I would be happy for WW to post a long list and then ask the next question, or N who asked this question can decide to throw the ball to me. It's their ball now.
Camelbacks were common on many railroads, but there was only one Class I where the majority of locomotives were Camelback steam locomotve through WWII and a few years after, until major diesel arrivals. Which railroad was this, what steam locomotives were rostered, and what were their uses?
I'm going to have to go with the Jersey Central. They rostered Camelback power until the end of steam in 1954. They had, on their post war roster, 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 Camelback switchers, 2-8-0 and 4-8-0 Camelback freight power, though conventional Mikados handled most of their heavy mainline freight duties. Camelback 4-6-0's were the backbone of commuter operations and at least one Atlantic survived to be donated to the B&O museum.
Reading had a huge fleet of Camelbacks, but all but a few 0-6-0's were gone by the end of 1948, displaced by more efficient and modern end cab steam locomotives as much as dieselization.
Correct, your question
OK, here it goes: Now in the process of it's third resurrection, this little shortline once served as a bridge carrier between a major northeastern road and an even less impressive rural line. They eventually took over the adjoining shortline and later abandoned it's trackage when the depression and highway competition evaporated it's traffic. They were an early conversion to internal combustion motive power (notice I did not say dieselized). Their first diesel was purchased, but never used, or even delivered to them for quite a few years, until after their first slumber period.
Is it located in iPennsylvania and revived with the help of rehabilitation loans from the State?
Yes. It is a Pennsylvania line. I'm pretty sure state funding went into it's first rebirth. Not certain any public money is involved in the current effort.
Wellesborough and Corning Railroad
No, Dave. You've got to go a lot further south in the state. And this line was always independent.
Too obscure?
What was the major freight product handled at the first resurrection and what is the major freight product handled today?
A drizzle of lumber traffic. Other projected traffic, mostly feed and other agricutural supplies, failed to materialize.
Today, it is being returned to service for tourist excursions only. At least for the forseable future. It's former class one connection has now steamed back into activity.
Is it still connected to the National system?
I think the rails are still there, but the former class one connection is now a tourist operation for a few miles, beyond that, I'm pretty sure the class one tie is inactive.
I think you are referring to the Allentown and Auburn, operating now out of Kutztown, PA. But it was not always independent, because for a short time it had been merged into the Reading until the Reading banckrupcy.
Not quite. You still have to go further south in the state and remember: this shortline has always been independent. Also, I'll reemphasize: Early conversion to internal combustion motive power and at one time was the connecting link for another rural shortline, which it later absorbed.
Is some of the existing track of the Huntington and Broad Top Mountain RR being restored as a tourist operation?
No. Further east. A secondary mainline of the PRR was it's class one connection.
Was the secondary main line the Port Road, or the Balltimore Northan?
Got it, the Stewartstown Railroad, converted from steam to gas-mechanical in 1939, portion being restored for tourist operation, volunteers requested.
The connecting and purchased short line was the New Hope and Farm Grove RR, abandoned in 1935. Stewartstown does eventually plan restoration of frieght service.
or was it gas-electric?
Anyway, they seem to have some ex-Reading mu cars for the excrsion service.
That's it, Dave! You were right about the gas mechanical motive power, the first of which replaced their two out of service moguls in late 1939. They had to lease a Ma & Pa 4-4-0 until the gas job arrived. The connecting short line was the New Park and Fawn Grove. After merging into the Stewartstown in the early '20s, traffic fell off until it was abandoned in 1934. Your question, sir!
At a large railroad station the departure of more than one train, perhaps just one at the very end of the specific passenger service, was announced with the names of the wayside stations but not the name of the terminal city, just the common name of the station. Sort as if the C&NW was still running to and from Milwaukee using the station still in use, and the departure announcement would be Ogelbie Transportation Center or Northwestern Terminal, and not Chicago. These departures were a post WWII development, but did not preserve the passenger service to this day, although many think there should be a revival. Nearly everyone boarding this service, except railfans, did not travel through to the destination city anyway.
Name the city, departure and terminal cities, name two named trains meeting this description, name the rail services at this station (definitely more than one), and the circumstances that led to the service being provided from this station, and what services now exist. What options are there today for travel between the two cities?
Hint: This station, where the departure announcement occured.is one of the two USA stations that has rail passenger traffic on three levels and five different types of motive power. At the time the service was provided, there was a sixth, but now there are five.
What I mean by different types of motive power: LA Union Station has only two. Diesel locomotive powered long-distance and commuter trains, and trolley-wire DC light rail cars outside. Penn Station, NY has four. AC-catenary locomotive long-distance and commuter trains (some locomotives now dual-mode), and AC-catenary mu commuter trains, plus loco and mu for third-rail dc (LIRR plus the subways). This station and one other in the USA has five. But it had six when the service described by the announcement was operating.
And when the service was operating, there were four different rail operators using the station, with the private comopanies getting some subsidization for providing commuter service. Today there are three operators, all government, and providing four different services with four different fare policies. Despite the loss of the paticular service, which I think will be revived some day, the station is very heavily used, with easily more than 100 rail movements each day.
Why do I keep thinking of South Station, Boston, and the White Train 'without a stop or jar or antic, without a stop to Willimantic'? That's not it, of course -- unless some of the 'six' then are different from the 'five' now (e.g. no steam)
The thing that bothers me is that thing about most of the traffic not going through to the terminal city. That would imply lots of folks getting off to mass transit, or a military base, or some other 'attraction'... something that doesn't attract 'em enough any more...
A faster and more direct one-seat ride was available to the terminal city with many trains going to points further away. Still avalable. Plus a combination of slower rail services.
The passengers were mostly commuters, and now have to drive or bus to a different line for their commute. But they do get a one-seat ride, whereas the station in question acted more as a transfer point for them. Still does for others.
Newark NJ, destination Reading Terminal Philadelphia. Trains were the Crusader and Wall St. Diesel, AC electric, third rail (PATH) and 600V DC trolley (NJ Transit Newark Subway). Amtrak and NJT provide the substitute ride from points past Bound Brook, providing through service to Penn Station. For most of their lives either conventional (wall St.) or stainless steel (Crusader) coaches and a diner-lounge, for the last 15 years RDCs with snack bars.
Operators at Newark were PRR, CNJ, PATH and PSNJ, now Amtrak, NJT and PATH.
Amtrak has loco-hauled( even Acela qualifies), NJT has loco (inc dual mode) and MU, NJT has MU rapid-transit and light rail. PRR had both MUs and loco-hauled.
Actually this whole lengthy explanation might not qualify, since CNJ trains didn't move to Newark until 1967.
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