TRAIN TRIVIA - 11/11/05

[Anonymous]

Which one of the following was NOT a mascot for a railroad during the 20th Century?


1. Phoebe Snow

2. Peake, Chessie's "Old Man"

3. The Pennsylvania Pacer

4. Chico



Thanks lotus098 for letting me post!

[Texas Zepher]

Well, I only recognized one of them so I'll guess #3.

[jguess733]

i think it's number 2. i recognize numbers 1 and 3. it could be number 3. dang it. now i'm unsure. lol

[Anonymous]

I'm thinkin' two...

Chessie's was Chessie.

[route_rock]

Number 3 as number 1 we all know as Miss Phoebe Snow on the road of anthrasite 2 is Chessies husband brought out in WWII to explain why she had kittens ( a different era eh?)and 4 is Santa Fe's little navajo.

[Anonymous]

Interesting debate we have going on here....

Al

[Anonymous]

As long as it isn't Red State, Blue State, or Evolution, a little debate won't hurt any one. Pennsylvania Pacer?
Will

[Anonymous]

You guys are too smart for me! Even the wrong answers wern't all that far off.

#1. "I won my fame and wide acclaim /
For Lackawanna's splendid name /
By keeping bright and snowy white /
Upon the road of Anthracite."

It's been years since I've seen an image of Phoebe Snow but I recall her vaguely as a kind of cross between a Gibson Girl and Nokomis. Not to be confused with the 1970s folk singer who had (or took) the same name.


#2 I used the wording and punctuation that the C&O used in its magazine ads.
Why was "old man" put in quotation marks? To show they knew it was slang?
(I guess "husband" would be too cute and "mate" too graphic for those times.)

"Peake" was drawn as a barrel-chested, proud-looking cat in a "top-kick" or Master Sergeant's uniform. Chessie remained a kitten (folks, this is mythology, not reality.)
And those berths were SO comfortable -- yes, kittens happened.


3. This is something I made up. But there was a train called the "Pacemaker"; it was the all-coach train from NYC to CHI, I believe.

If there WERE a "Pennsylvania Pacer," I would imagine him as a kind of Coke-boy-with- bottle-cap hat from the same era, only the cap would have to look like a real cap and be Tuscan Red.


4. Seems 'most everyone knows and loves Chico, the Native American (Navajo? Hopi?) boy who urged the public to "Ship and Travel Santa Fe." Even after Amtrak took over ATSF passenger service, in the 1970s Chico still appeared on note paper the company sent to corporate shippers and shipping agents (or "logistics specialists," if you will). But Chico seems to have been a figure of the past after the BN merger, if not before.

You all have been great; thanks for participating!

Lotus 098, thanks for the opportunity. I don't have a second question just now but will work on one. (Sharp crowd, not just anything will do.)
-- Al Smalling

[JohnT14808]

Since the answer has been given, I'm sol....again. I only knew the last one, so I didn't have the answer anyway.....