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If you're unfamiliar with the USRA a quick rundown goes like this
>Woodrow Wilson nationalizes the United State's railroads in 1917 during the middle of World War 1 in order to ensure efficient train operations
>Divided into three main divisions: East, West, and South
>Standardized freight cars and steam locomotives used through the country during the period
>After the end of the war the USRA was disbanded in 1920 and control of the railroads returned to the company owners
Now hear me out. What if instead Woodrow Wilson kept the railroads nationalized and reformed the system into three divisions similarly how the Big Four were formed during the same period over in the UK? You'd have
>The East: Everything east of Chicago (New York Central, PRR, B&O, Reading, Norfolk & Western, etc)
>The West: Everything west of Chicago (Union Pacific, Burlington Route, Milwaukee Road, Great Northern, parts of Southern Pacific etc)
>The South: Everything south of Kansas City (Santa Fe, Missouri Pacific, MKT, Texas & Pacific, Atlantic Coast Line, parts of Southern Pacific, etc)
Keep in mind this would have been back in the 20s where train expansion was still doing fairly well in the US. Would it have been successful? Would a railroad that was nationalized early in the 20th century fare better than Amtrak and the four main Class 1 railroads?
>Woodrow Wilson nationalizes the United State's railroads in 1917 during the middle of World War 1 in order to ensure efficient train operations
>Divided into three main divisions: East, West, and South
>Standardized freight cars and steam locomotives used through the country during the period
>After the end of the war the USRA was disbanded in 1920 and control of the railroads returned to the company owners
Now hear me out. What if instead Woodrow Wilson kept the railroads nationalized and reformed the system into three divisions similarly how the Big Four were formed during the same period over in the UK? You'd have
>The East: Everything east of Chicago (New York Central, PRR, B&O, Reading, Norfolk & Western, etc)
>The West: Everything west of Chicago (Union Pacific, Burlington Route, Milwaukee Road, Great Northern, parts of Southern Pacific etc)
>The South: Everything south of Kansas City (Santa Fe, Missouri Pacific, MKT, Texas & Pacific, Atlantic Coast Line, parts of Southern Pacific, etc)
Keep in mind this would have been back in the 20s where train expansion was still doing fairly well in the US. Would it have been successful? Would a railroad that was nationalized early in the 20th century fare better than Amtrak and the four main Class 1 railroads?
