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Fallen Flag Railroads, The More Obscure

While over seventy of the best remembered Class I fallen flags are covered in detail at American-Rails.com there were still many others that existed. At one time in the United States there were nearly 140 Class I railroads (or those with at least $1 million annual operating revenue at that time) and today these are commonly known as the fallen flags or “classic” railroads. Even though the former lines mentioned here are not spotlighted as in-depth as the others covered in the general fallen flag category, they are worthy of note and as such a very brief overview highlighting many, plus other celebrated classic shortlines, is included here (this list will continue to grow).

Northeast

Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railroad: Ohio’s Road of Service operated between 1907 and 1982 iand was created through the merger of the Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railway and Youngstown Railroad before being acquired by the Norfolk & Western Railway. To visit the website of the historical society dedicated to preserving the AC&Y’s memory please click here.

Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal: Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal or BEDT was a rail-marine terminal operation located in Brooklyn, New York and operated between 1907 and 1983, when ferry traffic had dried up to the point that the railroad shutdown that year. For more information on BEDT please click here.

Cornwall Railroad: A shortline operation through the heart of the Pennsylvania Amish Country in Lancaster County it predominantly hauled iron ore from the Cornwall Mines to Lebanon. It operated between 1850 until 1968 when the Reading Railroad took over the 13-mile line. For information on the railroad please clcik here.

Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific Railway: The DW&P, whose acronym also stood for "Delivered With Pride" operated between 1901 and 1995 before becoming part of the Canadian National system that year. The DW&P operated about 150 miles of trackage in Minnesota with a connection at the Canadian border. For more information on the DW&P please click here.

Grand Trunk Western Railroad: The GTW has always been a branch of the Canadian National system since it was created in 1928 to operate all of its parent's owned trackage in the United States, which stretches from Michigan to the Northeast. After a 1971 corporate restructuring the railroad has been placed under the holding company Grand Trunk Corporation and has lost much of its original identity. To visit the website of the historical society dedicated to preserving the GTW's memory please click here.

Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion Railroad: The LEF&C dates back to 1913 as a consolidation of several other shortlines and totaled fifteen miles in length serving Summerville and Clarion, Pennsylvania. Due to declines in coal traffic, its main traffic source, the railroad ceased operations in 1992. For more information on the LEF&C please click here.

Montour Railroad: The Montour Railroad was a shortline operation in southwestern Pennsylvania that predominantly moved coal and operated between 1877 and 1984. It shutdown in 1984 due to the loss of its last online coal mine and today the former right-of-way is mostly a rail-trail. For more information on the railroad please click here.

New York, Ontario & Western Railway: The NYO&W was a New York-based railroad that operated between 1884 and 1957 predominantly moving anthracite coal. It shutdown in 1957 due to lack of demand for anthracite coal. For more information on the railroad please click here.

Raritan River Railroad: The Raritan River was a 12-mile shortline operated in New Jersey from 1888 to 1980, which eventually became part of Conrail. For more information on this shortline please click here.

Wellsville, Addison & Galeton Railroad: The WAG was a startup shortline in 1954 operating former Buffalo & Susquehanna Railroad trackage, located in Pennsylvania and New York, taken over by the B&O in 1932. Never a very profitable operation it only lasted until 1979. For more information on the WAG please click here.

Southeast

Durham & Southern Railway: The Durham & Southern Railway operated 59 miles between Durham and Dunn, North Carolina between 1906 and 1979, at which point it became part of the Seaboard Coast Line system. For more information on the D&S please click here.

Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway : Created through the mergers of smaller systems in 1873 it served predominantly Tennessee as well as Georgia and Alabama (although it never reached St. Louis). The Louisville & Nashville purchased a controlling interest in the railroad in 1880 eventually dissolving the NC&StL name in 1957. To visit the website of the historical society dedicated to preserving the NC&StL’s memory please click here.

Midwest

Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Railroad: The Roarin’ Elgin operated between 1902 and 1957 and connected downtown Chicago with Elgin and Aurora, Illinois. Losses of traffic in the 1950s forced the railroad to shutdown and today what’s left of its right-of-way is used as recreational trails. For more information on the CA&E please click here.

Detroit and Mackinac Railway: Fondly remembered as the Turtle Line the railroad operated between Bay City and Cheboygan, Michigan from 1894 until 1995 when it was sold to the Lake State Railway Company. To visit the website of the historical society dedicated to preserving the D&M's memory please click here.

Litchfield & Madison Railroad: The "St. Louis Gateway Route" served as a 68-mile bridge line served East St. Louis and Madison and operated between 1889 and 1958 at which point it became part of the Chicago & North Western. For a short time line on the railroad please click here.

Pere Marquette Railway: The Pere Marquette operated in northern Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana from 1900 to 1947 before becoming part of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. The PM is perhaps most famous as part of the Van Sweringen Brothers' portfolio of systems. To visit the website of the historical society dedicated to preserving the PM’s memory please click here.

Southwest

Colorado & Southern Railway: The C&S is best remembered as part of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy system, which purchased a controlling interest in it in 1908. It operated between eastern Wyoming, Colorado, and northwestern Texas and was dissolved into Burlington Northern in 1981. For more information on the C&S please click here.

Texas & Pacific Railway: The T&P operated throughout much of Texas and is best remembered for its Eagle passenger trains. In 1928 it became part of the Missouri Pacific although the MoPac allowed the railroad to remain mostly independent until 1976 when it was formally merged out of existence. For more information on the T&P please click here.

Northwest

Butte, Anaconda & Pacific Railway: The BA&P name was dissolved in 1985 only to be resurrected by current owners (Patriot Rail Corporation) in 2007 and is once again called the Butte, Anaconda & Pacific Railway. The railroad began operating in 1892 to serve local copper mines and was once electrified connecting with the Milwaukee Road’s electrified lines at Butte, Montana but in 1967 switched to diesel locomotives. For more information on the BA&P please click here.

Walla Walla Railway: The Walla Walla Valley Railway was a 14-mile shortline based in Walla Walla, Washington and was actually quite profitable hauling produce and other agricultural products. It would become part of Northern Pacific and successor Burlington Northern subsequently abandoned much of the WWV. For more information on the Walla Walla Valley please click here.

If you're interested in photographs highlighting many of these fallen flags I would strongly suggest visiting George Elwood's Fallen Flag Railroad Photos website, perhaps the best resource on the Internet to images of fallen flag systems.

For more reading about some of the most famous fallen flag railroads to ever operate in the country I would suggest purchasing one, or all three volumes of Mike Schafer’s Classic American Railroads series of books. The publications feature a wealth of information and are loaded with colored photographs covering names like the Baltimore & Ohio, Santa Fe, Pennsylvania, Milwaukee Road, and lots more. If you have any interest in most famous bygone railroads which once operated in the U.S. I would strongly recommend picking up one, two, or even all three of Mr. Schafer’s book. I truly cannot say enough just how enjoyable and fun they are to read and peruse through. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing these books please visit The Railroad Diamond by clicking the tab in the menu to your left marked "TRD Store".

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