Freedom Central Corporation

FCCorp.US - http://www.fccorp.us
Freedom Central Corporation (FCCorp.US) is the overall corporate holding company for seven railroads and more than twenty other companies that operate in support of the railroads.

Chartered in 2021, FCCorp.US has its corporate offices located in "Freedom Tower", the 13-story mini-scraper located at Arcade Junction between the Freedom Central Railroad's Buffalo, Southern Tier, and Core divisions. During FCCorp.US's financial tussle with New York State, corporate offices were moved to the company's newly acquired Enola Yard complex across the river from Harrisburg. Like Freedom Tower, the new Freedom Tower II was built modularly, allowing for rapid and easy vertical expansion, which came in handy when the corporate offices joined the Keystone Division offices and Enola Yard offices.

Today, Freedom Central Railroad owns all the trackage in the corporation, with all the other roads being leased trackage rights. As a result, the FCR is broken into three divisions currently: Empire, Keystone, and Virginia. Dispatching for the Empire Division is handled out of Freedom Tower, while both the Keystone and Virginia divisions are dispatched out of Freedom Tower II in Enola.

Arcade & Attica Steam Excursion Services (AAR: ARA) –
Arcade & Attica Steam Excursion Services was the first growth-acquisition of the Freedom Central Railroad. Following several years of cooperative operations, a hostile takeover of the Arcade & Attica Railroad occurred as a result of FCRR's concern over actions taken by the A&A's Board of Directors.

Under the terms of the original takeover, Arcade & Attica became a wholly-own subsidiary providing excursions over the combined A&A/FCRR trackage, now known as FCR's "Core Division", using Arcade & Attica's 2-8-0 #18 and Freedom Central's 0-4-0 #2. Combination commuter/excursion service from the Railway Heritage Center at Arcade Junction to downtown was provided by a rebuilt & re-engineered RDC.

Today, in addition to its original duties on the Core Division, Steam Excursion Services LLC (ARAX) provides its expertise in steam excursion operations to the other railroads purchased by the Freedom Central so as to bring their operations up to Freedom Central standards.

Finally, ARAX maintains a fleet of steam and diesel locomotives for the purpose of leasing to railroads, museums and organizations throughout North America for single-time excursions; (opposed to full-fledged steam operations). Working with FCCorp.US's United Freight & Passenger Car Leasing (UFPX) ARAX can provide complete train-sets for special excursions.

Baggage Car Publishing (BCPCo) –
Baggage Car Publishing pays homage to the the original publishing impress used for the printing of the first book about the Arcade & Attica. Following the hostile takeover of the A&A, BCP was created to be the in-house publishing agency for the combined railroads for things like tickets, advertising, posters, etc.

As the corporation grew, FCCorp.US adopted Google's principle of "Do No Evil" and began offering BCP's services to the railfan community for low cost printing, editing & publishing services.



Bliss & Eagle Valley Train Park (AAR: BEVR) –
Bliss & Eagle Valley is legally considered a railroad due to owning both 56.5in and 36in gauge tracks and providing the options of running revenue trains across its line when needed. Despite its backup nature to the FCR's Core Division trackage, its primary purpose is to provide available trackage for speeder operators and multiple live steam scales.

Built on the old right-of-way of the BR&P's/B&O's/B&P's line from Machias Junction towards Silver Springs, the train park ends in Sandusky, where FCR's tracks join the right-of-way for the run from Freedom to Bliss. Protection is provided at both ends by twin interlocked split-rail derails that will derail trains trying to enter the BEVR Line, or any train park user trying to exit the allowed limits. These derails can only be released with signal & track maintainers on site with keys much like the missile launch system used on submarines.

The train park can host trains on the following gauge tracks: 56.5in - 36in - 24in - 18in - 12in - 7.5 - 7.25 - 4.75in - 3.5in and finally, the longest #1 (G scale) double-track mainline. What could be more fun that rolling down the line on your 1/8th scale live steam train with a #1 gauge radio-control engine and train following alongside you? (We suggest having a flatcar in your 1/8 train to carry the #1 train when your fuel supply is exhausted. Don't ask us how we came up with this idea :-D )

Buffalo & East Aurora Electric RR (AAR: BEA) –
The Buffalo & East Aurora Electric actually started as a steam railroad providing commuter service between Buffalo and Olean (Oh-lee-ann) when Amtrak decided to cease operations on the FCR's Buffalo Line. FCR was forced to acquire engines fast in order to keep commuter service active for those who'd gotten use to it. It was at this time that FCR gained ownership of former C&O 614 and N&W 611 (this plan long predates 611's 2015 restoration... almost predates the NS/CSX takeover of Conrail).

With service covered, Freedom Central staff engineers were tasked with finding a more economical means to provide service on the Buffalo Line. RDC-style cars were built, utilizing small 1,000hp gas-turbines to generate electricity for traction motors. Low-center-of-gravity for high-speed running is provided by GE-style fuel tanks slung under the body. Electric traction, high-gearing ratio, and extended-range high-adhesion dynamic braking provide for super fast acceleration and deceleration with a 79mph top speed capability. The B&EA name is homage to a long forgotten trolley line planned between the namesake towns.

East Broad Top Railroad (AAR: EBT) –
Following the closure of the Altoona Railroaders' Memorial Museum in 2019, the Board of Directors of the Freedom Central Corporation voted to approve the motion to create a railroad historical endowment. This endowment would be funded by a ten percent gross income deposit yearly from FCCorp.US and be tasked with moving in to rescue failing or failed museums and collections. The first target of the Railroad Rescue & Freedom Endowment was the closed East Broad Top. Purchasing the entire system from the Kovalchick Salvage family, RR&FE moved in the day after the deeds were signed and surveyed the entire line and assets. Two weeks later, the Freedom Central placed an order with ArcelorMittal in Steelton for 100 miles of 100pound rail: more than enough to completely replace the entire mainline and most of all the sidings.

With the entire railroad restored and ready, the East Broad Top opened for business Memorial Day Weekend 2026, coinciding with the other FCCorp.US excursion properties as well as the opening day of the "New Freedom Train" and its departure from Washington DC Union Station.

Freedom Central Leasing (AAR: FCLX) –
As the Freedom Central Railroad continued working on building a successful railroad based on modern coal-fired steam locomotive technology, other roads began showing interest in isolating their use of the hugely expensive oil. Because of oil's runaway cost, natural gas prices had also skyrocketed making that alternative much less economically attractive. Whole-scale electrification was the only truly capable alternative at that point and while making sense for major traffic arteries, it made much less sense for lightly used branchlines and industries as well as smaller roads. In order to make their own operations more cost effective, FCCorp.US management decided efforts to reduce equipment costs were worth the effort. This resulted in FCR purchasing several units for lease & demo purposes.

At the same time, surge traffic on the railroad's lines was a huge problem, far exceeding the online motive power capabilities of the railroad for short periods of time. Much like powerplants, it takes time to bring excess coal-fired capacity online, and the maintenance costs of such equipment doesn't stop when the capacity is sitting idle. This resulted in FCR needing to acquire several expensive to own, expensive to operate diesel-electrics. Because of diesel's skyrocketing cost, even bio-diesel had risen far beyond its value. But this investment was wasted much of the time when it was sidelined during business drops.

To help cover these issues, FCCorp.US decided to lump all this power together into the Freedom Central Leasing Co. This business would provide diesel to assist FCR in traffic surges but also provide extra steam capacity for leasing ad demonstration purposes to foreign railroads.

Freedom Central Railroad (AAR: FCR) –
Freedom Central Railroad | (FCR, formerly FCRR) Freedom Central Railroad was born as a 4.5mile shortline railroad interchanging with the Arcade & Attica Railroad in Arcade, NY. Despite the cataclysmic effects of the terrorist-bombing of America's Bagdad Embassy, FCRR managed to survive by converting from diesel-electric to coal-fired steam, just as the price of diesel skyrocketed to $10/gallon.

As FCRR expanded its own support operations, it began to outgrow the small railroad. Following the hostile-takeover acquisition of the Arcade & Attica, all operational subsidiaries of Freedom Central Railroad were spun off into separate companies and the Freedom Central Corporation was chartered. Today FCR operates freight services over the original Arcade & Attica, Freedom Central Railroad tracks as well as the jointly-purchased Buffalo to Harrisburg line following New York State's attempt to tax Norfolk Southern as an absent-landlord for their leases to WNY&Pa and B&P.

Gallitzin, Allegheny & Portage Railway (AAR: GAP) –
Following the collapse of the Altoona Railroaders' Memorial Museum in the last years of the 20-teens, Freedom Central Corporation, began an underground movement to build a foundation to protect struggling groups with steam power. The Railroad Rescue & Freedom Endowment Foundation receives a flat 10% of after-tax revenue from the Corporation's books. RR&FE's first task was to move in and prevent the dissolution of the museum's grounds & equipment. In addition to completing a full overhaul to the indoor exhibits and maintenance on the roundhouse, full restorations were completed to the museum's outdoor equipment. The obvious target of the Endowment was the K4, PRR 1361. FCR staff was immediately brought in to pull off a FULL Form 4 inspection. With the examination complete, certain sub-assemblies were shipped out to other locations for rebuild, with the full credit and faith of the Freedom Central Corporation backing it up.

A year later, the grand re-opening was announced along with plans for a steam powered excursion. FCR enlisted the help of the Virginia Transportation Museum as well as the Ft. Wayne Historical Society to help celebrate the event. What no one expected, nor could believe hadn't leaked ahead of time, was the 1361 was present and steaming. At this point, FCR, NS and PA State officials took the podium to announce that FCR had closed a deal to secure the entire New Portage Secondary right-of-way and rebuild the line to the top of the mountain. Renovation of the old Gallitzin Tunnel would allow CP-SF to be re-installed and the K4 would be able to use the Cove Secondary out to Wye to access the railroad. Two years later, FCR brought in the 611, 765, 4501, 844, 4449, 3751, 3985 and the 4014 to celebrate the re-opening of the New Portage Secondary with a massive pageantry of steam to the top and back again, with 1361 leading the pack.

For those wondering, there are three tunnels bored through the top of the mountain. Looking east, they are Gallitzin & Allegheny on the north side of town with Portage Tunnel alone on the south side.

Roanoke Western Railway (AAR: RWR) –
Roanoke Western Railway | (RWR) Roanoke Western was born following Carlson Bros. Coal Company contacting Freedom Central about operating the 40-mile branch from Roanoke to their mine. Norfolk Southern declared they wanted nothing to do with the company following the initial coal vein panned out after only a couple thousand tons were mined after they had rebuilt the branch to the tipple.

Carlson Bros pushed through the overburden and found the vein had been geologically folded over the eons. Initial geologic surveys had been correct. There was nearly 240 billion tons available with minimal work. "Will work for coal? 'Sure' says coal-fired Freedom Central" - Arcade Herald.