The Great Passenger Train Drag Race - Chapter 3

[dabug]

Dave:

Cool story.  Wonder how many passengers on the two trains were into the "drag race," and how many didn't care for such close proximity and like pace of the other train. 

[daveklepper]

The approximately 6PM departure of the Washington - Boston Patriot (or was it the Senator?) from Penn Station, New York, coincided with the 6PM with the 6PM dpearture of the New York (GCT) - Springfield  "Bankers" giving a wonderful opportunity for a drag race between New Rochelle and New Haven.   Often the two trains on the four-track main line would just run parallel to each other, window-to-window with slight movement back and forth depending on the curves .  This was a typical experience for me when work at Bolt Beranek and Newman's 101 Park Avenue office caused me to just miss the 5PM Merchants Limited departure (not figuring on a the traffic light or something) and so instead of spending a quarter or whatever to go to Penn Station, I would board the Bankers and have an across-the-platform transfer at New Haven to the Boston train.   This was in the early 1960's.

[dabug]

Thanks for that mental picture, BaltACD.  I remember a driving vacation trip to the East Coast in the summer of 1960.  After visiting an uncle in New Jersey who lived relatively close to New Brunswick, my parents and I elected to take a commuter train from there into New York to play tourist for a day.  I remember the old wooden shelter at that time on the northbound side had a sign hanging from the ceiling that said something to this effect: "Note, bell ringing denotes train approaching on track nearest platform."  (In other words, one best stay back of the yellow line in such an event!)  While waiting for a commuter train to arrive, the bell rang.  A few seconds later a northbound intercity train behind a majestic GG-1 tore through the station on its last lap into New York.  A quick glance over the yellow line after it passed revealed a rapidly receding tail sign with the name "Broadway Limited" proudly displayed.  I remember wondering out loud how fast the train was going.  My dad, who would never be considered a railfan, apparently was nevertheless impressed enough to respond, "I don't know, but I bet it's closer to 100 than to 60."             

[BaltACD]

In the hey day of B&O passenger service, races occurred frequently between the B&O and PRR leaving  Washington Union Station headed toward Baltimore as the lines are parallel for several miles.

The recollections of my father from his experiences before the PRR electrification were that the B&O President Pacific's would spank the PRR's K4's with similar sized trains.  When the GG-1's came the race was no race as the GG-1's just walked away.  When the B&O dieselized it became more of a race, however, the GG-1's virtually unlimited power source from the catenary still permitted them to win the races handily.

[dabug]

Bet you occasionally had unintended "drag races" with intercity IC trains north of Kennsington while riding the South Shore. 

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

I especially enjoyed J Golightly's story because around the time it was published I would occasionally catch that particular South Shore train at 115th Street after high school wrestling practice.

[dabug]

Am familiar with that story too, Erik; it's a good one.  Have that issue of Trains plus 649 more.  (Had to stop collecting Trains at the end of 2001 'cause I flat ran out of room to store them!) 

[erikem]

You're quite welcome.

Yet another story in a similar vein, was Three Lovely Ladies, by J Golightly in the June 1968 issue of Trains. The author chronicled the daily race between a CSS&SB commuter train and the IC's Panama Limited.

- Erik

[dabug]

Thanks for your input, Erik.  Those fortunate enough to live where light rail transit or heavy commuter rail service is available are lucky.  

[erikem]

This story reminds of an experience on BART shortly after service to Concord was started. I was on board a Richmond bound train that was leaving McArthur street station within a couple of seconds of a Concord bound train, which made for quite a drag race through the station.

- Erik

[dabug]

Thanks for the additional info, AB.  Somewhere along the line I picked up the term "subway" from some now long-forgotten source.  I would guess different area fans referred to that depressed right-of-way by different names.   

[FlyingCrow]

You wrote:   East from Kansas City Union Station several railroads shared trackage through an open cut the locals called the “subway."  This cut extended for several miles before the individual railroads sharing the 4-track right-of-way went their separate ways.  So the stage was set for a real drag race!

Actually, we called it The Ditch.   It ran right behind (north) of the KC A's baseball stadium and going to a game you'd hear every train roar by behind left field.        This was not actually shared trackage, but Kansas City Terminal Railway trackage - east toward several junctions where RR trackages began.   Thanks for this wonderful story series.      The KC parts make me miss the old home town.

[dabug]

                                                   THE GREAT PASSENGER TRAIN DRAG RACE

                                                                 CHAPTER 3

Our return trip commenced in late August.  The Chief, #20, had a noon (1201) departure time from LAUPT, providing us the chance to see some scenery passed at night by #17 and/or #18.  I was chagrined to find that again our reserved seats were on the right side of our coach.  But, as it turned out, this proved most fortuitous the second night out!

Don’t remember anything specific about the first day’s sights.  But early the next morning, east of Albuquerque, my cousin and I were in the dome of the lounge car where we spent much of that second day.  Somewhere in the general area of Glorieta Pass we encountered our westbound counterpart negotiating what looked to me to be a rather frail passing siding.  #19 had one of SF’s 2-tone gray 6-6-4 sleepers on the end that would have been serving as the Denver-Los Angeles sleeper via La Junta CO.  (Our train had a similar car on its end, “marring” the otherwise all-stainless-steel consists on both trains.)  Later, after negotiating Raton Tunnel and easing down the east slope of Raton Pass, from the dome we saw the Super Chief struggling upgrade afar off, around curves and through a short cut; from that distance, the grade was clearly discernible.  Also from that distance, #17 seemed to resemble as much a long silver snake with a red and yellow head as a passenger train.  We met the El Capitan nearer to Trinidad.

It was dark long before we hit Kansas City; #20 was due in at 2235 and out at 2255.  As we entered the yards, I remember a switch engine passing in the opposite direction with a cut of Rock Island passenger cars, their interiors dark.  As we pulled into the station, a platform was on our right.  On the next track to the right, near the platform’s west end, was almost an apparition – one of America’s forgotten little locals, living out its last months of questionable usefulness: Chicago Great Western’s plug run to the Twin Cities (discontinued in April, 1962.)  Two F units were on the point of 4 or 5 cars (headend and one coach), facing west.  I remember wondering why it was spotted near the end of the platform, so far from the stairwell.  That was answered a few seconds later as we continued slowing for our stop.  There, several car lengths east of the end of the CGW train, was another train… on the same track… and facing east as we were.  This was a MOPAC train with three passenger cars visible on its end (two coaches and a sleeper or two sleepers and a coach – really don’t remember.)  Our coach stopped opposite the forward of the three MOPAC passenger cars; a stairwell to the station partially obscured the view of the other train.  That train had to be the overnight Missourian to St. Louis, by then primarily a mail train, and things were about to get V-E-R-R-R-Y interesting!

We continued to sit in the station when, suddenly, the MOPAC train eased into motion.  At least I thought it was the other train that was moving; I quickly looked down at the platform for reference.  Yes, the MOPAC train was moving; we were still stationary.  But not for long.  A few seconds later, we eased into motion.  What the…  Hokey smoke, Bullwinkle, we’re off to the races again!!!  (I didn’t realize it at that moment, but if Newton KS a few weeks earlier had been the appetizer, dinner had just been served!)

East from Kansas City Union Station several railroads shared trackage through an open cut the locals called the “subway."  This cut extended for several miles before the individual railroads sharing the 4-track right-of-way went their separate ways.  So the stage was set for a real drag race!

The MOPAC train was on the track immediately to our right, just outside our window, and, as it had gotten underway first, it had the upper hand for a while.  But then the five F units on our shorter and lighter consist asserted themselves as we slowly began overtaking car after car after car of the MOPAC train.  In the all-encompassing darkness, virtually the only light on the scene was that spilling from our own train’s vestibules, and an occasional streetlight from above the cut.  Clearly this was a mail train as we passed headend car after headend car, including quite a few PRR express-boxcars doubtless heading for connections at St. Louis.  Eventually we caught up to the power on the MOPAC train – four big EMD Es and/or ALCO PAs.  Don’t know if I’d have been able to tell the difference between the makes back then, especially in the dark, but I remember that one of the units was shooting sparks from its exhaust stack(s).  Soon the view outside our window was washed out in the glare of the MOPAC train’s headlight.  Eventually we outpaced the other train completely, and darkness all around returned.

WOW!  I’d never experienced anything like that before, or since.  But with several railroads sharing that right-of-way for miles, I imagine such “races” happened occasionally.  Regardless, the “checkered flag” went to John Santa Fe that night.

The rest of the trip to Chicago was uneventful.  Next morning I found our Erie-Lackawanna Lake Cities to be essentially still an Erie-equipped train, some 10 months after the merger.  The old Erie modernized coach, however, was comfortable enough for the relatively short run to Marion OH, and my cousin and I did sit on the ‘railfan’ left side.  A diner was coupled on at Huntington IN, and another teenager boarded there who sat two or three rows behind my cousin and I.  Somewhere east of Huntington this newcomer and I both figured out the other was a railfan from our reactions to the passing rail scene, and we got to talking.  I recall a couple key aspects of his story:

• He lived in Virginia, and was returning there from having visited a relative who had a "horse ranch" - the term I recall him using - in northern or north-central Indiana.
• He too was traveling as far as Marion, where he had around a 5-hour wait for C&O's Sportsman home to Virginia; don't recall the town or city.

Upon arrival in Marion, my parents met us, drove us down to Columbus, and our grand adventure was over.

They say that everyone has a photographic memory – some just don’t have any film.  I’m fortunate that my mind’s “camera” was well supplied on that trip, and the results have weathered the years well.

Thanks for “riding along," and I hope you enjoyed the trip too, vicariously.

                                        The End