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Erie Lackawanna Railway: Map, History, Logo

Last revised: September 19, 2026

By: Adam Burns

The Erie Lackawanna Railway was created in 1960, a marriage of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western meant to cut costs and streamline two overlapping Northeastern maps. It lasted only sixteen years. EL remains a greatly discussed subject anyway, admired by people who care about all aspects of railroading—the maroon diamond, the lash-ups, the high-and-wide Chicago main that Conrail did not need.

It was one of the earliest mega-mergers carried out to chase efficiency under stiff regulation and falling traffic. The new company enjoyed some savings. It was never a strong carrier. Problems sat both inside the house and outside it. After the 1968 Penn Central disaster, EL dealt with one blow after another, most notably Hurricane Agnes, which forced it into bankruptcy. It initially opted out of Conrail, then asked in. Large components of the network east of Ohio are still in use. West of Marion, Ohio, the Chicago main has gone back to farmers and property owners.

Erie Lackawanna covered wagons led by F7A 6111 layover in Binghamton New York February 1966

A handsome set of Erie Lackawanna covered wagons, led by F7A 6111, layover in Binghamton, New York, February 1966. An FB-1 is in the consist. American-Rails.com collection.

On this page: At a glance · Talks, 1954–60 · Logo · October 17, 1960 · William White · Dereco · Penn Central and Maybrook · Hurricane Agnes · Passenger trains · Chessie almost · Conrail · Postscript · What remains

At a glance

ItemDetail
RailroadErie-Lackawanna Railroad from October 17, 1960; hyphen dropped 1963; Erie Lackawanna Railway from March 1, 1968. Mark EL. Slogan The Friendly Service Route
HeadquartersCleveland, Ohio (Midland Building)
StatesNew York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois
DatesOctober 17, 1960–March 31, 1976. Into Conrail April 1, 1976
ICC approvalSeptember 13, 1960
Route-miles3,031 at the start
Gauge4 ft 8½ in
Principal linesHoboken–Scranton–Binghamton (ex-DL&W); Jersey City/Hoboken–Port Jervis–Binghamton–Hornell–Marion–Chicago (ex-Erie); Binghamton–Buffalo; Binghamton–Utica / Syracuse–Oswego; Lackawanna Cutoff; Hornell–Youngstown–Cleveland
PredecessorsErie · Delaware, Lackawanna & Western. D&H talked, then walked out April 13, 1959
SuccessorConrail
DieselsAll-time roster

Dates follow H. Roger Grant and the Interstate Commerce Commission file. Information compiled September 18, 2026.

Two roads, then a third that walked away

What became Erie Lackawanna can be traced to the 1950s, when two of the Northeast’s competing railroads looked at the map after the war boom and did not like what they saw. The historically successful Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, which had never dealt with bankruptcy after more than a century of service, lost nearly $1 million in 1955. The Erie tried industrial development along the property and launched trailer-on-flatcar service in July 1954. Informal talks between the two began that year.

The Erie was the fourth way to Chicago, competing with the New York Central, the Pennsylvania, and the Baltimore & Ohio via Binghamton, Salamanca, Marion, and Huntington. The routing was somewhat slower than its rivals. It was also a high-and-wide, double-tracked main with, arguably, the best-engineered line across Indiana. H. Roger Grant, in Erie Lackawanna: Death of an American Railroad, 1938–1992, quotes John W. Barriger III from the 1920s: “No other railroad into Chicago has as easy grades as the Erie route.” The Erie was also buried in debt—four bankruptcies, 1861, 1878, 1893, and 1938. The Lackawanna had the Scranton anthracite franchise, Hoboken, and a reputation for being better managed. The Erie had Chicago.

Erie Lackawanna PA-1 856 still in Erie colors at Port Jervis New York September 6 1964

PA-1 856, still in Erie colors, at Port Jervis, New York, September 6, 1964. Robert Gayer photo.

They did not wait for a certificate to start acting like one railroad. On October 13, 1956, the Erie began using Lackawanna’s Hoboken Terminal for commuters and finished closing Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City on December 12, 1958. From 1957 they shared track between Binghamton and Gibson, New York, on the Erie main. Moves like that were nearly unheard of then, long before the modern merger movement.

On September 10, 1956, studies opened on a three-way merger of Erie, DL&W, and the Delaware & Hudson. The Bridge Line would have been a significant boon. For fiscal 1955 its net income was more than $9 million, greater than Erie and Lackawanna combined, on a fraction of the mileage. It would have opened northern New York and Montreal. On April 13, 1959, D&H dropped out. The other two forged ahead, in part because the recession was deepening. They had hired Wyer, Dick & Company to run the numbers. The consultant thought a union could generate $16.6 million in annual savings—if the new company spent capital on plant and power. Net income would rise from $2.8 million in year one to $24.1 million after five years. The D&H setback hurt in another way: the Bridge Line carried one outstanding bond. The Erie had seven. The once-vaunted Lackawanna had fifteen.

Erie Lackawanna SW9 446 and 443 at the former Lackawanna shops and roundhouse in Scranton Pennsylvania early 1960s

SW9 446 (ex-DL&W 551) and 443 (ex-DL&W 463) at the former Lackawanna shops and roundhouse in Scranton, Pennsylvania, early 1960s. American-Rails.com collection.

The logic still held. Erie supplied Chicago. East of Buffalo the two could merge shops, yards, and duplicate mains. Looking back, D&H might have helped save EL from later bankruptcy, or at least enabled a reorganization. The Interstate Commerce Commission approved the union on September 13, 1960.

Erie Lackawanna Railway diamond logo

The Erie Lackawanna Railway logo. Author’s work.

The classic logo was a simple, creative design using both predecessors. Truman Knight, a former Erie fireman from Stow, Ohio, who worked the Kent Division, took the old Erie diamond, pulled “Erie” out of the center, and drew a stylized E whose top arms disconnect just enough to read as an L. He put it in Lackawanna maroon instead of Erie yellow and black. Management praised it. Employees liked it. It won a contest of close to 2,500 entries. Knight received twenty shares of common stock in the new EL. Historically, the diamond is one of the industry’s classic marks.

October 17, 1960

The Erie-Lackawanna Railroad began operations on October 17, 1960, with 3,031 miles. In 1963 the company dropped the hyphen and became the Erie Lackawanna Railroad. From the start it ran into trouble of its own making and trouble it did not cause.

The long-seated rivalry of the two predecessors showed when Lackawanna officers were largely ignored in favor of the Erie’s. The issue was not only favoritism. The DL&W had, historically, been the better-managed railroad. Erie Lackawanna could have used that expertise in the chair. Harry W. Von Willer, an Erie man, was given the first chairmanship as well as president and chief operating officer. His immediate second was Perry M. Shoemaker, Lackawanna’s last president. Shoemaker had even promoted putting an Erie man in first, hoping it would smooth people problems, and expecting Von Willer—near sixty-five, in declining health—not to stay long. Von Willer resigned in November 1960 for health. The Erie-dominated board did not give the job to Shoemaker. It tapped Milton G. McInnes, another career Erie official. Shoemaker became chairman of the board on August 31, 1961, still without day-to-day control. He later said so: “I was made chairman, but I certainly didn’t run the railroad.”

Erie Lackawanna F3A 8411 leads a passenger special out of Hoboken Terminal June 8 1963

F3A 8411 leads a passenger special out of Hoboken Terminal, June 8, 1963. Photographer unknown. American-Rails.com collection.

The hoped-for savings and earnings vanished on contact. In 1961 the company lost more than $26.4 million, and $16.6 million the next year. Incoming officers did not work together. The merger had been rushed. As the Erie team dominated—similar to the Pennsylvania at Penn Central—Lackawanna managers left or found work elsewhere. By 1962 long-term debt stood at more than $322 million.

Erie Lackawanna E8A 830 leads the Lackawanna Limited at Wharton New Jersey May 19 1963

E8A 830 leads the Lackawanna Limited at Wharton, New Jersey, May 19, 1963. American-Rails.com collection.

The White revival

William “Bill” White was a highly respected executive who had started on the Erie and later headed the Virginian, the Lackawanna, and even the New York Central. He formally joined Erie Lackawanna on June 18, 1963, and set about streamlining the place: restructuring the debt; increasing borrowing power for capital (more than $59 million in loans for locomotives and cars); dropping aggressive but failed less-than-carload policies to concentrate on long-haul merchandise and TOFC; trying, unsuccessfully, to shed money-losing New York commuter operations; and bringing in more effective managers. Ironically, that last move put many former Lackawanna officers in place of Erie men. Grant later called it Lackawannization.

Erie Lackawanna F7As await assignment at Deposit New York August 1969 helper service

F7As await their next assignment at Deposit, New York, August 1969. By this date the F units had been relegated to helper service. Author’s collection.

White also looked for a merger partner. He believed that was the only true way EL would survive. Norfolk & Western eventually agreed to take the road—from a distance. To keep EL’s debt off N&W’s books, The Friendly Service Route went into a holding company, Dereco, Inc. The Interstate Commerce Commission approved the idea in December 1966. White died suddenly on April 6, 1967, in the Midland Building, two months past his seventieth birthday. Gregory Maxwell later recalled that he died in harness. The loss was a blow. White had turned the situation around and kept the company out of court. He could not kill the commuter trains. Long-distance varnish ended with the Phoebe Snow on November 27, 1966, and the Lake Cities on January 6, 1970. He accomplished a great deal in four years.

Erie Lackawanna mixed lash-up on the former Erie at Binghamton New York February 1966

An interesting lash-up of Erie Lackawanna power on the former Erie at Binghamton, New York, February 1966. Author’s collection.

Railway, 1968

The Erie Lackawanna Railway was formed on March 1, 1968, under the N&W banner. John P. “Jack” Fishwick of the Norfolk & Western became chairman. Gregory W. Maxwell, an accomplished operating man, took the presidency. Dereco expanded on July 1, 1968, when it acquired the Delaware & Hudson as a second property. By the late 1960s EL had posted its first profits, from cost-cutting, downsizing, and marketing. Piggyback grew. A 1970 contract with United Parcel Service gave the railroad five new intermodal trains between New York and Chicago, traffic that lasted until Conrail. For years executives from Barriger in the 1920s to Fishwick himself recognized the Erie’s one vital asset: a high-and-wide Chicago main without clearance problems, stiff grades, or sharp curves.

System map (1969)

Official 1969 system map of the Erie Lackawanna Railway

An official 1969 system map of the Erie Lackawanna Railway. Author’s collection.

Erie Lackawanna SD45-2 3680 at Croxton Yard Secaucus New Jersey circa 1975

SD45-2 3680 at Croxton Yard, Secaucus, New Jersey, circa 1975. American-Rails.com collection.

Penn Central cuts the eastern door

The colossal Penn Central merger, Pennsylvania and New York Central on February 1, 1968, began a quick succession of problems for EL just after it posted net income in 1968 and 1969. The conglomerate added the New Haven on January 1, 1969, and severely hurt The Friendly Service Route’s freight. The New Haven had long been an important interchange partner at Maybrook, New York, over the Poughkeepsie Bridge, tens of thousands of carloads a year. After the first year, 1969, those numbers dropped by more than a third. By 1970 they had been cut in half. Penn Central could haul the freight on its own rails. It had no reason to short-haul itself by giving cars to Erie Lackawanna. The decline cost EL more than $17 million a year. On May 8, 1974, the gateway closed for good when the bridge burned and Penn Central refused to repair it.

Erie Lackawanna F7As layover at Penn Central Maybrook terminal August 1972

A pair of F7As layover at Penn Central’s Maybrook, New York, terminal, August 1972. Henry Butz photo.

1970 also brought Penn Central’s stunning bankruptcy and chaos across the Northeastern industry. Roads that had not already gone into court began lining up.

Erie Lackawanna C425 2452 a GP9 and an SD45 with freight at Croxton Yard Secaucus August 1968

C425 2452, a GP9, and an SD45 with a long freight at Croxton Yard, Secaucus, New Jersey, August 1968. Photographer unknown. American-Rails.com collection.

Erie Lackawanna F3A 6561 eastbound freight through PRR interlocking at Kouts Indiana November 1966

F3A 6561 leads an eastbound freight through the PRR interlocking at Kouts, Indiana, November 1966. No rails remain in this small community today. Rick Burn photo.

Erie Lackawanna SD45 3627 heads west at State Line Tower in 1972

Erie Lackawanna SD45 #3627, a rare SDP45 (#3654), and what appears to be an RS3 lead a westbound/northbound over the B&OCT at State Line Tower nearing Chicago in January, 1972. Roger Puta photo.

Erie Lackawanna E8A 810 westbound at North Judson IN in 1975

Erie Lackawanna E8A #810 leads a westbound freight over the Penn Central and past the North Judson Tower at North Judson, Indiana in the summer of 1975. Karl Miller photo.

June 26, 1972

EL avoided a similar fate until Hurricane Agnes tore through the region in June 1972: more than $11 million in damage and lost revenue. The railroad filed for reorganization on June 26, 1972. Not long after, N&W sold off its interest, on the order of $56 million. EL was independent again, in the court’s realm. Fishwick had gone back to the Norfolk & Western in 1970 and handed the railroad to Maxwell, who became the last president and chief executive. He guided it as best he could.

On January 2, 1974, Congress and President Nixon enacted the Regional Rail Reorganization Act—the 3R Act—to fund what became the quasi-public Consolidated Rail Corporation. EL had a choice: join or go it alone. It chose the latter in 1974. That spring the bankruptcy judge allowed a reorganization. For a moment it looked as if Erie Lackawanna would be Conrail’s competition to Chicago. After nearly a year of number-crunching, the trustees saw little hope of making it alone. In January 1975 they asked for inclusion in Conrail.

Erie Lackawanna E8A 817 suburban train 1605 arriving Hillsdale New Jersey August 1971

E8A 817 (ex-DL&W) on suburban train 1605, Hoboken–Spring Valley, arriving Hillsdale, New Jersey, August 1971. Henry Butz photo.

Day trains, then commuters

Through trains off the two predecessors did not last the decade. The Phoebe Snow, Lackawanna’s stainless day train Hoboken–Buffalo, died November 27, 1966. The Lake Cities, Hoboken–Chicago, made its last run January 6, 1970. What remained was New Jersey and New York suburban service out of Hoboken—Morris & Essex electrics, the Main Line, Boonton, Pascack, Port Jervis—money-losing, politically untouchable, and the work White could not finish. Those trains, not the freight mains, are why so much of the eastern map still has rails. NJ Transit and Metro-North inherited them. The named trains have their own pages. This page does not dump them.

Three Systems East, then two, then none

As planners carved the Northeast they wanted two competing systems, not one monopoly. Proposals put Erie Lackawanna against Conrail alone, or had N&W take EL while Chessie System took much of the Reading and Jersey Central to reach New York. Rush Loving, Jr., in The Men Who Loved Trains, calls the latter the “Three Systems East” plan, the brainchild of Jim McClellan and Gerald Davies: the two profitable Mid-Atlantic systems would acquire the bankrupts and give the port three railroads. Low-interest loans and even a free $500 million did not interest N&W, which thought the sum too small. Hays Watkins’s Chessie was more receptive. With N&W backpedaling, Chessie was offered the Erie Lackawanna in July 1975—the “Two Systems East” plan.

Erie Lackawanna RS2 900 at Normal and 51st Yard Chicago 1960s

RS2 900 (ex-Erie 900) at the Normal & 51st Yard, Chicago, 1960s. American-Rails.com collection.

In October 1975 Chessie formally agreed to acquire all of Erie Lackawanna east of Sterling, Ohio, for $155 million. West of that point it would use the Baltimore & Ohio to Chicago; the rest of EL across western Ohio and Indiana would be sold or abandoned. The last hurdle was labor. EL contracts were lucrative. Unions would not take what was, in effect, a Chessie pay cut. Talks broke down. A deal was never closed. Time was running out. Congress had mandated Conrail in the first half of 1976.

Erie Lackawanna RS3s 1042 and 1044 at Clearing Yard Chicago September 1963

RS3s 1042 and 1044 (ex-DL&W 904 and 906) at Clearing Yard, Chicago, September 1963. Rick Burn photo.

April 1, 1976

With no takers, EL went into Big Blue on April 1, 1976. What many had feared happened. The old Erie Lackawanna lines played only a small role. Conrail had no need for three mains to Chicago and mothballed EL west of Marion, Ohio, in September 1977. The Erie Western Railway was formed soon after to run the ex-EL from Wren, Ohio, into Chicago. The western Erie had never generated much on-line traffic; it lived on agriculture and overhead. Erie Western entered bankruptcy in June 1979. A startup named Chicago & Indiana took over and failed so quickly that operations ceased before year’s end.

Erie Lackawanna RS3 1051 eastbound crossing the Baltimore and Ohio at Sterling Ohio December 27 1975

RS3 1051 with a covered hopper and caboose, heading east on the westbound main, crossing the Baltimore & Ohio at Sterling, Ohio, December 27, 1975. The EL Chicago main and the tower are gone. The B&O remains busy under CSX. Gary Morris photo.

Postscript

Perhaps a private report prepared by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe during May of 1975 best illustrates Erie Lackawanna’s potential. The Santa Fe had been a longtime interchange partner with EL at Chicago and noted that “an extensive six-year rehabilitation plan would generate a net, after-tax income of $28 million annually” (in 2021 dollars, about $144 million).

Diesel roster

Silent former Erie Lackawanna high and wide main near Sterling Ohio December 1976 after Conrail

This was the Erie Lackawanna, a high-and-wide pike ideal for intermodal service. It still witnessed nearly 25 trains a day before Conrail; after the start it fell largely silent, as seen here near Sterling, Ohio, December 1976. Gary Morris photo.

Santa Fe’s report went on: “The E-L is the only Eastern railroad which has the right-of-way suitable for high-speed, long-haul service without superfluous, congested and expensive urban terminals every hundred miles.” And: “The absence of clearance restrictions, an extensive double track main line, and interdivisional crew districts are indicative of the physical resources which are presently being utilized at a level far below capacity.”

In other words, the EL offered great potential and would certainly have blossomed during the intermodal revolution of the 1980s. A company other than Conrail—Chessie, N&W, Santa Fe itself—would very likely have kept that Chicago main as a corridor. The political environment of the time (which saw railroads as an archaic mode) and strict regulation, coupled with EL’s heavy debt, made an almost impossible situation. The government had the means to save the road by creating a second Conrail. Believing the Northeast already held far too much excess trackage (a notion quite true in many respects), it was not willing to do so. Conrail kept the Southern Tier and the New Jersey suburban plant. It did not keep Marion–Chicago. That is the part you cannot put back.

What remains

East of Ohio, much of the map still works. Norfolk Southern’s Southern Tier uses the former Erie Binghamton–Hornell and on toward Buffalo. NS also holds the old Lackawanna Binghamton–Scranton. The Central New York Railroad, operated with the New York, Susquehanna & Western, runs Binghamton–Port Jervis on NS’s former Erie, including Starrucca. Western New York & Pennsylvania took the Chicago main west from Hornell as far as it still exists in New York and western Pennsylvania. The Delaware-Lackawanna short line handles Scranton-area freight on ex-DL&W. NJ Transit’s Hoboken Division is the old EL suburban plant: Morris & Essex, Main Line, Bergen County, Montclair-Boonton, Pascack Valley, Gladstone, with Metro-North on Port Jervis. The Lackawanna Cutoff restoration is a passenger project, not a freight main. West of Marion the high-and-wide is gone. Sterling, Kouts, and the Indiana double track are local memory and farm ground. That is the corridor Santa Fe described in 1975, and the one Conrail did not keep.

Photo gallery

Erie Lackawanna E8A 818 having wheels trued at Hornell New York shops August 5 1972

E8A 818 having its wheels trued at the Hornell, New York, shops, August 5, 1972. Doug Kroll photo.

Erie Lackawanna SD45s led by 3628 in pool service at Ushers New York August 27 1969

SD45s led by 3628 in pool service on the joint Delaware & Hudson / Boston & Maine line at Ushers, New York, August 27, 1969. Carl Sturner photo.

Erie Lackawanna C425 2452 leads freight into Hammond Indiana September 17 1967

C425 2452 leads a long freight into Hammond, Indiana, September 17, 1967. Roger Puta photo.

Erie Lackawanna F3A 8454 at Normal and 51st Street Yard Chicago April 21 1965

F3A 8454 and other power at the Normal and 51st Street Yard, Chicago, April 21, 1965. Rick Burn photo.

Erie Lackawanna RS3 1006 at the Hammond Indiana engine terminal summer 1961

RS3 1006 at the railroad’s small engine terminal in Hammond, Indiana, summer 1961. Rick Burn photo.

Erie Lackawanna PA-1 860 departing Hoboken Terminal with The Twilight September 3 1965

PA-1 860 readies to depart Hoboken Terminal with The Twilight (Hoboken–Buffalo), September 3, 1965. Roger Puta photo.

Erie Lackawanna U25Bs led by 2509 westbound near Akron Ohio February 28 1965

U25Bs led by 2509, westbound near Akron, Ohio, February 28, 1965. Photographer unknown. American-Rails.com collection.

Erie Lackawanna SD45 3622 at Sloan New York February 18 1974

SD45 3622 at Sloan, New York, February 18, 1974. Photographer unknown. American-Rails.com collection.

Erie Lackawanna slug B66 rebuilt from DRS-4-4-1500 1105 at Secaucus New Jersey circa 1969

Slug B66, rebuilt at Hornell from DRS-4-4-1500 1105, at Secaucus, New Jersey, circa 1969. Photographer unknown. American-Rails.com collection.

Erie Lackawanna GP35 2569 tied down west of Kent Yard Kent Ohio May 1975

GP35 2569 appears tied down with its train west of Kent Yard, Kent, Ohio, May 1975. Jerry Custer photo.

Related reading on American-Rails.com

Sources

  • Grant, H. Roger. Erie Lackawanna: Death of an American Railroad, 1938–1992. Stanford University Press, 1994. Merger, Von Willer, Shoemaker, McInnes, White (April 6, 1967), Dereco, Agnes, Conrail
  • Loving, Rush, Jr. The Men Who Loved Trains. Indiana University Press, 2006. Three Systems East / Two Systems East; Chessie–EL labor
  • Schafer, Mike. Classic American Railroads. MBI, 1996
  • Solomon, Brian, and Mike Schafer. New York Central Railroad and related Northeastern titles, Andover Junction / MBI
  • Interstate Commerce Commission, Erie-Lackawanna merger approval, September 13, 1960; Regional Rail Reorganization Act, January 2, 1974
  • Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, private EL rehabilitation report, May 1975, as quoted in Grant and in the live American-Rails narrative
  • American-Rails.com, Conrail (EL inclusion January 1975; operations April 1, 1976) and Poughkeepsie Bridge (fire May 8, 1974)

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  21. Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad: Map, Rosters, History

    Oct 19, 26 03:57 PM

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    The Chicago & Eastern Illinois ran from Chicago to Evansville, St. Louis, and Thebes. First company of the name, August 28, 1877. The remainder merged into the Missouri Pacific on October 15, 1976. St…

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  22. Rock Island Diesel Roser: All-Time

    Oct 19, 26 11:05 AM

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    Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific diesel locomotives, 1,029 frames counted once. Switchers, cab units, road-switchers, two acquired slugs, five RDCs, and bi-power 10000. Serial and order are separate c…

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  23. Rock Island Steam Roster: Post 1900

    Oct 19, 26 11:01 AM

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    Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific steam locomotives built or rebuilt since 1900. Drury's class grid, 1,482 frames counted once, including 85 4-8-4s. Last revenue steam was July 1953.

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  24. Rock Island Railroad: Map, Pictures, Logo, History

    Oct 19, 26 10:51 AM

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    The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific ran from Chicago to the Twin Cities, Denver, Tucumcari, and the Gulf. First train October 10, 1852. Directed service ended March 23, 1980. Steam and diesel rosters…

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  25. EMD "F7" Locomotives: Cab, Top Speed, Specs, Rosters

    Oct 19, 26 12:27 AM

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    EMD F7 cab units and boosters, 1,500 horsepower, built February 1949 through December 1953. Gear ratios, specifications, and the production roster by owner, serial, and order.

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  26. Harlem Transfer Company: An NYC Terminal System

    Oct 19, 26 12:01 AM

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    Harlem Transfer Company, the Lackawanna's offline freight terminal on the Bronx side of the Harlem River at East 135th Street. Carfloats to Hoboken, boxcab No. 2, and GE 44-tonner 53.

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  27. Belpre Industrial Parkersburg Railroad: Roster, History, Photos

    Oct 18, 26 11:44 PM

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    Belpre Industrial Parkersburg Railroad, a Class III short line leasing about 46.9 miles of CSX track at Parkersburg since 2020. The Ohio River bridge, the Marietta Subdivision, and five GP38-3s.

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  28. Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railroad: Map, Timetables, History

    Oct 18, 26 10:57 PM

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    Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railroad, an Illinois line from Pekin and Peoria through Springfield to Madison. Chartered in 1853. Sold in parcels on November 20, 1924. The Pekin line is today the Illino…

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  29. Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Diesel Roster (All-Time)

    Oct 18, 26 10:54 PM

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    All-time diesel roster of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. 951 parent frames, 72 Colorado & Southern, and 36 Fort Worth & Denver, each counted once. Serials included.

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  30. Burlington Railroad (CB&Q): Map, History, Rosters, Photos

    Oct 18, 26 10:49 PM

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    The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, the Burlington Route, ran from Chicago to Denver, the Twin Cities, and the Gulf. Steam built since 1900 and the diesel fleets are companion rosters. Burlington Northe…

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  31. Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Steam Roster (Post 1900)

    Oct 18, 26 10:33 PM

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    Chicago, Burlington & Quincy steam locomotives built or rebuilt since 1900. 429 Prairies, 383 Mikados, the Hudsons, and the O-5 4-8-4s. Drury's class grid.

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  32. Virginian Railway's 2-6-6-6 Locomotives (Class AG)

    Oct 18, 26 01:38 PM

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    Virginian Railway class AG. Eight Lima 2-6-6-6s, Nos. 900-907, built in 1945 for the east end. Billed at 753,000 pounds. Scrapped in 1960.

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  33. Pennsylvania (PRR) Steam Roster: Post 1906

    Oct 18, 26 01:05 PM

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    ennsylvania steam after 1906—H8, H9, and H10 Consolidations, 574 L1s Mikados, 598 I1s Decapods, 425 K4s Pacifics, 301 M1 Mountains. Drury’s grid. Last steam November 30, 1957.

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  34. Chicago, Aurora and Elgin Railroad: The "Roarin' Elgin"

    Oct 18, 26 10:54 AM

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    The Chicago, Aurora & Elgin, the Roarin' Elgin, ran 600-volt third-rail trains from Chicago to Aurora, Batavia, and Elgin. Passenger service ended at noon on July 3, 1957. Freight ended June 11, 1959.

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  35. Algoma Central Railway: Map, Logo, Rosters

    Oct 17, 26 10:49 PM

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    Algoma Central Railway, Sault Ste. Marie to Hearst. Wisconsin Central on February 1, 1995. Fifty-nine steam locomotives and forty-two diesels.

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  36. Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad: Map, History, Rosters

    Oct 17, 26 05:49 PM

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    Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad, Mogadore to Delphos. The rails never reached Canton or Youngstown. Norfolk & Western control on October 16, 1964. Twenty-six diesels and the historical society's…

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  37. Georgia Railroad: Map, History, Logo, Rosters

    Oct 17, 26 12:59 PM

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    Georgia Railroad, the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company, Augusta to Atlanta, with the Athens branch and the Macon Road. Mark GA. The railroad properties were sold on November 4, 1982.

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  38. West Point Route (Railroad): Map, History, Logo

    Oct 16, 26 11:26 PM

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    The West Point Route was a trademarked name comprising the Atlanta & West Point and Western Railway of Alabama, which were controlled by the Georgia Railroad.

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  39. Virginian Railway Diesel Roster (All-Time)

    Oct 16, 26 11:11 PM

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    All-time diesel roster of the Virginian Railway. 40 Fairbanks-Morse H16-44s, 25 H24-66 Train Masters, and one GE 44-tonner. Serials included.

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  40. Virginian Railway Steam Roster (Post 1900)

    Oct 16, 26 10:55 PM

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    Virginian Railway steam locomotives built since 1900. Mikados, 2-8-8-2s, the Triplex, class AE 2-10-10-2s, and the 1945 2-6-6-6s.

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  41. Virginian Railway: Map, Rosters, History, Electrification

    Oct 16, 26 10:51 PM

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    Virginian Railway, Deepwater to Norfolk. Combined in 1907 and completed in 1909. Electrified from Roanoke to Elmore. Absorbed by the Norfolk & Western on December 1, 1959.

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  42. Baldwin "Centipede" Locomotives: Specs, Roster, Photos

    Oct 16, 26 03:58 PM

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    Baldwin DR-12-8-1500/2 Centipede—2-D+D-2, two 608SC engines, 3,000 hp. SAL 4500 from the 1943 test bed. 54 on the serial list, 52 sold. PRR BP60 then BH50. None preserved.

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  43. Louisville & Nashville Class M-1 2-8-4s: The Big Emmas

    Oct 16, 26 03:52 PM

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    Louisville & Nashville class M-1, 42 Big Emma 2-8-4s. Baldwin in 1942 and 1944, Lima in 1949. Coal trains from Neon to DeCoursey. No locomotive survives.

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  44. Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway: Map, History, Rosters

    Oct 16, 26 03:21 PM

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    Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway, Chattanooga to Gadsden. The May 1929 card is 91.7 miles. Southern stock control closed on a January 1, 1971 schedule. Five diesels and Prince's steam list.

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  45. Railroad Museums In The USA (2026): State Guides & Collections

    Oct 16, 26 02:29 PM

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    U.S. railroad museums—what they are vs tourist railroads, preservation history (R&LHS, NRHS, IRM, Steamtown), state guides, and destination collections. Confirm hours on each museum’s site.

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  46. Wyoming Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide

    Oct 16, 26 02:26 PM

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    Wyoming railroad museums—the Cheyenne Depot, Burlington 5633 at Douglas, Big Boy 4004, and the Laramie depot. Confirm hours and which locomotive is on the property.

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  47. West Virginia Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide

    Oct 16, 26 12:52 PM

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    West Virginia railroad museums—Cass Scenic’s geared steam, the Hinton C&O collection, and the Martinsburg B&O roundhouse. Confirm hours and which locomotive is assigned.

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  48. Washington Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide

    Oct 16, 26 12:46 PM

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    Washington railroad museums—Snoqualmie, Elbe, Chehalis, Reardan, and the Northern Pacific depot at Toppenish. Confirm hours and which locomotive is assigned.

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  49. Vermont Railroad Museums (2026): A Complete Guide

    Oct 16, 26 12:42 PM

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    Vermont railroad museums—the Shelburne Museum’s 1890 station, Central Vermont No. 220, and the private car Grand Isle. Confirm hours on the site.

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  50. Tennessee Central Railway: Map, Logo, Rosters, History

    Oct 16, 26 11:32 AM

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    Tennessee Central Railway, Harriman to Hopkinsville. Reorganized January 26, 1922. Last day August 31, 1968. Thirty-one diesels and the railroad's steam roster.

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