Conrail-A Railroad That Truly Lives in Our Hearts

Conrail is truly a railroad that lives in our hearts.  Conrail served the mining, manufacturing and industries throughout the  Northeast, Midwest and New England.  Conrail is deeply loved by its employees and fans.
I briefly lived in Altoona, Pennsylvania during the Conrail era.  I remember watching Conrail's "Big Blue" as it rolled by, ready to conquer the Horseshoe Curve.
Conrail truly was a story of triumph.  It was a story of people and management working together to weave a handful of struggling railroads into the success story that it became.  Conrail will always live in our hearts.

Santa Fe All The Way

Santa Fe linked the Midwest gateways of Chicago and Kansas City with the Southwest.  Known for its scenic mainline and its streamlined trains such as the Super Chief, Santa Fe not only connected people and places, but it stood in the hearts of many.

A Brief History of the Amtrak Empire Builder

Great Northern connected the Midwest with the Pacific Northwest.  Great Northern was known as the "Route of the Empire Builder."

Great Northern's flagship passenger train was the Empire Builder.  The Empire Builder took its name from Great Northern founder, James J. Hill, who, with private funds, built the Great Northern and played a key role in the development of the Upper Midwest and the Northwest.

The Great Northern was known for its contribution to Glacier National Park.  Hill saw the park as a key destination for Great Northern passengers.

Amtrak's contemporary Chicago to Seattle route is known as the Empire Builder.  Amtrak's train operates over today's BNSF Railroad.  BNSF is the successor to Burlington Northern, which was created by the merger of Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Chicago Burlington and Quincy and Spokane Portland and Seattle Railroads.

Chicago Great Western-"The Corn Belt Route"

A mile-long Chicago Great Western freight makes its way across the Iowa prairie.  Today's train is under the command of five F-units.

Chicago Great Western became known for its mile long trains and its ability to work with what it had in a Midwest full of competitors.  Chicago Great Western, "The Corn Belt Route," eventually became part of the Chicago and North Western.

From a Train at Christmas

From the window of a train
Christmas lights shining
Their warm glow
Across the village square
The station decked in holly
Passengers with presents
Greeted by open arms
A train at Christmas
Brings cheer across the land
Brings distant relatives near
A Train at Christmas
Brings one another together
From a train at Christmas
I cannot wait to be home

A Brief History of Amtrak Hiawtha Service

Truly one of the most elegant trains in America, Milwaukee Road's Twin Cities Hiawatha races towards Chicago.  Milwaukee Road was known as the "Route of the Hiawatha" for its famous Hiawatha passenger trains.
Hiawatha Service on today's Amtrak between Chicago and Milwaukee takes its name from these famous Milwaukee Road passenger trains.  Amtrak operates Hiawatha Service over the trackage of today's Canadian Pacific, which acquired Soo Line, the successor of the Milwaukee Road.

Amtrak America

While Riding the Southwest Chief after Amtrak Train Days, the beauty of the journey led me to write the following poem, "Amtrak America."

Amtrak roll, roll into the night
Roll into the morning, roll into the night
Forever I roll, across America
The steel rail glistens, along the way
Roll into the night, roll into the day
Amtrak roll across a land so big
Across the mountains, and across the plains
Across the rivers, wide and mighty
Past picked fences, past city lights
Sunrise in valleys, see all of the sights
See all of America, rolling down the track
From your Amtrak window, as you sail clickity-clack
The engineer waves, the crossing gate dings
Across our land, Amtrak sings
Breakfast hits griddle, passengers arise
As Amtrak whistles onward
Here I am, here we are
Amtrak America