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Classic Railroad Quiz (at least 50 years old).

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Friday, May 27, 2011 3:47 PM

Dragoman

WOW!  ZephyrOverland, your knowledge/resources far outstrip mine!  And I was all excited about recently discovering just B&O's Daylight Speedliner (which you do mention), as a non-Southern Pacific "Daylight".

But both you and Deggesty did miss a fairly obvious one -- SP's Oakland - Portland steamliner, the Shasta Daylight.  And while you do mention SP's Daylight Limited (which was the pre-streamliner San Francisco - LA train), SP's very first steamlined train on the route (in the new colors) was called, simply, the Daylight.  (As was the case with so many trains, like the 400, Eagle, Hiawatha, Mercury, and Zephyr, a successful train would spawn an entire family!)

And, while you (I presume accidentally) mention the Oakland Lark, which was neither a "Daylight" nor was it in "Daylight colors", it does remind me of the last of the extra-credit answers (that I know of).  In 1949, the Noon Daylight was cancelled, and its brightly-colored consist assigned to the Starlight, a new overnight premium all-coach streamlined partner to the streamlined all-Pullman Lark (in its 2-tone gray livery), both on the SF-LA coast route.

So, Deggesty got us started (and got most of the extra-credit), while ZephyrOverland regales us with so many additional examples.  I am overwhelmed and think I have to throw in the towel and declare a tie!

I'll leave it to the two of you to decide who goes next

You're right, the Oakland Lark was an accidental entry and I had assumed Johnny took care of the Shasta Daylight.

Anyway, even though I had the most entries I'm going to request that Johnny ask the next question.  I will be out of town for the next week and will not have the time to offer and monitor a question.

Take it away Johnny!

Myron

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Posted by Deggesty on Friday, May 27, 2011 3:48 PM

As to the Starlight, I should have named it because I knew that the SP took the equipment of the Noon Daylight, and changed its schedule quite a bit. But--I did not name it, so, of course, I get no credit for it. ZO, you named far more than I did (though I should have remembered the running mate to the Green Diamond yet it did not enter my thoughts at all). I also knew of the Louisiana Daylight (which was, at least in 1950) just a New Orleans-Fort Worth train). You have a far bigger loop on your side of the tie; go to it!

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Posted by Deggesty on Friday, May 27, 2011 5:19 PM

Well, Myron beat me out by one minute in declining to pose a question.

What trains were named for presidents (nicknames are allowable; city names are not) of the United States? Give the roads and end points.

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Friday, May 27, 2011 9:11 PM

Well, there's the George Washington, C&O.    End points varied era to era

The Abraham Lincoln,  Chicago & Alton (ha!), Chicago - St Louis

The Jeffersonian - NY to St Louis - PRR

The Jacksonian - PRR, L&N , ACL, FEC - Chicago to Miami

 

ok, ran out of steam here.

 

abd

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Posted by Deggesty on Sunday, May 29, 2011 6:25 PM

FlyingCrow

Well, there's the George Washington, C&O.    End points varied era to era

The Abraham Lincoln,  Chicago & Alton (ha!), Chicago - St Louis

The Jeffersonian - NY to St Louis - PRR

The Jacksonian - PRR, L&N , ACL, FEC - Chicago to Miami

 

ok, ran out of steam here.

 

abd

Well, Bob, you did quite well. You did not, however, name the Monon's Tippecanoe, which was a Chicago-Indianapolis train (it may have been named for the creek, but I always thought of the president known by that nickname). Who was President Tippecanoe? He was William Henry Harrison, who, with his soldiers, defeated Tecumseh at Tippecanoe Creek. The campaign slogan in 1840 was "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too."

The primary endpoints (all on the C&O) of the George Washington were Washington, Old Point Comfort (later, Newport News), Cincinnati, and Louisville. Detroit was added as other C&O trains were dropped, and the final eastern endpoint of the Detroit George was Huntington, W. Va (I had to change there when going from Detroit to Washington on the C&O in 1969). There was through service to and from other cities, but in trains on other roads with other names.

I, myself, did not remember the Jacksonian

If anybody can come with another five before Bob gets his question put together, post quickly!

As an aside to "Tecumseh," when I was a freshman in college, a sophomore taking the US History course was stumped by a question on a test: "Name an Indian chief who terrorized settlers in the Middle West." He could not think of Tecumseh, so he named the then Assistant to the President of the college (who was thereafter known as "Chief"), who was not really popular with the students. The math professor prevailed upon the history professor to give the boy half-credit for his answer.

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 10:35 AM

Deggesty

What trains were named for presidents (nicknames are allowable; city names are not) of the United States? Give the roads and end points.

Here's two more:

Lincoln Limited - Chicago & Alton - Chicago-St. Louis

John Quincy Adams - New Haven - New York-Boston

and of course, an obvious one....  Wink

President - PRR - New York-Washington

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Posted by Deggesty on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 11:32 AM

ZephyrOverland

 Deggesty:

What trains were named for presidents (nicknames are allowable; city names are not) of the United States? Give the roads and end points.

 

Here's two more:

Lincoln Limited - Chicago & Alton - Chicago-St. Louis

John Quincy Adams - New Haven - New York-Boston

and of course, an obvious one....  Wink

President - PRR - New York-Washington

I did have the NH's train in mind, but I did not recall the C&A's train. Now, as to the PRR's President--isn't it actually in the same category with Representative and Senator--offices, and not specific men?

Since, after almost three days no one has come up with five or more additional names, Flying Crow definitely has the postion of asking the next question.

 

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Posted by Southerngreen1401 on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 1:06 PM

Three southern railroads come to mind that name their equipment for Presidents and other famous Americans.   R,F&P   Souther Railway System  C & O  Who name engine and passenger cars after them

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Posted by Deggesty on Saturday, June 4, 2011 12:32 PM

Flying Crow, I hope you have not flown the coop and will have a question for us.Smile

Johnny

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Saturday, June 4, 2011 8:51 PM

Wow....I had NO idea it was my turn.....  1000 pardons to the group.     I've been over reading the MR board instead.

I'll have one tomorrow .   (Sunday)

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Sunday, June 5, 2011 6:20 PM

"Tanks" for the memories.   Stick out tongue

Before the whalebelly tank cars, who manufactured the world's largest tank car, and for whom, and the number?

 

 

 

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Posted by al-in-chgo on Saturday, June 11, 2011 4:39 PM

FlyingCrow

"Tanks" for the memories.   Stick out tongue

Before the whalebelly tank cars, who manufactured the world's largest tank car, and for whom, and the number?

 

 

You don't really expect someone to hit all three questions at once, do you?

al-in-chgo
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Posted by FlyingCrow on Saturday, June 11, 2011 8:42 PM

Sure, Al.     hint....there was an O scale model of it.    It was HUGE!     OK...now....  fingers on the keyboard and G-O-O-G-L-E.

 

 

 

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Sunday, June 12, 2011 6:42 AM

FlyingCrow

OK...now....  fingers on the keyboard and G-O-O-G-L-E.

ok....G-O-O-G-L-E..........

Is it the tank car built in the early 1960's for Tuloma Gas by Union Tank car company - #99398?

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Sunday, June 12, 2011 4:13 PM

Bing Bong...... Mr ZO !   Bow

The floor is yours, sir !!!!!

 

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 11:07 AM

FlyingCrow

Bing Bong...... Mr ZO !   Bow

The floor is yours, sir !!!!!

The B4/NYC named a Chicago-Cincinnati train the James Whitcomb Riley, after a well known Indiana born author.  For a brief time another B4/NYC Chicago-Cincinnati train was named for another Indiana-born author.  What was the other author/train name?

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 7:41 PM

ZO,,,,,   There were several  writers born in Indiana, but the only one of note that comes to my mind that would merit a train name is General Lew Wallace, of Crawfordsville, who became Territorial Governor of New Mexico and penned the classic bible novel... Ben Hur.

Just throwing it out there.

 

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 7:47 PM

FlyingCrow

ZO,,,,,   There were several  writers born in Indiana, but the only one of note that comes to my mind that would merit a train name is General Lew Wallace, of Crawfordsville, who became Territorial Governor of New Mexico and penned the classic bible novel... Ben Hur.

Nope....I have never came across a train named the General Wallace.

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 3:49 AM

One of the Indiana interurbans out of Indianapolis had a limited train :Ben Hur" and maybe the name was used for a B4-NYC Chicago - Cincinnati train also.

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 9:02 AM

daveklepper

One of the Indiana interurbans out of Indianapolis had a limited train :Ben Hur" and maybe the name was used for a B4-NYC Chicago - Cincinnati train also.

No, there was no B4/NYC "Ben Hur", but I am curious - which interurban line had the "Ben Hur"?  What were the endpoints and the approximate time frame of this name?

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Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 6:36 PM

Booth Tarkenton was another famed Indiana author. While I am not aware of any train named for him it's possible there was on at some time.

Mark

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 8:00 PM

KCSfan

Booth Tarkenton was another famed Indiana author. While I am not aware of any train named for him it's possible there was on at some time.

Mark

Mark, you got the answer.  In April 1957, the Chicago Special/Cincinnati Special was renamed the Booth Tarkington.  By November 1957, the southbound run was renamed the Midwestern which apparently was operated as a through Chicago-Cleveland run that operated via Cincinnati.  By September 1958 the northbound Booth Tarkington was gone as the Central reduced the number of Chicago-Cincinnati runs from 4 to 3.


Mark, the next question is yours.

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, June 16, 2011 3:30 AM

I will check on this, but I believe one of the predicessors of the Indiana Railroad operated the Bn Hur from the Indianapolis Traction Terminal to Crawfordsville.   But this was also one of the early abandonments, and I do not think the Indiana Railroad ever operated the service itself.  In any case, it was gone by the end of 1932.  I think, and I will check.

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Posted by KCSfan on Saturday, June 18, 2011 6:39 AM

In addition to those of the the Big Four,  there were several other trains that carried the names of American humorists. I can think of three that ran in the post 1930 period and there may well have been others that pre-dated them. Name these three trains, the railroads that ran them and the end points of their routes.

Mark

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Posted by Deggesty on Saturday, June 18, 2011 10:35 AM

Mark, the only other one I can think of at the moment is Irvin S. Cobb, whom the IC chased between Louisville and Fulton.Smile

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Posted by loopmaster on Saturday, June 18, 2011 11:55 AM

Another THE MARK TWAIN ZEPHYR  St. Louis to Burlington, Ia.

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Saturday, June 18, 2011 12:58 PM

Another train is the Frisco Will Rogers that ran between St. Louis and Oklahoma City.

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Posted by KCSfan on Monday, June 20, 2011 8:48 AM

You three have identified the trains I had in mind. The Will Rogers and Mark Twain Zephyr were pretty well known but the Irvin S. Cobb was a bit more obscure and I thought might be more difficult to name. Given Johnny's knowledge of the IC, I should have known better.

The dilema is who to declare our winner since each of you has correctly named one of the three trains. If it's OK with everbody I suggest we let loopmaster ask the next question since he's a newcomer to the forums and as far as I know this will be his first opportunity to try and stump us all.

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Posted by al-in-chgo on Monday, June 20, 2011 9:56 AM

KCSfan

You three have identified the trains I had in mind. The Will Rogers and Mark Twain Zephyr were pretty well known but the Irvin S. Cobb was a bit more obscure and I thought might be more difficult to name. Given Johnny's knowledge of the IC, I should have known better.

The dilema is who to declare our winner since each of you has correctly named one of the three trains. If it's OK with everbody I suggest we let loopmaster ask the next question since he's a newcomer to the forums and as far as I know this will be his first opportunity to try and stump us all.

Mark

 

Great idea, Mark!   -   a.s.

 

 

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Posted by Deggesty on Monday, June 20, 2011 10:41 AM

That's fine with me, Mark. It's much better than an idea I had--if each of us had named one of your three, each of us would propose a third of a new question.Smile

I was aware of the other two--but neither one of them had come to mind when I posted. For some unknown reason, I had a strong desire to have been able to ride the Will Rogers, but the Mark Twain Zephyr and the Irvin S. Cobb had never really appealed to me.

Johnny

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