Trains.com

Classic Train Questions Part Deux (50 Years or Older)

855346 views
8197 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    December 2017
  • From: I've been everywhere, man
  • 4,269 posts
Posted by SD70Dude on Saturday, October 19, 2019 3:28 PM

rcdrye

Georgia Railroad?  Their non-main-line mixed trains ended around 1983 (as CSX trains), and some of the combines used there had truss rods.

The cars I am thinking of lasted slightly longer than Georgia's.  Their domain was, and still is much snowier than Georgia.

Like most mixeds, the train they were mostly used on did not have an official name, but it did received a nickname based on the terrain much of the route runs through.

Greetings from Alberta

-an Articulate Malcontent

  • Member since
    September 2013
  • 6,199 posts
Posted by Miningman on Saturday, October 19, 2019 4:18 PM

The Blue Train of the Prairies.

Started out as the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia which has second hand ex PRR passenger equipment. Then it became the Northern Alberta Railway and acquired cars from the Boston and Albany, Milwaukee Road, coaches fron the CNR and a diner from the CPR. The NAR had combines to which they added a bay window and acquired the nickname Comboose. 

The Mixed lasted until 1981 with some equipment going back all the way to the ED&BC, then NAR and finally CN. 

I rode this train 1971 Edmonton to Peace River. 

  • Member since
    December 2017
  • From: I've been everywhere, man
  • 4,269 posts
Posted by SD70Dude on Saturday, October 19, 2019 11:24 PM

Northern Alberta's Combooses are indeed the cars I was thinking of, and while they were intially used on mixeds and wayfreights across the entire NAR system they spent most of their careers on one particular run, which was not the ex-ED&BC 'mainline' (Edmonton to Dawson Creek).

The train was nicknamed after the swampy terrain much of the route traverses.  Some of the Combooses lasted in revenue service until 1985, though after 1983 they were only used when additional cars were needed on the train.

'Blue Train of the Prairies' was indeed the story on here with a photo of a Comboose:

http://ctr.trains.com/way-it-was/railfan-stories/2011/07/blue-train-of-the-prairies

Another 'The Way it Was' story describes a ride on the service the Combooses were most used on. 

Go ahead and ask the next question Vince, time to get the quiz moving along again.  I'm sure you've heard the name I'm thinking of anyway.

Greetings from Alberta

-an Articulate Malcontent

  • Member since
    September 2013
  • 6,199 posts
Posted by Miningman on Sunday, October 20, 2019 12:13 AM

Waterways, essentially Fort MacMurray. Mixed Train from Edmonton all the way up there. Now I rode that one too but from Fort Mac/Waterways all the back to the Dunvegan Yards in Edmonton. Now that was some railroading. Should have mentioned that.

It is a rather long story but to keep it pithy, I was bicycling across Canada from Burlington to Yellowknife. A journey of late youth to find oneself, see the country and do it alone. Here and there I would take the train. I bicycled North to Yellowknife from Peace River and caught the train South on the return journey from Waterways. I will never forget the professionalism and decency of that conductor coming back. He took time here and there to relate history and some tall tales. I'm pretty sure I was the only passenger most of the time. 

I was offered a job on the CNR in Peace River. I had been accepted at the Provincial Institute of Mining in Ontario starting that September and had a rather tough decision to make... my passion and heart or my mind, betterment and a gift for Geology. 

Always loved railroads but also loved rocks. I often wonder what would be had I went with the CNR. Whole different ballgame.

p.s. Dude I knew the answer the day you posted it but did not want to pop the balloon immediately. Then when things went sideways with parlour cars and PRR, read rcdrye responses which were excellent really then I decided it's time to jump in. 

Will put a question up in the am by noon.

  • Member since
    September 2013
  • 6,199 posts
Posted by Miningman on Sunday, October 20, 2019 11:12 AM

This named train has been running a long time, essentially since 1932 uninterrupted.  It has legend, lore and fable that is very real, goes back a long ways, yet is relatively 'lightly' known, even in the railfan community. This named train has recently undergone a stunning rebuilding, both beautiful and appropriate, again lightly reported. 

It is the last passenger train running on a railroad that once had great and important named trains, one that in particular was more famous and well known but no longer runs. There were also connections and several branch line passenger trains and locals. 

The railroad is the same since its inception and has never been part of a merger although it had a name change. 

What is the named train that still runs and the railroad? 

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Sunday, October 20, 2019 11:58 AM

You do love your Cobalt and your Swastika, don't you?

  • Member since
    April 2018
  • 1,618 posts
Posted by Jones1945 on Sunday, October 20, 2019 12:05 PM

Content moved.

 

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Sunday, October 20, 2019 12:09 PM

I think you put this in the wrong thread -- this is for the quizzes.

Probably a better idea to start a new thread with this content, as it's interesting, just a bad distraction for the quizlings.  Or paste it into a different thread that had parlor cars, or some of the other details, in it.

I'll answer some of the points there, rather than compound the distraction here...

  • Member since
    September 2013
  • 6,199 posts
Posted by Miningman on Sunday, October 20, 2019 12:39 PM

Overmod-- " You do love your Cobalt and your Swastika, don't you?"

The train I'm looking for did not go to Cobalt or Swastika, but its more famous connection certainly did. 

 

 

And as they vehemently declare " We had the name first" 

Cobalt_Train_Station_Cropped
Located along the waterfront, the train station is no longer used to shuttle passengers in and out of Cobalt, but remains a heritage building and a town treasure. ..but the train I'm looking for didn't go to these locations.
 

 

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Sunday, October 20, 2019 2:55 PM

Miningman
but the train I'm looking for didn't go to these locations.

I know.  It's a hint, remember?  Wouldn't want to telegraph the answer too boldly... (ahem!)

  • Member since
    April 2018
  • 1,618 posts
Posted by Jones1945 on Thursday, October 24, 2019 6:24 AM

Miningman

..but the train I'm looking for didn't go to these locations. 

The Polar Bear/ The Polar Bear Express of the Ontario Northland Railway?

 

  • Member since
    September 2013
  • 6,199 posts
Posted by Miningman on Thursday, October 24, 2019 9:11 AM

Good Good The Polar Bear became the Polar Bear Express in a rebirth in 1964.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0hjZPHetjc

3 minute drone video

Question to Jones 

  • Member since
    April 2018
  • 1,618 posts
Posted by Jones1945 on Sunday, October 27, 2019 11:40 PM

Please give me one more day for the next question, thanks a lot! 

  • Member since
    April 2018
  • 1,618 posts
Posted by Jones1945 on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 12:47 AM

In 1921, Hall-Scott Motor Car Company of San Francisco received an order from a city in the far east. The order included two diesel railcars powered by six-cylinder 150hp internal combustion engines using high-grade kerosene as fuel and *one trailer car. The diesel railcars accommodate 60 first and third class passengers while the trailer could seat 80 in second and third class. Electric light and fans to aid ventilation was installed on these cars. In 1936 and 1937, both diesel railcars were converted into a streamlined parlor-lounge-observation railcar for international through trains service for this railway, and they were given two different names. 

The name of this railway, the name of these railcars after the convert in 1936/1937, and what happened to that trailer car?

Tags: Hall-Scott
  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 5,014 posts
Posted by rcdrye on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 10:04 AM

Hall-Scott delivered the cars to Hong Kong in 1921, though it took until 1922 before they entered service. The railway was the Kowloon-Canton Railway, running from the mainland part of the Hong Kong Colony to the Chinese city of Canton.  The cars became the "Taipo Belle" (1936) and "Canton Belle" (1937), with a streamlined cowl, armchair seats, cocktail bar and smoking lounge.

I can't find a definite answer on the trailer coach, but it was either wrecked or converted to an air-conditioned lounge car "Aurora".

https://industrialhistoryhk.org/kcrc-railway-british-section-3-early-years-1910-1940/

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 3:38 PM

Impressive question and answer!

Look forward to RC's question.

  • Member since
    April 2018
  • 1,618 posts
Posted by Jones1945 on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 11:27 PM

rcdrye

Hall-Scott delivered the cars to Hong Kong in 1921, though it took until 1922 before they entered service. The railway was the Kowloon-Canton Railway, running from the mainland part of the Hong Kong Colony to the Chinese city of Canton.  The cars became the "Taipo Belle" (1936) and "Canton Belle" (1937), with a streamlined cowl, armchair seats, cocktail bar and smoking lounge.

I can't find a definite answer on the trailer coach, but it was either wrecked or converted to an air-conditioned lounge car "Aurora".

https://industrialhistoryhk.org/kcrc-railway-british-section-3-early-years-1910-1940/ 

Correct!  The trailer car was converted into a reserved saloon. Ref. "Kowloon-Canton Railway (British Section) - A History" (1990) P.115 by Robert J. Phillips. 

  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 5,014 posts
Posted by rcdrye on Thursday, October 31, 2019 6:47 AM

This regional system took its name from a former gauge change point.

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, October 31, 2019 2:21 PM

North American or foreign?

  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 5,014 posts
Posted by rcdrye on Friday, November 1, 2019 8:05 AM

daveklepper

North American or foreign?

 

North American

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Monday, November 4, 2019 5:54 AM

Clinchfield?

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Monday, November 4, 2019 6:14 AM

I thought the Clinchfield was, like the Virginian, substantially built long after the gauge change (from 5') of most Southern railroads.

(Would you believe I'd never heard of George Carter before checking on this?)

Apparently more than the usual death, destruction and flame associated with so late a construction time period:

http://www.stateoffranklin.net/johnsons/clinchfield/wild_crews.pdf

  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 5,014 posts
Posted by rcdrye on Monday, November 4, 2019 6:17 AM

The small system took the name of the city where the gauge change was.  One of the lines was built to standard gauge, regauged after considerable damage to match the other line, then both were regauged to standard gauge.  The small system operated as part of a well-known passenger route, retained its identity into the 1970s and remains an important line for its current owner.

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Monday, November 4, 2019 8:20 AM

West Point?

  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 5,014 posts
Posted by rcdrye on Monday, November 4, 2019 12:20 PM

daveklepper

West Point?

 

The Atlanta & LaGrange was extended to West Point Ga. in 1852, meeting the Montgomery & West Point there.  For reasons I haven't been able to find, the M&WP was built to standard gauge, the A&LG (by now the A&WP) used the five-foot gauge more common to the American South.  West Point got a lot of mileage for a little more than a decade as a transload point between the two railroads. The M&WP was badly damaged in the last days of the Civil War, with the Battle of West Point occuring after Appamatox.  Rebuilt to five foot gauge, the M&WP came under common management with the A&WP, eventually coming under ACL/L&N control.  The M&WP merged with the connecting Western Railway of Alabama in 1870. The combined A&WP/WofA system of a couple of hundred miles became known as the West Point Route.  West Point itself remains as a small city along the Georgia/Alabama border, but with little local rail activity.  The Southern Railway's Crescent and Piedmont Limiteds operated via the West Point Route and L&N between Atlanta, Montgomery and New Orleans.  The WPR, along with the Georgia Railroad, was rolled into the Family Lines/Seaboard System/CSX system and remains important to CSX.

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 12:23 PM

What streetcars, not mu, not interurbans, not suburban equipment, but actual streetcars, operated by a PRR subsidiary, were included in PRR passenger car rosters and even had a type letter-designation.  Name the city and you are a winner, but do supply any other information you can.

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 1:21 PM

Is the city homophonous with this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR6pHtiNT_k

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, November 6, 2019 12:39 AM

Not New Orleans (or NYCity Harlem) or "Caladonia," but the specific city or large town is not very very far from a large city that does rhyme.

And thanks for some terrific listening.

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, November 10, 2019 9:27 AM

Part of the same operation, the PRR also had some real interurban cars sharing tracks in the small city, but these pre-dated PRR control and may never had had PRR type designation.

The streetcars included a modern fleet, that as a fleet was unique to the small city, but about three or four other systems had one or two samples.

The DL&W had Phoebe Snow.  This modern fleet had a connection more general to the fair sex.

  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 5,014 posts
Posted by rcdrye on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 9:15 AM

Atlantic City?  The "Miss America" fleet?

SUBSCRIBER & MEMBER LOGIN

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Get the Classic Trains twice-monthly newsletter