Rock Island?
Northwest is correct, and I would have given the same answer. But you mean bought new, is bought new for the railroad, because much of the power, and the articulated cars in particular, were downgraded from intercity service. I believe at one time the Rock had in service Alco, EMD, and Faribanks Morce power on its commuter trains. It had a lot of Harriman coaches in suburban service, but it also had some semi-lighweight more sparten pure commuter coaches, similar to those on the Northwestern. Its first post-WWII commuter-car purchases were for lighweight single-level center-entrance cars, which may have been air-conditioned. Then there was the demotion of its articulated GM Aerotrain to commuter service, before it was scrapped, and this was its articulated train. Or was it a Talgo?
The New Haven could also qualify in its Boston operations, if you count the relocated New York Westchester and Boston cars as center-entrance cars, even thought the center doors were not used on the New Haven, and count the Goodyeear articulaed Comet as in commuter service, making two Boston - Prrovidence rount trips with local stops.
The Rock Island is correct. The three "used" trains were the GM Aerotrains, though the one used as the Jet Rocket may actually have been bought new by Rock Island. The thing that triggered this was a photo of an RI train at Englewood with a mix of car types, including the three car articulated set originally built for the Des Moines Rocket. RI's FM H-15-44s were bought by the bankruptcy trustee against the mechanical department's advice. Usual power for commuter run was an RS3, with demoted E6/E7 or DL109 (including a DL109 repowered by EMD with a pronounced hump) but just about anything with a boiler could show up, including BL2s.
The C&NW-style semi-lightweights were known as "Al Capone" cars, since Capone lived in the Beverly area traversed by the RI's Suburban line, still part of today's Metra. I'm sure the center entrance cars were supposed to be air-conditioned, but the customers might have disputed that, especially in the late 60's and early 1970s. All of this stuff was replaced by RI's Budd push-pull gallery cars of 1965, and P-S cars from around 1970. Prior to Metra RI used converted mainline power on the bilevels, including an AB6 built for the Rocky Mountain Rocket, along with several ex-UP units acquired in the early 1970s.
New Haven comes close but it didn't buy any "used" stuff. NH did have boiler-equipped units from EMD, Alco and Fairbanks-Morse, most of which survived until Penn Central days. B&M Actually bought the FM Speed Merchants and Talgo cars, under the same McGinnis management as the New Haven. They didn't have the flexibility of RDCs, and ended up in Boston-Reading service.
On to your question, NorthWest!
You coiuld count the NYW&B demotored cars as both used and center-door, however. They replaced the last of the open-platform wood cars pre-WWII, then were replaced by converted parlors in 1950--1951.
RI did have both of the Aerotrains, but I believe that the "Jet Rocket" was a Talgo, although it was also pulled by an LWT12, same as the Aerotrains.
I think the Jet Rocket's LWT12 had a Blomberg truck, distinguishing it from the other two. The Talgo was IIRC built for Rock Island.
A photo of the Rock Island's rather interesting commuter coaches: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=267704&showexif=1#exifshow
This railroad built between Colton, CA and San Diego, CA on an alignment that is largely abandoned today.
NorthWest This railroad built between Colton, CA and San Diego, CA on an alignment that is largely abandoned today.
The Santa Fe had a line running from San Bernadino through Colton and Riverside to join the LA-SD main line at or near Orange. They also had a line through Colton and Perris to Temecula and another from Fall Brook to San Juan Capistrano but there was a short gap between the two. The Santa Fe may at some time have built a line to bridge the gap between Temecula and Fall Brook but I'm not aware that they ever did so.
Mark
Mark, you got it. The California Southern (Santa Fe subsidiary) did build from San Diego north through Fall Brook and Temecula, through Temecula Canyon, where the tracks are now gone. The Surf Line along the coast was completed in the 1880s, and the prone to washouts line abandoned.
Your question.
What shortline railroad that ultimately became a part of the Seaboard Air Line planned but never built an extension into an adjacent state that would have more than doubled its route mileage? The proposed extension was shown on the map of the railroad in the Official Guides of the time. At a later date the SAL's arch rival did build a line running to and through the towns on the route of the shortlines planned extension. Name the railroad and the end points of its planned but un-built line.
NorthWest Mark, you got it. The California Southern (Santa Fe subsidiary) did build from San Diego north through Fall Brook and Temecula, through Temecula Canyon, where the tracks are now gone. The Surf Line along the coast was completed in the 1880s, and the prone to washouts line abandoned.
Northwest, the Santa Fe map in my oldest OG, a 1910 issue, shows the gap in the line between Temecula and Fall Brook which I assumed was bridged some time after 1910. Your above reply prompted me to find out more about the California Southern and was surprised to find it had been the mainline to San Diego from the east when Los Angeles was still just a small mission town. Its line through Temecula Canyon was abandoned (or at least reduced to a minor branch line) after being washed out several times by floods in the 1880's. I found this bit of California railroad history most interesting thanks to your question.
KCSfan What shortline railroad that ultimately became a part of the Seaboard Air Line planned but never built an extension into an adjacent state that would have more than doubled its route mileage? The proposed extension was shown on the map of the railroad in the Official Guides of the time. At a later date the SAL's arch rival did build a line running to and through the towns on the route of the shortlines planned extension. Name the railroad and the end points of its planned but un-built line. Mark
Most of this extension was abandoned by the early 1960's and portions of it were converted from rails to trails.
Another hint. One well known long distance train used this line. Local service was by mixed trains.
The Florida shortline I'm looking for lost its identity in 1925 when it was absorbed into the SAL which had owned it since 1912.
This has proven to be pretty tough without a full Seaboard history. I'm going to go with the Tallahassee, Perry and Southeastern, if only because Perry is associated with the ACl...
rcdrye This has proven to be pretty tough without a full Seaboard history. I'm going to go with the Tallahassee, Perry and Southeastern, if only because Perry is associated with the ACl...
Sorry Rob but that's not the one. Here's another hint. Brooksville was one end point of the railroad.
Tampa Northern. This would have been the SAL's alternate entry into Tampa from the north.
rcdrye Tampa Northern. This would have been the SAL's alternate entry into Tampa from the north.
You've nailed it Rob and the next question is yours. The Tampa Northern had ambitious plans to build from their northern end at Brooksville through Dunnelon and Perry to Thomasville, GA but they were never financially able to build this extension. Of course in the late 1920's the ACL built the Perry Cutoff which went to Thomasville through all the towns on the TN's proposed but un-built route.
On the hotly competetive Chicago-St. Louis run one railroad named a train to make a virtue out of missing just about every major population center in central Illinois. Name the railroad and the train.
Zipper - C&EI
KCSfan Zipper - C&EI Mark
You're halfway there. The train I'm looking for operated before WWII. It's advertising claimed "No noisy station stops."
It must have been the other C&EI train, The Silent Knight.
The Silent Knight is correct. C&EI's ads suggested that it was easier to sleep on their train that managed to miss busy stops like Decatur and Springfield. Despite clever advertising and fast schedules, C&EI was the first to exit the Chicago-St. Louis trade. The IC and Wabash (at least as through service) lasted until 1970, the GM&O service continues today.
In 1941 what state capitol was served by the largest number of railroads and what were the names of each of these roads?
If this doesn't win, it should be close...
Indianapolis IN
NYCS CCC&StL - Peoria and Eastern
PRR (PCC&StL)
B&O
NYC&St.L
CI&L (Monon)
IC
Indiana RR - including Interstate Public Service
Indianapolis Union Railway Company (Belt Railway)
Indianapolis, Indiana: PRR, NYCentral (Big Four), B&O, Monon, Wabash, Interstate Public Service (remnant of Indiana Railroad interurban to Seymore until accident), and more. Will get back.
Suspect Columbus, Ohio, is also a contender.
Apparently wrong about Wabash, unless entering on trackage rights, but can add Illlinois Central, Union Ry. of Indianapolis, and Indianapolis Belt. Depending of whether or not Big Four is counted as part of Central, total eigiht or nine.
Now to check Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is not as close as I thought, but Sacramento may be close: WP, SP, AT&SF, SN, CCT. Oh well, I will stick with Indanapolis.
Indianapolis is correct and Rob was the first one to post this answer, However the Feb 1941 OG does not show the Indiana RR (IPSCo) operating at that time. I haven't found the exact date it ceased operations so unless it was still running in January it doesn't count. The same OG lists the Erie as serving Indy but it reached that city by trackage rights over the B&O from Hamilton, OH so I'm not sure the Erie should count either. If we exclude those two roads the list would be down to seven which would put Indy in a tie with Springfield which was also served by seven railroads. In any event the next question is yours Rob.
Indiana RR service ended Jan 19, 1941. IPSCo (former IRR) service to Seymour, which entered the Indianapolis city limits but did not go downtown, lasted until Sept 1941. The service was not listed in the OG.
The Peoria and Eastern was still a subsidiary of the CCC&St.L in 1941. I'm not sure when the Madison and Indianapolis (PRR) became part of the Panhandle (PCC&St L.)
We all are familiar with New York Central's trains that ran via Detroit and Canada. There were at least two other Pullman lines that carried cars from Chicago to East Coast points via Canada. One ran to Boston, one to New York. Need railroads and hand-off points.
I had not seen Rob's posting when I posted. He must have known the the whole complete answer while I was fiddling around. Hats off to him.
In answer to his question. Chicago - New York sleepers ran regularly via the Grand Trunk Western to Niagra Falls or Wellin and the Lehigh Valley (PRR tracks from west of Newark to Penn Sta, of course, with PRR engine crew in the GG1 or R1 or P5 or two O1's, and LVT train crew). This lasted until well after WWII. Much much ealrier, there was a Michigan Central, Canada Southern to Buffalo, then West Shore to Mechanicsville (?) and Boston and Maine to North Station, Boston, via Troy. This ended well before WWII, I think before WWI..
Not sure of the routing and interchange point in the Mechanicsville - Albany - Troy area, but I believe the routing did not iclude Albany..
In looking at Henry Ford's visit to the Esty Organ factory in Brattleboro, I tried to find a through B&M sleeper to Detroit and could not in 1913. There were through sleepers to Chicago, but not vis Detroit. Possibly the B&M may have a sleeper from Chhicago via the Grand Trunk Western, Niagra Falls, West Shore to the Albany - Troy Mechanicsville area, B&M to Boston.
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