Ferdinand

Company History: This 6.5 mile branch line was completed and placed in operation in 1909. During its existence, it went through six changes of ownership, and was operated under various names.

One of the main sources of revenue for the Ferdinand RR was the Evans Transportation Company, which used the Ferdinand RR as the base for a large freight car leasing operation. In 1986 there were 897 freight cars with the FRDN reporting mark, and in 1987 it grew to 1068 cars, more than could have been stored on the Ferdinand Railroad's track. (See a picture of a Ferdinand boxcar.) When the lease fleet era closed and the Ferdinand returned to local freight operations, it could not survive. By 1990-91 it was down to moving 18 cars per year. The last carload of freight was moved in March 1991. The line was abandoned in June 1991 and dismantled in 1991-92.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.