If you could build a fictional railroad anywhere, where would it be?

Not so much fiction, but I wish BNSF would take back the route which runes E-W through Conroe, and the line which runs N-S north of Beaumont, and make it into a Houston bypass.  Something like CN did with the J in Chicagoland.

I would love to see the old "Cowboy Line" reopened that ran in northern Nebraska. 

Dick

Taggart Transcontinental Railroad

My fictional RR would be on the old Bessemer & Lake Erie right of way with all the old yards, branches,switch towers, coal mines and loaders plus stations.

I did build a fictional railroad in the basement of my uncles house. Its called The Lenny Lines and it serves the town of Billyapolis 

I'd go all out Trails to Rails to get our Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee and Chicago Aurora & Elgin back...

Rusty

Well, since we're talking strictly fictional railroads, I'd vote for restoration of Scranton to NYC line - based on the discussions and "actions" over the last 20 years I've lived in the Poconos, I fear it will never be more than fictional!!!

But, on the bright side, the new train tunnel from Jersey into NYC seems to be back on the front burner... the environmental impact statement is scheduled to be fast tracked (as opposed to Fastracked   ) with an expected completion date in 2019 followed by an estimated 10 year build. Beginning in early 2029, I fully expect to read forecasts that we will have a train to the city within 5 years!!!

This is one of those things that's been on my "Lottery List" for some time.  You know, what you'd do if you won the lottery?  It would be down the street from my house where the NYC Linndale roundhouse used to be and it would use 6 or 7 inch gauge live steam versions of Lionel locos.

Why not 1:1 scale steam ??  with your lottery money.

Detroit & St. Ignace,  the only traffic across the Mighty Mac would be by train,  Es & Fs (sans additional letter ID)

 GG-1 running on Henry Ford's electrified DT&I. Any change left over I'd connect to the Virginian's line as originally envisioned by him.

Rebuilding Con Culhane's logging operation and moving it across the UP of MI in the same manner,  by removing rails from behind,  and moving them to the front,  might be a bit more realistic though. As  tradition dictates,  you'll have to fight me to work there though. "a man willing to fight for a job,  is likely to work hard to keep it" 

Dont worry, all things considered, a good debate over something silly will do fine. (like being PC or equal opportunity employment maybe? )

The return of Steam Railroad Ferry Boats at the Straits of Mackinac.  From 1911 to 1984, this S.S.RR Ferry ran trains between the two Michigan Peninsulas. 

The Chief Wawatam was designed by Great Lakes marine architect Frank E. Kirby. She was launched in Toledo, Ohio, by the Toledo Shipbuilding Company on 26 August 1911, and went into service for the Mackinac Transportation Company on 18 October 1911. The Mackinac Transportation Company was a joint venture of the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway, the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, and the Michigan Central Railroad, the three railroads that serviced the Straits of Mackinac.

Gary

The OR&W lives again, with names changed to protect the guilty and one whole county added to eastern Ohio. Its roster is whatever they can get cheap and use as a test bed for shady Defense Department contracts. The Jensen, Baltimore and Sandusky, aka Junk, Busted and Scrap, regional now runs to Cincinnati and Cumberland, among other places. It doesn't always run well, but as the company motto says, "We'll get it there" with a strong undertone of "...and don't ask how."

I have long envisioned in sort of a dream-like way a Sante Fe type passenger train rolling through the desert at sunset.

I have opted to build a 50-ish transition period like railroad because of the opportunity to incorporate so much more scenery.

A really huge switch yard would be cool but I am not sure how practical to operate.

Actually the  one RR that I have thought about if I won a HUGE lottery is the East Broad Top RR. You would need a lawyer or someone to negotiate the deal and be willing to pay the Kovalchick's price(high). It would be like buying a big , old Lionel set with a lot of repairs and clean up involved but what a prize !! A real, running steam system on the original right-of-way and equipment.  Dreams !!

I've ran some fictional excursions on Trainz 2009. I ran an excursion with CN 6218 on Metro North's Harlem Line. The trip ran between the diesel shops at Southeastern and the coach yard at North White Plains. The train had a consist similar to 614's Erie Limited consist, except this one has Metro North Shoreliner coaches.

West Nanticoke to Muncy, Pa.  ....with some seriously heavy grades.  This would connect up with the CRP/ CNJ in the east, and PC in the west.  With trackage rights on the B&O, it would allow CNJ freight to reach the Pittsburgh area.

Railfan Brody posted:

I've ran some fictional excursions on Trainz 2009. I ran an excursion with CN 6218 on Metro North's Harlem Line. The trip ran between the diesel shops at Southeastern and the coach yard at North White Plains. The train had a consist similar to 614's Erie Limited consist, except this one has Metro North Shoreliner coaches.

Railfan;

As a former Harlem Line commuter (Goldens Bridge to NYC), I'd pay to take that trip!!! This time of year, I'd love to see it go all the way north on the un-electrified section of the Harlem Line up to Wassaic - should see some great fall colors. One minor quibble... your starting point is actually called Southeast (always found that an awfully odd name from a town).

It's not fictional, but I'd like to see the restoration of the PRR Panhandle Division - Pittsburgh to St. Louis. 

George

jim pastorius posted:

Why not 1:1 scale steam ??  with your lottery money.

I figure I could get more "layout" in the space using smaller equipment. 

Either rebuild:

ET&WNC from Johnson City, TN to Boone, NC.

Milwaukee Road from Montana to the Pacific Coast (which ran very close to my back door), electrified ALL the way...

It would be on my property. Main line would be about 900 feet. Alco PA and Pullman Standard dome diner would be my roster.

I think a high speed rail line between San Francisco and LA would be mighty fine.   No one seems to know if this is fact or fiction.

NH Joe

The Spokane Southern.  Majority owners are GN and NP, UP is a minority owner.  Originally ran from Spokane, WA, to Craig Colorado, where we interchange with the D&RGW.    Other lines built up to Osoyoos BC to interchange with the Alberta Pacific, and to Eastport ID to interchange with Canadian Pacific.  Milwaukee Road came to their senses and did not built east of Terry MT (sorry P51  ).  We followed their surveyed grade from St. Regis MT to Cle Elum WA.   Milw has a traffic agreement with NP, NP handles their freight from Terry MT to St. Regis, hands it off to us, and then takes it into Seattle, where MILW has a west coast operation that runs around western Washington. 

Regards,

Jerry

There are two surviving sections of the Rio Grande narrow gauge, D&S and C&T...if only someone had had the foresight to preserve the track for a tourist road from the Joint Line to Durango, including the Creede and Pagosa Springs branches.  If only....

Own what's left the the Boston & Albany, run it as a short line and have my own mainline steam engines like what Jerry did at the Age of Steam Roundhouse.  Running Steam up the Berkshire mountains would be a dream come true.

It would run from my summer home on a  Minnesota or Ontario lake to my winter home somewhere south.  Maybe a port town where I can jump in my yacht and sail it to my private island in the Caribbean.   It would be powered by an all black GS4, have midnight black fully decked out passenger cars.  With beautiful waitresses and the finest cuisine.  It would also connect to an airport where my private jet is waiting to fly me anywhere in the world.  I will have a pilots license for the jet, the yacht and my GS4 toys.

Colorado & Southern narrow gauge Highline from Breckenridge Colorado to Como Colorado. The tourists are in Breckenridge year round to ride the train. The roadbed is still there. The buildings minus the engine house are on top of Boreas Pass. The roundhouse and station are still in Como in decent shape. I drove the route recently - beautiful scenery, awesome views. Would add another reason to visit Breckenridge in spring, summer, fall.

Mike D posted:

It would be on my property. Main line would be about 900 feet. Alco PA and Pullman Standard dome diner would be my roster.

Good idea. We have a huge, flat back yard. I have enough room for some spur tracks... Would be so cool.

Electrify the CSX Baldwinsville Subdivision and run a small EMU commuter service into Syracuse. Freight service would be diesel with GP38-2s

I'd love to see the Long Island Rail Road go with it's original plan and extend a line up to Boston Mass. It was a great idea to connect two cities that are only 45 mins away by air craft, but sadly it never came to pass. Now we just have a 3 line connection from Long Island to Manhattan.