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Classic Railroad Quiz (at least 50 years old).

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, October 10, 2011 7:14 AM

The Midland Terminal, which took over a part of the Colorado Midland into Colorado Springs after the Colorado Midland abandoned and which did operate up through WWII.

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Posted by KCSfan on Saturday, October 8, 2011 11:21 PM

Definitely the Midland Valley which was the road that had trackage in three states, KS, OK and AR.

The Maryland Midland and Florida Midland are good calls. Both are relatively new lines which operate former branches of a major road. The former is Genesse & Western owned and the latter is a Pinsley company road. However I wouldn't count the Poway Midland as I understand it not an operating common carrier but a nistorical/tourist attraction.

I know of four other roads that haven't beenmentioned yet.

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Posted by K4sPRR on Saturday, October 8, 2011 7:57 PM

Arkansas Midland, Maryland Midland, and Florida Midland?  Would the Poway Midland in California qualify?

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Posted by K4sPRR on Saturday, October 8, 2011 7:56 PM

Arkansas Midland, Maryland Midland and Florida Midland?  Would the Poway Midland in California qualify?

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Posted by DSO17 on Saturday, October 8, 2011 7:00 PM

     Midland Valley Railroad ?

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Posted by KCSfan on Saturday, October 8, 2011 1:06 PM

The Colorado Midland ceased operations and was abandoned prior to 1935 so it cannot be counted. The Ontario Midland is a good call however. The C&IM, Gainsville Midland and Midland Continental are all good answers.

I know of at least five other "Midlands" that haven't yet been identified including one which operated in three different states and another that was just under two miles in length.

Mark

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Friday, October 7, 2011 6:53 AM

KCSfan

It's been over a week since we last heard from narig whose turn it is to ask the next question. Rather than let this thread die while waiting for him, I'll throw out a quickie question.

At one time Midland was a part of the name of many railroads. From 1935 forward, the names of what roads included the word, Midland?

Mark

For openers:

Chicago & Illinois Midland

Midland Continental

Gainesville Midland

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Posted by henry6 on Thursday, October 6, 2011 3:08 PM

Going back before going forward.  Re:"NJ's Susquehanna" in effect did reach the Susquehanna River at Wilkes Barre when it took over and operated the Wilkes Barre and Eastern west from Stroudsburg, PA. often with Susquehanna names on the sideboards.  One of the problems is that most of the time it operated the W-B&E it was under Erie control and so you'd find as much Erie power or Erie designed power on the road!    
To "tie" this to the new question, the NYS&W did pick up the pieces of the New Jersey Midland thorugh NJ to Middletown, NY after the NY& Oswego Midland reorganized as the NYO&W and built the east from MIddletown to Cornwall, NY!  Never used the Midland name as I remember, and it was long before the 1935 date of this question.  

SO the first "Midland" to come to mind to the question would be Colorado Midland followed by the Ontario Midland (before the present one).  For starters.

 

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Posted by KCSfan on Thursday, October 6, 2011 8:52 AM

It's been over a week since we last heard from narig whose turn it is to ask the next question. Rather than let this thread die while waiting for him, I'll throw out a quickie question.

At one time Midland was a part of the name of many railroads. From 1935 forward, the names of what roads included the word, Midland?

Mark

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Posted by narig01 on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 9:38 PM

Ack!! I didn't realize I hit the post icon.   Ithought  I'd backed out of the thread til I  was looking at my email tonite 

    Partially a WAG. When I thought about   the  Rock Island it seemed to fit.  All thplaces they went on someon elses tracks. Denver on Kansas Pacific(UP), Tucumcari (SP owned  the last 30 miles,  Houston(Burlington-Rock Island), Memphis(Memphis Bridge Co),  Kansas City (Kansas Pacific nee UP).  

     Innovations,Usually when a company is behind, if they're in survivor mode they're willing to try all manner of ideas to stay afloat. CTC I think was 1st tried on Rock Island in 1935. And of course the legal innovation of being the largest class 1 railroad to be liquidated in bankrupcy. John Ingrams(I think)  ability to talk the unions into taking stock in lieu of pay.

    As I said above I really did not intend to send in my answer. As I would now have to think of the next question.

    I'll try to think of something tonite & post. 

Thx IGN

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 7:45 PM

All yours, nariq

Why did you think it was the Rock Island? 

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Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 11:55 AM

Possibly the Minneapolis & St. Louis.

Mark

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Posted by narig01 on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 10:35 AM

Rock Island ?

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 9:18 AM

There are probably several railroads that meet that description, but certainly New Jersey's Susquahana was one.   The New York Wetchester and Boston as a commuter railroad was another, with its failure to provide through service to downtown  Manhattan.

Susquahana innovations included bus transfer to NY as an alternative to Erie ferry boats, modern diesel railcars precussers of RDC's., and dieselization.

NYW&B innovations included center of car doors (three doors per side like SEPTA's mu's), high platforms at all stations, and lightweight Stillwell car design.   Grade seperation to avoid grade crossings..  

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Monday, September 26, 2011 7:39 PM

Well, "tomorrow" actually ended up being 3 or 4 days.   

Something a on the "E-Z" side then.

Despite a modern fleet, a progressive president, and numerous innovations, this road's original failure to reach major terminii over it's own rails might have been key to its eventual undoing.     What road am I thinking of? 

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Thursday, September 22, 2011 7:23 PM

Ach so, Mark.

Sometimes you have to step outside the hallowed ground of Rich Mountain to find these.   Stick out tongue   From the pages of "Railroads of Nevada & Eastern California" comes the narrow gauged N-C-O, eventually replaced with standard gauge SP tracks.           

LOL...I knew you'd understand the Arthur Stilwell reference.  

I'll have something fun for everyone tomorrow.

 

 

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Posted by KCSfan on Thursday, September 22, 2011 5:23 AM

I'm impressed Arthur StilwellSmile

Buck, except for one road you've named all those that I know of and even added the NV-CA-OR which I had never heard of before, The one that you missed is the Arkansas Louisiana & Mississippi (successor to the Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri) which is one of the Genesse & Wyoming owned roads. Unlike all the others, the AL&M still operates and turns a profit today.

I'm certain no one can top your list so you're the winner and get to ask the next question.

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Thursday, September 22, 2011 4:28 AM

Ah, woke up in the middle of the night with one more.

Nevada-California-Oregon:     2 states

 

Just call me Arthur Stilwell !  Big Smile

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 7:54 PM

Here we go ---

Missouri-Kansas-Texas : all 3 states

Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia : all 3 states

New Jersey, Indiana & Illinois :  Only Indiana

Arkansas and Louisiana Missouri Railway : 2 states

Louisiana, Arkansas & Texas:   1 state...TX subsidiary of the L&A

Georgia, Florida & Alabama : 2 states.   "The Sumatra Leaf Route".

Good start?


 

 

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Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 9:03 AM

The names of several railroads consisted only of three or more state names. A hypothetical example of which would be the Michigan, Ohio & Pennsylvania. Which of these operated 1) in all of their namesake states, 2) in all but one of their namesake states and 3) in only one of their namesake states? Consider only railroads which existed circa 1930-present.

Mark

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Posted by Deggesty on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 9:10 PM

You're right, Mark. It was, indeed, the Gull, which ran as you said. It always interested me from the time that I saw this back in the fifties.

So, give us another one.

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Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 8:12 PM

Johnny, I believe that would be the Main Central/B&M Gull. In one direction (on MeC rails) it ran through Augusta, the capital of Maine. In the other direction it ran through Lewiston and bypassed Augusta.

Mark

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Posted by Deggesty on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 7:10 PM

New question: what train named for a bird served a capital city when going one way and avoided that city when going the other way? Extra credit: name the capital city.

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Monday, September 19, 2011 7:18 PM

I would also point out that NYCS had equipment marked "T&OC" for the Toledo & Ohio Central.

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Monday, September 19, 2011 10:14 AM

As an answer to an earlier posting, IHB did own some gondolas and flatcars in interchange service, not too surprising for a switching road in northwest Indiana.  I remember seeing some at Hyman Michaels in Hegewisch many years ago, waiting to be cut up.

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Posted by wanswheel on Monday, September 19, 2011 7:44 AM

Johnny, yes it's your turn, and Mark, you're right, too.

Quoting the article again, "In this office are maintained the records of all freight and passenger cars owned by the New York Central System, bearing reporting marks N.Y.C., M.C., C.C.C.&St.L., P.&E., B.&A., P.&L.E., P.McK.&Y. and Canada Southern."

For some reason, only Canada Southern was unabbreviated. Maybe it was good diplomacy, or maybe the letters CASO would've been a total mystery to some readers. PMcK&Y = Pittsburgh, McKeesport & Youghiogheny.

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Posted by KCSfan on Monday, September 19, 2011 5:12 AM

Right after posting the above reply another possibility popped into mind, the Canada Southern. I know there were  cars lettered Canada Southern, reporting mark CASO, which also bore the NYC oval logo.

Mark

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Posted by KCSfan on Monday, September 19, 2011 4:46 AM

Johnny has named the five big subsidiaries of the NYC. The only other ones that I know of were the Chicago River & Indiana and the Indiana Harbor Belt. I wasn't aware that either of these roads owned any cars other than those used in MoW service. However,  I guess it's possible that they owned some cars used in interchange freight service.

Mark

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, September 19, 2011 2:59 AM

Possibly the TH&B and West Shore?  Ulster and Delaware?

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Posted by Deggesty on Sunday, September 18, 2011 9:21 PM

That's a nice picture, MIke. I wish I had been able to use the Central Terminal Building; as it is, I have never stopped over in Buffalo. I did make use of the MC building in Detroit, back in '69.

My thought as to the other roads (I can think of only five), is that the NYC kept track of all the cars marked with the various subsidiaries--Big 4, MC, B&A, P&E, and P&LE are the ones that come to my mind.

Johnny

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