The Alphabet Route

[keystonecrossings]

Many have known me for years for my Keystone Crossings web site dedicated to the Pennsylvania Railroad. But few seem to have found a second site that I publish and I thought I'd throw a plug for it here...

The Alphabet Route was an agreement between a group of railroads that formed a route to link the Midwest (Chicago, St. Louis, great lake ports) and the Northeast (Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston). It was formed on February 11, 1931, to compete with the larger railroads that had a direct route from the Midwest to the Northeast (Erie Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central Railroad). It was named the Alphabet Route because the majority of its members went by their initials, which caused an alphabet soup of routing names. From West to East, these railroads were:

* Nickel Plate (NYC&StL) - New York, Chicago, and St Louis
* W&LE - Wheeling and Lake Erie
* P&WV - Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway
* WM - Western Maryland Railway
* RDG - Reading Company
* CNJ - Central Railroad of New Jersey
* L&HR - Lehigh and Hudson River Railway
* NYNH&H - New York, New Haven, and Hartford

If you are interested in any of these roads, please stop by and kick the tires... www.alphabetroute.com

[rhpd42002]

Another bit of history I was unaware of. I'd heard of the Alhabet route, but didn't know how/why it came to be.

Will have to kick the tires as soon as I can get mine to stop rolling this week!

Thanks for posting the link, Jerry

[John Sheridan]

Been to your site(s) many times. Very good info - especially the New Haven stuff.

[umtrrauthor]

Thanks for letting us know-- I don't think I'd been to the site before. Cool stuff...

[KIM]

There is a lot of good information there, and for those of us that are unfamiliar with the routes and area, it is quite educational.