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Classic Train Questions Part Deux (50 Years or Older)

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Friday, May 1, 2015 10:20 AM

Ownership question:  Who was the actual owner of South Shore's Illinois trackage from Kensington to the State Line and what was the arrangement under which South Shore operated this trackage?

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by KCSfan on Friday, May 1, 2015 11:07 AM

Kensington & Eastern - Leased from IC by CSS&SB

Mark

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Saturday, May 2, 2015 10:16 AM

I'll give you the answer but the arrangement is a lawyer's and accountant's nightmare. The line was owned by Kensington & Eastern, a 100% owned subsidiary of Illinois Central.  K&E leased the line to Indiana & Kensington, a 100% owned subsidiary of South Shore.  I&K sub-leased the line to South Shore for operation.  Source of all of this is a Moody's Transportaion Manual from the 1970's.

KCSfan, your question.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by KCSfan on Saturday, May 2, 2015 12:51 PM

Not long before WW2 two railroads teamed up to run a through interline motor train. This was an odd service to be introducing at the time. One of the railroads was family owned and a member of that family was appointed Receiver of the other road in 1939. Name the two railroads and the end points of the motor train route.

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, May 3, 2015 4:51 AM

Were either or both or these railroads either Pinsley or Salzburg properties?

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Posted by KCSfan on Sunday, May 3, 2015 11:32 AM

daveklepper

Were either or both or these railroads either Pinsley or Salzburg properties? 

No, but you've got the right idea. They were often referred to as xxx railroads or properties. xxx being a family name.

Mark

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Posted by rfpjohn on Sunday, May 3, 2015 11:39 AM

I'm going to guess the Muskogee Lines. Midland Valley-Kansas-Oklahoma & Gulf, between Witchita, Kansas and Denison, Texas.

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Posted by KCSfan on Sunday, May 3, 2015 12:06 PM

rfpjohn

I'm going to guess the Muskogee Lines. Midland Valley-Kansas-Oklahoma & Gulf, between Witchita, Kansas and Denison, Texas.

No. At the time of this question there was no longer passenger service on either the Midland Valley or Oklahoma City Ada Atoka. However the KO&G did still run a motor between Muskogee and Denison.

Mark

 

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Posted by KCSfan on Sunday, May 3, 2015 3:28 PM

A hint to ponder.

The end points of this train's run were just under 75 miles apart.

Mark

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Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, May 5, 2015 3:36 PM

If you started a trip on this Motor train you had a combined total of eight named trains you could continue on to destinations in Florida. However many of the connections were far from ideal with regards to timing. 

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Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 10:28 AM

If you wanted to go north instead of to florida, you could take these connecting trains to places like St. Louis, Chicago and Detroit.

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 1:28 PM

Too busy right now to do research on the internet, but I believe this doodlebug train might be a combination of two of the three:  Atlanta and West Point, West Point and Westerm (or Eastern?) Alabama, and the Georgia Railroad.  Atlanta is probably one end, or maybe even a middle, and possibly Augusta as the other end?

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Posted by rcdrye on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 4:13 PM

Time to give this one a try...  Georgia Northern and Georgia, Ashburn,Sylvester and Camilla, from Boston to Ashburn via Bridgeboro.  That would give you the PRR/L&N/ACL South Wind route at Boston (GA), the IC/CofG/ACL City of Miami/Seminole route at Sylvester and the NYC/SOU Royal Palm route at Ashburn.

Connections to St. Louis , Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and all Florida points.

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Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 4:53 PM

rcdrye

Time to give this one a try...  Georgia Northern and Georgia, Ashburn,Sylvester and Camilla, from Boston to Ashburn via Bridgeboro.  That would give you the PRR/L&N/ACL South Wind route at Boston (GA), the IC/CofG/ACL City of Miami/Seminole route at Sylvester and the NYC/SOU Royal Palm route at Ashburn.

Connections to St. Louis , Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and all Florida points.

One of the roads you mention is correct but the other one is wrong . The motor train did not serve Boston, Sylvester or Ashburn. You have named some of the nine trains it might connect with, none of the places where these connections could be made are correct.

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, May 7, 2015 2:49 AM

rc is obviously a lot close to an answer than I am, so Iwill be interested in seeing him make a second try and assume it will be correct.

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Posted by rcdrye on Thursday, May 7, 2015 6:43 AM

Assuming the partners to be the Albany and Northern and the Georgia Northern, I get the Royal Palm , the KC-Florida special and Ponce de Leon at Cordele, along with a couple of trains routed via the AB&C.  At Albany I get the City of Miami and the Seminole, and at Moultrie some west coast trains that I don't have a list of that were headed for the Perry cutoff.

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Posted by KCSfan on Thursday, May 7, 2015 12:17 PM

You've got it now Rob. Motor trains No.'s 1 & 2 ran between Moultrie and Albany on the Georgia Northern and between Albany and Cordele on the Albany and Northern. At Cordele connections coudl be made with Dixieland (AB&C) and the Royal Palm and Ponce de Leon (SR). The KC-Fla Spcl ran via Jessup and not Cordele. Circa 1937 connections at Albany could be made with the Dixie Flyer, Dixie Ltd, Southland, Flamingo, Seminole and Floridan (CoG/ACL).

Lookking forward to your next question.

Mark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted by rcdrye on Thursday, May 7, 2015 2:59 PM

In the great Pennsy re-electrification this road number was applied to three different engines.

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Friday, May 8, 2015 10:06 AM

The number is 4899.  The first 4899 was a GG1 which was re-numbered to 4800 after the Claymont tests.  The second 4899 was an R1 which was re-numbered from 4800 at the same time.  The third 4899 was a new GG1 from subsequent construction.  The R1 was again re-numbered to 4999 at that time.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by rcdrye on Friday, May 8, 2015 11:22 AM

Absolutely correct.  And on the way by you got the engine that had three numbers...

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Saturday, May 9, 2015 10:07 AM

We'll stick with steam road electrifications for this.  Which group of electrics was owned by the most Class One roads and which roads were the owners?

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by rcdrye on Sunday, May 10, 2015 1:42 PM

VGN's EL-C class C-C rectifiers 130-141.

To N&W by merger 230-241 (230 retired)

To NYNH&H EF-5 by purchase ($25000 each!) 300-310 (301 retired)

To PC E-33 by merger 4601-4610

To Conrail E-33 by default 4601-4610

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Monday, May 11, 2015 10:07 AM

We have a winner.  He also got the class changes, too.  If I recall correctly, N&W 230 briefly operated as a slug.

rcdrye, your question.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, May 11, 2015 12:13 PM

230 was turned into a slug, but was also sold to NYNH&H for parts.

Keeping with overhead wire...

Dome cars were operated by the CMStP&P under wire behind electrics, by B&O (and Amtrak) behind diesels (at Washington Union Station) and by UP under CMStP&P wire at Seattle Union Station.  Name the other regular use of dome cars under overhead wire (pulled by diesels) that lasted into the mid 1960s.

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Posted by Deggesty on Monday, May 11, 2015 12:46 PM

rcdrye

230 was turned into a slug, but was also sold to NYNH&H for parts.

Keeping with overhead wire...

Dome cars were operated by the CMStP&P under wire behind electrics, by B&O (and Amtrak) behind diesels (at Washington Union Station) and by UP under CMStP&P wire at Seattle Union Station.  Name the other regular use of dome cars under overhead wire (pulled by diesels) that lasted into the mid 1960s.

 

The California Zephyr under Sacramento Northern wire in Sacramento?

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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, May 11, 2015 2:35 PM

Deggesty
The California Zephyr under Sacramento Northern wire in Sacramento?

I'll accept that.  It was actually in Marysville, about 40 miles north of Sacramento. SN did the switching there and in Yuba City across the Feather River for WP, using 600V overhead until 1965.  Two of the SN motors used at Marysville in the 1960s are in California museums.

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Posted by Deggesty on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 9:49 AM

What Bird flew internationally and also carried a domestic sleeper that helped provide a particular grocery item? Name the roads involved.

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Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 12:43 PM

I believe that would be the Gull. It ran between Boston and Halifax on the B&M, MEC, CP and CN.

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Posted by Deggesty on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 12:53 PM

right so far, Mark--but what about the sleeper that stayed in this country, and rode with the groceries?

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Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 1:09 PM

Deggesty

right so far, Mark--but what about the sleeper that stayed in this country, and rode with the groceries?

Johnny, I've looked in obvious places with no success but I'll keep trying. I suspect it was Potato something or other as Maine was famous for that crop. Incidentaly, the route of the Gull was: B&M Boston to Portland, MEC Portland to Vanceboro, CP Vanceboro to Moncton and CN Moncton to Halifax. Quite a roundabout was due to the Bay of Fundy.

Mark

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