Could it have been the New Haven RR? New England Transportation Co. On these Roads...NYC&StL, W&LE, P&WV, WM, RDG, CNJ, L&HR, NYNH&H, commonly known as the alphabet lines?....Mike
I've been missing a few lately...mmmmm...need to book it up a bit BUT...this one I know...at least "most" of it because
I HAVE DRAWINGS OF SOME OF THE CARS.
Southeastern Express Company founded by the Southern Railway System. Roads that used SExpress - well, some are SOUTHERN, MOBILE & OHIO, FRISCO. I'd be guessing at the rest.
The most curious thing about SExpress was it's herald.
It was a swastika ! Long before that had "other" connotations.
Bob did get the name of the company; this morning, I guessed "Southern Express Company," and found nothing on it.
I looked the Southeastern Express Company up in the January, 1930, issue of the Guide, and found that it was operated over twenty companies (including tthree steamship lines) .
Southern Railway System Lines, M&O, A&W, Atlantic & Yadkin, Augustan Norhten, Bamberg, Ehrhardt & Walterboro, Chesapeake Steamship Co., Columbus and Greenville, Georgia, Ashburn, Sylvester & Camilla, L&C, Ma & Pa, Merchants & Miners Transportation Co (steamship?), Miss. & Ala., Miss. Southern, Norfolk and Mobjack Bay Steamship CO., Sheffield Co., Smithfield, Newport News & Norfolk Steamship CO., South Georgia, Tennessee Central, & Washington-Baltimore & Annapolis Electric R. R.
But, the Frisco is not listed.
Johnny
Southern was a part owner of most of the lines. Southern Railway Systems would add these lines to her system.
FlyingCrow Southeastern Express Company founded by the Southern Railway System. Roads that used SExpress - well, some are SOUTHERN, MOBILE & OHIO, FRISCO. I'd be guessing at the rest.
You're the winner with this answer Buck. I checked a 1937 OG and, like Johnny, didn't find the Frisco listed as one of the participating RR's. If the Frisco figured in this operation it must have been before 1930 or after 1937.
I'm looking forward to your next questionl\.
Mark
Take a deep breath. We return to the great INTERURBAN ERA with this one. Specifically, the Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee.
List the consist of the last scheduled southbound Electroliner run, train 818, departing Milwaukee on January 20, 1963 at 8 p.m.
First bonus: Name the North Shore Employee considered the "Father of the Electroliners".
Are you feeling lucky? Well, are you ? Big Bonus : What were the names of the very last Electroliner crew?
Go make yourself an Electro-Burger or have a drink on a North Shore "Pink Elephant" cocktail napkin and see what you can do. Compete , unadulterated, cheating and crib notes are permitted.
I think I cab find the answers to all these questions and will get back to you. The North Shore was definitely one of my most favorite railroads, and heaven on earth was the railfan's seat oposite the motorman's cab, while eating an electroburger bought at the animal crackers snack bar.
The last southbound run was actually a Sailor's extra running in passenger service only as far south as N. Chicago Jc. and Great Lakes, around midnight, and the train then proceeded south to Highland Shops on the then freight-only single-track renmnat of the Shore Line. I think this was not only the last Electroliner move but also the last revenue move of any type, although the last regular ("Silverliner") norhtbound may not have reached Milwaukee by its arrival at Great Lakes. The Sailor's extras had been regularly run, usually with conventional equpment, for sailor's returning from visits to Milwaukee on a day's or evening's leave or pass.
I will let you know which of the two Electroliners it was and which made the last full trip to Roosevelt Rd. (Avenue?) Chicago earlier that evening.
I can see Dave's moving in for the "kill" here. I will add that the facts that will back up the correct answer did not come from a book, or a video, or the IRM, but my oldest "railfan" friend who was there on that bitter cold gloomy January night in 1963 when Chicago made it's greatest mistake.
Last train #818 was 750-770-759
Last Electroliner was 804-803 on train #807
Father of the Electroliner was Henry Cordell
Last Electroliner crew was Motorman Bill Keller and Conductors John Horachek and Earl Hansen
WHOA !!!!
WE GOT A WINNER HERE.
Everything matches my buddy's email, including the crew's names, except for the Father of the Electroliner.
According to him it was Orin Schmidt. John Horachek wrote the article in Nov 1982 TRAINS.
But, this is such a complete answer, I must pass the baton! Good Going ShopsYardMaster, the floor is all yours.
Thanks, got my answers from that article. It also said Cordell was master mechanic, and Schmidt was shop foreman.
Next q-
There are 3 Chicago and NorthWestern R-1 4-6-0's left. What are the road numbers and locations?
A bit more on the last day of operation, not to distract from correct answers given by the above respondants. The last Electroliner SCHEDULE southbound was not handled by an Electroliner. This was the 8pm Milwaukee - Chicago trip. As I noted the northbound 5pm Chicago - Milwaukee trip had standees and that train went light to Highwood for layup instead of handling thde 8PM departure trip. So the last southbound Electroliner schedule was handled by a six-car Silverliner train, and at the time of my posting above, I was unclear whether trailer-diner-lounge car 415 or 417 was the one that had been given Silverliner modernization and was the standby for Electroliner food service. I checked the CERA 107 and 106 and found it was 415. So the last southbound Electroliner schedule had five 700-class coach motors and the 415. Why? Because riding had been very heavy all day as lots of people wanted to get their last rides, not just railfans, and the six-car substitute train would provide about 260 seats (including the diner-lounge) as opposed to only about 154 on the Electroliner. Also, standees could be accommodate more easily and there would be many more doors for enterning and exiting the train. At the time, the CTA limited the North Shore to six-car trains, but much earlier eight-car trains had been the maximum. I note this analysis does not completely agree with the three-car train posted. But the posting of the three-car train would indicate the the North Shore did not provide the timetable stated snack-car service normal on all Electroliner trips, and my experience was that this service was always provided, even when the backup equpment was used,. That and the heavy ridership would sugges that possibly only three out of six cars were noted, and that a six-car train was used. Comments appreciated.
Then the 8pm Chicago to Milwaukee train became the Sailors' Special continuing to Highwood for layup. The last main-line revenue moves were 1am departures from both ends, and the last revenue move of any type was a Mundelein local arriving there shortly after 3AM, all this on Sunday morning.
The last time I rode the North Shore was earlier that summer on my way to De Pere or Green Bay, and I rode the unusual C&NW gallery long distance train from Milwaukee to De Pere. My destination was De Pere and I just don;t remember at this point whether the Penninsula 400 actually served that community or whether I had to get off at Gren Bay..
ShopsYardMaster There are 3 Chicago and NorthWestern R-1 4-6-0's left. What are the road numbers and locations?
It took a bit of surfing but I believe I've located the three surviving CNW ten-wheelers.
No.175 - Quincy Mining, Ripley, MN
No.444 - Forney Transportation Museum, Denver CO
No. 1385 - Mid-Continent Railway Museum, North Freedom, WI
KCSfan has it 99% right--
#175 is at Ripley, Michigan, not Minnesota.
Your turn.
Some time ago we had several "name that train" questions. The last one I remember had to do with a train name that related to Lucille Ball. Along the same lines, I currently have in mind a train that would be of interest to long distance runners. What was the name of this train, its route and the railroad over which it ran?
I can think of two possibles...The Minute Man , Boston to Washington on the B&M, or The Pacemaker New York to Chicago on the NYC......Mike
Yes the Minuteman (one word). The Boston and Maine Boston to Troy with through cars over the New York Central to Chicago, via a connecting Troy-Albany local, then a late evening NY-Chicago train. At one time I believe it was through train complete with open-platform observation. Never, ever, ever, ran to New York City. When I rode it I North Cambridge-Troy, I was expecting the Flying Yankee equipment as promised in the current timetable and went without my usual MIT Walker Memorial lunch to enjoy a buffet meal on the train, but it came to the North Cambridge Station as an Alco 1500-series road-switcher and two plain jane heavywieght coachers and a combine. Not even an American Flyer air-conditioned car. (Temperture was OK because steam heat was needed and available) No food service, and the conductor shared his bag of salted peanuts with me.
Good guesses but neither the Minuteman nor the Pacemaker were the train I have in mind. Think further west.
Antelope, AT&SF?
Wait a minute, obviously, the Olympian Hiawatha. The start of each of the Greek games was at the end of relay race with a torch carried by a long distance runner. I think this also true of the present-day Olympic compeitions.
Sorry Dave but it's not the Antelope or Olympian Hiawatha. Here's a hint that should help you - Omaha was one of the cities served by the train I have in mind.
I should have given the end points of the Miwaukee's Olympian (heavyweight) and its Olympian Hiawatha replacement in any case. They were Chicago and Tacoma, not Seattle. The trains never served Portland directly as far as I know, although at one time there may have been a through sleeper or two handled by the UP south of Tacoma or Seattle. Indeed, at one time they may have been a Twin Cities - Oakland sleeper on the Olympian, UP to Portland and SP to Oakland..
Pretty far fetched, but the 49'er? Or was there once an athletic competition by the name Aksarben? (really Ak-Sar-Ben.)
daveklepperI should have given the end points of the Miwaukee's Olympian (heavyweight) and its Olympian Hiawatha replacement in any case. They were Chicago and Tacoma, not Seattle. The trains never served Portland directly as far as I know, although at one time there may have been a through sleeper or two handled by the UP south of Tacoma or Seattle. Indeed, at one time they may have been a Twin Cities - Oakland sleeper on the Olympian, UP to Portland and SP to Oakland.. Pretty far fetched, but the 49'er? Or was there once an athletic competition by the name Aksarben? (really Ak-Sar-Ben.)
Unlike the train I am looking for, the ones mentioned so far have only a rather loose relationship to long distance running. Here's another hint. In 1940 when one of a fleet of streamliners was placed in service this train disappeared from the schedules of the subject railroad.
WAG Wasn't their a train called the Marathon either CB&Q or C&NW?. Hope this points someone in the right direction.
Thx IGN
narig01 WAG Wasn't their a train called the Marathon either CB&Q or C&NW?. Hope this points someone in the right direction. Thx IGN
Bingo - that's the right one. But the Marahon wasn't a Burlington or CNW train. Let's see if someone can come up with the railroad and the route of the train.
Excerpt from Steam, Steel & Limiteds by William W. Kratville (1962)
The Missouri Pacific offered the Sunflower (overnight) and sections of the Scenic and Rainbow into Omaha from Kansas City in the twenties with open-platformed parlor observations and dining-parlor cars. Oil-burning locomotives were featured in the early thirties and in 1935, a solarium dining parlor and coaches were modernized and put on as the Marathon to compete with the Zephyr. This train was a favorite with rail men who came over from St. Joseph to Atchison to take it to Omaha. One night, while the usual few patrons were enjoying the excellent pot roast dinner, lightning knocked a tree across the tracks and shorted out the parlor radio.
http://digital.denverlibrary.org/u?/p15330coll22,66693
http://digital.denverlibrary.org/u?/p15330coll22,66697
Excerpt from National Railway Bulletin by National Railway Historical Society (1976)
In February 1939, the Missouri Pacific announced plans for a new lightweight streamlined train to operate between St. Louis and Omaha. Designed to replace the steam-powered Marathon and named, by employee suggestion, the Eagle, it was placed in service in 1940 followed by the streamlined Colorado Eagle in 1942. The Colorado Eagle replaced the steam-powered Scenic Limited which had been operating since 1915 between St. Louis and Denver with connections via the Denver & Rio Grande Western and Western Pacific to San Francisco. The original Eagle was then christened the Missouri River Eagle...
http://books.google.com/books?id=m48cQ_xO7SsC&pg=PA126#v=onepage&q&f=true
Mike has nailed the remainder of this question. The Marathon was MoPac No's 105 & 106 which ran between KC and Omaha until the Eagle was put in service in 1940.
The hardest part of this question was to identify the train and since IGN was the first to name the Marathon I think he should be declared our winner so the next question is yours IGN.
"The hardest part of this question was to identify the train and since IGN was the first to name the Marathon I think he should be declared our winner so the next question is yours IGN"
IGN - any progress on on your question? I need my question fix soon!
My apoligies for the delays here. I've been out of easy internet access.
I will try for something classic and ancient.(I hope this will make many many people look a lot younger lol)
Can someone name the 1st evidence of a track guided path in recorded history?
The answer should come in three parts 1: Location 2: Dates of approximate use 3: Purpose of use ie what did it connect and primary haulage
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