Your favorite unknown pax train? [Repost]

[trainboyH16-44]

It occurred to me that this would be just as well suited, if not better suited to this forum.

The question, originally posted on the trains mag forum, is as follows: What is your favorite passenger train that isn't one of the famous ones, such as the Super Chief, The Canadian, the 20th Century & Broadway Limiteds. Could be anything from a bunch of heavyweights going at a good click playing second fiddle to a streamliner, to a coach with a schedule tacked onto the back of a short freight on a branchline.

[PBenham]

This is an easy one for me! The TH&B-PC RDC between Toronto and Buffalo, hands down. You could stand alongside the engineer if an RDC4 wasn't leading,(all baggage/mail) BUT if one was it was better, provided the baggage section was in the lead, since more fans could soak up the atmosphere. Yeah, we had to leave when we got to Fort Erie and go back into the states, but the rides on that train are well recalled. You can't ride like that anywhere except in a handful of places these days, most of them are out in the boondocks.(Alaska and Northern Ontario-VIA)

[underworld]

What is a pax train???

underworld

[daveklepper]

Pax is Latin for Peace, so Peace will come to the world with the passenger train revivial which is possibly why lots of people do use "Pax train" as an abbreviation for passenger train.

Donna Nobis Pachem!    (Pachem is the acusative -grammatical term-  for pax.)

Anyone really need a translation?

[KCSfan]

The Flying Crow the companion train to the Kansas City Southern's more famous Southern Belle.

Between Shreveport-Kansas City the Crow was an overnight train with sleepers, coaches, diner and observation lounge. South of Shreveport it split into two sections, one to Beaumont and the other to New Orleans. In the 1960-67 time period each of these were only three cars, a combine baggage/coach, one full coach and an observation/lounge/cafe headed by an E-8. The black, yellow and red paint of these nifty little lightweight streamliners sparkled in the Louisiana sunshine and their passage was a sight to behold.

Mark

[Anonymous]

How about the GM&O doodlebug from Bloomington Il. to Kansas city 6 days a week.  One had an "oberservation platform" on the trailer for viewing the sights, and a significant part of the trip could be accomplished as a round trip, as the crew from each train changed at, I believe, Vandalia, Mo. and then worked back to the origin point, so they had to stop at the same way.  Plus, especially westbound, they could be integrated into a Midwest-California trip by using them to connect to the the best of the Rock, Santa Fe, Mopac, or UP that evening in K.C.

[underworld]

Pax is Latin for Peace, so Peace will come to the world with the passenger train revivial which is possibly why lots of people do use "Pax train" as an abbreviation for passenger train.

Donna Nobis Pachem!    (Pachem is the acusative -grammatical term-  for pax.)

Anyone really need a translation?

Should we call Cat Stevens.....or whatever name he's going by these days?????

 

underworld

 

[enr2099]

E&N Trains 1 and 2, now VIA trains 199 and 198, The Malahat.

[passengerfan]

My favorites were the Internationals of the GN. Nice little five car streamliners with either and E7 on the point or a pair of F units. Had the pleasure of riding these trains at least once a month for over eight years. Grandparents lived in Vancouver BC and I lived in Seattle. The two Port cars were my favorites the Port of Vancouver and Port of Seattle. They were the Parlor Observations and my brother and I always seemed to get the rear facing seats. I think my dad arranged it that way so they could have peace and quiet for the trip. Few trains offered the spectacular scenery found along this four hour trip on a clear day, which for anyone residing in the Northwest knows all to well doesn't happen all that often.

TTFN Al

[leighant]

I think my favorite-- I've never ridden it, only seen a few pictures-- the Santa Fe's California Special also known as the Texan when heading to Houston.  I met this train through its timetime table in an old Official Guide, when I was taking a vacation to California by car, driving as close as possible along the Santa Fe from the middle of Texas up to Clovis NM.  I reconstructed this train mentally as I followed it route and then started following it in reading, especially in A Quarter Century of Santa Fe Consists byFred W. Frailey. (Godfrey, Ill.:RPC Publications, 1974),208p.

I have been collecting cars to model in N scale, though I don't have a suitable place to run it.  I especially like the mid-50s appearance of the train, mixed stainless steel corrugated streamlined equipment for the cars that would be carried through to California on the San Francisco Chief, heavyweight cars running only between Houston or Dallas and Clovis, and a two-tone gray smoothside "semistreamlined" Valley series sleeper.

A Houston section of the train left Houston late afternoon or early evening for Temple. Then it turned west, northwest  at Temple toeward Clovis.  Meanwhile, some cars from Dallas left Dallas early evening on a train heading for Fort Worth and then north.  Cars destined for San Angelo, Clovis and California came off at Fort Worth and headed for Brownwood in a train sometimes called the Angelo.

The Angelo and the California Special met at Brownwood in the middle of the night and traded cars.  A car or two from the Houston train would be placed on the Angelo to provide service to San Angelo, Texas, and two or three cars from the Angelo would go on the Cal Special.  The Cal Special heading for Lubbock where it would drop a baggage-express and/or mail car, and then on to Clovis.  At Clovis, California bound cars would be cut out and the rest of the train turned for a trip back to Texas.  At Clovis, California cars went wet with the southern section of the Grand Canyon in earlier years, and on the San Francisco Chief in later years.  The same happened in reverse.

Interestingly, nothing at all happened at Brownwood from the predawn hours of the morning until after midnight. But just wait an hour after midnight and everything would break lose.  In ess than two hours, four trains would come from four different directions, shuffle cars and go out in four different directions.

[daveklepper]

The Gulf Wind, a nice SAL-L&N compact littlel streamliner, Jacksonville - New Orleans.    And the Nelly Bly.   New York - Atlantic City via Trenton and Franfort Junction and the PR&SL.

[rogruth]

Until the mid 1950's,the B&O ran a passenger train along the Ohio River between Wheeling and Huntington,WVa. The train from Huntington to Wheeling was a night train that left Huntington around 10PM and arrived in Wheeling about 7:30AM. It's been a long time and I don't remember the exact times. What was memorable about this 225 mile trip in the night were the people on the train and the train itself.The train stopped almost anywhere,passengers got on and off at all stops.The car was never full,sometimes only the two of use that were going to Wheeling were in the coach.The crew was very friendly.

The train was pulled by a Pacific,sometimes a Mikado.Then several head-end cars,a coach and on the end a PULLMAN. This was reported to be the shortest Pullman run in the US. I really liked this trip because EVERYONE was very friendlyand the fare was cheap.Those were the days.

[rji2]

Tennessee Central Nos. 1 and 2 between Nashville and Harriman, in the late 1940's.  Pulled by a light Mountain type, it sported an observation car with a tier of back-facing seats, for viewing some of the prettiest scenery east of the Rockies.  On No. 2, the flagman would take your order for a fifty-cent box lunch after leaving Lebanon.  The order would be left with the agent at Carthage Jct., who'd telegraph it to the Operator at Cookeville.  There you'd get a box crammed full of freshly fried chicken, potato salad, an apple,a cup of banana or rice pudding, and a paper cup of sweet tea.

[wjstix]

I might go for the 1941-50 CNW "Minnesota 400", streamlined yellow and green 4-6-2 steam engines pulling a matched consist of streamlined cars.

[KCSfan]

I previously said the Flying Crow of the KCS but I'd be remiss in not mentioning the Delta Eagle. It was the littlest and least known of the MoPac/T&P fleet of Eagle trains. It was inaugurated early in the post WWII period and ran between Memphis, TN and Tallullah, LA but by the mid- 50's was cut back to McGhee, AR. Can you imagine a streamlined Eagle train running to those two end points? I have seen pics of it with but two coaches and a baggage/express/RPO car. While short in length and running on an obscure route its rear car sported a drumhead sign that proudly stated it was the Delta Eagle of the Missouri Pacific.

Mark

[Army_Sailor]

My favorite is the Jersey Central's Blue Comet, it ran daily from NYC (Ferry or Limo to CNJ Terminal in Jersey City) to Atlantic City. Though it only ran for eleven years (4/1928 to 9/1940) it was significant enough for several manufactures to model it. To the best of my knowledge, the CNJ was the only Regional or 'Bridge' Line to run a Class 1 type express.

[daveklepper]

But what about the Reading's Crusader and Wall Street?  They also meet your definition.  And the Gulf and Mobile's Rebel, before it was merged into the GM&O.   OH yes, also the Electroliner and the several Illinois Terminal streamliners.  Finally, the new York, Onterio, and Western's Mouintaneer, even though it used wooden cars. 

[steinmike]

I'd have to nominate the New Haven's Berkshire service between NY Grand Central Terminal and Pittsfield, MA with a change of power from electric to steam or diesel in Danbury, CT until the end of electrification between Norwalk and Danbury.  EP-2 electrics with mixed consists of heavyweight, pre-war lightweight, and post-war lightweight cars and RS-2's standing by in Danbury.  Even in later years when the service was handled by FL-9's it was still quite a show, if not very timely.

Regards,

Mike

[daveklepper]

The Litchfield.   Even had a parlor car.

[Tom Curtin]

I'd have to nominate the New Haven's Berkshire service between NY Grand Central Terminal and Pittsfield, MA with a change of power from electric to steam or diesel in Danbury, CT until the end of electrification between Norwalk and Danbury.  EP-2 electrics with mixed consists of heavyweight, pre-war lightweight, and post-war lightweight cars and RS-2's standing by in Danbury.  Even in later years when the service was handled by FL-9's it was still quite a show, if not very timely.

Regards,

Mike

You beat me to it in citing this one!!!  I second the motion strongly! Let me add that The Berkshire traversed some of the most gorgeous country in New England.

 

[KCSfan]

The Litchfield.   Even had a parlor car.

Dave,

The only Litchfield I ever knew of was the Litchfield & Madison RR which was a shortline that at one time operated in southern Illinois. However I think you may be referring to a train by that name. If so, what road did it run on, was its route, was it a day or overnight train, consist, etc.?

 Mark 

[Bob-Fryml]

My favorite unknown passenger train?

Well, the ones that comes to mind immediately are D.& R.G.W. nos. 9 and 10, the Yampa Valley Mail.

In September 1967 either the W.P. or the S.P. had a massive derailment on their paired track between Weso and Alazon, Nev.  As a result, I got stuck at the Glenwood Springs, Colo. depot for 16:45 waiting for no. 18 (the eastbound California Zephyr) to show up.  Upon finally arriving, I boarded the train. 

Since the CZ was running so incredibly late, I decided to h*ll with this and rode it only to the next stop, Bond, Colo.  While there I bought a ticket and rode no. 9 to the end of "the Moffat" at Craig, Colo.  The train consisted of a single F9, a baggage/R.P.O. (the mail contract was gone), and a heavyweight, six-wheel-trucked ex-NP coach.  Both cars were painted in the Rio Grande's distinctive orange and silver passenger colors.

The next day I caught no. 10 back to Denver.  A little ways out of Craig I filed a lunch order with the conductor who passed that message onto the telegrapher on duty at Steamboat Springs.  Upon arriving Bond, a "butch" boarded with a box full of food orders and sold the various sacked repasts to those passengers and crew that ordered them.  They weren't much, but were nevertheless quite tasty.  

Scenery along the line was absolutely spectacular.  Between station stops I spent many a mile with the flagman riding the back vestibule of that ancient coach.  Of course, being a heavyweight equipped with six wheel trucks, the car rode with incredible smoothness.

Upon arriving Denver I was able to secure a roomette on that evening's California Zephyr and subsequently made my way back to Chicago in fine shape.         

[daveklepper]

You may remember that around 1965-1968 the independent New York New Haven and Hartford had a policy of naming all trains other than commuter and head end trains.   For a while a New York -Pittsfield train with parlor car was named the Litchfield.   I rode it.   If you have access to NH timetables of the period you can check on me.

[steinmike]

You may remember that around 1965-1968 the independent New York New Haven and Hartford had a policy of naming all trains other than commuter and head end trains.   For a while a New York -Pittsfield train with parlor car was named the Litchfield.   I rode it.   If you have access to NH timetables of the period you can check on me.

Dave:

If I'm thinking about the same train, the Pittsfield in the late 60's was a through train to Pittsfield that ran behind two FL-9's that were run around the train for the trip back to NY GCT.  On those occassions when only one FL-9 was available, the crew would manually spin the unit on the turntable at Pittsfield.  Now that's earning your pay.

Quick postscript to the above:  On page 89 of The New Haven Railroad in the Streamline Era by Geoffrey H. Doughty, there's a picture from J.W. Swanberg of "The interior of New Haven Parlor New Rochelle... at Pittsfield on July 9, 1967, in the consist of train 147, The Litchfield."