Remember that four of the NYCs units were assigned to one of the NYCS components.
From Classic Trains "Birds Eye Views" approx. 1940. Look next to the main station building.
Those dual-powers would have been assigned to the Big Four and/or Michigan Central.
MC 7530-7533 (later 563-566) were assigned to Central Station. All four were retired before MC trains moved to LaSalle St.
I'll be happy to wait for Overmod's question
Not my question. I referenced the Lackawanna for tri-powers. The actual answer involves Michigan Central.
Well, I had mentioned Michigan Central and its use of dual-power at Central Sta., Chicago. But for some time one Detroit - Chicago Train did use La Sallw Street, MC for a time used both stations and probably assdigned one of its dual powers at La Salle.
So, to recap - NYC had tri-powers in New York (and later Detroit), a pair of dual-powers at LaSalle St, along with CRI&P's lone unit. MC had four at Central in Chicago. DL&W had a pair used in freeight service in the Hackensack Meadows.
Michigan Central's Wolverine was handled as an ordinary New York Central train at LaSalle St. beginning some time in the 1920s. All other MC trains called Central home until 1958.
One of you guys should be able to come up with a question. I have a couple in storage if nobody wants to ask.
Which Class One Railroad had the very oldest air--conditioned coaches in entirely in commuter service in rhw laye 1940s and early 1950s.
Hint They were not built originally for commuter service.
I'm going to go with Baltimore & Ohio.
You mat be right. If your info is ptrcisem, desribe? What typ;e of trucjs?
I went with B&O since they were one of the earliest users of air-conditioned passenger equipment. I'm not familiar with the mechanical particulars of the cars in question.
B&O had some of the very newest cars from in the late '40s not specifically built for commuter service -- the ex-Cincinnatian cars in the Pittsburgh service in the '50s.
The cars I am referring were transferred from the service for which they were built and especialy during WWIi saw occasional service on adjacent connecting railroads and had six-wheel trucks. Most were built with ice air-conditioning as built, but converted to mechanical long before 1949.
The connecting railroad that had these cars on its tracks in through service opoerated identacle cars in a different paint scheme. On a relatively few o0ccasions, one could see both in the same train. They were replaced by postwar lightweights. the cars. The cars they replaced included non-air-conditioned de-motored MUs that had provided an incomplete commuter service into a different city.
The commuter service for which these cars were re-seated was at one end of the long-distance services that these cars had seen. The long distance service to one city terminal always involoved an engine change. On the longer of the two major long-dstance services, ending at a more distant city. at one time four engine changes, then reduced to three. The service operated Amtrak first had one engine change, none now.
And Amtrak service is actually much better than when these cars were in ,.ong-distance servixce.
The shorter of the two major long-distance services terminated in a station and on approach tracks owned by a second and much larger railroad without another engine or crew chqange to thiswv much larger railrad. This city was the mid-pont of the second long-distance service, at a different station owned the conne3cting rsailroad and reached in part by a third railroad that owned no rolling vstock.
Until thne late 1949 replacement of these to-be commuter cars, the top train of this railroad was made up of these cars plus diner (sometimes two), lounge-obervation, and head-end cars. At the time, an all First-Class train.
The one engine-change took five minutes.
The New Haven's lsrge heavyweight paarlor-car fleet. Someone else ask the next question.
Next question:
Some pre and post war Pullmans were pre-fixed "City of". A few had numbers for Pullman purposes and most had just their names?
Why?
Ed Burns
The "City of" prefix was used to designate a specific floor plan, probably 10R-6DBR. In the heavyweight era, the Pullman Company used numbers on tourist cars and all other sleeping, parlor and dining cars were designated by name only.
In the streamliner era, SP sleeping cars were later designated by number.
Nickel Plates "City of" series of sleepers had some names overlap with PRR and NYCS series of "City of" prewar 17 or 18 rmt cars (section 9, reserved for the porter, replaced roomette 9 on 17 rmt cars). NKP's cars were designated as 150-151 (6DBR-lounge) and 200-212 (10 rmt 6 DBR), plus prewar Pullman 18 rmt pool cars 215 and 216 purchased by NKP in the Pullman breakup. The cars were also listed in the named car Pullman list. Aside from the overlapped names and the other PRR and NYCS cars there was also a large series of "City of" 10rmt 6DBR cars owned by C&O, many of which were sold to other railroads (IC, B&O, D&RGW) without ever being used by C&O.
Duplicates:
City of Cleveland (NKP 150, NYC 17 rmt)
City of Chicago (NKP 151, CCC&StL 17 rmt)
City of Buffalo (NKP 200, CCC&StL 17 rmt)
City of St. Louis (NKP 201, PRR 18 rmt)
City of Indianapolis (NKP 203, NYC 17 rmt)
City of Erie (NKP 205, PRR 18 rmt)
City of Toledo (NKP 206, NYC 17 rmt)
City of Peoria (NKP 207, NYC 18 rmt)
City of Fort Wayne (NKP 212, PRR 18 rmt)
RC has the correct answer and gets the next question.
Two of the heavyweight Pullmans assigned to this jointly operated train each had names which contained the participating railroads' signature streamlined train name.
rcdrye Two of the heavyweight Pullmans assigned to this jointly operated train each had names which contained the participating railroads' signature streamlined train name.
It would be Zephyr Tower and Rocket Tower, 8 section-1 Drawing Room-3 Double Bedroom modernized heavyweight sleepers assigned to the Zephyr Rocket, a Minneapolis-St. Louis train jointly operated by RI and CBQ.
Correct! The other Pullmans assigned to the train were modernized heavyweight 10 section 3 DBR cars Minneapolis and Cedar Rapids. Zephyr Tower and Minneapolis became CB&Q cars in the Pullman breakup, Rocket Tower and Cedar Rapids went to the CRI&P. Other cars (and locomotives) were assigned by CB&Q and CRI&P on a 50/50 basis except for a CB&Q Baggage/RPO which only operated between St. Louis and Burlington IA.
A new question will be coming up in 2023. Happy New Year!
By "all service," do you mean all passenger service? Or complete abandonment of the track?
daveklepper By "all service," do you mean all passenger service? Or complete abandonment of the track?
All passenger service.
Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!
Get the Classic Trains twice-monthly newsletter