Panama Limited - What was the journey like in the 1930s?

[Deggesty]

CSumption

How long did it take for the Panama Limited to cross the Mississippi? Did it have to slow down? Did it screech or squeal when it went over the bridge?

Except for the cars to/from St. Louis, the Panama Limited did not cross the Mississippi. It did cross the Ohio River at Cairo. Each approach to the bridge has a 90 degree turn, but the bridge itself has no sharp turns. I did  not take notice of a reduction in speed the two times I crossed in daylight (I have slept across the Ohio there several times), but that does not mean that there was none. The two times that I entered St. Louis on the MacArthur Bridge (used by the IC), we proceeded slowly.

Johnny

[KCSfan]

It's been 45 years since the last of several trips I made across the Ohio River bridge on trains of the IC and the passage of time has dimmed my memories of the crossings somewhat. All IC trains stopped at the North Cairo station which as I recall was located on the embankment which was the northern approach to the bridge proper.  The bridge was always crossed at a reduced speed that I would estimate was about 30 mph max. There was definitely no squealing of wheel flanges as the bridge was crossed. While most of my trips were on the City of Miami, this info would apply to the Panama as well.

Marl

[CSumption]

Does anyone have an idea of what a radio would have looked like on a Pullman lounge car? Or thoughts about where I might look for a photo or illustration?

[Deggesty]

CSumption

Does anyone have an idea of what a radio would have looked like on a Pullman lounge car? Or thoughts about where I might look for a photo or illustration?

If you have access to Arthur D. Dubin's More Classic Trains, you can find six pictures of radios placed in lounge cars in the twenties and the thirties. Four of the radios look like the console radios of the thirties (which is probably just what they were). The two from the twenties look like what I expect were the top of the line in the twenties. And, there are three pictures of the interior of a car that broadcst a show from the Pioneer Limited in 1927. 

Also, as I recall, there is at least one picture of a radio in a CN lounge car in The Trains We Rode (I cannot place my hands on my copy at the moment, or I could give more detail).

[AgentKid]

Here is an article with two great pictures of radio's on CNR passenger trains.

http://www.cn.ca/about/company_information/history/CNRadio2.htm

Bruce

[Deggesty]

AgentKid

Here is an article with two great pictures of radio's on CNR passenger trains.

http://www.cn.ca/about/company_information/history/CNRadio2.htm

Bruce

Bruce, thanks for the pictures. I have the first one in one of my books (I do not remember just which one). In the early years of radios on trains, earphones were used by the passengers. The picture I have of the radio on the Pioneer Limited shows both earphones and a trumpet speaker.

[daveklepper]

I would just like to point out that dc commercial power distribution still existed in many cities and towns in the 20's and 30's.    Indeed, the home I grew up in in Manhattan did not get switched to ac power until after WWII!  (My electric trains were powered by a bank of resistors with a sliding contact to control voltage and speed!)  So a commerial raido could be bought that took dc, not ac power.    Just fine for the axle-driven generators and batteries.

[CSumption]

I wanted to express my thanks to all of you who have so faithfully answered my questions about the Panama Limited in the 1930s. I've been working for the past five years with playwright Cheryl L. West on her new play Pullman Porter Blues, which opens tomorrow night (10/4/2012) at Seattle Repertory Theatre. It will run there for a month, and then transfer to Arena Stage in Washington, DC. The play takes place on the Panama Limited on the night that Joe Louis won the heavyweight championship. Please see it if you can. Where the train information is accurate, we have you to thank!

Chris

[Pullman608]

Sorry, Dave. Not correct. The Panama Limited Diners came from Pullman-Standard just before WWII. These cars were replaced by the ex-C&O twin units. The final diners were Centrailia-shops-built ex-heavyweights, configured to 48 seats.