I received my copy of the September Trains two days ago, and got around to reading it today.
I enjoyed the article "Rhythm of the Rails"--and have a question: does anyone know if the New York-New Orleans Limited ever ran through Birmingham and Meridian? So far as I know, it always operated through Montgomery and Mobile, but on pages 26 and 27 it is noted that it went through Meridian.
Also on page 27 is a list of the roads that came into Meridian--and the Alabama Great Southern is not mentioned.
I also appreciated Ed Ellis' article on the former IC car "Mardi Gras," especially since I have ridden in that car and "Audubon" on the City of New Orleans--and in a parlor car that was substiuted for the regular car on one trip. I was a bit disappointed that he mentioned only two of the three systems under which the I.C.C. allowed passenger trains to run faster than 79 miles an hour (on page 41). I am confident that the long-time readers of Trains know that with automatic train control the higher speed was allowed.
Incidentally, when I rode the engine of the City from Memphis to Grenada in the summer of 1965, I saw that the speedometer vibrated around 90 mph most of the time. The fastest that I ever noted on the IC was a mile in 35 seconds on #4 above Crystal Springs (five cars in the train: RPO, baggage, and three coaches).
Johnny
Shot several poor quality pictures of the Panama Limited pushing the century mark a little North of Odin, IL - back in 1967.
Rode the Panama Limted on a family vacation from Chicago to New Orleans in 1959 and recall seeing the Spedo in the Observation car flirting with triple digits.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Deggesty I received my copy of the September Trains two days ago, and got around to reading it today. I enjoyed the article "Rhythm of the Rails"--and have a question: does anyone know if the New York-New Orleans Limited ever ran through Birmingham and Meridian? So far as I know, it always operated through Montgomery and Mobile, but on pages 26 and 27 it is noted that it went through Meridian. Also on page 27 is a list of the roads that came into Meridian--and the Alabama Great Southern is not mentioned.
I noticed in the "Rhythm of the Rails" article that the date of Casey Jones' collision was moved up a day from April 30th to April 29th.
I also noticed that it states that Jimmy Rodgers died at age 32, but the dates given for his birth and death equal 35 years plus a few months.
Maybe Trains is becoming the wikipedia of the railroad world.
Jeff
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