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Donald Fagan aka Steely Dan has a line about taking the train "The Wolverine" up to Annadale but...its not in Michigan

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Donald Fagan aka Steely Dan has a line about taking the train "The Wolverine" up to Annadale but...its not in Michigan
Posted by CandOforprogress2 on Monday, July 16, 2018 1:15 PM

In his song "My old School" he talks about taking the Wolverine up to Annadale but I only found 2 towns with that name one in MN and the other one in VA

I cant find a Annadale Michigan but I did find a Annadale Minnisota.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annandale,_Minnesota? Was there a Train called the Wolverine that ran in Minnisota? This seems likely.

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Posted by Enzoamps on Monday, July 16, 2018 7:05 PM

The song is about things going on at Bard College in Annadale-on-Hudson, in New York.   Nothing to do with Michigan.

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Posted by Backshop on Monday, July 16, 2018 8:24 PM

First, it's Annandale, not Annadale.  Second, the New York Central's Wolverine went from New York to Chicago via the Canadian Southern and Michigan Central.

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Posted by Deggesty on Monday, July 16, 2018 9:09 PM

Backshop

First, it's Annandale, not Annadale.  Second, the New York Central's Wolverine went from New York to Chicago via the Canadian Southern and Michigan Central.

 

The closest stop to Annandale on Hudson (the town? village?) is set back from the Hudson a half-mile or more--and has no railroad. However, Barrytown, which is on the Hudson was a stop for lesser trains. The Wolverine did stop in Rhinecliff (5.5 miles south of Barrytown)  in 1953.

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 6:42 AM

Give Becker & Fagen a break, it's poetic license.  I sure hope that the OP never analyzed the lyrics of "Wabash Cannon Ball" or "Orange Blossom Special".

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Posted by CandOforprogress2 on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 11:31 AM

"The Wolverine did stop in Rhinecliff (5.5 miles south of Barrytown)  in 1953."

You mean to tell me that New York Central had a train from New York Grand Central dirctly to Upstate Michigan by way of the Hudson?

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Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 12:50 PM

Deggesty
The closest stop to Annandale on Hudson (the town? village?) is set back from the Hudson a half-mile or more--and has no railroad.

The stops on the River Line for Bard College are, and were, Rhinecliff and Poughkeepsie.  To this day the college runs shuttle service to those stations on weekends.

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Posted by Deggesty on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 3:00 PM

CandOforprogress2

"The Wolverine did stop in Rhinecliff (5.5 miles south of Barrytown)  in 1953."

You mean to tell me that New York Central had a train from New York Grand Central dirctly to Upstate Michigan by way of the Hudson?

 

No one is saying any such thing. Read what has been posted about Annandale on Hudson.

All NYC trains to the Midwest went up along the Hudson as far as Albany.

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Posted by D.Carleton on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 6:44 PM

Just look out for Chino and Daddy G.

Editor Emeritus, This Week at Amtrak

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Posted by Convicted One on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 7:12 PM

CSSHEGEWISCH
I sure hope that the OP never analyzed the lyrics of "Wabash Cannon Ball" or "Orange Blossom Special".

Not to mention the Grateful Dead's "Casey Jones"

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Posted by Steve B500 on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 10:12 PM

Candoforprogress2 wrote: You mean to tell me that New York Central had a train from New York Grand Central dirctly to Upstate Michigan by way of the Hudson?

New York Central had many fine passenger trains from Grand Central to Michigan and on to Chicago. The main line basically split at Buffalo- one route south of Lake Erie, one north. The Internet has lots of information on this.

The Wolverine ran through the southern part of the lower peninsula, not "Upstate Michigan." The NYC did have sleeping car service to the northern tip of the lower peninsula. But absolutely nobody in Michigan ever uses the term "Upstate Michigan."

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Posted by CandOforprogress2 on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 11:26 AM

Living Near Buffalo I forgot that the New York Central had a line in Southern Ontario that went from Black Rock to Detroit via London ON and Windsor ON.

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Posted by Miningman on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 4:40 PM

Not London...St. Thomas, further South.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 4:41 PM

Convicted One

 

 
CSSHEGEWISCH
I sure hope that the OP never analyzed the lyrics of "Wabash Cannon Ball" or "Orange Blossom Special".

 

Not to mention the Grateful Dead's "Casey Jones"

 

Something tells me the OP is well acquainted with the last part of the first line in the lyrics.

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Posted by CandOforprogress2 on Friday, July 20, 2018 3:21 PM

Bard College where Danial Fagan was in Annadale on the Hudson

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Posted by CandOforprogress2 on Friday, July 20, 2018 3:22 PM

CSAO?

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Posted by guetem1 on Friday, July 20, 2018 11:21 PM
Fagen and Becker met at Bard College
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Posted by Deggesty on Saturday, July 21, 2018 11:00 AM

CandOforprogress2

Bard College where Danial Fagan was in Annadale on the Hudson

 

As has been pointed out, it is AnnaNdale, not Annadale.

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Posted by CandOforprogress2 on Saturday, July 21, 2018 12:03 PM

Freeken east coast town names- Avon Ohio is pronouced Avan in NY and Reading PA is called Redding which is the actual name of a city in Redding CA..

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Posted by Deggesty on Sunday, July 22, 2018 2:40 PM

The city in Pennsylvaaia was probably named for Reading in England--and the inhabitants there pronouce it "Redding." 

Have you considered Worcester in Massachusetts? It is pronounced "Wooster."

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Posted by Backshop on Sunday, July 22, 2018 3:19 PM

CandOforprogress2

CSAO?

 

No, CASO.  Canada Southern.  Nor Conrail Shared Assets Operations.

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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, July 22, 2018 7:50 PM

Backshop
CandOforprogress2

CSAO?

No, CASO.  Canada Southern.  Nor Conrail Shared Assets Operations.

I don't think C&O quite understands how amazing the CASO was as a means of reaching lower Michigan from New York via the part of the 'Water Level Route' east of Buffalo.

Or how astounding it was, and is, that the whole of that high-speed railroad has been so effectively extirpated, first from existence and now, increasingly, from memory.

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Posted by Miningman on Sunday, July 22, 2018 9:11 PM

So true. I've posted numerous photo essays and commentaries over the years on Trains, a lot in String Lining, and many stand alone discussions on over on Classic Trains. Outside of yourself and Dave Klepper there are few comments or queries or further discussion.

Outside of a diminishing group of folk that live in St Thomas it has been forgotten. Even it's effective endpoints of Buffalo Union Station and the Michigan Central/NYC station in Detroit became abondoned decrepid eyesores. No one talks about the vitally important and magnificenty engineered CASO line. 

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Posted by Backshop on Sunday, July 22, 2018 10:16 PM

I was in St Thomas a couple of years ago and was surprised to see the CASO backshop in use by the railroad museum there.  For some reason, it was closed on Sunday (I would think weekends would be busier) and I didn't go in.  St Thomas has a nice old main street that looks sorta decrepit now due to the railroad and Ford Motor both leaving.

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Posted by Miningman on Monday, July 23, 2018 12:32 AM

Hope you waved to Jumbo the elephant who overlooks the city from on high and welcomes all.

Not only the CASO but it was the Canadian backshops and HQ for the Wabash and the Pere Marquette. Their were numerous roundhouses, a long backshop building that had a transfer table serving many stalls and multiple other buildings. They built steam locomotives there as well, for the New York Central, Wabash and Pere Marquette and the Grand Trunk pre CNR. 

The CASO assigned Hudsons were outshopped and Class 1 repairs were done to quite a number of them in 1952. 

The CNR, CPR and London & Port Stanley were also present. 

Quite the place busy busy busy. Things slowed down with the demise of steam but the Central ran two 4-6-0's until 1957 for the St Clair branch. 

CNR and CPR steam lasted a bit longer late into '59. 

Ford plant shut down its last dedicated assembly line for one model only , the Crown Victoria. A last minute massive order from Saudi Arabia kept it open for some time but the end was nigh. 3 on the tree and standard I believe. Crown Victoria's made for great police cars. 

All of South Western Ontario along Lake Erie and all the branches were tore up. The London and Port Stanley is still going, bisecting what once was numerous rail on its path from London to Lake Erie. 

I often wonder if someone at Conrail had the foresight to keep the CASO. I think it could have become a CSX-NS shared asset and a very busy line. 

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Monday, July 23, 2018 6:45 AM

Canada Southern became redundant as a Penn Central and Conrail route since it added unnecessary complications to an East Coast-Michigan route.  Two sets of customs clearances were involved and the Detroit River Tunnel has some major clearance restrictions.  Carfloats were an expensive way to get trilevel auto racks and similar size cars across the Detroit River.

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Posted by Backshop on Monday, July 23, 2018 8:26 AM

The clearances in the tunnel were improved after its sale.  Conrail could have done it.

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Posted by wjstix on Friday, July 27, 2018 5:05 PM

CandOforprogress2

In his song "My old School" he talks about taking the Wolverine up to Annadale but I only found 2 towns with that name one in MN and the other one in VA

I cant find a Annadale Michigan but I did find a Annadale Minnisota.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annandale,_Minnesota? Was there a Train called the Wolverine that ran in Minnisota? This seems likely.

 

 
Annandale Minnesota was on the Soo Line, my grandparents lived there. Only Wolverines here in Minnesota are when the University of Michigan brings the Little Brown Jug to visit Minnesota before returning it to Ann Arbor, which is pretty much it's permanent home now....
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Posted by wjstix on Friday, July 27, 2018 5:08 PM

Steve B500

But absolutely nobody in Michigan ever uses the term "Upstate Michigan."

 

 
Yup, you're either a troll living under the bridge in the mitten, or a yooper up in da U.P.
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Posted by Convicted One on Saturday, July 28, 2018 10:32 AM

Miningman

So true. I've posted numerous photo essays and commentaries over the years on Trains, a lot in String Lining, and many stand alone discussions on over on Classic Trains.

 

Links? I'd like to read those.

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