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Classic Train Questions Part Deux (50 Years or Older)

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Posted by Dragoman on Monday, June 13, 2011 12:42 PM

By 1959, the date the film was released, hadn't the 20th Century been combined with the Commodore Vanderbilt, so that it was no longer all-Pullman?

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Posted by Dragoman on Monday, June 13, 2011 12:39 PM

In the scene just before the dining car scene referenced in the question, don't we see what appear to be 2 conductors, standing at the end of a chair car/coach, in front of the men's restroom (where our hero is apparently hiding), comparing notes and passenger counts?

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, June 13, 2011 3:18 AM

All this about two conductors is correct, except on some runs that never had more than one Pullman car (not the Silver Comet, which usually did have more than one), there was no Pullman conductor but instead one "Porter-in-charge" who was a regular porter but a senior one with lots of experience and paid better than a regular porter and who acted as a Pullman conductor with regards to tickets only.

To answer the question:  On the particular train he would have had to been playing "Hide and Seek" with both conductors, both the train conductor and the Pullman conductor, unless he had the right tickets for the train.

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Posted by Deggesty on Sunday, June 12, 2011 9:18 PM

And, the Pullman conductor was responsible for turning all the space coupons in to his company, so he would want to make certain that everyone riding in Pullman space surrendered his coupon for that space. Unless he were a porter-in-charge (only one sleeper on the train), each porter, if he had collected transportation and space coupons, would turn all the coupons tendered by his passengers in to the proper conductor. If he were a porter-in-charge, he would give the railroad conductor the transportation coupons and remit the space coupons, along with the requisite written report to the Pullman Company.

In November of 1968, My mother and I occupied a bedroom in the lone sleeper on the Silver Comet from Washington to Birmingham. The two conductors came by together to get their coupons; I gave the space coupon to the Pullman conductor and my transportation to the RF&P conductor, and my mother gave the RF&P conductor her pass.

 

Johnny

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Posted by al-in-chgo on Sunday, June 12, 2011 9:16 PM

 

So, Flying Crow, am I disqualified?  - al smalling

 

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Posted by henry6 on Sunday, June 12, 2011 9:03 PM

But there were Pullman Conductors...in addition to train Conductor....and usually in charge of a group of Pullman Cars in a train, thus, crew chief or supervisor of the Porters.

 

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Posted by al-in-chgo on Sunday, June 12, 2011 8:27 PM

#2 While sitting at the table in the dining car with Eva Marie Saint, Cary Grant makes the statement "I've been playing hide-and-seek with the Pullman conductor since I got on." What's wrong with this statement?

Feel free to editorialize with your response...whichever.

In the American system, the conductor is the boss of the train ("All Aboard!") and is employed by the railroad.

The Pullman Company used Porters to make up the passengers' room and see to their general welfare.  Porters may have collected tickets but at least part of that ticket went to the railroad company because it provided the transportation, while Pullman was a first-class service. 

 

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Posted by henry6 on Sunday, June 12, 2011 6:51 PM

Danbury, CT.  But I digress...

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Sunday, June 12, 2011 6:39 PM

Let's go to the movies!     Hitchcock's research for the "train" scenes in NORTH BY NORTHWEST was pretty accurate.    You can answer either of the following two questions:

#1    You can only ever clearly read the names of two cars in the film.    What were the names?

OR

#2    While sitting at the table in the dining car with Eva Marie Saint, Cary Grant makes the statement "I've been playing hide-and-seek with the Pullman conductor since I got on."     What's wrong with this statement?

Feel free to editorialize with your response...whichever.    

 

 

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Posted by AWP290 on Saturday, June 11, 2011 10:27 PM

Give that man a Confederate one dollar bill.

The Montgomery & West Point Rail Road was, for some strange reason, built to the northern standard gauge of 4' 8 1/2 inches rather than to the Southern standard of 5 feet.  This prevented the railroad from moving the locomotives off-line and away from the invading army as the A&WP and GaRR did.  As a result, all locomotives were badly damaged, if not destroyed. 

The only locomotive that was in anywhere near operating condition was an ancient mill named Abner McGehee (Rogers, 1839) that was so thoroughly worn out - it was retired in 1863 - that the Union forces did not deign to waste time and effort on it.  It was the only locomotive that could be restored to service in any reasonable time  and was used to rebuild the road immediately following the war.

Take it away, Buck.

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Saturday, June 11, 2011 8:47 PM

Bob...I've basically sat back on this one, but.....like my question....I'm thinking everyone gave up.

So.

The Montgomery & West Point.... a "strange gauge railroad"   4' 8" instead of the prevalent 5' at the time.

Hmmm  Huh?

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Posted by al-in-chgo on Saturday, June 11, 2011 4:34 PM

al-in-chgo
 AWP290:

We're not getting any action on this question for some reason.  I thought it was probably too easy when I posted it.

Here's a hint - about 20 years later this would have not been a problem had a similar situation arisen.

Bob Hanson, Loganville, GA

 

It has been a while.  Is it possible to repeat the part of the question that hasn't been answered, or rephrase it?  -  al

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Posted by al-in-chgo on Saturday, June 11, 2011 4:34 PM

al-in-chgo
 AWP290:

We're not getting any action on this question for some reason.  I thought it was probably too easy when I posted it.

Here's a hint - about 20 years later this would have not been a problem had a similar situation arisen.

Bob Hanson, Loganville, GA

 

It has been a while.  Is it possible to repeat the part of the question that hasn't been answered, or rephrase it?  -  al

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Posted by al-in-chgo on Saturday, June 11, 2011 4:34 PM

al-in-chgo
 AWP290:

We're not getting any action on this question for some reason.  I thought it was probably too easy when I posted it.

Here's a hint - about 20 years later this would have not been a problem had a similar situation arisen.

Bob Hanson, Loganville, GA

 

It has been a while.  Is it possible to repeat the part of the question that hasn't been answered, or rephrase it?  -  al

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Posted by al-in-chgo on Saturday, June 11, 2011 4:21 PM
AWP290

We're not getting any action on this question for some reason.  I thought it was probably too easy when I posted it.

Here's a hint - about 20 years later this would have not been a problem had a similar situation arisen.

Bob Hanson, Loganville, GA

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Posted by AWP290 on Saturday, June 11, 2011 4:01 PM

We're not getting any action on this question for some reason.  I thought it was probably too easy when I posted it.

Here's a hint - about 20 years later this would have not been a problem had a similar situation arisen.

Bob Hanson, Loganville, GA

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, June 9, 2011 5:10 AM

Just to let you know it works!

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Posted by al-in-chgo on Wednesday, June 8, 2011 5:03 PM

Hello, everyone:

For the past 6 - 7 weeks I have been having "compatibility" problems, which I hope accounts for the mysterious habit the TRAINS boards developed that I could sign in, type a post, post the post, then have the "post" say in red I hadn't posted because there was nothing in the text block--i.e., no post! 

The people at Kalmbach gave me a couple of tips.  IF this works, please forgive the "empty" postings I have been making from late April - now.  If it didn't take, you aren't aware of this message anyway because the situation hasn't been resolved yet. 

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Posted by AWP290 on Tuesday, June 7, 2011 7:41 AM

I stand corrected.

The key figure was 29, and that was the mileage at the time.  I wasn't aware of the additional purchase.

Nor was I aware of Halsey's role in procuring the emperor's White Horse, but was well aware of the brand of whiskey, and of Halsey's general fondness of whiskey.

Thank you.

Bob Hanson

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Posted by Southerngreen1401 on Monday, June 6, 2011 9:27 PM

I use to work for Sprngs Industries.  They were still claiming that that the L&C was apart of their companies as a 2006.  Th3e two remaining SW9 in L&C fleet were gouing to City of Lancaster and the South Carolina Railroad Museum.  The North Carolina Transporation Museum as wanted a L&C SW9. 

In South Carolina, General Sherman destroyed all railroad equipment and tracks his troops get get their hands on.  One hunderd fifty year later and if you look you can find thing that were left by his troops in 1865.

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Posted by Deggesty on Monday, June 6, 2011 9:12 PM

AWP290

3.  The road is 29 miles long.

4.  William Fl Halsey, Jr, Vice President of White Horse Supply (White Horse was a brand of whiskey.)   

     Gypsy Rose Lee, Vice President of Unveiling

     Lucius Beebe, Vice President of Internal Audit.

Virtually all, if not all, of the vice presidents were honorary titles.

Bob Hanson, Loganville, GA

3. Bob, the road is now about 46-50 miles long; the L&C bought the former Southern branch from Lancaster to just below Kershaw a few years ago (it now runs through my home town). This purchase put another Springs mill on the company's railroad.

4. "White Horse supply" had nothing to do with whiskey (I know White Horse whiskey exists; I have tasted it). It has to do with General Jonathan Wainwright's  (he had to surrender his army, in the Philippines, to the Japanese and was their prisoner until after General MacArthur returned to the Philippines) desire to have Emperor Hirohito's white horse; Admiral Halsey was selected as the best man to oversee procuring this particular white horse.

You did very well with your answer.

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Posted by AWP290 on Monday, June 6, 2011 8:23 PM

Thanks, Buck.

During the War Between the States, some of the locomotives of the Atlanta & West Point Rail Road and the Georgia Railroad escaped serious harm by Union troops.  Some - not all.  Those of the Montgomery & West Point Rail Road did not fare so well, virtually all of them being destroyed.

Why?

Bob Hanson, Loganville, GA

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Monday, June 6, 2011 8:08 PM

Well, Bob...you jumped on this correctly.    And, btw, I received your letter.

All yours now.

 

ABD

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Posted by AWP290 on Monday, June 6, 2011 8:01 PM

1.  Lancaster & Chester Railway

2.  The Springmaid Line

3.  The road is 29 miles long.

4.  William Fl Halsey, Jr, Vice President of White Horse Supply (White Horse was a brand of whiskey.)   

     Gypsy Rose Lee, Vice President of Unveiling

     Lucius Beebe, Vice President of Internal Audit.

Virtually all, if not all, of the vice presidents were honorary titles.

Bob Hanson, Loganville, GA

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Monday, June 6, 2011 7:29 PM

Away we go.

 

Back to the deep South for this one.

This little southern shortline has enjoyed colorful, eventful and profitable past and present.    Not only is it still in existence, but at one time it sported 29 vice-presidents.   Surprise


The question is 4 part:

 

  1. What is the name of this little gem?
  2. What was its nickname?
  3. Why 29 Vice Presidents?
  4. Who were some of the twenty-nine VP’s listed.   (Name one or more…your choice…).

 

AB Dean Jacksonville,FL
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Posted by Deggesty on Sunday, June 5, 2011 9:23 PM

FlyingCrow

SP - ROCK ISLAND #39 & 40, The Imperial

 

Wink

In 1950, none other but! Now, if you had taken the Chicago-San Diego car, you would have added more (three more?) crossings of Mexico between El Centro and San Diego.

Between Araz, Cal., and Calexico, Cal., the line dipped south into Mexico, with scheduled stops at Algodones and Mexicali in Baja California. 

No, Al, Mexico, Mo., is on the Chicago & Alton and Wabash. It is true that many years ago the C&A participated in a Chicago-Los Angeles train through Mexico, Mo., that the Rock Island handled between Kansas City and Tucumcari, but that was about eighty years ago, as I recall. Also, the Golden Rocket never ran. An interesting guess, though (considering that I have asked about eating in Chattanooga while in Virginia and eating in Alexandria while in Tennessee).

Flying Crow, take wing again!

 

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Posted by al-in-chgo on Sunday, June 5, 2011 7:42 PM

 

 

Was it the Golden State Rocket and Mexico, Missouri? 

 

 

 

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Posted by FlyingCrow on Sunday, June 5, 2011 6:23 PM

SP - ROCK ISLAND #39 & 40, The Imperial

 

Wink

AB Dean Jacksonville,FL
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Posted by Deggesty on Sunday, June 5, 2011 6:03 PM

"Johnny, you get the next question"

What Chicago-Los Angeles train crossed Mexico as it traversed its route?

Johnny

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Sunday, June 5, 2011 5:33 PM

Deggesty

 

 ZephyrOverland:

 

Since this thread has been dormant for over 3 weeks and I see that narig01 hasn't been online since then, I would like to get this back on track with a new question (with all due apologies to narig01):

I wouldn't be surprised that this train would serve Jambalaya and crawfish in its diner, if it had one. 

Name the train, RR and endpoints.

 

Four trains, two of which did have a diner, come to mind.

 

The IC's Louisiane, which ran Chicago-NewOrleans (overnight Chicago-Memphis and day Memphis-New Orleans). Not much of its run was in Louisiana.

The MP's Orleanean, which ran New Orleans-Houston (day train) did have a diner lounge.

The SP's Acadian, which ran New Orleans-Houston (overnight train) left after most people's dinner time and arrived in time for breakfast at the depot or a restaurant. This train's name really suggests that a diner on it would serve Cajun food.

The T&P's Louisiana Daylight, which ran New Orleans-Fort Worth did have a diner lounge.

I have eaten crawfish (trapped by my nephew) at my brother's in Baton Rouge. Good eating.

Johnny,

You got the answer with the Acadian.  Off the top my head I didn't know if that train carried a diner but the mention of Jambalaya and crawfish should have signaled a type of cuisine - cajun.  The word Acadian was the formal description of cajun.  Interestingly, the CN also operated a Montreal-Halifax train called the Acadian, running in the region where the Acadians originated from and of course, the SP version ran in the area where the relocated Acadians ended up.

Johnny, you get the next question.

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