Trains.com

Classic Train Questions Part Deux (50 Years or Older)

855670 views
8197 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Saturday, October 21, 2023 3:47 PM

Right  

Next question, please.

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Saturday, October 21, 2023 7:49 PM

I had thought, for some probably unaccountable reason, that the switch from Northern Central to the electrified main and then up the C&PD at Havre de Grace was something that occurred by the time in the Fifties that the B&O competition from Washington started going by way of P&LE and trains like the Liberty Limited abruptly became uncompetitive.

Perhaps the B&O long-distance train-off decision in 1958 came before PRR could make the necessary operational adjustments...

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 10:11 AM

Chicago Aurora & Elgin locomotives 4005 and 4006 were probably the last equipment purchased by the line.  Which roads were the previous owners of these steeplecabs?

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 11:06 AM

I knew nothing about the Oklahoma Railway or the Oklahoma Belt Railroad until you asked this question.

Built by them circa 1929.  Then Union Electric 603-604 in 1946 (this was Layng's great and interesting attempt at making an interurban electric line work) until the wheels came off the effort in 1947.  Then Crandic 72 and 73 a year later.  Roarin' Elgin got them in 1955.

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 12:07 PM

We have a winner.  Overmod, you're up.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Wednesday, November 8, 2023 6:19 PM

I'm still thinking.  Anyone else with something interesting, go ahead and say.

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, November 9, 2023 7:41 AM

OK, here is one:  The pre-WWII LIRR step-up-step-down double-deckers are commonly thought of to be the very first double-deck rail passenger equipment in the New York City area, and they did last long in the post-WWii era.  There was one rail passenger vehicle that proceded them.  Whose?  Route?   Description, please.  What change in operations caused its removal from passenger service?

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Thursday, November 9, 2023 10:07 AM

The only vehicles that come to mind are Pullman sleepers "Eventide" and "Nocturne".  They ran for a while in Chicago-Des Moines service on the Rock Island.  They were duplex-single-room cars.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 5,015 posts
Posted by rcdrye on Thursday, November 9, 2023 12:46 PM

If you mean the New York metro area, then New York Railways car 6000, the "Broadway Battleship", an early low-floor design modelled after some cars used for a while in Pittsburgh.  Photos show an enclosed lower deck and open-sided upper deck, which probably came with window panels for winter use.  I think its work life was short - it was underpowered with two motors on its Maximum Traction trucks, and was considered slow to load.  Similar, but single-level, Broadway Dragons were considered more successful.

"Eventide" and "Nocturne" spent at least some of their lives in PRR service.  Both cars were Pullman-owned.

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Friday, November 10, 2023 3:23 AM

RC has it.  Go to it.

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Friday, November 10, 2023 4:02 AM

But I should add that it saw occasional use until the switch to one-man pay-enter operation took it and the single-level versions out-of-service,

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Monday, November 13, 2023 2:21 AM

Still waiting for RC's question

  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 5,015 posts
Posted by rcdrye on Monday, November 13, 2023 6:31 AM

From the headquarters city of a railroad not particularly known for passenger service you could board through sleepers on this railroad to either U.S. coast up until around Word War I.

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 1:24 AM

Wabash, St, Louis.  West coast sleepers  well into post-WWII years with UO, Easst Coast until bankrupcy and loss of susidiary that got it into Pittsburgh.

  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 5,015 posts
Posted by rcdrye on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 6:31 AM

Wabash was considerd a high-ranking passenger carrier, so it only fits half of the question.  The railroad I'm looking for was a minor passenger carrier, especially in later years.  Also Wabash (N&W) had sleepers to the west coast until 1968.  Though it did participate in Pullman "lines", neither the east nor west coast sleepers were Pullman operations, and both ended around WWI.  Look a bit further north.

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 10:08 AM

I'll guess that it was New York, Chicago & St. Louis (NKP).

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 5,015 posts
Posted by rcdrye on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 12:53 PM

Nickel Plate had service to the east coast only.

I'm probably giving it away, but the railroad's corporate name started with the name of its headquarters city, though the railroad was better known by its nickname.

The insignia used was similar to the Wabash's.

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 10:09 AM

Deluth bMessabi & Northern RR?  Or the Deluth and Iron Range RR?

They were separate, though both U. S. Steel owned) until well afwer WWI, when they merged into the DM&IR.

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 1:58 PM

The road in question is Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie, commonly known as the Soo Line.  The service to each coast would be through connections to parent Canadian Pacific.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 5,015 posts
Posted by rcdrye on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 6:32 PM

Soo had a CP-Spokane International-UP (OWR&N) car to Portland from 1907 to about 1914.  The Atlantic Limited from Minneapolis to Saulte St. Marie carried a Boston sleeper (CP, B&M) from around the turn of the Century to about 1914.  Both cars were railroad operated. Vancouver sleepers were carried until the mid 1960s.  The Atlantic Limited carried a Montreal sleeper into the 1920s.

Note that the handoff from CP to B&M was at Sherbrooke QC. B&M sold the line north of Wells River to CP in 1926.

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, November 19, 2023 7:58 AM

CSS's question?

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Thursday, November 30, 2023 10:12 AM

And away we go.  Aside from the builder, what do South Shore steeplecabs 900-903 and Long Island 403A/403B (Mike & Ike) have in common?

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 5,015 posts
Posted by rcdrye on Thursday, November 30, 2023 6:36 PM

Both were built to comply with anti-smoke ordinances, the South Shore units for the Illinois Central (as 10000-10003).

Pretty sure both went to the same scrap yard (Iron & Steel Products, Chicago).  In typical Westinghouse fashion, carbodies were built by Baldwin's tender shop and shipped to Westinghouse for traction equipment, and engines if needed. 

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Friday, December 1, 2023 10:13 AM

The second part is what I was looking for.  Iron & Steel Products was located in my old neighborhood and was winding up the business in the early 1960's.  With both sets of locomotives, Iron & Steel Products was a go-between for the original and subsequent owners.

rcdrye, it's your question.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 5,015 posts
Posted by rcdrye on Friday, December 1, 2023 1:43 PM

Name the five american railroads that had side-rod electric locomotives.

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Friday, December 1, 2023 1:50 PM

Pennsylvania, Virginian, Norfolk & Western, New Haven and Great Northern.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 5,015 posts
Posted by rcdrye on Friday, December 1, 2023 6:08 PM

Got four out of five.  GN didn't have side-rods.  One of the four you got transferred some side-rods to the fifth.

New Haven only had one - 070 by Baldwin-Westinghouse was one of four experimentals.  One of the others was the prototype for the very successful EF-1, the others were dead ends.  070 was used in freight service for about 15 years.  Mechanically very similar to a Pennsy DD1, it was originally equipped with a boiler and third rail gear, but those were removed before it went into regular service.

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Friday, December 1, 2023 7:45 PM

Long Island is the fifth, of course.

  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 5,015 posts
Posted by rcdrye on Saturday, December 2, 2023 7:42 AM

Of course.  Side-rod electrics were fairly common in Europe, where low-frequency (16 2/3 Hz) AC systems required relatively large motors.  PRR/LIRR's motors were DC, Virginians and N&W's were three phase AC, with motor-generator converters from the single phase AC line voltage.  New Haven's experimental had a series-wound motor that could operate on AC or DC.

Since CSSHegewisch got four of the five, he's up next.

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Monday, December 4, 2023 10:15 AM

Thank you.  When Chicago & North Western re-equipped the "Peninsula 400" and "Flambeau 400" in 1958, what were the distinguishing features of the new equipment?

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul

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