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Classic Railroad Quiz (at least 50 years old).

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Posted by narig01 on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 12:04 AM

WAG Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern ?   Or  Norfolk Southern( the RR from Norfolk, that ran to NC).

thx IGN

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 6:55 AM

henry6

A.C.& Y.

Definitely not. AC&Y had a fair number of FM's on the roster, but no Lima's.

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Posted by henry6 on Monday, April 18, 2011 3:55 PM

A.C.& Y.

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Monday, April 18, 2011 3:39 PM

Keep in mind the timeframe for this question.  Which was the only Class 1 railroad in the diesel era to have a roster comprised entirely of Lima-Hamilton locomotives?

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by narig01 on Sunday, April 17, 2011 12:00 AM

Yes Paul should get this. I could not remember the name of this RR.  Santa Fe & SP had any numer of operations in the central valley. Somewhere I've got some pictures of some of this line. I can remember onne shot I took of a pair of SP GP9's out towards buttonwillow and a Santa Fe CF7 switching a carrot facility on the south side of Bakersfield. 

   One other item is the latter(Bakersfield) still has wig wags. 

A lot of good memories of taking pictures of trains in the valley during high school(1970's)

rgds IGN

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Posted by KCSfan on Saturday, April 16, 2011 11:51 AM

I think Paul should get to ask the next question since he was the one to identify the Sunset Ry. and the SP and Santa Fe operating arrangement. Narig was on the right track when he mentioned Bakersfield and Rail America. The 52.6 mile Sunset Ry. ran between Bakersfield and Shale, CA. The portion of it that is still active is operated today as the San Joaquin Valley RR, a Rail America company.

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Posted by narig01 on Thursday, April 14, 2011 10:33 PM

I would guess the current operator is California Northern. To be honest I'm trying to rack my brains about this railroad.   I would guess it is probably one of the many operations in the central valley.  Their is one on the south side of Bakersfield that comes to mind that is currently run by RailAmerica.

    I remember this one cause I called UP's call center(the sign still said SP) to report a malfunctioning crossing. If I remember correctly they said call RailAmerica.as the local signal maintainer had gone home for the weekend.

Rgds IGN

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Posted by KCSfan on Thursday, April 14, 2011 5:02 PM

The Sunset RR in California is the line I was looking for. Paul also correctly identified the SP and Santa Fe as the major roads that swapped operating control of it every five years.

I'm still looking for the endpoints of the Sunset and the road which today operates a portion of its former trackage.

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Posted by henry6 on Thursday, April 14, 2011 10:18 AM

Now that you mention it, the Fort Worth and Denver was also a joint operation passing off authority between Burlington and Sante Fe I think.

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Thursday, April 14, 2011 10:03 AM

Burlington-Rock Island, later the Joint Texas Division, had alternating five-year periods of operating control between CB&Q and RI.  Two other roads with similar arrangements were the Sunset RR in California (SP-ATSF) and Oregon, California & Eastern in Oregon prior to Weyerhaueser control(SP-GN).

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Posted by KCSfan on Thursday, April 14, 2011 7:26 AM

narig01

The 2 that come to mind are

1. The Central California Traction Company. Sacramento, Ca to Stockton. Western Pacific & Santa Fe.

2.  Burlington  - Rock Island In Texas Fort Worth to Houston. Railroad named in Railroad name.

Mostly a guess but it what came to mind when I read the quiz.

Rgds IGN

Good guess but neither of these are the road I have in mind. Its unique feature was the transfer of operating control from one Class I to the other every five years which, to the best of my knowledge, was a one of a kind arrangement.

Hint: The subject shortline was located in one of the west coast states.

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Posted by narig01 on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 5:18 PM

The 2 that come to mind are

1. The Central California Traction Company. Sacramento, Ca to Stockton. Western Pacific & Santa Fe.

2.  Burlington  - Rock Island In Texas Fort Worth to Houston. Railroad named in Railroad name.

Mostly a guess but it what came to mind when I read the quiz.

Rgds IGN

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 7:39 AM

Interesting question, and I know I read about this railroad and the arrangement you mention, but the name and two Class I's escape me.

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Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 7:57 PM

henry6

Are you sures there was only one?  I know of several Chicago area switching operations and teminal lines that had similar agreements among their owners, St. Louis Terminal is another that comes to mind, and one of the lines in Buffalo, NY I believe.  Also several in IL come to mind in and around Peoria. 

I can't say for sure as I don't know the details of any similar operating agreements. To the best of my knowledge the one I have in mind is unique in that it was actually operated  by each of the two major Class I's with operational control changing hands from one to the other on a five year cycle. 

If you are thinking of the IHB and BRC in Chicago, the TRRA in St. Louis and the P&PU in Peoria you are quite right that each of these were owned by several different major lines. However,  when it came to operations, each of these terminal/switching roads were imdependent operating entities.

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Posted by henry6 on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 4:44 PM

Are you sures there was only one?  I know of several Chicago area switching operations and teminal lines that had similar agreements among their owners, St. Louis Terminal is another that comes to mind, and one of the lines in Buffalo, NY I believe.  Also several in IL come to mind in and around Peoria. 

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Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 2:08 PM

Beginning in the 1930's and continuing after WW2 there was a unique arrangement between two major Class I roads relative to the operation of a certain shortline railroad. Each of the major roads would operate the shortline for alternate periods of five years.  At the end of each five year period operation would switch from one to the other and the shortline would be shown in the OGs under the representation for which ever of the major roads that had operational control at the time.

What was the name of the shortline railroad. what were its endpoint terminals, and what two major roads had alternating control of its operation?

What is the name of the shortline that currently owns and still operates a portion of this line?

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Posted by henry6 on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 12:00 PM

Yes, the UV bought the Edmonston branch of the O&W when the Old Woman wanted to abandon it.  UV wanted to preserve the conncetion with the O&W on the south end while connecting with the DL&W on the north end.   C&PA is all in order.  The WAG was the B&O island which was once part of the Buffalo and Susquehanna.  Southern NY was a trolley or interurban from Oneonta to the Mohawk Valley, Little Falls and or Herkimer I believe.  So you got them all and we are expecting a harder question from you than what I've posted!

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Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 11:50 AM

Henry,

After some further digging I have uncovered what I  think may be the answers you are seeking.

The CP&A was originally chartered as the Coudersport & Olean but soon became the CP&A. I believe at least a portion of its route was originally built as the Jersey Shore, Pine Creek & Buffalo. In 1964 it was acquired by the WA&G (Salsburgs). I am not sure but apparently it continued to operate under the CP&A name uhntil its abandonment and never became a part of the WA&G.

The Utica & Unadilla Valley was the predecessor road that later became the UV. In 1941 the UV bought the New Berlin Branch of the "Old & Weary" which about doubled its total mileage.

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Posted by henry6 on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 7:49 AM

KCSfan

Henry,

I'm not quite sure what additional info you are looking for but I'll add what little I know.

Before becoming the WA&G the line was a branch of the Baltimore & Ohio.

At one time the SNY Ry was the Southern New York Power & Railway Co.

The  C&PA was the name of that railroad up until the time it was purchased by the Salzburgs who, I think, subsequently made it a part of their WA&G road..

A portion of the UV was formerly NYO&W trackage.

Mark

 

 

UV and C&PA info is wrong...

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Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 6:27 AM

Henry,

I'm not quite sure what additional info you are looking for but I'll add what little I know.

Before becoming the WA&G the line was a branch of the Baltimore & Ohio.

At one time the SNY Ry was the Southern New York Power & Railway Co.

The  C&PA was the name of that railroad up until the time it was purchased by the Salzburgs who, I think, subsequently made it a part of their WA&G road..

A portion of the UV was formerly NYO&W trackage.

Mark

 

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Posted by henry6 on Monday, April 11, 2011 8:43 PM

KCSfan

Henry, as I understand the question you are looking only for roads that operated in NY and PA. The four I think you have in mind are:

Wellsville, Addison & Galeton - final abandonment on 1979

Southern New York Ry. - a former interurban abandoned in 1972

Coudersport & Port Alegheny - abandoned in 1970

Unadilla Valley - abandoned in 1960

Mark

 

You got the 100% of half the answer right.....fill in the missing information and you will have it all.

 

 

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Posted by KCSfan on Monday, April 11, 2011 7:09 PM

Henry, as I understand the question you are looking only for roads that operated in NY and PA. The four I think you have in mind are:

Wellsville, Addison & Galeton - final abandonment on 1979

Southern New York Ry. - a former interurban abandoned in 1972

Coudersport & Port Alegheny - abandoned in 1970

Unadilla Valley - abandoned in 1960

Mark

 

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Posted by henry6 on Monday, April 11, 2011 6:03 PM

Mikec6201

Was Claremont Railway and Light Co one of them?...Mike

No, we're talking NY and PA, no longer New England.

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Posted by Mikec6201 on Monday, April 11, 2011 5:20 PM

Was Claremont Railway and Light Co one of them?...Mike

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Posted by henry6 on Monday, April 11, 2011 11:40 AM

FJ&G was not one of them.

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, April 11, 2011 11:11 AM

A pretty tall order for four railroads, but I believe that you are taking about the Unadilla Valley and the Johonstown Fonda and Gloversville for two of the four.   I don't have access to OG's so I cannot go further, and if someone else can and be accurate, may he or she be the winner.   I thought of the Jamestown Westfield and Northern, but I think that went to abandonment intact with trolley wire and passenger service still in place.

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Posted by henry6 on Monday, April 11, 2011 8:39 AM

 

Editing to fix following phrasing and wording:

I put an "a" in Suncook; just natural when nailing down New England names by force of habit...At Concord one could go to White River Jct to CV-CN to Montreal, Wells River and CP to Montreal or to North Conway to the Maine Central's Montreal service.

So, my turn.  New England is extremely fascinating and deep in railroad lore.  Dave brought up  the name Sam Pinsley;, he and kin Salzburg, both of the Boston area, were salvage dealers who bought up railroads at salvage prices but found they could operate them cheaper than the big guys and did so for many years. Four I am very familiar with operated in NY and PA,, three  into the 70's.  One was made up in part from a wandering milk and coal hauler, the second an interurban service, and the third, a then remote and isolated trackage to the main railroad, the fourth I believe always stood alone.  Name the salvage railraod names, the original railroad names, and the dates of final abandonment (by year is ok).

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, April 11, 2011 5:07 AM

It gotrackage rights from Bow Jc. to Concord in 1935 and then operated its mixed between Concord and Center Brarnstead until early 1945, and then only to Pittsfield NH, its headquarters up to abandonment in 1952.  That is the railroad, and the switchback resulted from the B&M's abandonment of the line south from Suncook to Hookset, and with the connections then on the main to Manchester.   So, the next question is yours Henry and I'll have more on Suncook Valley when I have a few additional moments to spare.

OK..    The B&M obviously intended to bridge the  gap between Center Barnstead and Alton Bay, a popular vacation spot, because the Alton Bay station was constructed as a through station, complete with order signal board.  But the branch was cut back from Alton Bay to Rochester (NH).  The Sucook Valley Transportaton Co.. owned by the railroad, provide twice daily bus service between Concord and Alton Bay via Pittsfield (directly, not via Suncook), Center Barnstead, and Barnstead.   A round trip took about four hours for the bus.   Between trips the bus was available for charter, and indeed serveral times that summer did take campers to the Canon Moutain areal tramway (a suspended cable line).

Sam Pinsley's Suncook Valley survived on farm products and necessities, and mostly on coal and material to a factory in Pittsfield that manufactured baseball bats, tennis raquets, golf clubs, etc, but during WWII helmets and body armor.  After the factory closed down or converted to oil heat (I didn't find out which) traffic fell off and the railroad was abandoned in 1952.  i think passengers were carrried on the mixed train to the end.

Concord of course was a major stop for Boston - Montreal trains and the terminal of several trains each day from Boston.   In the evening one carried a sleeper from Concord to Ayer or Lowell. which was picked up the State of Maine Express coming from Bangor and Portland.  In the early morning there was a reverse procedure.  This was also repeated for the Day Express, whcih was the State of Maine equipment making a return trip during the daytime to handle the addional traffic during WWII, and the Pullman 12 section and one drawing room car was operated as a parlor car for this serivce.   The State of Maine, the overnight train, operated over what is now the Providence and Worcester between Worcester and Providence, but the Day Express operated directly down the Thames River Line to Groton and New London.

But the line to Clairmont Jc. never carried regular through passenger equipment.   It was also weight restricted to light power, 2-6-0's were normal, double headed if freights or passenger specials were too heavy for one. 

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Posted by henry6 on Sunday, April 10, 2011 10:29 AM

I was looking north in the Conneticuit Valley in 1927 when I wandered east instead.  Found Sunnacook Valley RR which allowed for connections to Manhester and Boston or to Concord and Montreal. Didn't that become one of Pinsley's earliest lines?

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Posted by henry6 on Sunday, April 10, 2011 8:50 AM

Just trying to get time to check it all out...maybe before the morning is out!

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