wanswheel Johnny, the word metropolis, New York is definitely that. A sleeper to Niagara Falls?
Johnny, the word metropolis, New York is definitely that. A sleeper to Niagara Falls?
Johnny
Of course. I read it as possibly Seattle is about as far from a New York train as you can get, and not necessarily the train is as far from Washington State as you can get, which puts it in Florida. No idea.
Deggesty No, you can get farther from Washington State than New York. Look ahead.... Johnny
No, you can get farther from Washington State than New York. Look ahead....
Johnny,
Now we're getting somewhere. Look Ahead, Look South puts us on the Southern Rwy. I believe the car would be the Atlanta - Brunswick sleeper carried in the KC-Fla Special between Atl and Jesup and then on the 40 miles to Brunswick in an unnamed connecting train headed probably by a GP road switcher.
Mark
KCSfan Now we're getting somewhere. Look Ahead, Look South puts us on the Southern Rwy. I believe the car would be the Atlanta - Brunswick sleeper carried in the KC-Fla Special between Atl and Jesup and then on the 40 miles to Brunswick in an unnamed connecting train headed probably by a GP road switcher.
If I had had the wherewithal on New Year's night 1962, I would have asked about a berth from Jesup to Atlanta in this car. Instead, I spent most of the night in an unheated washroom in a Frisco coach, since the coaches were filled with people returning from the New Year's Day football games in Florida. (The night before, I had two facing seats all to myself as I went down to Jesup.)
Mark, you have the next question.
Jan 65 Traisn
Ahaa, it's hard to fool us old timers. I imagine most readers don't remember when the Southern used to advertise "Look Ahead, Look South". As soon as I spotted that disguised hint I knew the railroad and the 40 mile distance from Jesup to Brunswick made the rest of the answer easy. But until now I had no idea that through cars continued to run to Brunswick after the KC-Fla Spcl was discontinued into Jacksonville.
Your tale about riding in an unheated coach restroom reminded me of a trip I took on the Georgian in mid-winter 1948 or 49. The weather was almost balmy when I boarded the train in Atlanta but it was absolutely frigid by the time we reached northern Illinois. I had a call of nature that couldn't be denied as the train left Danville on the C&EI so I headed for the men's room which turned out to be unheated. The toilet outlet was frozen in a partially opened position which exposed me to a blast of Icy air as we sped along. I thought I was going to freeze to the seat and was never so cold except one night on bivouac in mid-winter when I was a basic trainee at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO.
So much for the war stories. I'm heading to my daughter's for her 49th birthday and will try to have another question in mind by the time I get back tonight.
Deggesty Jan 65 Traisn
Mark, we will wait for you on this thread.
In the 1960's a certain railroad ran two identical trains over two different routes which had one common end point, Headed by a single E unit, their three car consists were a baggage/mail/express car, a single coach and a round end coach/cafe/tavern lounge observation car. All cars were streamlined lightweights. At their common end point they were combined and additional cars were added to form a name train that ran on to a third destination. Going in the opposite direction this procedure was reversed to split the name train into the two little streamliners. What was the railroad, the end points of all three trains and the name train involved in this service?
Atlantic Coast Line East and West Coast Champions. Jacksonville the split from the north.
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Sorry Henry but no cigar. The consists of the Champions were nuch bigger than the three cars of these two streamliners.
Mark, can you give us a hint as to what area in the country these trains were operated?
Without being too specific I'll just say they ran in the Central Time Zone. The railroad they ran on was passenger friendly. They had eliminated the need for a first class ticket in their sleepers - just a coach ticket and charge for the space occupied was all that was necessary. They also were promoting train travel in paid newspaper ads throughout their service area as late as 1966.
I've been wondering why this question seems to be such a challenge particularly to some of you who I think of as experts when it comes to passenger trains in the golden age of railroading. It just occurred to me that these questions are supposed to harken back to at least 50 years ago which would be 1959 or prior. The schedule which is the subject of my question may not have been started until sometime in the 1960's which would make the question invalid and might be the reason you are having difficulty answering it. I can only state with certainty that the schedule was in effect in 1965 until the end of passenger service on this particular railroad.
KCSfan Without being too specific I'll just say they ran in the Central Time Zone. The railroad they ran on was passenger friendly. They had eliminated the need for a first class ticket in their sleepers - just a coach ticket and charge for the space occupied was all that was necessary. They also were promoting train travel in paid newspaper ads throughout their service area as late as 1966. Mark
You've got it almost right. Close enough to be declared the winner. In the latter years of passenger service the Southern Belle left Kansas City in the morning and ran through to New Orleans arriving early the next morning. The Flying Crow ran overnight between Kansas City and Shreveport carrying a sleeper, coaches and diner/lounge. South of Shreveport the Crow was split into the two little three cars streamliners. One made a daytime run to New Orleans and the the other to Port Arthur, TX. Going north the coaches from NO nad PA were combined at Shreveport, the diner and the diner and sleeper added to become the Flying Crow for the overnight run back to KC.
KCSfan Johnny, You've got it almost right. Close enough to be declared the winner. In the latter years of passenger service the Southern Belle left Kansas City in the morning and ran through to New Orleans arriving early the next morning. The Flying Crow ran overnight between Kansas City and Shreveport carrying a sleeper, coaches and diner/lounge. South of Shreveport the Crow was split into the two little three cars streamliners. One made a daytime run to New Orleans and the the other to Port Arthur, TX. Going north the coaches from NO nad PA were combined at Shreveport, the diner and the diner and sleeper added to become the Flying Crow for the overnight run back to KC. Mark
When the Southern Belle was the only passenger train left on the KCS, the observation combo served as the diner for the full run.
Here is a question: what town in Arkansas was named for a queen, and who was the railroad builder who named the town? (The name of the town uses only two syllables of the queen's four syllable name.)
Deggesty Here is a question: what town in Arkansas was named for a queen, and who was the railroad builder who named the town? (The name of the town uses only two syllables of the queen's four syllable name.) Johnny
The town would be Mena named for Queen Wilamena of the Netherlands. A few miles up the mountain from the town lies the Queen Wilamena State Park. Gorgeous country and we've stayed at the park lodge there several times. The Talihamena Drive from Mena up the mountain to the park and on to Oklahoma traverses some rugged country. At the AR-OK state line there stands an old survey marker dating back to a time before OK was a state. It reads Arkansas on one side and Indian Territory on the other. I believe the builder who named the town would be Arthur Stillwell who, with the backing of Dutch financial interests, constructed and acquired other railroads to form a goodly portion of what today is the KCS.
KCSfan The town would be Mena named for Queen Wilamena of the Netherlands. A few miles up the mountain from the town lies the Queen Wilamena State Park. Gorgeous country and we've stayed at the park lodge there several times. The Talihamena Drive from Mena up the mountain to the park and on to Oklahoma traverses some rugged country. At the AR-OK state line there stands an old survey marker dating back to a time before OK was a state. It reads Arkansas on one side and Indian Territory on the other. I believe the builder who named the town would be Arthur Stillwell who, with the backing of Dutch financial interests, constructed and acquired other railroads to form a goodly portion of what today is the KCS. Mark
The depot in his hometown was often used by Jimmy Carter as a backdrop in his campaign for the presidency. Up until 1951, when passenger service was discontinued, the train that stopped there ran between what two cities over what railroad? For extra credit, what motive power was used on this run in its latter years of operation?
Here's a hint for you. This train ran through the heart of the south.
KCSfan Here's a hint for you. This train ran through the heart of the south. Mark
Atlanta - Tallahassee? - a.s.
Sorry Al but no cigar for you yet. This trains route ran through two states but Florida was not one of them.
"Through the Heart of the South" refers not only to the route of the train but was also the long time slogan of the RR that served Carter's home town.
KCSfan "Through the Heart of the South" refers not only to the route of the train but was also the long time slogan of the RR that served Carter's home town. Mark
SAL? - a.s.
al-in-chgo KCSfan "Through the Heart of the South" refers not only to the route of the train but was also the long time slogan of the RR that served Carter's home town. Mark SAL? - a.s.
Right RR Al. You get to light your cigar when you name which of the Seaboard's routes passed through this town.
Uh oh. WAG time again: Raleigh to Mobile? - a.s.
al-in-chgo Uh oh. WAG time again: Raleigh to Mobile? - a.s.
Sorry Al but the Seaboard never ran to Mobile. River Jct (Chattahoochee, Fl) where it turned the Gulf Wind over to the L&N for the remainder of its run to New Orleans was the closest it got to Mobile. Another city which was one terminal of the subject route was the next clodsest point to Mobile on the SAL. Also the subject route only ran through two states. Raleigh to Mobile would have taken it through four states, NC, SC, GA and AL.
Didn't Carter use his home town depot as a prop, Plains? The SAL did use the slogan "Through the Heart of the South." I didn't know they ran through Plains, however or what route it might be. The Seabord had a two-state route between Atlanta and Bermingham (GA and LA) and one passenger train was local between the two, rode it, and then there was the Silver Comet, through, Birmingham - NYC.
Station http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/0/7/7/9077.1089379320.jpg
daveklepper Didn't Carter use his home town depot as a prop, Plains? The SAL did use the slogan "Through the Heart of the South." I didn't know they ran through Plains, however or what route it might be. The Seabord had a two-state route between Atlanta and Bermingham (GA and LA) and one passenger train was local between the two, rode it, and then there was the Silver Comet, through, Birmingham - NYC.
Dave,
Right town, right RR, but wrong route, so no cigar. You're warm so try again.
KCSfan daveklepper Didn't Carter use his home town depot as a prop, Plains? The SAL did use the slogan "Through the Heart of the South." I didn't know they ran through Plains, however or what route it might be. The Seabord had a two-state route between Atlanta and Bermingham (GA and LA) and one passenger train was local between the two, rode it, and then there was the Silver Comet, through, Birmingham - NYC. Dave, Right town, right RR, but wrong route, so no cigar. You're warm so try again. Mark
You've even got the two states, GA and AL right. Just think of two other large cities in these states that the SAL served and you've got the route.
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