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Classic Railroad Quiz (at least 50 years old).

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Posted by Deggesty on Monday, February 18, 2013 10:58 AM

FlyingCrow

Surprise   Whoa, slow down there gang.    I don't have a problem passing the baton but the answer is not completely correct !!!!     TRRA, KCT, MP and Rio Grande are correct.    Y'all missed #5.  Stick out tongue

Buck

#5? Do you mean the AT&SF, which I mentioned? The SPV Atlas shows that the AT&SF and Rio Grande both entered the Denver station from the south, and did not need to use either Q or UP tracks.

Johnny

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Posted by KCSfan on Monday, February 18, 2013 12:42 PM

Denver Union Terminal Railway would be the missing road.

Here's a new question.

Effective January 1, 1938 certain cars could no longer be operated in interchange service. What cars were these and what was the authority for banning them?

Mark

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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, February 18, 2013 3:36 PM

Cars with wooden underframes and/or arch bar trucks were banned from interchange in 1938.  The ICC issued the ban under the Railway Safety Appliance act of 1893.  This didn't mean the end of arch bars, as they remained on cabooses into the 1970s at least and a Nevada Northern steam crane so equipped was borrowed by SP in the 1980s (and fitted with roller bearings!)

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Posted by KCSfan on Monday, February 18, 2013 10:01 PM

Right. Next question please Rob.

Mark

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Posted by rcdrye on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 6:49 AM

This interuban ran between the capital city and the largest city of a small state.  It shared a bridge - in early days a three-span covered bridge - with its parent railways' branchline moguls.

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 8:32 AM

The Concord and Manchester that shared a bridge with the B&M east of Merrimack River line that later was part of the Suncook Valley short line.   The B&M main line was (is) west of the Merrimack River.   The bridge was replaced by a double-track truss bridge with one track for the interurban and one for the steam trains.

New Hampshire is the state.

I rode across that bridge four times in the summer of 1945 at 13-1/2 years old on the Suncook Valley mixed, and the conductor described the interurban to me.

The B&M had plenty of 2-6-0's.   But somehow my memory says that No. 2 of the Suncook Valley was a 4-6-0, even though all the books I;ve seen say they only owned a 2-6-0.   I do remember the combination coach-bag-mail car with an open platform on one end and a baggage end on the other, and black leather-covered walkover seats for about 24  people.    A switchback was located south of the bridge since the B&M branch that became the SV was built form the Hookset-Manchester end and not from the Concord end.

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Posted by rcdrye on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 12:30 PM

Correct as usual. The piers for the bridge are still in the middle of the river (the steel bridge was removed in the early 1950s.)

From what I can find of the Suncook Valley #1 was a 2-6-0 (confirmed from photos), #2 and #3 were GE 44 tonners.

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 8:07 PM

I'm not sure why the hustle out the side door, but nobody has answered this correctly.  Road #5 is the FRISCO.   The Colorado Eagle used the SLSF from the KCT to Paola, KS to avoid having to turn the train out of KC.   This lasted until 1959.

Gee...I must have offended somebody.  Sad

AB Dean Jacksonville,FL
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Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 5:40 AM

FlyingCrow

I'm not sure why the hustle out the side door, but nobody has answered this correctly.  Road #5 is the FRISCO.   The Colorado Eagle used the SLSF from the KCT to Paola, KS to avoid having to turn the train out of KC.   This lasted until 1959.

Gee...I must have offended somebody.  Sad

I don't think you've offended anyone Buck. I'm sorry but I honestly thought I had it when I mentioned the Denver Terminal Ry. which owned the Union Station. I was unaware that the Eagle ran on the Frisco at all much less for the 52 miles from KCT to Paola.

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Sunday, February 24, 2013 7:18 AM

Time to get this thread back on track.  Who has the next question?

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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, February 25, 2013 6:25 AM

Dave Klepper has the right to the current question.

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 5:01 AM

Possibly during the summer of 1945, No. 1 was at the B&M's Billerica shop for overhaul, and one of Sam Pinsley's other locomotives migrated form one of his other short lines to fill in for spell and was painted as a temporary No. 2?

When I rode the the Suncook Valley, it ran only as far as Pittsfield (NH), but earlier it ran all the way to Center Barnsted.   Further north, there was a trackless railroad station with train order semaphore intetact at Alton Bay, but I understand that was a terminal for a branch from Rochester, NH.

There was a sports tog factory (tennis rackets, baseball bats, etc) at Pittsfied that operated and heated on coal and kept the SV in business.\\

New question:   What was the very last three-foot gauge common carrier trackage constructed in the USA, for what railroad, for what purpose, and where?

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Posted by rcdrye on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 6:25 AM

Would that be the Uintah Railway in NW Colorado, constructed mainly to haul Gilsonite used in making gasoline?

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 3:54 AM

Much later.   Not a complete end-point to end-point construction.

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Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 11:41 AM

The Durango - Farmington branch of the D&RGW was constructed as a standard gauge line in 1905 which made little sense since its only connection was with the Rio Grande's narrow gauge lines at Durango. In 1923 the Rio Grande rebuilt the Farmington Branch converting it to 3' gauge.

Mark  

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, February 28, 2013 2:38 PM

you are getting closer.   The D&RGW's intent was to connect with the AT&SF which was planning a Famington branch that was never built.  But that conversion to 3ft was end-point to end-point.

Much later and a short lifespan, but hope for revival.

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Posted by rcdrye on Friday, March 1, 2013 6:40 AM

Must be a short chunk of the East Broad Top.  Can't put my finger on a date for an extension but it would have been for coal.

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Posted by KCSfan on Friday, March 1, 2013 7:05 AM

The 1973 restoration of the former C&S narrow gauge Georgetown Loop.

Mark

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Posted by KCSfan on Friday, March 1, 2013 7:47 AM

Upon re-reading your original question I see you specified common carrier.  The restored EBT and  Georgetown Loop are tourist (or heritage if you prefer) railroads and not common carriers so you must have some other line in mind. I'm fresh out of ideas and will have to wait for someone else to answer the question unless you give us a hint which might trigger my thoughts.

Mark

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Posted by KCSfan on Friday, March 1, 2013 9:11 AM

After virtually giving up all hope of answering this question one more thought popped into my mind.

In 1969 the White Pass & Yukon constructed a realignment to bypass the tall bridge over Dead Horse Gulch. This realignment involved the construction of a new tunnel and bridge and was necessary because the old cantilever bridge could not carry the heavier weight of the new ALCO locomotives it was acquiring. At that time the WP&Y was a common carrier.

Mark 

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, March 3, 2013 3:47 AM

You have the correct answer.   I did not!   The answer I was looking for was the realignment of the D&RGW Chama - Durango line along side he San Juan river when a flood control dam was built, which formed a lake flooding the original alignment.  This was done around 1961.   I rode the original alignment on a Chicago RR Club roundtrip 1960   and the new alignment in 1962.  I forget which alighnment we rode in 1961.

Your question!

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Posted by KCSfan on Sunday, March 3, 2013 10:00 AM

Before, during and even after it was built this road was dubbed "The Impossible Railroad". A 3' gauge line still runs to one point on this road. Name the railroad, its end points and the place where the narrow gauge line currently terminates. 

Mark

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Posted by henry6 on Sunday, March 3, 2013 11:08 AM

Colorado Midland.  Leadville.  

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Posted by KCSfan on Sunday, March 3, 2013 3:27 PM

Not the Colorado Midland Henry.  

Mark

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, March 4, 2013 6:22 AM

I suspect that is in one of the three Silverton railroads, tthe Silverton and Northern, the Silverton Gladstone and Northerly, or just the Silverton, with Silverton being the point still seeing 3ft gauge track.  Which of the three went to place called Eureka, is probably the one, but I forget which of the three it was.

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Posted by KCSfan on Monday, March 4, 2013 7:53 AM

Sorry Dave but not one of the Silverton roads.

Mark

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Posted by henry6 on Monday, March 4, 2013 8:07 AM

Sandy River and Rangley Lakes.  Sandy River.

RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.

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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, March 4, 2013 9:43 AM

That would be 2 foot guage...

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Monday, March 4, 2013 9:49 AM

Well, the only railroad I know dubbed "The Impossible Railroad" was Spreckles' San Diego & Arizona Eastern.   However, you got me with the 3' gauge segment???   Sad

AB Dean Jacksonville,FL
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Posted by KCSfan on Monday, March 4, 2013 12:34 PM

FlyingCrow

Well, the only railroad I know dubbed "The Impossible Railroad" was Spreckles' San Diego & Arizona Eastern.   However, you got me with the 3' gauge segment???   Sad

Yes indeed Buck, the SD&AE is the "Impossible" road I was looking for. The 3' gauge line is not a common carrier and has no connection with the SD&AE. It's the US Gypsum Co's RR which runs about 25 miles from the company's gypsum mines to their large wallboard plant at Plaster City CA. Next question please.

Mark

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