Classic Railroad Quiz (at least 50 years old).

[daveklepper]

 

wow!!!

[rcdrye]

Fantastic answer.  There's a mention of the Bristol RR in Shaughnessy's "The Rutland Road".  I haven't been able to find a photo of the railcar.  The New Haven Jct. station still stands, in use by Roundtree Construction as an office, with a couple of sidings for Phoenix Feeds north of the station served by Vermont Ry.

[KCSfan]

Wans, you continue to amaze me.

Mark

[wanswheel]

Well thanks. The kids in Bristol are sharp as a pistol when they do the Bristol Stomp.

Sprague motors replaced mules in this city, perhaps the first city west of the Mississippi to have an electric street railway, and certainly one of the first in the United States, in August 1888.

[FlyingCrow]

The SECOND city in the US to have electric street railways.   Davenport, IA.

If I'm correct, I pass the baton to Mark.

[wanswheel]

Yes! 

Street Railway Journal, March 1889

The Popularity of an Electric Road

Spending a day or two in Davenport, Iowa, I took occasion to ascertain how the electric road there was regarded by its patrons and the public generally. A few unbiased opinions are here appended, with the view not of showing the cost of operation or the relative merits of electric systems, but the degree of satisfaction with which the electric service is regarded. I was struck by the number of people who now use the road whose pity prevented them when the cars were hauled up the seven and one-half per cent grade by mules. Undoubtedly the 70 to 100 per cent increase in traffic on the road is due in a great measure to the absence of a demand for pity for the mules, as well as the far better speed and greater regularity of service. This road, two and one half miles long, climbs Brady Street hill, presenting for 1,500 feet a grade of 7 20/100 feet in 100. Five fourteen-foot cars are run on a headway, I believe, of twelve minutes.

Before going to the management of the road, I called upon a number of representative citizens, the substance of whose opinions are given below:

A.J. Brownson, a leading merchant, said: “The road is a complete success so far as my observation goes. I live on the top of Brady Street hill, and use the electric cars coming and going from business. Where the four mules labored to drag an average car load up the hill the electric cars seem to go up without the slightest difficulty. The road has been a great advertisement for our town.”

Mayor Clausen: “The electric road gives general satisfaction; it scares horses sometimes, but that is because it is a new thing and the horses have to learn it. The day of horses and mules for street cars has evidently almost gone by. Electricity is doubtless the coming power not only for street railways but numerous other purposes.”

President F.H. Griggs of the Citizens National Bank: “So far as my observation goes the electric road is an entire success so far as regularity and satisfactoriness of service is concerned. I have no interest in the road and know nothing of the cost of operating. I live on Brady Street hill and sometimes take the car, though it is so near I usually walk. When the cars were dragged by the poor mules I could never bring myself to ride.”

The editor of the “Democrat-Citizen” (morning and evening): “There is but one opinion among those who have watched the electric road, viz., that it is a success. I have seen a car with seventy passengers go up the seven and a half per cent grade of Brady Street hill without practically any slacking in speed. This presents a great contrast to the way four mules used to drag a car up the hill.”

Prof. F.E. Stratton, principal of Davenport High School, who resides a block away from the line of the road, considered electric power very satisfactory, the change from mules a radical improvement and one calculated to exercise a marked influence on the price of real estate tributary to the road.

Inquiry failed to elicit any but favorable comments as to the regularity and efficiency of the service given by the road. The winter had thus far been an open one, but one or two snow and sleet storms had been successfully gone through.

President Allen and Superintendent Howard expressed themselves as very well pleased with electric power. Mr. Allen said as to expenses that the cost of wear and tear on motors was more than they had been lead to expect, that wear would probably amount to one dollar per day per car making 85 miles. This expense might be reduced by subsequent improvements in electric machinery; but assuming that it would continue, the total cost of operating the road each day would not exceed the former expense with mules, while the capacity and earnings were from 70 to 100 per cent in excess.

Riding over the road several times, questioning employes on the cars and at the power station, I could discover no reason to doubt that the road was very satisfactory to both public and owners.

The Rock Island Railroad failed to imagine too-tall trucks on Brady Street. This trestle is hiding behind the "Brady Street Challenge" sign in the top photo, and is either the same or at the same location as the trestle behind the trolley car in the historic photo.

[KCSfan]

I'll accept Buck Dean's offer and post the next question.

Over the years there were several through sleeping car routes between Chicago and Cincinnati. What railroads participated in these and where more than one railroad was involved in a given route what was the junction point?

Mark

[rcdrye]

Chicago-Cincinnati service was offered by three railroads on their own and by one joint operation.

NYC(CCC&St.L)

PRR(PCC&StL.)

C&O of Indiana (before 1917)

Monon and B&O ran a joint car via Indianapolis.

From what I can find at this point C&O used either Central (IC) or Grand Central, depending on the year.  After 1917 C&O of Indiana's passenger service gave out at Hammond, Indiana. Monon/B&O service lasted until the early 1930s.  NYC and PRR sleeper service to Cincinnati were gone by the PC merger.

[KCSfan]

Big Four, PRR and Monon/B&O are correct.

The C&0 of IN did not run a through sleeper and there was still one more road that teamed up with one of the roads you have mentioned to run a through car.

Mark

[rcdrye]

C&O's through sleeper ran in the "Old Dominion Limited" from 1911 to 1917.  I find from more research it ran across Indiana in the daytime (with sleepers) so I'll withdraw it, though unnamed 9 and 10 were reported to have carried sleepers in the 1920s and early 1930s (See "Limiteds, Locals and Expresses in Indiana 1838-1971" by Craig Sanders).    I think the line you're looking for is the Cincinnati Hamilton and Dayton, which paired with the Monon for a while as the "Great Central" route, via Indianapolis or Roachdale on the Louisville line.

[KCSfan]

The Monon/CH&D pair is one I was looking for. The other was the Chicago Cincinnati & Louisville which was acquired by the C&O in 1917. According to my info (which admittedly could be wrong) after it became the the C&O the Cincy sleeping car route was truncated to just a Chicago - Muncie car.

In any event I declare you the winner so shoot us a new question, Rob.

Mark

[rcdrye]

The corporate history of the various Indiana lines between 1905 and 1917 is about as tangled as it gets.  The Great Central scheme involved the CH&D, CC&L and the Pere Marquette, and lasted less thatn 5 years. The CH&D was the line B&O bought to get to Cincinnati, so in a sense it was the same as the B&O, though earlier.  The name resurfaced briefly in the 1920s on an Ohio interurban that later became part of the Cincinnati and Lake Erie.

This small California interurban survived for a while after the end of passenger service as a switching line, its motors carrying a UP shield on the side.

[daveklepper]

possibly the one that became Modesto Terminal or Stockton Terminal?

[rcdrye]

Those were WP properties.  This one had a steeplecab electric until UP got diesel switchers.

[daveklepper]

 

Probably the Visalia Elec. Ry.

If not, then the Petalum & Santa Rosa or the Nevada County

[rcdrye]

You need to go back to the UP's classic footprint to look in the right area.  If it's any help, a big SP property nearby did heavy maintenance on the line's B-W motor, which is still in existence.  For you folks who like old books, the line is listed in Bill Middleton's classic "The Interurban Era".

[FlyingCrow]

Ok, the Glendale & Montrose.    The locomotive still exists...it's at the Orange Empire Trolley Museum.  

[rcdrye]

That's it. G&M let UP (LA&SL) use some of its track to reach a customer before Glendale slapped on a franchise restriction requiring an electric locomotive inside Glendale city limits.  G&M quickly bought motor 22 (So quickly that Westinghouse outfitted it at Baldwin, instead of East Pittsburgh).  When G&M folded in 1931, UP bought the line and the motor, renumbered it E-100 and used it in Glendale until S-2's arrived in 1942. UP sent it over to PE's shops when work was necessary.  UP sent the motor up to the Yakima Valley Transportation Co. in Washington in 1942, where it worked into the 1960s.

[FlyingCrow]

Ok...an easy one then.  

What RR did Beebe describe as "A Shortline with Mainline Overtones"?

 

 

 

[wanswheel]

Columbus & Greenville

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/08/02/railroad-still-playing-vital-transport-role/13529169/

http://hawkinsrails.net/shortlines/cagy/cagy.htm

[FlyingCrow]

Nope..but a good guess.  

[rcdrye]

I'm going with Georgia Northern, the home of their first private car.

[KCSfan]

The Georgia RR. Just a guess.

Mark

[FlyingCrow]

Mark, the Georgia was considered a Class I.   But you and RCD are getting close.  I will tell you that it is NOT a Pidcock road.  

[KCSfan]

Another guess. Gainsville Midland.

Mark

[FlyingCrow]

You would certainly think so, what with those hefty decapods.   Now, another hint.  The GM ended up in the same "boat" as the road I'm thinking of.

[rfpjohn]

How about the Winston-Salem Southbound. If nothing else, probably one of the more unique names in US railroading. I know they had at least one ex N&W 2-6-6-2 and some big mikados. As for the same boat, it's now part of CSX.

[KCSfan]

FlyingCrow

You would certainly think so, what with those hefty decapods.   Now, another hint.  The GM ended up in the same "boat" as the road I'm thinking of.

Thinking of the GM brought to mind this 16mm movie clip of Russian Decapod No. 208 in operation in 1956.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPFGBKS4yEB8

Sorry about the confusion but I had to correct the URL.

It still doesn't work so let's try something different. Open Google, enter Gainsville Midland Railroad and click on Gainsville Midland Steam Locomotive No. 208.

Mark

[KCSfan]

Buck, I'll try another SWAG. Macon Dublin & Savannah

Mark

[wanswheel]

Georgia & Florida

http://railga.com/gafl.html