Trains.com

Classic Train Questions Part Deux (50 Years or Older)

856704 views
8197 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 11:04 PM

Johnny, I'm going to take a stab at identifying the train. NC&StL No's. 3 & 4 running between Nashville and Atlanta. The leased RR over which it ran was the State of Georgia owned Western & Atlantic between Chattanooga and Atlanta.

Mark

P.S.I can't find any record of setout sleepers at Chattanooga so I'm just guessing that they ran at an earlier time than any of the OG's which I have to reference.

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: At the Crossroads of the West
  • 11,013 posts
Posted by Deggesty on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 9:03 AM

KCSfan

Johnny, I'm going to take a stab at identifying the train. NC&StL No's. 3 & 4 running between Nashville and Atlanta. The leased RR over which it ran was the State of Georgia owned Western & Atlantic between Chattanooga and Atlanta.

Mark

P.S.I can't find any record of setout sleepers at Chattanooga so I'm just guessing that they ran at an earlier time than any of the OG's which I have to reference.

Mark, you are right on; it was the NC&StL's (and then the L&N's) overnight train between Nashville and Atlanta. The 1916 Guide I have shows local sleepers between both Nashville and Atlanta and Chattanooga. The Chattanooga-Atlanta local was dropped first (I don't know when), and then the Nashville-Chattanooga local was dropped (again, I don't know when).

In 1893, the train had a through sleeper between St. Louis and Atlanta, and carried the name Quickstep.

I thought of throwing an oddity of its line in--in its course, the train crossed one state five times, a second state four times, and a third state once, all in less than about fifty miles. Would this have made it easier, or would it have made it more difficult?

Johnny

Johnny

Johnny

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 10:01 AM

Deggesty

I thought of throwing an oddity of its line in--in its course, the train crossed one state five times, a second state four times, and a third state once, all in less than about fifty miles. Would this have made it easier, or would it have made it more difficult?

Johnny

That would have made it more difficult for me. Because it is only 134 rail miles between Atlanta and Chattanooga, I had a hard time imagining there would be a sleeper running only between the two cities. The same is true of the Chattanooga - Nashville route which is only 152 miles in length.

On to the next one. You have 20 questions to identify the train I have in mind, the end points of its route and the RR(s) over which it ran.

Mark

  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Central Valley California
  • 2,841 posts
Posted by passengerfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 10:40 AM

KCSfan

Deggesty

I thought of throwing an oddity of its line in--in its course, the train crossed one state five times, a second state four times, and a third state once, all in less than about fifty miles. Would this have made it easier, or would it have made it more difficult?

Johnny

That would have made it more difficult for me. Because it is only 134 rail miles between Atlanta and Chattanooga, I had a hard time imagining there would be a sleeper running only between the two cities. The same is true of the Chattanooga - Nashville route which is only 152 miles in length.

On to the next one. You have 20 questions to identify the train I have in mind, the end points of its route and the RR(s) over which it ran.

Mark

Mark

Did the train operate east of the Mississippi River?

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 11:55 AM

passengerfan

Did the train operate east of the Mississippi River?

(1) Yes

Mark

  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Central Valley California
  • 2,841 posts
Posted by passengerfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 1:02 PM

Did the train operate in a North-South direction? 

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • 4,190 posts
Posted by wanswheel on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 1:40 PM

Mark, is the route more than 500 miles?

Johnny, I hope to learn what city on the NC&StL map the sleepers were set out for.

http://railga.com/ncsl95map.html

Mike

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 1:54 PM

passengerfan

Did the train operate in a North-South direction? 

(2) Yes

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 1:55 PM
wanswheel

Mark, is the route more than 500 miles?

(3) No

  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Central Valley California
  • 2,841 posts
Posted by passengerfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 2:40 PM

Was one of the terminal cities Detroit?

Al

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: At the Crossroads of the West
  • 11,013 posts
Posted by Deggesty on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 2:52 PM

wanswheel
Johnny, I hope to learn what city on the NC&StL map the sleepers were set out for.

Mike, Chattanooga was the set-out city.

Going from Atlanta, the train crossed Tennessee five times, Georgia four times, and Alabama once; with the exception of the west end of the Alabama crossing, all of these were close to Chattanooga. Even now, I-24 dips down into Georgia on its way from Nashville to Chattanooga. 

Johnny

Johnny

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: At the Crossroads of the West
  • 11,013 posts
Posted by Deggesty on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 2:55 PM

Mark, did the train run in the South (south of the Ohio and Potomac rivers)?

Johnny

Johnny

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 3:15 PM

passengerfan

Was one of the terminal cities Detroit?

(4) No

Mark

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 3:17 PM

Deggesty

Mark, did the train run in the South (south of the Ohio and Potomac rivers)?

(5) No

Mark

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Chicago, Ill.
  • 2,843 posts
Posted by al-in-chgo on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 4:18 PM

Mark, did the train operate (in whole or in part) over one or more predecessor railroads to today's Norfolk Southern?   -  a.s.

al-in-chgo
  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Central Valley California
  • 2,841 posts
Posted by passengerfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 4:55 PM

Mark

Was the train streamlined?

Al

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 5:15 PM

al-in-chgo

Mark, did the train operate (in whole or in part) over one or more predecessor railroads to today's Norfolk Southern?   -  a.s.

(5) Yes

Mark

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 5:16 PM

passengerfan

Mark

Was the train streamlined?

Al

(6) No

Mark

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Chicago, Ill.
  • 2,843 posts
Posted by al-in-chgo on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 5:44 PM

Did any part of the train's normal run take place under catenary or next to third-rail, regardless of whether the motive power for the train was steam, diesel, electric, some hybrid, or different types of motive power for different stretches of its run?  

 

al-in-chgo
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 6:07 PM

al-in-chgo

Did any part of the train's normal run take place under catenary or next to third-rail, regardless of whether the motive power for the train was steam, diesel, electric, some hybrid, or different types of motive power for different stretches of its run? 

(7) No

Mark

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 6:28 PM

KCSfan

al-in-chgo

Mark, did the train operate (in whole or in part) over one or more predecessor railroads to today's Norfolk Southern?   -  a.s.

(5) Yes

Mark

Al,

I just realized that my answer to this question might midlead you and others. I'll qualify my answer by saying that the small portion of this trains former route that remains in service today is a part of the Norfolk Southern.

Mark

Mark

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • 8,156 posts
Posted by henry6 on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 7:48 PM

I am enjoying the 20 Question format very much but may I make a suggestion...When setting up the question the first several questions are geographical. So why not get rid of the first several (predictable) questions right off the bat with, the fact that it is east/west or whatever and is located east or west of the Mississippi.  Those questions are always asked so why not make it a full 20 questions instead of 18?

RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • 4,190 posts
Posted by wanswheel on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 8:04 PM

Thanks Johnny, I got confused by the word "removed," and thought there was a fourth city nearby but not on the mainline.

Mark, does the railroad's name have a state?

Mike

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Chicago, Ill.
  • 2,843 posts
Posted by al-in-chgo on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 8:59 PM

I just want to jump in before more time elapses to say that IMHO henry6 brought up a useful way to streamline the game.  Another way might be to allow numerous (perhaps indefinite) questions from the same person as long as they continue to be answered by "Yes."  This penalizes the "No" answers more effectively because then the question-posing power passes to someone else.  In such a case you might not even need 18 - 20 questions.  Six to ten might work.  People of a certain age will find this similar to the old "What's My Line" TV quiz show.  Just sayin' Whistling

 

al-in-chgo
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • 8,156 posts
Posted by henry6 on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 9:52 PM

Don't get me wrong,  I am not saying that a set up be: "I am thinking of a train east of the Mississipi that goes east and west."  But more like, "This eastern train connected two cities from a point on the coast to an inland location."  Or, "This train ran east of the Mississippi and and parallel to it."  You get my drift. 

RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 10:06 PM
wanswheel

Mark, does the railroad's name have a state?

Mike

(8) Yes

Mark

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • 4,190 posts
Posted by wanswheel on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 10:23 PM

Is Chicago a terminal?

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 10:57 PM
wanswheel

Is Chicago a terminal?

(9) Yes

Mark

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Chicago, Ill.
  • 2,843 posts
Posted by al-in-chgo on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 11:51 PM

Is part of the railroad's name the word "Ohio"?  -  a.s.

 

al-in-chgo
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Thursday, November 5, 2009 6:44 AM

al-in-chgo

Is part of the railroad's name the word "Ohio"?  -  a.s.

(10) No

Mark

SUBSCRIBER & MEMBER LOGIN

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Get the Classic Trains twice-monthly newsletter