The things you find while surfing Google.
I was surfing around trying to find information on the Utah Belt ("for UnBeatable service") fictional model railroad. While doing so, I found word of something called "The John Galt Line", which was also a fictional model railroad. I'm vaguely familiar with the question "Who is John Galt?" being tied to the works of Ayn Rand, and so I figured I'd go check out the JGL.
As it turns out, this particular model railroad has a nicely put-together website, and I figured I'd share it with the readers: The John Galt Line. There you'll find a history of the line, track diagrams, maps, motive power rosters, and the like. There's also an answer to the question of who Mr. Galt is, and I'm amused that it took me several years and a railroad to inadvertantly stumble across it. Yay.
I'll say this: They didn't buy Alco PAs, FAs, or Centuries, so obviously there's something wrong with the Galt Line. I wonder what the nickname would be for it.
UPDATE: I thought about it, and "The Road of Objectivism" doesn't seem to be as cool as "The Road of Anthracite" (i.e. the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western), nor does Ayn Rand make as attractive a symbol as the real Phoebe Snow. On the other hand, "America's Rationalist Railroad" might work, if you fudge things a little. Stolen of course from the late Chicago, St. Paul, Milwaukee & Pacific ("The Milwaukee Road") which billed itself as "America's Resourceful Railroad".
Posted by Country Pundit at May 4, 2004 09:31 PMNo electrics, and no evidence of Mallet Compounds on the roster ... the herald suggests an affinity with the Chicago and North Western.
Posted by: Stephen Karlson at May 5, 2004 11:24 PMYou're right! I was sitting there trying to place that herald, and I couldn't remember where I'd seen it before. (Admittedly, the only things I really know about the C&NW are jumbled facts; it's too far west for me to know much.)
I'm glad you cover rail transportation; there seems to be a dearth of people who talk about those sorts of things. I appreciate the mention on your site as well; thank you.
Posted by: The Country Pundit at May 6, 2004 12:05 AM