FreightWaves Classics/Fallen Flags: Wabash Railroad served the Midwest, its industries and people (Part 2)

A Wabash trailer-on-flatcar. (Photo: Wabash Railroad Historical Society)

To read Part 1 of this article, follow this link.

World War I

Despite going into receivership in late 1911, the Wabash did well because of its key corridors, which carried a diversified traffic base. Its network was slightly over 2,000 route miles and served Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha and Buffalo.  

In 1912 the company adopted the slogan “Follow The Flag.” It was a simple marketing tactic that earned the Wabash one of the most innovative logos and slogans of all time.

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FreightWaves Classics/Fallen Flags: Wabash Railroad served the Midwest, its industries and people (Part 1)

A steam-powered locomotive pulls a Wabash Railroad freight train. (Photo: mypresentpast.com)

There are many people interested in former transportation companies, whether they were trucking companies, railroads, airlines or ocean lines. These companies are called “fallen flags,” and the term describes companies whose corporate names have been dissolved through merger, bankruptcy or liquidation.

Today’s FreightWaves Classics profiles another fallen flag in the railroad industry – the Wabash Railroad. Although many would say it was “only a Midwestern bridge line,” the Wabash Railroad had...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-classicsfallen-flags-wabash-railroad