Snack-bar or cafe?
Baby diaper-change table in expaznded ladies' room?
We'll stay on the Overland Route...
C&NW, UP and SP ordered new equipment in 1937 to supplement the rebuilt heavyweights on the Challenger. All three railroads ordered streamlined coaches, but SP slipped in something in some of its cars for the San Francisco Challenger that was not adopted by the other two railroads. The SF Challenger was popular enough that several similar coaches were transferred to the SF Challenger from a Golden State route train. What was the special SP feature?
rcdrye Near as I can figure out from various sources C&NW carried the Challenger cars between Omaha and Chicago as part of a single Los Angeles Limited consist. Rebuilt cars were placed in service during the 1935-1936 period, with separate operation beginning in May 1936. For many years the Challenger ran as 107-108, a nod to its Los Angeles Limited roots.
Near as I can figure out from various sources C&NW carried the Challenger cars between Omaha and Chicago as part of a single Los Angeles Limited consist. Rebuilt cars were placed in service during the 1935-1936 period, with separate operation beginning in May 1936. For many years the Challenger ran as 107-108, a nod to its Los Angeles Limited roots.
Your answer is close enough to what I was looking for. Between June 1935 and May 1936 UP's Challenger was primarily an Omaha-Los Angeles train. The C&NW did not operate a Chicago-Omaha segment of this train during this time period but did carry the through CHI-LA coaches and tourist sleepers via the Los Angeles Limited westbound and Portland Rose eastbound. C&NW condensed Overland Route schedules also show The Challenger as an Omaha-Los Angeles train.
In my opinion, UP's establishment of The Challenger concept was strategic whereas the lack of the train on the C&NW was a tactical move. One of UP's marketing strengths was offering a number of all-Pullman Chicago-West Coast trains (Los Angeles Limited, San Francisco Overland Limited, Portland Rose), with appropriate services that first class passengers expected. By the early 1930's all three trains were carrying coaches and tourist sleepers which may have caused the perception of those trains being downgraded. As I mentioned in my original question, UP may have seen C&O's George Washington, which was an existing service that was enhanced through branding and marketing, and decided to create The Challenger, giving coach and tourist patrons their own train with appropriate support services, resulting in the Overland Routes premier trains becoming all-Pullman (more or less) again. To bolster the new train, UP took the coaches and Tourist sleepers from the Portland Rose and put them on The Challenger between Omaha and Green River.
As for the C&NW, their rationale for not running a Challenger during this time may have been based on economics. Since The Challenger and the other premier trains operated within a 60-90 minute window between Chicago and Omaha, C&NW may have felt that the existing service they were operating was enough, with occasional additional coach/tourist sections, and saw no need to operate (or take on the additonal expense of) an additonal daily Chicago-Omaha Overland Route train. When The Challenger concept was proven, with increased business, then C&NW was on board in running The Challenger on their line.
Rcdrye, the floor is yours....
I had a working link to scans of OGs that I can't seem to find any more.
daveklepper On the C&NW it always was a separate train with its own train numbers? Or rather than always, the time period you specified?
On the C&NW it always was a separate train with its own train numbers?
Or rather than always, the time period you specified?
Focus on the June 1935-May 1936 time period.
daveklepper I would suspect that the Chicago and Northwestern found the schedfle convenient for an overnight sleeper, possibly between Chicago and Omaha or, less likely a parlor car for a specific clientel whe reglarly wished to commuts.
I would suspect that the Chicago and Northwestern found the schedfle convenient for an overnight sleeper, possibly between Chicago and Omaha or, less likely a parlor car for a specific clientel whe reglarly wished to commuts.
No, that would not be it, since, at the time, UP's better west coast trains all left Chicago late in the evening within a 60-90 minute window.
Go back to my question - it refers to the operation (?) of the train.
rcdrye Oh, ZO wins - he was the one that got the Florida train idea!
Oh, ZO wins - he was the one that got the Florida train idea!
Everybody's Limited...The Overland Route's #7 and 8, the Los Angeles Limited, was affected by the passenger traffic collapse brought upon by the Great Depression. Formerly all-Pullman, the train was handling Tourist sleepers and coaches by the early 1930's. But by June 1935, traffic had increased to the point where UP decided to take the coaches and Tourist sleepers and put them on a separate section of the Los Angeles Limited. UP may have taken a page from C&O's passenger playbook, the latter establishing the George Washington, that road rebranding and upgrading two existing Washington-Cincinnati trains with mostly refurbished/upgraded existing equipment, and giving that train a sharper marketing focus. Instead of just having a regular additional section of an existing train, UP named the Tourist sleeper and coach section of the Los Angeles Limited The Challenger, and provided amenities attuned to Depression-weary passengers such as free pillows, economical dining car fare and separate coaches for women and children. UP marketed its offering as a popularly-priced train, on a schedule similiar to that of the all-Pullman Los Angeles Limited. But the railroad hedged its bets by running The Challenger as Second #7 and Second #8, just in case of possible train consolidations due to traffic conditions.The new operation was successful enough that by May 1936 UP gave the train its own running numbers and schedule, although UP consist listings for The Challenger at the time did contain the clarification "Coach and Tourist Section, Los Angeles Limited." Despite the success of The Challenger, between June 1935 and May 1936 there was an anomaly that involved UP's Chicago partner, C&NW, in running this service. The question is, what was that anomaly?
I thought it was in my profile, but there's no secret about it, and anyone who complains about my posting is free to doxx me at this address:
7776 Farmington Blvd, #38927
Germantown, TN 38183-0927
I'll reimburse the postage and mailing expenses as you desire.
I'll be darned if I can figure out how to put an address in this profile or message system anywhere, although I'd swear that I put one in years ago and used to be able to see it. (That address wouldn't be current, though... ). I'm still waiting patiently for the stage-three improvements to the forum experience.
Overmod The one I was thinking of was the Dixie Flagler, but I thought the train was the Super Chief and not the El Cap. This was based from a quote in Stan Repp's "Super Chief, Train of the Stars" that claimed this was the only place a train from the East Coast actually wound up next to a train from the West Coast... he may not be as knowledgeable as the 'usual suspects' armed with OGs here. One of y'all gets it. I'm not snooty which one...
The one I was thinking of was the Dixie Flagler, but I thought the train was the Super Chief and not the El Cap. This was based from a quote in Stan Repp's "Super Chief, Train of the Stars" that claimed this was the only place a train from the East Coast actually wound up next to a train from the West Coast... he may not be as knowledgeable as the 'usual suspects' armed with OGs here.
One of y'all gets it. I'm not snooty which one...
On days it ran the South Wind arrived at Union Station about the same time the North Coast Limited departed.
Overmod Name two streamliners, one from the East Coast and one from the West Coast, that would occupy adjacent tracks in Chicago at the same time (When on time).
Name two streamliners, one from the East Coast and one from the West Coast, that would occupy adjacent tracks in Chicago at the same time (When on time).
I do recall a 1940's picture of ATSF's El Capitan and C&EI's Dixie Flagler occuping adjacent tracks in Dearborn Station. The El Capitan arrived at 7:15am whereas the Flagler was leaving shortly after 8:00am.
The Broadway and the Denver Zephyr were side by side at the 5 PM departure and 15 minutes apart on arrival. The CZ left at 3:30PM and arrived at 1:30 PM for most of its life.
There were ony two Chicago stations where this happened - LaSalle (NYC, CRI&P) and Union (PRR, CB&Q+D&RGW+WP, CB&Q+GN+SP&S, CB&Q+NP+SP&S). The Olympian Hiawatha shared the station with PRR trains but not platforms on the same side...
Do you have a year in mind?
Probably the California Zephyr and Broadway Limited at the Chicago Union Station.
Ed Burns
Still thinking, but in 95 degree heat.. not coming up with anything yet. Someone fill in while you have to wait.
I'm still thinking, or perhaps 'scheming' would be a better word, of a proper brain-teasing question that isn't esoteric or boring.
I still aspire, someday, of getting to the level of the father-daughter named passenger trains. But I doubt I will.
Waiting for another of Overmod's distingished questions.
Yep, the Reader quit as a common carrier in 1972, lasted a while as a tourist operation, then folded. Reader's 2-6-2 #5 operated at a couple of other places in the 1970s and 1980s.
That has be Lee Reader's Possum Trot line.
When I was a kid, I thought there was some tie-in with schools and libraries...
This railroad, considered the last one to operate true mixed trains (behind steam power, no less) ceased common carrier operations in 1972.
waiting for rc's qestion
You are correct, except that it's what is now the Orange Line, but for many yearsd was "The Washington Street Elevated," or "The Main Line Elevated." and the only part of that line that is on the original RoW is the "Washington Street Tunnel" which is parallel, one-block east, of the landmarked 1898 "{Tremont Street Subway." now the core of the Green Line, but was also the Orange Line's first downtown route, usurping the outside tracks Broadway and Tremont Street - North Station 1904-1910?, whilt the inside tracks Public Garden - Park Street Loop and Brattle Street Loop at Scolley Square (now Government Center) - North Station continued in streetcar use.
I mentioned the Blue Line in my question. It was the "East Boston Tunnel." and was bult for streetcars and converted to rapid trsansit and has remained rapid transit, with overhead-wire operation (with pantographs), returning only on the ground-level extension to Revere Beach (Wonderland Station).
Next qestion
I'm pretty sure you'te looking fo the pieces of the Boston Subways that were built for streetcars, converted to Blue Line Rapid transit and then were reassigned to the Green Line. The Green Line was operated with PCCs until almost the end of the 20th Century. Since then all of the equipment has been "Light Rail Vehicles" of various origins. The subway section connecting to the East Boston Tunnel never had its own name. The spedial lane bus service is Silver Line, but at this point the lieklihood of that getting converted to Light Rail is small at best.
Give-away hints. Most of this Landmarked subway is still in very heavy use, but some portion is waiting for the upgrade of a special-lane bus service to light-rail. During much of the 20th Century single-end equpment predominated, but today the fscility sees the revenue operation of only double-end equipment.
Surprised RC, who assuredly knows the answer, has not yet replied.
National Landmark
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