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Classic Train Questions Part Deux (50 Years or Older)

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, May 15, 2011 4:11 AM

Nariq, please, make an effort.   Not that hard:

What do you supposee the propulsion power for the vehicles using the double track turntable whose use was ended by the 1906 SF earthquake and fire was?

Wha tdo you suppose the propulsion power was when passenger service was revived after the events?   Why do you suppose the switch was not made earlier?    And today what is at the site?

If you need help, pull up www.streetcar.org

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Posted by narig01 on Sunday, May 15, 2011 5:51 PM

Dave my apoligies to you and everyone else out there. I've been out of easy internet access for a few days. 

Ok The turntable in question was a dual gauge turntable for the 2 gauges of cable operation both 4'8 1/2" & 3'6".  

When the earthquake & fire of 1906 destroyed muchof the existing network as an"emergency" the street railway network in San Francisco was rebuilt "temporarily"(lol) withelectric overhead.  In the years before the earthquake their was great debate about the building of an electric street railway network to replace the cable cars(especially on the flatter routes) . When the 1st electric line was built in San Francisco there was much complaint about the overhead wires cluttering the sky. As a result (if I remember correctly) to the point of a city ordanance  being passed directing that electric lines would have to use a conduit in the ground.  This was more than could be afforded by the street railways. And they fought this tooth and nail til the earthquake happened.(someone actually complained the earthquakewas a street car connspiracy).

Last but not least the SP connection. In two parts. SP was a major stockhold in United Railways if I remember and been told over the years  .  

Thesecond part of the SP connection 1 Market St was the headquaters of the Southern Pacific Railroad.  This building still serves as the headquaters of 2 very large companies that have or are transportion operations. 1. Del Monte is (if I remember correctly) still in the Stuart St Tower. As is Crowley Maritime.     The former runs a fleet of container ships to haul bananas and pineapples and other tropical fruit. The latter is one of the largest tug and barge operations.

Thx IGN

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, May 16, 2011 2:38 PM

I will give you credit and ask you to ask the next question.   I am unsure whether or not the turntable was dual gauge.   But it had two distinct tracks which on both ends matched up with the double track on Market Street.   So a cable car could enter the turntable as another left, and the Market Street lines (there four coming to the Ferry Turntable) ran on close headways, which could not be met by reversing one car at a time.  I don't believe there were any storage tracks on the Ferry Building side of the turntable, although there may have been at one time.   The arrangement  was similar to what you see at Powell and Market, at Hyde and the Embarcadaro, and at Mason at the Embarcadaro, except that there were two tracks on a slightly larger turntable, and the double cable tracks continued straight to the turntable pit with the outer rails thus longer than the inner, the reverse being true for the two turntable tracks.

The existing turntable at Hyde and the Embarcadaro was relocated from the end of the Powell-Jackson line when that line was diverted to become the Powell-Hyde line.   The reversing crossover for the old O'Farell Jones and Hyde line is still in place and I used it for a chargered ERA fantrip with a California double-end car/

The rest of your answer is correct in full.    So I await your question.

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 9:16 AM

We are still waiting for IGN's question.

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Sunday, May 22, 2011 9:26 AM

daveklepper

We are still waiting for IGN's question.

Any progress on the question, IGN?

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Sunday, June 5, 2011 7:55 AM

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.

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Posted by henry6 on Sunday, June 5, 2011 9:07 AM

City Of New Orleans, Illinois Central, Chicago and New Orleans.  Or is that too simple?

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Posted by ZephyrOverland on Sunday, June 5, 2011 2:50 PM

henry6

City Of New Orleans, Illinois Central, Chicago and New Orleans.  Or is that too simple?

If life were that simple. Nope.....

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Posted by Deggesty on Sunday, June 5, 2011 4:53 PM

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

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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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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 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 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 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!

 

Johnny

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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 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 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 8:23 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 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 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 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 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 daveklepper on Thursday, June 9, 2011 5:10 AM

Just to let you know it works!

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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 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

al-in-chgo
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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 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 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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