 2-8-4s in the steam era to haul the heavy loads from Norfolk to Washington. Then 4-8-4 612 was used on excursions until traffic demands sadly ended it in 1994. However, the PRR, which has ran Norfolk & Western 611 since 1996, has run it over RF&P tracks at times.

Nashville, Chattanooga, & St. Louis
The Dixie Line had a similar history to the RF&P. The only difference being that the Southern had their additional stake as opposed to the PRR. Excursions with 4-8-4 576 and any number of members in the Souther steam program are common.

Norfolk & Western
A subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the N&W was a major influence in the changes of PRR policy that saved the latter from financial disaster. For one thing, the improvements of its maintenance facilities allowed it and its parent to have one of the most efficient steam maintenance places in the world at Roanoke and Altoona. Second, the owners of N&W also bought stake in the PRR which allowed them to improve where they could like they did on the N&W proper. This would allow the PRR to survive into the present, even with some minor lines sold to other companies, and eventually recover along with the Milwaukee Road thanks to government aid in the 80s and early 90s.

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

Here ae a few alternate ideas for all this...

• The CBQ, GN, and NP remain together.
• The MoPac's Chicago link is bought through the CGW.
• The ATSF still gets the SLSF.
• SP gets the RI still.
• DRGW buys the WP and C&S from Trinidad to Ft. Worth.
• The MKT is semi-independent.

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

Here's one pop culture detail I severely neglected...

• Joe Jackson never abuses his kids. Which leads to Michael having a much happier life.

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

I have actually revised my ideas so that what happens is that the act is not passed. But the following railroads do exist by the present of TTL. Special thanks to @TheMann for being generous with letting others use his ideas

Fot the sake of more time, this will be separated by region.

Northeast

Consolidated Railroad Corporation (Conrail)
Formed from the ashes of the Pennsylvania Railroad and its subsidiary Norfolk & Western. It also included many railroads that relied on the Pennsy. Namely the Reading, Jersey Central, Boston & Maine, and New Haven. A few years after its original inception, the railroad also included the Milwaukee Road into its mixture, and bought up the Richmond, Fredricksburg, and Potomac from the ACL and IC to further build it to Norfolk. Afterwards, it bought up the Lehigh Valley and Western Maryland from the Chessie. Today, it is a major breadwinner for government operations, thanks to the expertise of the many railroad men that have been appointed to run it. They have two company headquarters. One at the former PRR in Philadelphia, and the other in Tacoma, Washington. Conrail's diesels are almost all blue while its electric fleet is mostly silver with blue in color and its freight cars are mostly painted in the dark Tuscan Red made famous by the Pennsylvania Railroad.

New York Central
Once the main competitor of the PRR. The NYC eventually managed to lift itself out of financial trouble as the railroads were de-regulated on a massive scale into the early Reagan administration. Their success continued when in 1989, newly elected President Joseph Kennedy granted them some money to make upgrades. The NYC worked heavily with Amtrak when building HSR in the Northeast and Midwest. Which paid off for them when in return they managed to have the entire New York- Chicago mainline electrified. Followed by the one to Cincinnati. As part of this plan the line was also rerouted between Elkhart and Toledo to dip into Ft. Wayne. NYC locomotives have nearly all regained by 'lightning stripe' black, silver and dark grey paint scheme, replacing the austere black paint that most NYC locomotives began sporting in the 1960s.

Chessie System
Formed when the Ven Swerigen Railroads (Nickel Plate, Lehigh Valley, Chesapeake & Ohio, and Pere Marquette) first merged in 1950 as a larger C&O. Merged with the Baltimore & Ohio, which now included the Lackawanna, the former NYC Pennsylvania Division, and the Reading line from Williamsport to Sunbury. This rairlaod works heavily in industrial sectors and the coal fields of West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The former B&O is electrified from Washington DC to Pittsburgh.

Wabash & Erie
Formed when the Erie and Wabash got together, this line expanded itself greatly through the 1970s and 80s through acqusitions. Starting with just the Detroit, Toledo, & Ironton; Pittsburgh & West Virginia, and Pittsburgh & Lake Erie. But then they bought up Conrail's former PRR line from Columbus to Akron, as well as from Chicago to Louisville via Logansport and Indianapolis.Then also the eastern half of the Toledo, Peoria, & Western. Their new mainline came from the NYC's secondary line from Columbus to Peoria via Springfield Indianapolis. Today it's still small, but sure packs a punch against the three opponents. W&E locomotives are easy to see by their paint which has the Wabash scheme, but with the black replaced by the Wabash's blue.

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

I also forgot: Carrie Fisher is still alive ITTL.

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

I think what I'll actually do when detailing the railroads of my TL is redirect people to Alternate Railroads v3...

Here's the first one: https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/alternate-railways-v3.452308/page-3#post-18262371

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

Here are some ideas for the MoPac that I'll put when I detail it in my alternate railroads v3

• The MoPac buys up the Rio Grande and Western Pacific at certain points in the 1960s. Which hallows the Rio Grande to keep the narrow gauge intact.
• When the Rock Island is bought by Southern Pacific, the MoPac buys up the lines from Denver to Omaha and Topeka, and links Topeka to Deawatomie, KS to link it better with Kansas City
• The MoPac gains a line to Chicago of its own when it gets the Illinois Central's Omaha division.
• The MoPac operates electricity over the former Rio Grande in Denver to the WP in Oakland.
• The MoPac buys the Colorado & Southern south of Denver from the BN in 1979.

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

Another idea is that the MoPac gets the Chicago Great Western. Then like what @TheMann did, make the Chicago Central TTL's Iowa Interstate.

 

[TheMann]

I don't think there is any chance for the Rio Grande's narrow gauge system to survive in the long term. It simply would require way too much money in MoW work by the late 1950s to make any sense as a long-term proposition, aside from a handful of tourist lines in the area as IOTL.

The MoPac buying the C&S south of Denver would be a huge, huge pullback for BN, and since the MoPac already serves all the markets in Texas it wouldn't make any sense for them either, it's an unnecessary expense. If the Rio Grande was independent it would make sense for them, but if the DRGW is owned by MP it's a waste of money. SP (assuming they have bought/merged with the Rock Island) and ATSF would look at it the same way, so you'd be best off keeping it as part of BN.

Electrification all the way from Denver to Oakland would make sense only if the difference in maintenance costs involved are made up by lower fuel prices, faster services or (preferably) both. One could conceivably have the DRGW's power stations run on coal (there is a lot of it mined in Colorado and Utah) but if you're gonna go that route I would advise doing so early, like in the 1950s. Get GE or Westinghouse (or somebody else if you can) to partner with DRGW for the building of the system and use it to replace steam power and allow the DRGW's fast-freight business model to remain, bypassing diesels. It might not be the easiest to justify in the 1950s with cheap oil, but once the energy crisis hits the Rio Grande will be sitting very pretty indeed....

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

The MoPac buying the C&S south of Denver would be a huge, huge pullback for BN, and since the MoPac already serves all the markets in Texas it wouldn't make any sense for them either, it's an unnecessary expense. If the Rio Grande was independent it would make sense for them, but if the DRGW is owned by MP it's a waste of money. SP (assuming they have bought/merged with the Rock Island) and ATSF would look at it the same way, so you'd be best off keeping it as part of BN.

Like I said, I'm proably going to keep the DRGW independent.

 

[TheMann]

Like I said, I'm proably going to keep the DRGW independent.

Then the DRGW buying the C&S from Denver to maybe Dallas would make a lot of sense, particularly if you are fully using the electric system and making the main line into a real freight train conveyor belt like UP has done with the Overland Route. I can see three big possibilities there, too - first being a way for another railroad that doesn't have tracks to Salt Lake City and Denver (looking at you, Santa Fe) to use the DRGW as a back door way of getting additional customers AND allowing Colorado minerals to more quickly get to industrial concerns at both ends of DRGW tracks.

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

Then the DRGW buying the C&S from Denver to maybe Dallas would make a lot of sense, particularly if you are fully using the electric system and making the main line into a real freight train conveyor belt like UP has done with the Overland Route. I can see three big possibilities there, too - first being a way for another railroad that doesn't have tracks to Salt Lake City and Denver (looking at you, Santa Fe) to use the DRGW as a back door way of getting additional customers AND allowing Colorado minerals to more quickly get to industrial concerns at both ends of DRGW tracks.

That's honestly what I was thinking.

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

I thought I'd let you all in on a major museum of my TL...

Elkhart & Western Railroad Museum

The Elkhart & Western was born in the closing days of steam on the New York Central in the late 60s and 70s. When a preservation group proposed that they operate the branch line which ran parallel to the St. Joseph River in Elkhart, IN to Mishawaka.

This in turn gave the NYC the chance to decide on what to do with the three roundhouses they were abandoning at the time. They gave them all to this new group. Along with a variety steamers they were retiring to make way for their electrification plans.

The steam roster they got alone was pretty impressive, including representatives of all 4 Hudson types, several Mohawks, and after Amtrak's formation and the completion of electrification, a few EMD Diesels. The real shining star however, is Niagara 4-8-4 #6012.

Many more NYC Steamers than OTL are also preserved, with many in other parts of the Midwest and Northeast like at the Lima Railroad Museum in Lima, OH, which hosts many locomotives Lima built or otherwise modified. In addition, the Elkhart & Western also got several antiquated passenger cars and K-14g Pacific 4380. Which is where the idea of operating short excursions came. The first of which took place in 1970 after a brief rebuild. The line also later got another NYC steamer in the form of G-46L Consolidation 1198.

Today, the NYC's busy electric freight mainline usually does not interfere with the operations. In addition to the excursions behind 4380, 6012 regularly operates excursions out of Elkhart, and often meets up with the other major NYC big steam survivor Niagara 6016. The two NYC icons have met numerous times. But the event everyone involved always looks forward to is the one when Hudson 5446 arrives at Elkhart from her home base of Cleveland, and joins 5446 to double-head all the way to Chicago. With the occasional photo-op as they are waiting for the new version of the Lake Shore Limited passes.

As if the 5446 and 6016 doubleheaders weren't enough, there are plenty of other steamers that drop by. Such as Milwaukee Road 261, and the handful of engines that came to America from China and back from being exported to Mexico for use by preservationists.

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

Some more pup culture details for TTL...

These changes to Disney.

Most of the muppeteers like Jim Henson, Richard Hunt, and Jerry Nelson live on.

Ocarina of time is like @Beta.003's take on it.

Majora's mask is a bit larger in the main quest.

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

For all curious, here are some ideas for preserved steamers by road ITTL. Starting with a personal favorite, the PRR/N&W.

Also, note that ITTL, the K4/L1/I1/M1 types never have their headlights flipped to the top as opposed to front. Also, the nubmering system uses the class of engine when referring to engines to avoid numbering conflicts.

Pennsylvania

I1 Class 2-10-0
- #1753: Operational at the Juniata Society; Altoona, PA [1]
- #4483: On display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania; Strasburg, PA

K4 Class 4-6-2
- #1120: On Display at the Indiana Transportation Museum; Logansport, IN [2]
- #1361: Operational at the Juniata Society; Altoona, PA [3]
- #3750: On display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania; Strasburg, PA
- #3768: Operational at the Juniata Society; Altoona, PA [4]
- #5357: On display at the Museum of Transport; St. Louis, MO
- #5399: Operational at the Lima Locomotive Museum; Lima, OH [3]
- #5495: On display at the America Rails Museum; Jersey City, NJ

M1 Class 4-8-2
- #6717: On display at the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati; Covington, KY [1]
- #6726: On display at the Henry Ford Museum; Dearborn, MI
- #6755: On display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania; Strasburg, PA
- #6872: Operational at the Juniata Society; Altoona, PA

R2 Class 4-8-4
- #7006: On display at Bendix Woods County Park; New Carlisle, IN

R3 Class 4-8-4
- #7100: On display at the America Rails Museum; Jersey City, NJ
- #7106: On display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania; Strasburg, PA
- #7185: Under restoration at the Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati; Covington, KY [5]
- #7205: Operational at the Juniata Society; Altoona, PA [5]
- #7216: Operational at the Juniata Society; Altoona, PA
- #7337: On Display at the Indiana Transportation Museum; Logansport, IN

S1 Class 6-4-4-6
- #6100: On display at the Museum of Science and Industry; Chicago, IL

T1 Class 4-4-4-4
- #5520: Operational at the Juniata Society; Altoona, PA
- #5546: On display at the Smithsonian; Washington DC [5]

Norfolk and Western

A Class 2-6-6-4
- #1212: On display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation; Roanoke, VA
- #1218: Operational out of the Shendonah Valley Roundhouse; Roanoke, VA
- #1242: On Static Display outside COSI Columbus; Columbus, OH

J Class 4-8-4
- #604: On display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation; Roanoke, VA
- #611: Operational out of the Shendonah Valley Roundhouse; Roanoke, VA

M Class 4-8-0
- #475: Operational at the Huckleberry Scenic Railroad; Christiansburg, VA
- #382: Operational at the Virginia Creeper Scenic Railroad; Abingdon, VA
- #396: Operational at the Virginia Creeper Scenic Railroad; Abingdon, VA
- #429: Operational at the Virginia Creeper Scenic Railroad; Abingdon, VA
- #433: On display at the Christiansburg Depot; Christiansburg, VA
- #475: Operational at the Virginia Museum of Transportation; Roanoke, VA

Y6a Class 2-8-8-2
- #2147: On display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation; Roanoke, VA
- #2156: On display at Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati; Covington, KY

Y6b Class 2-8-8-2
- #2174: On display at the America Rails Museum; Jersey City, NJ
- #2190: On display in Bluefield, WV

[1] Uses the 16-wheel Coast-Coast tender traditionally associated with larger engines like the R3s and J1s.
[2] ITTL, it's based in Logansport and runs an interurban line to Indianapolis via Kokomo and Noblesville.
[3] One of numerous K4s fitted with larger 12 wheel tenders in the late 1930s.
[4] Had replicas of its famous streamlined casing and 12-wheel tender built in 1996.
[5] TTL's analogue to Southern Ps-4 #1401, which was placed in the Southern Steam Program instead.
[6] Streamlined in a similar matter to K4 1120.
[7] One of the several engines built by the Roanoke Shops for use by the Pennsylvania Railroad, N&W's parent company.

I will update this periodically.

 

[Duke Andrew of Dank]

The Pennsylvania owning the N&W is a financial issue because the N&W was a rich railroad for its entire existence in the 20th Century and having it get pushed into the Pennsy, while operationally quite logical (the two meet at Columbus, Cincinatti and Hagerstown, MD, but nowhere else aside from the car ferry operations in the Newport News area) presents a financial headache of who owns what.

On one hand this is true later in the 50s, but mind you this takes place in the 1920s when the PRR owned a bit of stake in the N&W.

 

[TheMann]

On one hand this is true later in the 50s, but mind you this takes place in the 1920s when the PRR owned a bit of stake in the N&W.

The PRR owned that stake until the Penn Central merger (divesting of it was a ICC merger condition), so it presents a problem in the 1920s there too.