In the late 1940s Canadian Pacific bought three U.S. buit E8s for a particular passenger train. Name the train, its endpoints and route. For extra credit, name the other train these units often ended up on in the early years before moving to the Montreal-St John Atlantic.
The Allouette and the Red Wing. The first the day Montreal - Boston train, the second the overnight. They ran opposite B&M E-7's (occasionally the B&M's one E8). The route was CP Windsor St., Montreal - Wells River Jc., then B&M through Concord, Manchaster, Nashua, and Lowell to North Station, Boston. The power always ran through on the Allouette but occasionally was swapped the Wells River on the overnight. In the steam days, power also ran through, and I once did ride Boston - Concord behind a CP 4-6-2. In the steam days after traffic dropped off after WWII, the Red Wing also carried coaches and one sleepers to Concord where they separated and ran to White River Jc. as the Boston leg of the Montrealler, but this was dropped I believe by the time of dieselizaton. The Red Wing came off around 1960, the tracks between Plymouth and Wells River went out of service shortly after, and the Allouette was rerouted via White River Junction, then north to Wells River. Connections both ways were established at White River Junction with the Ambassador, so it was possible to continue on the CV - CN route as well as via the CP to Montreal. And the B&M E-7's and CP E-8's were replaced by RDC's, usually one B&M RDC mu'ed with a CP RDC.
You got it. The White Mountain Division from Concord to Woodsville was abandoned in 1954 between Plymouth NH and Blackmount NH (near Woodsville), so the remaining traffic after that was handled via White River Jct. The Red Wing ran from Wells River Vt. to Concord and Boston via White River Jct, with the CP power (if used) usually turned at the B&M roundhouse at Westboro (West Lebanon) NH after coming off at White River Jct. The Boston-Montreal sleeper via the Montrealer/Washingtonion was gone by 1947. B&M's lone E8 was supposed to be for this pool but ended up in general service with the E7s almost immediately.
After the mid 1950s the afternoon drill in White River Jct had the B&M's RDCs from Boston arriving around the same time as the northbound Ambassador (NH/B&M) with the CP/B&M train from the north (Montreal and Berlin NH, RDCs combined at Wells River VT) and the southbound Ambassador (CN/CV). All of the arrivals and departures were scheduled between 3:45 and 4:15 PM. With CV and B&M power getting swapped on both Ambassadors, the operator handling the ball signal was a busy man.
After the RDC Allouette came off, the very last through Boston - Montreal train, it was of course still possible to go from Boston to Montreal by using the remaining New York Central/Boston and Albany train from South Station to Springfield, and then waiting for the Montrealer to come through from Penn Station and Washington. The northbound layover was not as horrible as the southbound, via the Washingtonian and New England States remnant, but both weren't very nice. In any case, northbound one would leave Boston around 2 or 3 in the afternoon and arrive in Montreal the next morning. But once or twice a week there was a faster way. What was it, which railroads, what equipment, which location the transfer point, and how did one make the connection, again, at the period just after the Allouette was finally discontinued.
After regular daily service was discontinued in 1960, the CN/GT ran trains from Montreal to Portland ME on summer weekends (with a bus connection to Old Orchard Beach) until 1967. For a short period of time after the RDC runs via White River Jct were discontinued it was still possible to make a connection from a Boston-Portland RDC run, before those, too, were dropped. CN/GT trains were either RDC equipment or conventional coaches with boiler GP9s, often lettered Central Vermont.
You are correct. When I made the trip, we had two RDCs leaving North Station about 1pm, arriving in Portland in the early evening, with two other connecting passengers (and extensive carry-on acoustical test equipment), a taxi to the Grand Trunk station, then before boarding I learned that meal service was only available to parlor car passengers, and the six-wheel modernized parlor was at the end of the train, and one seat was still available, so I paid for a cash upgrade. I distinctly remember the name of the parlor car:
Allouette!
I rode the back platform while still daylight, then ate two of the sandwiches offered by the buffet service plus two cups of hot tea, and went to sleep, arriving in Montreal near midnight, with a reservation at the CN hotel upstairs from the station. The next morning I took a CP Budd-car train to Three Rivers for a project at Cap de Madelaine, the Cathedral du Notre Dam de Cap. I think that sound system is still working after 52 years!
French Canadians like to vacation at Old Orchard Beach, Maine.
The attendant in the parlor car was reluctant to handle USA money, so some Canadians exchanged money with me so I could pay him in Canadian money!
Next question yours RC
Let's slow down and look at the scenery a bit...
Here are some brand names used for dome cars. Name the carriers that used them. Railroad names may appear more than once.
Vista Dome
Domeliner
Scenic Dome
Planetarium Dome
Sky Dome
Pleasure Dome
Big Dome
Great Dome
Super Dome
Extra credit: During the winter of 1959-1960, NP 4-4-4 sleeper-domes ran on three trains out of Chicago. Train name, railroads and destinations.
Vista Dome - CB&Q / Rio Grande / WP / NP /SP&S
Domeliner - UP
Planetarium Dome - MP
Sky Dome - CP ?
Pleasure Dome - AT&SF
Great Dome - GN /SP&S
Super Dome - Milw / GN / SP&S
You didn't mention Shasta Dome which was The B&O's name for its dome cars on the Capitol Ltd. and Shenandoah
The Wabash Bluebird ran with a dome Observation/Parlor Car and dome chair cars but I can't find any special name given to these cars.
The SAL's Silver Meteor carried a glass topped car but it wasn't a true dome since clearances prohibited their use of dome cars.
In the winter of 1959-60 NP sleeper domes ran in the City of Miami - IC/CofG/ACL/FEC Chi-Miami and the North Coast Ltd - CB&Q/NP/SP&S Chi to Seattle and Portland. I don't know of the third train unless it was the Mainstreeter.
Mark
Close enough for a fun quiz. Sky Dome was an early B&O designator before they settled on Strata Dome (which I forgot). GN used the "Great Dome" name for their full length cars but just designated the short domes as "Dome coaches". The third train from Chicago with NP domes was the PRR/L&N/ACL/FEC South Wind. From the photos I've seen, IC repainted the NP cars, PRR didn't. Depending on the year (since IC painted them back in NP colors after the winter season) the NP/IC cars were either lettered Pullman with NP lettering on the ends or had the full Northern Pacific name spelled out on the letterboard.
Back to you for the next question.
I don't know where my mind was when I called the B&O domes Shasta Domes - I knew good and well they were Strata Domes. On to a new question.
Who was the builder of the last American Standard (4-4-0) locomotive to be built in the US and in what year was it delivered new to what railroad? When was it retired from active revenue service?
Baldwin 1927 for Chicago and Illinois Midland. Retired after the passenger trains (Springfield - Peoria) were discontinued in 1953
Right except for some minor corrections/additions. C&IM No. 502 was built by Baldwin in 1928. Baldwin delivered two sister 4-4-0's No's. 500 & 501 in 1927. No. 501 was scrapped in 1950 but the 500 and 502 soldiered on until May 8, 1953 when the C&IM discontinued passenger service between Pekin and Springfield. Next question please.
We'll go back to domes for one more trip...
Burlington and SP had home-built domes. Some railroads bought domes new from one builder. Some acquired domes from more than one builder through secondhand purchases. Two systems bought them new from two builders. Only one railroad bought new domes from all three commercial builders. Name the railroads that bought them new from two or more (commercial) builders.
My guess is AT&SF, GN, UP.
The Train of Tomorrow dome was built by Pullman, if I remember correctly, and ended up (I think) on either GN or UP in Portland - Seattle pool-train service.
AT&SF bought Pleasure Domes (Super Chief) from Pullman, Big Domes (Chief, SF Chief) from Budd. All of GN's were Budd-built (GN used the Great Dome name, even for "little" domes. AT&SF is one correct answer.
UP bought the Pullman-built Train of Tomorrow cars from GM, so that counts as secondhand. All of UPs new domes were built by ACF.
B&O bought domes new from Pullman and (very slightly) used Budd domes from C&O.
IC only bought used domes, both Budd- and Pullman-built.
Southern eventually acquired two from two different builders.
Both Southern and IC's purchases were less than 50 years ago.
There's a couple medium-to-large-size hints embedded in the answers above.
Southern's used domes came from the Central of Georgia, so CofG must be one of the other answers.
Possibly to hurridly equip the stillborn Chessie, C&O may have ordered domes from all three builders? Were the domes B&O bought form the C&O actually used on the C&O?
C of G was actually leasing them at the end of pre-Amtrak service, and SR assumed the lease before eventually buying them. C&O used their Budd domes briefly (on the Sportsman, not the Chessie) before selling them off.
I got a little ahead of myself on this one. The one carrier I thought had cars from all three builders that buit them (Budd, P-S, ACF) actually only got cars from two of them. Some of the cars were built to another builder's plans at the request of the purchasing railroads.
This means that Dave has two answers (AT&SF and UP) correct, since UP's 1958 order for the City of St. Louis was built by P-S to ACF plans.
Two railroads remain.
Northern Pacific. Canadian National.
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.
NP's were all Budd, CN's used (P-S, from Milwaukee)
The two remaining railroads were not particularly famous for Domes, though one had a train with the highest percentage of dome equipped cars. So here's a big hint:
The two railroads both served the two largest cities in a midwestern state.
Northern Pacific and Burlington
Southern Pacific and Wabash
Wabash is the third. Budd Domes for the Blue Bird in 1949, with a P-S dome parlor added in 1952. In 1958 a P-S copy of UP's ACF domes for the City of St. Louis. The two P-S domes ended up on Southern via CofG, the Budds to Amtrak via N&W merger.
SP had homebuilts. The last one is also "--- Pacific".
Missouri Pacific?
Thx IGN
MoPac bought 3 Budd domes in 1948, 4 PS domes in 1952 (T&P got one more) so that's the correct answer. Six of MPs 7 went to IC, which plated over the front-facing windows.
Dave still gets the win with 3 of 4.
Boston transit question:
What was the last Boston pure streetcar line that did not enter the subway (any subway, not even the Harvard Square trolley subway), that never ran PCC cars. Interestingly, in one respect it could have used PCC's because of loops at both ends, but could not for a specific reason. It is not in operation today. It did run during WWII, and before bus substitution, it was operated exclusively by Type 5 double-end lightweights.
I think it was the Roslindale-Mattapan (30) line. Even though it had loops it may have had one or more center platforms which would have required left-hand loading - easy with the wide doors of a type 5 even in one-man service - 1953? The last of the type 5's on the subway lines were replaced with ex-Dallas double-end PCCs.
The Type 5 has a straight air brake valve with a notch for full apply and an additional emergency position. If your feet aren't set the emergency position makes for an awfully hard stop. Balancing speed in full parallel is about 24 MPH, not nearly as fast as a PCC.
I am pretty sure you are thinking of the correct line, even though the correct end points are Mattapan and Egleston. It was commonly referred to as the Blue Hill Avenue line, and 80% of the route was on Blue Hill Avenue, ditto the bus today. The center platform was a continuous divider sidewalk between the opposing traffic lanes. In the past, much of the line was center-reservation, but when the pavement was widened to include the relayed streetcar tracks (going from t-rail to girder rail), this center divider sidewalk was installed, keeping center-pole bracket-arm overhead wire construction. You are correct about the Type 5's and the reason they, and not PCC's, were used. Dallas cars could have been used, but they were bought for and used in the Northeastern U. - North Station service, where they replaced Type 5's that replaced Type 4's. Possibly they were bought after Blue Hill Avenue was bused. The line was also the last connection between the High Speed Mattapan - Ashmont line, still running with the last Boston PCC's, and the rest of the trolley system.
Some Type 5's were equipped with field shunts, raising to speed to 35 mph. These were assigned to 100, Elm Street - Sullivan Square via the Fellsway.
Your question.
Dallas cars came to Boston in 1956.
San Francisco lost all of its cable car operations on April 18, 1906 as a result of the earthquake and fire (it later got some back...) One other city with large cable operations lost all of its cable cars in 1906. Name the city and take a stab at the lines involved.
New York City, 3rd Avenue, Lenox Avenue, conversion to conduit electric operation by the Metropolitan Railway.
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