Today, many of these classic railroads are but a memory.The older folks reading this can remember those bygone days when corporations like the legendary Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, the mighty Pennsylvania Railroad, and prosperous Southern Railway all served America.These issues were partially self-inflicted, a result of executive greed and hubris during the 19th century that led to much of the federal oversight.While the "Golden Age" officially extended from the 1880's until the Great Depression, ask most railfans the single greatest period and many would point to immediate post-World War II era, through the 1960's.As time allows, I will try to cover most of these companies.
It has been revised several times throughout the years.).And, of course, who can forget our country’s first common carrier, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, which survived for 160 years before disappearing into CSX Transportation in 1987.There are many areas of the industry to study, ranging from locomotives to streamliners.Examples here include the New York Central, Reading, New Haven, Western Pacific, Atlantic Coast Line, Missouri Pacific, and the list goes on of carriers serving either a block of states or specific area.
Following the mega-merger movement this is no longer the case as a single railroad can now extend from New York to Chicago or link San Francisco with St. Through the many mergers over the years not every classic system has disappeared.During this time, although in decline, the industry was still generally profitable while it made the switch from steam to diesel-electric technology.