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Classic Railroad Quiz (at least 50 years old).

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, July 28, 2013 3:15 PM

Yes, but on the B&M they were restricted to local, commuter and branchline trains after about 1945 or 1946.   The intercity trains between Boston and Portland, Boston and Concord, with some continuing further north, Boston and  Bellows Falls, and Boston and Troy were all steel after WWII.  All the interline (CV-CN-NH) trains on the Conn. River line were all steel much earlier.  The B&M bought some Bethlehan-Steel-buil Reading coaches to replace the last of the wood cars (some vestibuled) in intercity service, and bought some PRR P-54's to replace the oldest of the wood cars for branch lines.  Then they bought ten Pullman-Standard post-war fluted stainless-steel sided coaches to modernize the Boston - Portland service only.  These were sold by McGinnis.

 The Whie Horse and Yukon was probably the last to use open platform coaches in real intericity mainline service  -  but it was, of course, narrow gauge.  Its excursion trains use open-platform wood cars today.

The D&RGW's Alamosa - Durango "San Juan" had vestibuled equipment normally assigned, indeed on coach even had relcining seats installed!     The rear was a brass railed obs-parlor.  Durango-Silverton used open-platform equipment.

B&M  Boston-Portsmouth trains got steel equipmenet by 1952.  Probably earlier.   However, open platform wood cars continued on short runs to Beverly or Salem and to Gloucester.    I regularly rode Boston - Lowell open-platform trains in 1952 and Spring 1953.  (transformer designing at Mystic Transofrmers, Winchester)  But the trains going beyond to Concord used steel equipment..   Also regularly rode the 4pm Boston - Portsmouth train, returning on the night frreight, both with the same engine crew and locomotive, the latter GP-7 1567 or 1568.   (My MIT SB thesis project, on load regulator controls.)    Look forward to your question.

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Posted by rcdrye on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 11:45 AM

I know there's a restored B&M wooden coach at Contoocook NH on the former Claremont and Concord/B&M.  I  haven't been up close even though i pass it (on I-89, on the other side of the Warner River) about once a week.  I'm sure the covered bridge formerly used by the C&C/B&M is the attraction.

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Posted by henry6 on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 12:24 PM

rcdrye

I know there's a restored B&M wooden coach at Contoocook NH on the former Claremont and Concord/B&M.  I  haven't been up close even though i pass it (on I-89, on the other side of the Warner River) about once a week.  I'm sure the covered bridge formerly used by the C&C/B&M is the attraction.

You got it, rcdrye!   It's worth the detour, less than 10 minutes time and your back on I89.  Covered bridge, car, and restored station and museum.  And, there is also a great looking station at Newport and two more covered bridges on Sugar Creek between Kellyville and Claremont on a very passable side road off NH11, too.  

So, before you go off the road, think up another good question.

 

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Posted by rcdrye on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 1:11 PM

This eastern interurban named after its two endpoint cities was built very late in the interurban era. It lasted just 19 years, ending service with the same cars, crew and many of the same passengers it started with.

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 2:07 PM

galvaston & houston or Houston & Galvaston?

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Posted by lurch9 on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 3:12 PM

PRR

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Posted by rcdrye on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 6:45 PM

The interurban is in the northeast.  If it's not too big a hint,  it used a hyphen in its name.

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 9:22 PM

The only thing that comes to mind is the Trenton-Princeton Traction Company.   But I think that lasted a lot longer than 19 years.

AB Dean Jacksonville,FL
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Posted by rcdrye on Thursday, August 1, 2013 6:28 AM

Bit further north and east.  One of the company's cars and (oddly enough) one of its stations can be found at a transit museum in its home state.

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Thursday, August 1, 2013 7:36 PM

Portland-Lewiston then    - at the Seashore Trolley Museum

AB Dean Jacksonville,FL
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Posted by rcdrye on Friday, August 2, 2013 7:34 AM

Portland-Lewiston it is.    P-L 14 is on the radar for restoration having been stabilized in the past few years.  The Morrison Hill station is on display next to the main line.

Considering that the P-L was opened in 1914 it's amazing it was built at all. 

 

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Wednesday, August 14, 2013 10:04 AM

Who has the next question on this thread?

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Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, August 14, 2013 11:34 AM

ZephyrOverland

Who has the next question on this thread?

Flying Crow answered the last one so he's at bat.

Mark

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, August 26, 2013 8:34 AM

flying crow where are you?

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Thursday, September 19, 2013 1:16 PM

With deference to flying crow, Ill restart this thread with a question....

What train was advertised as "The Millionaires Way to Florida?" 

I would like the name as it was used at the time.

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Posted by rcdrye on Friday, September 20, 2013 5:02 PM

That would be the IC/C0fG/ACL/FEC "The Seminole Limited" in the teens or so..I can't find a specific date that the "Limited" was dropped but it was gone by the 1940s.  The Seminole was bumped from the top of the list by the City of Miami but lasted as a daily train until April 30, 1971.

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Friday, September 20, 2013 6:58 PM

rcdrye

That would be the IC/C0fG/ACL/FEC "The Seminole Limited" in the teens or so..I can't find a specific date that the "Limited" was dropped but it was gone by the 1940s.  The Seminole was bumped from the top of the list by the City of Miami but lasted as a daily train until April 30, 1971.

The Seminole Limited is the correct answer.  The phrase "The Millionaires Way to Florida" was used in pre WW1 advertising for the Seminole Limited.  "Limited" was dropped in 1923.

Actually, the Seminole's luster began to fade with the establishment of the Floridan.  During the 1920's there was enough business for both trains, but in the 1930's the Floridan essentially handled the through prime seasonal Florida trade while the Seminole started handling more mail and express and more local business.

Your question, rcdrye.

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Posted by rcdrye on Sunday, September 22, 2013 7:33 PM

This train ran on the tracks of four different railroads, connecting two major cities with a third major city by combining in a very small city.  One leg used all four railroads, the other only three.  the train was named after a mountain range.

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, September 23, 2013 7:49 AM

The Ambassador, connecting both Boston and New York with Montreal.   The Boston section used the B&M, the CV, and the CN, while the New York section added actually two more railroads, the NYNH&H and the NYCentral, the latter south of Woodlawn into GCT, but you did not count the Central and I excuse you!   The combining was done in Whire River Junction.  (If the train had run into Penn, it would have been appropriate to add the New York Connecting Railroad, but it ran into GCT.)

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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, September 23, 2013 7:55 AM

The Ambassador fits the railroad stuff, but wasn't named after a mountain range.  Besides, White River Jct. isn't a small city but a village in the town of Hartford, VT.

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Posted by henry6 on Monday, September 23, 2013 8:46 AM

RI's Rocky Mountain Rocket...

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, September 23, 2013 12:57 PM

But the Rocky Mountain Rocket ran just two railroads Chicago - Denver, the RI and the UP, with the Colorado Springs section staying on the RI.

Did the Day White Mountains Express ever run through to Montrea.?

Green Mountain Flyer, Mpmtreal to Boston and New York, with Rutland the joining and seperation?  CN, Rultland, and B&M, with NYCentral for the New York section.

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Posted by henry6 on Monday, September 23, 2013 1:10 PM

daveklepper

But the Rocky Mountain Rocket ran just two railroads Chicago - Denver, the RI and the UP, with the Colorado Springs section staying on the RI.

Did the Day White Mountains Express ever run through to Montrea.?

Green Mountain Flyer, Mpmtreal to Boston and New York, with Rutland the joining and seperation?  CN, Rultland, and B&M, with NYCentral for the New York section.

I'm not sure, Dave...but I was thinking the same thing.  NYC-Harlem Div to Chatham, Rutland to Rutland; Boston and Maine to Bellows Falls and Rutland to Rutland,  then Rutland north to both CN and/or CP connections at St. Albans and Rouses Point.

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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, September 23, 2013 1:22 PM

Dav has the correct answer in the Green Mountain Flyer.  New York section NYC to Troy, B&M to White Creek (North Bennington VT), Rutland to Rutland and Rouses Point NY, CN to Montreal.  Boston section B&M to Bellows Falls, Rutland to Rutland and Rouses Point, CN to Montreal.  Rutland and B&M steam power pooled Troy to Rutland, Rutland steam to Montreal on CN track.

Rutland is the second largest city in Vermont, with a Rutland-era population of around 15,000. 

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, September 25, 2013 8:21 AM

During WWII. it was rare to see a B&M engine on the Green Mountain into Troy, because the B&M was short of modern power (lots of 2-6-0's to play with) and the Rutland had its four modern 4-8-2's.  It did happen though.  Purchase of DL&W Pacifics in 1944 helped.

My question:   On what other electric railroads could North Shore regular mu steel passenger equipment be seen, other than the CRT/CTA, when and why?    Also, wooden mu equipment.   Be specific as to routes, destinations, and circumstances.

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Posted by rcdrye on Wednesday, September 25, 2013 10:26 AM

CA&E leased a bunch of "North Shore Woods" in the 300 and 400 series, renumbered them in the 130s and 140s, ran them into the 140s under lease, returned them to the CNS&M and then bought them and ran them until about 1953.  CA&E regularly leased CNS&M steel cars as needed to plug holes in its fleet, so tripper runs and short term leases of Steel cars on Aurora and Elgin trains were not unusual. On at least one accasion, a CNS&M steel car ran to St. Charles, on the tracks of the Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electric, which CA&E had rights on from Geneva to St. Charles until 1937.  CNS&M cars also showed up from time to time on Milwaukee Electric Lines, though there were no ongoing arrangements like the CA&E had.  Of course, stictly speaking, CNS&M cars of all types operated on the Chicago and Milwaukee Electric north of either Harrison St. or Oklahoma Ave. in Milwaukee, since C&ME was the franchise holder.

CNS&M woods could MU with CA&E cars after CA&E rebuilt the couplers but motor speeds didn't match well (CNS&M cars were slower) so they were generally kept apart.  CA&E Steel cars had Tomlinson couplers and GE type M control, CNS&M cars had low-mounted railroad type couplers and HLF control.

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, September 26, 2013 3:11 PM

You have most of the answer, but you need to say why the steels operated on the MIlwuakee Electric, for what specific purpose.  One line had them more frequently than any other, why?   None were a regular scheduled move, as you noted.

Was the CA&E operation into St. Charles a scheduled operation before 1937?

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Posted by rcdrye on Friday, September 27, 2013 6:41 AM

The North Shore had some kind of relationship with the Milwaukee Northern before it bcame part of TMER&L, so that's likely the line that had the most activity.  The only photos I can recall seeing of CNS&M steel cars on TMER&L involved fantrips, usually on the freight-only belt line.  Before the 6th and Michigan terminal in Milwaukee was built, C&ME/CNS&M steel cars operated over C&ME street trackage to 2nd and Wisconsin (also used by C&ME streetcars until 1948), some of which was also operated by TMER&L cars using trackage rights.

The CA&E's St Charles branch was built in 1909-1910 when the Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electic and CA&E predecessor Aurora Elgin and Chicago were the same company (AE&C).  St. Charles cars mostly operated between St. Charles and Wheaton, with some joining Elgin and Aurora cars to run through to Chicago.  In the 1922 AE&C bankruptcy the AE&FRE got the line along the Fox River between Elgin and Aurora, including the street trackage in St. Charles and Geneva.  CA&E held rights to the tracks which it exercised until its own line from Geneva Jct. to Geneva was abandoned.  CA&E cars operated for two years after the last AE&FRE car used the line.

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Posted by daveklepper on Friday, September 27, 2013 8:53 AM

You are correct about which ME passenger line had most North Shore activity.  There were occasional through charters of North Shore equipment to resort areas on the Milwaukee Northern Line.   Also, it is likely that the folks at the De Pere Monestary (St. Benedict Abby?) had answera charter to the famous Catholic Church Eccclesiastical Gathering at Munelein, and it is probably that they used North Shore equipment.  Thanks for the detailed answer and you have more than enough right to ask the next question!

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Posted by rcdrye on Friday, September 27, 2013 4:19 PM

On the CB&Q may trains had dome cars.  All but one dome-equipped train pair carried "Vista Domes".  Which train pair carried domes under another trade name, and what was that name?

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