N&W J Passenger Consists, and other passenger train ideas

[daveklepper]

The popularity of the N&W J may bring on the thought: "I would like one, but that would require a whole Tuscan red passenger train."   Not so.   The Js regularly handled the Tennesean between Bristol TN and Monroe VA, except for some head-end cars, all stainless steel after around 1949.  From inauguration to then it was also stainless steel, except for the Pullmans, which were silver-painted heavyweights.

In addition to the PRR and N&W, the B&M also painted passenger equipment Tuscan red.  In addtion to having the very last large fleet of open-platform wood coaches, lasting Boston suburban service (with 2-6-0's most frequently, then RS-3s and GP-7s), lasting until replaced by Budd RDCs.  Short during WWII, they bought surplus PRR owl-faced P-54s. They removed the trap covers and doors, treating them like more open-platform coaches. Rode them summer of 1945 behind a 2-6-0 Concord - Clairmont Jc.

[ACY Tom]

Three L&N Pullman Standard 10-6 sleepers, plan 4140, were also operated in Tuscan Red livery for through service between New York City and Memphis, Nashville, and Louisville.  They operated over PRR from NY City to Cincinnati on the Cincinnati Limited, and various L&N trains beyond Cincy.  Several similar PRR cars were in the pool, too.

[delray1967]

In the 1980's or 1990's I rode behind the 611 in an excursion train.  If my memory serves me correctly, the consist was very colorful...they must have scrounged up passenger cars from wherever they could...modern commuter coaches, vintage Tuscan cars, cars from 'local' historical societies, a few foreign roads (Union Pacific and maybe ACL?) and a few private/business cars on the end.

I'm not sure what the exact question is, but an excursion train is a good excuse to run anything (these trains had a lot of people and were pretty long to accommodate the crowds). If you want to keep in the era of passenger trains, some railroads had excursions for various 'transportation clubs' or to show off their rails to potential business clients; I remember seeing a train with a couple of special open cars (gondolas) packed with people who were well dressed in suits and hats...probably not a fast moving train with a streamlined locomotive (like the J) but it might have been pulled with the railroads' newest, most impressive power, as a publicity thing.