Usually one route is more direct than the other, and if a mining company has sidings and a branch line linked to one railroad it cannot quickly and easily switch to another.
The competition, which attracted 170 submissions, was inspired by New York's High Line -- a derelict section of elevated railroad which has been transformed into a park -- with co-founders Joshua David and Robert Hammond joining the judging panel.
The Waterbury rail line is the smallest branch on the railroad, with a locomotive and two-car train that serves several hundred commuters a day, Anders said.
While the first transcontinental railroad was a financial disaster for both investors and U.S. taxpayers, the line continued to provide valuable service to customers even after going into receivership.