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Classic Train Questions Part Deux (50 Years or Older)

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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, April 4, 2016 4:14 PM

The book seems to be reasonably easy to find for about $35.  His other book on Baldwin-Westinghouse steeplecabs is also still out there at around the same price.

An overnight passenger train operated by five different railroads got as many as seven engine changes during its run, depending on the year.  From the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s it was hauled behind electrics at both ends of its run.  The only streamlined cars built for the train did not belong to either of the railroads that turned the train each day.

Give the names under which the train ran, and all five railroads.

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Posted by RME on Monday, April 4, 2016 5:36 PM

SD70M-2Dude
... ETS has since acquired a GE 44-tonner (with side-rods!) for work trains.

Surely that would be a 45-tonner, not 44...

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Posted by SD70M-2Dude on Monday, April 4, 2016 6:19 PM

RME
SD70M-2Dude
... ETS has since acquired a GE 44-tonner (with side-rods!) for work trains.

Surely that would be a 45-tonner, not 44...

Darn fingers, I should know to spelchek before i post Embarrassed.  Our 44-tonner at the Alberta Railway Museum looks quite different too.

Greetings from Alberta

-an Articulate Malcontent

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, April 5, 2016 4:03 AM

The Montrealer - Washingtonian.  When steam, for a while it used the CN terminal electrification at Central Station, with electrics hauling across the bridge. I am unsure whether this was an engine change or the electric simply coupled onto the front of the Central Vermont's Pacific.  The CN and PRR turned the trains, and did not own any of the streamlined cars built for the train.   You can say that the New Haven pre-WWII grill cars that were converted into long distance cars with interiors like the post-WWII 8600's were "built for the train," but the real answer were Dartmouth College I and Dartmouth College II, B&M lightweight Pullman-built sleepers.  These ran White River Junction - Washington.

Engnin changes

CN electric - CV Pacific.    CV Pacific - B&M Pacific    B&M Pacific - New Haven Pacific   New Haven Pacific - New Haven EP-2 or EP-3     EP-2 or EP-3 - PRR P-5 or GG-1,   P-5 or GG-1- K-4, the last at Wilmington, DL

Earlier

CN electrci - CV Pacific - B&M Pacific,    B&M - New Haven,   New Haven Pacific - EP-2 or EP -3, EP-2 or EP-3 - DD-1,  DD-1 - K-4

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Posted by rcdrye on Tuesday, April 5, 2016 7:03 AM

The CN electric was only used after Central Station opened so it and the PRR K4 south of Wilmington were never involved at the same time.  From time to time - and most often in the 1944-1954 period when the CN electrics were used (with an engine change) CN and CV engines would get swapped in St. Albans, though either CN or CV engines could run through.  The 1944-1954 pattern from north to south: CN electric Montreal-St. Lambert, CN-St Albans-CV (or either CV or CN engine run through) to White River Jct. VT, B&M engine WRJ - Springfield, NYNH&HH steam or diesel Springfield - New Haven, NYNH&H electric to New York (Penn) , PRR electric to Washington.  Except for the CN electric this pattern remained right up to the end of operation.

The two streamlined cars were out of the same order that the "Dartmouth College" cars were in, though they were 6-6-4s in the "Beach" series until 1961. The actual cars were 6 DBR-Lounge cars in the "State" series.  The other two cars in the "State" series went to the "State of Maine".

You certainly got the trains.  Looking forward to your next question.

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, April 5, 2016 9:59 AM

CN locomotives were very rarely used on either the Montrealer/Washingtonian or the Ambassador. The reason being an agreement with the Rutland denied the CN the opportunity to provide through service to New York with any other railroad than the Rutland.  So the Ambassador and Montrealer/Washingtonian were officially CV trains all the way to Montreal.  CV crews ran through to Montreal on passenger trains only.  So usually a CV locomotive would be used.  And this practice did continue into the diesel era.

Other than the Dartmouth College I and II, the B&M Pullmans were in pool with the similar New Haven cars, and a car could be seen on the Montrealer/Washingtonian or on the State of Maine.  Actually this is also true of the New Haven converted grill cars.  The swapping would occur at times of inspection or overhaul.

A sixth railroad was also involved:  New York Connecting railroad, Oak Point to Harold Tower, Sunnyside, and owner of the Hell Gate Bridge.  OK, a seventh, Washington Terminal, for that matter. And on occasion an eigth, since two of the E.River tubes were officially owned by the LIRR, and two by the PRR.   

Question:  Boston has effectively an abandoned streetcar subway station, but it not really abandoned but had been adapted for a different transit-related use.  What streetcar line used it?   Where is it?  What existing rail transit line serves the complex?   What what different about the streetcars that served that line from the many other examples of the general type (two characteristics, one shared with a minority of the others).   What is its current use?

For extra points, what other abandoned subway facilities does Boston have?

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Posted by rcdrye on Tuesday, April 5, 2016 10:23 AM

The two "Dartmouth College" sleepers were renamed and assigned to the Montrealer/Washingtonian service in 1961 after the Boston-Van Buren Potatoland Special (joint with Maine Central and Bangor & Aroostook) was discontinued.  Prior to that the White River Jct-New York sleeper was usually a heavyweight 8 section 5 DBR car handled in the "Night White Mountains" or another, unnamed B&M train, with the cars handled via the New Haven to Grand Central.

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Posted by rcdrye on Wednesday, April 6, 2016 12:38 PM

daveklepper
Question: Boston has effectively an abandoned streetcar subway station, but it not really abandoned but had been adapted for a different transit-related use. What streetcar line used it? Where is it? What existing rail transit line serves the complex? What what different about the streetcars that served that line from the many other examples of the general type (two characteristics, one shared with a minority of the others). What is its current use?

The bus loop at the Harvard Square station was built as a subway.  Station is currently rail-served by the T's Red Line.  Several of the routes that operated out of Harvard Square used Boston's locally-developed Center Entrance car, which could be used in trains of up to three cars.  The bus loop is currently served by trolley buses on a couple of routes.

Boston also has the abandoned Pleasant Street tunneland incline off of the Green line's Boylston St tunnel, which served City Point lines among others, closed in 1961.  There are also pieces of various downtown tunnels and stations including Scollay Square of "Charlie on the MTA" fame that were redone to build Government Center Station, shared with the Blue Line.

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, April 7, 2016 3:04 AM

None of these meet the definition.   The station was used only by streetcars.  Hints:  It was built at the same time as the other station in the complex that is still used by rail transit.   It was in use just under two years before the one streetcar line using it was converted to bus.  During the time it was in use, rail transit was provided on three levels in the total complex.  During the two years it was used by streetcars, only the southern portal and incline was used in revenue service.  The northen portal and incline still exists, but without tracks, and this facilitates its new use.  Not used by the public.   Since this station is underground, the streetcars could have been called, stretching the point, subway-surface.  Normal nomenclature for the rail service that still exists is to call it a subway line.  And the rail equipment on the third level, now a bus line, also entered a subway, but elsewhere. It operated will into the post-WWII era.  

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Posted by narig01 on Thursday, April 7, 2016 11:44 AM

Wasn't one of the MBTA underground trolley stops turned into a fallout shelter? Was that the station.

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Posted by daveklepper on Friday, April 8, 2016 7:36 AM

May have been but not now or recently       Again, use of this station for streetcars, use for regular passenger purposes, less than two year and all well before WWII.

The lowest level of the three-station comples still sees rapid transit services, more than at the time middle-level station was in use.   The upper level, street level, is now used by buses.

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, April 10, 2016 2:55 AM

The station was opened in November 1917 upon the opening of the rapid transit station immediately below, which is still in use.  It was closed in October 1917 when the streetcar line that used it was discontinued.  It now contains one retired Blue Line rapid transit car and part of a retired Boeing Light rail car  ---  emergency response training,

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Posted by RME on Sunday, April 10, 2016 6:21 AM

daveklepper
The lowest level of the three-station comples still sees rapid transit services, more than at the time middle-level station was in use. The upper level, street level, is now used by buses.

Current Facebook page for the training center, complete with location map:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/MBTAMass-DOT-Emergency-Training-Center/610263472353006

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, April 11, 2016 8:40 AM

The map pinpoints the north end of the still-existing ramp, where an entrance gate is located.  It does not show the exact location of the station.

Please use the information given up to now, a good Boston transit map, and give the exact location.  The name of the rapid transit line and its station will be counted as sufficient.

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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, April 11, 2016 10:11 AM

Broadway station on the Red Line, at Broadway and Dorchester Ave.  The only center platform station on the older sections of the Red Line.  I wasn't aware of the training center - an interesting re-use of otherwise wasted facilities.

RME got the location - I'm just filling in details. 

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Posted by RME on Monday, April 11, 2016 11:01 AM

rcdrye
RME got the location - I'm just filling in details.

But he asked for details...  Your question.

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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, April 11, 2016 12:18 PM

Name both of the 1200V third rail interurbans in the U.S.

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Posted by RME on Monday, April 11, 2016 4:05 PM

Central California Traction and Michigan Railway Co. (various permutations of name) would be my thoughts.

I still find it amazing that 2400V third rail was tried up there!

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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, April 11, 2016 8:15 PM

Zzzzapp!  Michigan Railways did try 2400 volt third rail on the Grand Rapids line.  The need to set up stations with "cattle chutes" and equip crews with shorting bars to trip the substations in the event a journal caught an arc caused them to drop to the "more conservative" 1200V.  Central California Traction used an open 1200 volt third rail between Stockton and Sacramento with very little fencing.  Kind of surprisingly neighbor Northern Electric/Sacramento Northern stuck with 600 volts on its much longer stretches of third rail.  NOW it's your turn!

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 3:33 AM

Remember that Norther Electric started with local streetcars in Marysville-Uba City and had to get their local cars to from Sacramento shops.  The local cars were not equipped with 1200V capability.  Also applied afterward to Chico local cars.  These eventually were all four-wheel Birneys, and this was the only applicaton I know of where Birneys operated on third rail, running to and from shoping.

But the SN overhead Oakland - Sacrameneto was 1200V!  Ditto on the Bay Bridge.  Key used 3rd rail at 600.    IE/SP?   I think the 1200 overhead, but unsure. 

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Posted by rcdrye on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 6:51 AM

SP/IE was also 1200V.  SN and IER used 1200V overhead, key used 600V third rail on the Bay Bridge.  Once bridge operation began, SN ran at 600 volts with the 600/1200 switch set at 1200 while on Key trackage.

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Posted by RME on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 10:03 PM

In the mid-1930s NYC fitted very small wheels on one of its flatcars.  Specifically why?

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, April 14, 2016 7:33 AM

I would guess to carry a high load into the restricted clearances of the Park Avenue tunnel leading to Grand Central Terminal.   Possibly a replacement electrical transformer.

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Posted by RME on Thursday, April 14, 2016 10:11 AM

Not even remotely close; in fact, going in the wrong direction almost as far as you could go and still be involved with the New York Central.

I will give you a hint: the restricted clearances were "institutional" on NYC, not location-related... and the very small wheels were apparently essential.

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Posted by rcdrye on Thursday, April 14, 2016 12:37 PM

For the Chicago Railroad Fair?

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Posted by RME on Friday, April 15, 2016 12:36 AM

rcdrye
For the Chicago Railroad Fair?

No.

(In fact, some pains appear to have been taken to avoid Chicago completely, I suspect for some good operational reasons.)

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Posted by daveklepper on Friday, April 15, 2016 8:17 AM

Note that I at least got the restricted clearences right

Possibly moving rail equipment that cannot be moved on its own wheels?

 

or military equipment?    or was I correct with a connection to electric power?

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Posted by RME on Friday, April 15, 2016 6:52 PM

daveklepper
Note that I at least got the restricted clearances right

Not for the reasons you think you have!!

Another hint, sort of:  There were some arguments that the Erie, which also served the 'point of origin', was a more likely road to handle this, and they did apparently have the same general car construction type involved.  But in the event, the Erie did not.

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, April 17, 2016 4:43 AM

Was the clearance problem as much width as height?

RME
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Posted by RME on Sunday, April 17, 2016 8:03 AM

daveklepper
Was the clearance problem as much width as height?

Very astute question, as I would expect from you.

No, no, a thousand times no. 

(And, although it was possible to carry with 'excess width' rather than height, and in fact delivery would be made without excess height for other reasons, there are very good reasons why that was not done here... go ahead and name them in your answer.)

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