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Classic Train Questions Part Deux (50 Years or Older)

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Posted by AWP290 on Thursday, September 17, 2009 3:47 PM

I think so, too, but to answer Al's question - No.  To my knowledge there is no question before the trivia list currently.

Bob Hanson

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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, September 17, 2009 4:09 PM

AWP290

I think so, too, but to answer Al's question - No.  To my knowledge there is no question before the trivia list currently.

Bob Hanson

As I read what has gone before, it's Texas Zepher's question to ask.

Johnny

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Posted by Texas Zepher on Thursday, September 17, 2009 11:58 PM

 Yup my turn.  I've been working very long days.... Ok, should be a simple one.

Name the train who's floor was only 26" above the rails, the cars of the train were 2' 8" lower than a normal coach, was 1/2 the weight of conventional equipment.  Chicago was one of its end points.

Looking for the train name, road, and other end point.  Any one of those gives away the other two.
 

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Friday, September 18, 2009 7:46 AM

I will say that it's the "Jet Rocket", on RI, between Chicago and Peoria.

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Posted by passengerfan on Friday, September 18, 2009 8:26 AM

How about the CNS&M "Electroliners" operated between Chicago and Milwaukee they fit all of the criteria in the question to a tee.

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Posted by henry6 on Friday, September 18, 2009 8:39 AM

Hmmmm....I was thinking RI's use of Aerotrain...but PRR, NYC and NH also used them.

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Posted by Texas Zepher on Friday, September 18, 2009 6:57 PM

CSSHEGEWISCH
I will say that it's the "Jet Rocket", on RI, between Chicago and Peoria.

Yep, that would be the one I was looking for.  That might have been too easy.

 Your turn.
 

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Posted by henry6 on Friday, September 18, 2009 9:54 PM

AN ASIDE TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATE IN THESE QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS:

Which railroad is most like wanswheel?

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Posted by henry6 on Friday, September 18, 2009 9:56 PM

L&N is the answer to the above question as he is certainly Old Reliable when it comes to providing pictures and documents for virtually all questions and answers.  A BIG THANK YOU TO HIM FROM ALL OF US!

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Posted by Texas Zepher on Saturday, September 19, 2009 5:46 PM

henry6
Which railroad is most like wanswheel?

The Rio Grande with its own R&D laboratory?

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, September 21, 2009 4:12 AM

Note on the Electroliners.   Their floors were approximately 42 inches above rail, the same as normal Chicago elevated cars and othe North Shore (and CA&E) equipment.   They had to meet the platforms on the "L".   They had traps like other North Shore and regular railroad equipment.   Regular railroad equpent is about 50".   But correct me if I am in error, since I am working from memory..

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Monday, September 21, 2009 10:06 AM

New question:  C&NW moved to its current Chicago station at Madison & Canal in 1911.  Where was the location of its previous Chicago terminal?

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Monday, September 21, 2009 2:15 PM

CSSHEGEWISCH

New question:  C&NW moved to its current Chicago station at Madison & Canal in 1911.  Where was the location of its previous Chicago terminal?

 

The site of the previous C&NW terminal is now occupied by the Merchandise Mart, on Wells Street and the Chicago River.

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 7:36 AM

We have a winner.  Zephyr Overland, have a slice of deep-dish pizza at Geno's East and you get to ask the next question.

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 10:29 AM

CSSHEGEWISCH

We have a winner.  Zephyr Overland, have a slice of deep-dish pizza at Geno's East and you get to ask the next question.

Paul, if you don't mind, I'll have a stuffed pizza at Girodano's instead. :-)

As for the question:

Name two trains, the operating railroad and destinations, whose names were used on two different routes at the same time.  The trains were operated by one railroad.

Myron

 

 

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Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 11:33 AM

That would be the two Owl's operated by the SP. One ran between Los Angeles and San Francisco and the other between Dallas and Houston.

Mark

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 5:40 PM

KCSfan

That would be the two Owl's operated by the SP. One ran between Los Angeles and San Francisco and the other between Dallas and Houston.

Mark

Mark,

I was looking for two names that were used on the SP on two different routes each. You got the first train name.  I think my question wasn't clear enough. 

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Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 11:15 PM

Myron,

I'll have to leave it to someone else to come up with the other two SP trains of the same name that you have in mind. For the life of me I can't think of any other than the two Owls.

In the 1950's the NYC ran trains on 10 or so different routes that all carried the name, "Beeliner", in their timetables. But this was a generic name for the Central's RDC runs and doesn't meet what I believe was the intent of your question.

Mark

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 3:22 AM

The SP did , of course, use the name Daylight for the Shasta Daylight, the Coast Daylight, and the San Joaquin Daylight, but possibly that isn't what you meant.   Oakland - Portland, SF-LA, and Oakland - LA.

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Posted by wanswheel on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 6:20 AM

Border Limited #303/304 Houston-Corpus Christi (and Brownsville)

Border Limited #313/314 San Antonio-Brownsville (and Corpus Christi)

Or something like that. It seems all 4 trains met to swap cars in the middle of the night.

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 3:03 PM

daveklepper

The SP did , of course, use the name Daylight for the Shasta Daylight, the Coast Daylight, and the San Joaquin Daylight, but possibly that isn't what you meant.   Oakland - Portland, SF-LA, and Oakland - LA.

 

I'm not looking for a fleet name.  This name in question was used on two different routes on the SP.

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 3:09 PM

wanswheel

Border Limited #303/304 Houston-Corpus Christi (and Brownsville)

Border Limited #313/314 San Antonio-Brownsville (and Corpus Christi)

Or something like that. It seems all 4 trains met to swap cars in the middle of the night.

 

I wasn't looking for this train - you're right - one name was applied to two pairs of trains but as you mention they all met to swap cars.  The name I'm looking for was applied to two trains that did not share any stations.

 

I'll give this another day - I'll be away from the internet for the next few days. 

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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, September 24, 2009 11:40 AM

ZephyrOverland
I wasn't looking for this train - you're right - one name was applied to two pairs of trains but as you mention they all met to swap cars.  The name I'm looking for was applied to two trains that did not share any stations.

The SP had two sets of birds that were operated in both Texas and California. Not only did the Owls fly in both states, the Larks flew in both states. The California trains Larks ran, of course, between Los Angeles and San Francisco/Oakland, and the Texas trains Larks ran betweenm Dallas and San Antonio.

Johnny

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, September 24, 2009 3:14 PM

Never knew about the Texas Larks.   What years did they run?

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Thursday, September 24, 2009 5:02 PM

Deggesty

The SP had two sets of birds that were operated in both Texas and California. Not only did the Owls fly in both states, the Larks flew in both states. The California trains Larks ran, of course, between Los Angeles and San Francisco/Oakland, and the Texas trains Larks ran betweenm Dallas and San Antonio.

Johnny

 

Yep, it was the Owl and the Lark.  Mark got one and you got the other one.  Do you two want to toss a coin to see who will ask the next question?

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Thursday, September 24, 2009 5:13 PM

daveklepper

Never knew about the Texas Larks.   What years did they run?

 

The San Antonio-Dallas Lark existed in the late 1920's.  It was cut back to a San Antonio-Hearne run in 1932 and was gone shortly afterwards.

In the late 1920's, the Louisville and Nashville also operated a Lark between Ocean Springs and New Orleans.

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Posted by KCSfan on Thursday, September 24, 2009 7:39 PM

Johnny, you take the next question. I've had quite a few lately  and the Larks were definitely the harder pair to identify.

Mark

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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, September 24, 2009 9:48 PM

KCSfan

Johnny, you take the next question. I've had quite a few lately  and the Larks were definitely the harder pair to identify.

Mark

Thank you, Mark. If you had not named the SP, I might not have come up with its night-flying day birds.

Here is one that I have thought of from time to time, but not when I had the opportunity to pose.

In 1929, Pullman built two cars to be used on the CNW’s Rochester Special (in later years, it was called the Rochester-Minnesota Special), which provided overnight service between Chicago and Rochester, Minn.

These cars, "Joseph Lister" and "Ephraim McDowell," were unique not only in their floor plan (8 sections, drawing room, and 4 double bedrooms), but also in an external feature.

What was this external feature? (hint–for what was Rochester, Minnesota, noted for many years?)

Johnny

Johnny

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