What 5 railroads made up the Burlington Northern Railway and what railroads were bought by Union Pacific RR?

Question

I already know the answers, but I want to see if anybody out there knows what I'm talking about and how well most people know about railroad history.

Answer 1

marinemeu,

The original BN was comprised of the Class I systems (as far as I am aware there were only four, unless you are counting the Frisco which was merged into the, by then, BN system in 1980); Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (The Burlington Route), Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and Spokane, Portland & Seattle (SP&S), all of which were affiliated with one another for years (and attempted to merge several times but denied by the ICC until 1970, the original dream of tycoon James J. Hill).

Regarding the Union Pacific it seems like just about every western Class I was folded into its system at one point or another! Starting in 1982 its successors include Southern Pacific, Western Pacific (which was the first to be merged, followed by the MP), Missouri Pacific, Chicago & North Western, and Denver & Rio Grande Western. Not sure if you are aware of this but UP recently did a heritage series on all five predecessors by painting five of their new EMD SD70ACe locomotives into a version of their heralded liveries and numbering each for the year it was folded into the system. It was pretty neat to say the least, few other Class Is take such pride in their history as the UP (NS is perhaps another example).

EDIT: Bob, there was no doubt more smaller systems made up the BN (as is nearly the case with all mergers) but the five [now-fallen flag] Class Is which did (i.e., the largest contributors) were those already mentioned.

Answer 2

Well, the way I read the history books, there were more than five:

1. Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
2. Fort Worth & Denver
3. Colorado & Southern
4. Great Northern
5. Northern Pacific
6. Spokane Portland & Seattle
7. St. Louis & San Francisco (The Frisco)

We learn something new every day...

Answer 3

ahh.. trick question. when the BN was orginally formed it was made up of 4 lines. the CB&Q, Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and The Spokane Portland and Seattle railway(SP&S) in the 1980's the got the Frisco and the Colorado and Southern (C&S) in the mid 90's 95 or 96 i think they Merged with the AT&SF.

Now for UP Mopac, West pac, C&NW, The Katy (M-K-T) the rio Grande and south pac in the mid to late 90's,

they got kansas pacific, utah central, utah & northern in the 1800's

but what about the central pacific they helped build the trans continetal railway? it was merged with the southern pacific.

Semper FI

Answer 4

I worked for 'em (BNSF), before moving over to another railroad, and I can only come up with four - I think.

Answer 5

I know too but it's a secret, I am sworn to secrecy.