Here are some Shortline/Regional Railroads that I have suggested My top 20 Shortline/Regional Railroads 1.Iowa Interstate 2.Arizona Eastern Railway 3.Florida Central Railroad 4.Georgia Central Railway 5.Burlington Junction Railway 6.Indiana Northeastern Railroad 7.Providence and Worcester Railroad 8.Great Lakes Central Railroad 9.Minnesota Commercial Railway 10.Vermont Railway 11.Morristown and Erie Railway 12.Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad 13.Great Smoky Mountains Railroad 14.Portland and Western Railroad 15.Lancaster and Chester Railway 16.Nashville and Eastern Railroad 17.Wisconsin and Southern Railroad 18.Rapid City Pierre & Eastern Railroad 19.Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad 20.Ohio Central Railroad If you all have any other suggestions for shortline railroads post it down in the comments below.
Some of the railroads you listed are not shortlines, but rather regional railroads. Ohio Central and Iowa Interstate are both regional, they only operate in one particular state but they still own hundreds of miles of track. Shortlines would lucky to have just a hundred miles to their name.
I just changed the title Regionals would be awesome as well Also Wheeling & Lake Erie,Great Lakes Central, Providence & Worcester, Rapid City Pierre, and Vermont Railway are also regional railroads i think. The rest are shortlines. But that would be sweet if dovetail makes some in the future.
Western New York & Pennsylvania. They have (and unfortunately in the process of replacing) a fleet that includes Alco C424's, C425's, C430's, a MLW C630M, MLW M630's and M636's. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_New_York_and_Pennsylvania_Railroad_(2001)
As someone who lives in the central valley, would love to see a route based around the SJVR. A route could easily be set around here in Fresno, and include the industry's near Fresno Yosemite Airport, extend east towards Fowler, then South past Reedly to Dinuba (Maybe even to Exeter, even though this line is hardly in use), Extend west to at least Kerman, or beyond. Extend South on the UP Mainline to Goshen Junction, then east thru Visalia,to their HQ in Exeter. Fresno could also include Union Pacific's Fresno yard, and BNSF's Calwa yard, which the SJVR does exchange cars with. The Bakersfield area could also be the location of the route too, but IDK too much about their operations down there. Their locos could be their Progress Rail PR30B's still in Rail America colors, and the various Geep's and rebuilts in G&W colors.
The Wisconsin and Southern sounds good, I would like to see see the northern division. SD40-2, MP15AC's and GP38-2's, easy enough right?
And also The Pacific Sun Railroad which works on the Escondido Sub, the Miramar Branch, and in Stuart Mesa Yard for The Surfliner Route.
Finger Lakes Railway. Shortline railroad that extends between Syracuse, NY and Canandaigua, NY, originally owned by the NYC railroad. There are also two branches one in Geneva that reaches out to Kendaia, NY (ex. Lehigh Valley) and a branch from Penn Yan to Watkins Glen, NY (ex. PRR) and is reached using trackage rights over the Norfolk Southern (Total Route Miles= 167 miles). The railroad hauls approximately 18,000 carloads a year (about 50 cars a day). Commodities handled include everything from steel, to plastic, to paper, to building supplies and almost anything else you can think of (except intermodal/TOFC, autoracks, coal). The route runs through many small, quaint towns and lots of beautiful scenery. The Finger Lakes Railway has connections with CSX and the New York Susquehanna & Western in Syracuse, NY, and with Norfolk Southern in Geneva, NY. For more info... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_Lakes_Railway FGLK website... https://www.fingerlakesrail.com/marketing1.html Roster includes... 2 chop-nose EMD GP9's (NYC style livery) - However they may be up for sale 10 GE B23-7s (NYC style livery with one in Conrail blue) EMD GP38-2 (rebuilt from a GP40-2, NYC style livery) 2 U23B's (one in NYC one in LV style liveries) 3 SD38-2 (NYC style livery) 1 GP40 (NYC style livery) 1701 - GP9 1989 - B23-7 2305 - B23-7 2201 - U23B 3303 - SD38-2 (leased from GMTX) 2004 - GP38-2
And also for the Pacific Surfliner Route, The San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad which runs from San Diego, California to San Ysidro, California (which operates on the San Diego Trolley's Blue Line), and on the Trolley's Orange Line to El Cajon, as well. And last but not least, Santa Maria Valley Railroad which interchanges with the Union Pacific Railroad's (former Southern Pacific) Coast Line at Guadalupe, California.
The Wisconsin Central Limited would be a nice addition. If you guys want Iowa Interstate, I want the WCL. SD45's is a must for this railroad.