What kinds of freight do these midwestern railroads specialize in carrying?

[punchy71]

Greetings,
I have been compiling a list of all the railroads I've seen in and around the area in which I live from both the past and present (by diesel locomotive sightings). I'm just a casual, novice rail-fan and was trying to get some idea of what kinds of different freight all the different road names I've seen specialize in carrying or seem to specialize in carrying. If you know, please let me know in a reply. I live in the midwest (Kansas City to be exact) so these are mostly midwest oriented railroads (for the most part anyway).

BNSF
Norfolk Southern
Union Pacific
Missouri Pacific
Gateway Western
Illinois Central or Illinois Central Gulf
Southern Pacific
CSX
KCS
Santa Fe (blue and yellow paint scheme)
Burlington Northern
Canadian National
CP rail

I have not seen any locomotives from the following railroads in person but their rails are still around the area
Burlington Route
Rock Island
MKT (Missouri Kansas Texas)

Thank you

 

[EMDGP30]

You can probably find a preserved locomotive, (most likely a steam engine), of these railroads in towns that they serviced. I live in Shreveport, Louisiana and I have a decent slide collection of older MP, SP, UP, KCS, plus some of the others on your list that I will transfer to my computer when I get a transfer 'device'. Maybe Santa will bring me one!!

Burlington Route-merged with GN, NP & SP&S to form Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970. There are websites that cross reference locomotive #s and you can tell if a certain GP or SD was owned by a different railroad.

Rock Island-The Rock Island was abandoned on June 1, 1984.

MKT (Missouri Kansas Texas)-In 1988, the Katy merged with the Missouri Pacific Railroad, which was later taken over by Union Pacific.