"OUR" PLACE - SEE NEW THREAD!

[siberianmo]

And I see YOU there, Sir Nick![swg]

So, it's not quite 9 PM (Central) figgered I'd reply whilst I'm awake!<grin>

Interesting lead in to a story for the Gazette - I anxiously await the finished product via Email![tup] I like that - slingshot bra fights at 5,000 ft - oh, the suspense![swg]

Those Pix I use for the daily SUMMARY are indeed things to daydream about, eh[?] This particular one is absolutely one where a guy could get "lost" simply downing a brew or three and watching the trains go by. I don't fish - nor do I golf - but I do several "other" things![swg]

If I may say so, you're sounding much like the Nick of olde! Glad to have you back, Mate![tup]

Appreciate the nite cap - time for me to sign off. Doesn't look as if I'll catch Pete 'til the 'morrow.

Later![zzz]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[pwolfe]

Hi Tom and all.

Thanks for the Bathams NICK. [tup]. The more I look at that coach the more puzzled I get. It will be a good one to solve.

Many thanks for the navvy links TOM.[tup]. I guess it was "lock up your daughters" when they were in town.[:-,] PETE.

[Anonymous]

Evenin' Leon! I'll have a brew please. Did I mention that ..................................................
TOM was the winner of the Animal Logo Quiz?

Did you also know, that it was TOM who also contributed great info and adds today? Hats off to CM3 as well, who contributed 1969 NP service info!

Here's the start of another series ... and yes ... it's related!

True Tails of the Rails from Dec. 1939 Railroad Magazine

In Montana they still talk about a horseman with dynamite roped to his saddle, who swore he would wreck the Northern Pacific. Half the state is a frozen kettle of mountains, where a man can hide for months in some forgotten ravine, striking swiftly at night. Little wonder that the horseman seemed like a weird, mysterious force at the time and is fast clouding over into a legend.

Marked by a tall chimney, Livingston was known for the railroad shops which put the NP engines together after they wore apart on the grades. It was a quiet place. Near two o’clock on that Sunday night in August you could have heard little but the katydids, the rustle of cottonwood trees, and maybe a locomotive wail somewhere in the mountains.

Without warning, a flare of blue lit the sky, followed by a rumble and a tremor and a bulge of wind that pulled out windows tinkling and crashing all over town. Dogs barked. Blinking men jumped out of bed, threw on coats over their nightshirts and rushed into the streets, while doors banged and neighbors shouted to each other. “What the devil has happened? Did an engine blow up?”

Again there was nothing to see but a few dim street lamps and nothing to hear but the leaves rustling and the dogs yapping. There was nothing. That was what made people uneasy as they straggled back to bed; it was the beginning of the plague. Two hours later a freight crawled out on the two-hundred-foot steel bridge leading into the Northern Pacific yards. Near the center of the bridge a cautious engineer, peering out, ground his wheels to a stop. “Track sure is out of line,” he called to a brakeman who was coming up with a lantern.

The conductor opened his eyes. He saw the rails bowed a good two inches and the central concrete pier neatly scooped out as by an explosion, but after rapping on the rails with a hammer he declared they were firm. “We can make it,” he said, “but don’t break any speed records.” So the engineer inched over the rails and brought in the story of a strange event. Long before dawn a wrecking train at work with flares found that concrete by the ton had been dislodged and even the base girders of the bridge had been warped. While the wrecking gang worked, the city detective, O.S. Goddard, scanned every inch of the bridge pier and discovered just one bit of evidence, a few shreds of cotton. Goddard shrugged his shoulders. “Explosions don’t leave many clues,” he remarked to the division superintendent, Dan Boyle. “This hunk of fuse doesn’t prove much.”

So on August 2nd, 1903, a period of nervous suspense began. As they went to their work the shopmen tried to think who might have wanted to dynamite the bridge, but their guesses were vague. Nor could Superintendent Boyle, in his high and gloomy office, recall any fanatic who bore a grudge against the railroad. That day he posted a reward of $1000 for the arrest and conviction of the dynamiter.

Copper, as you know, in the main product of Montana. You’ll find plenty of copper mines in that state. One of them is, or was, located at a place called Chestnut, a small mining camp fifteen miles west of Livingston. On the same day in August that Mr. Boyle posted his reward notice, a stranger walked into Chestnut’s general store and called across the counter: “Gimme a case of dynamite!” He was a surly fellow with black eyes and stringy unkempt hair. Without a hat, wearing a frayed shirt open at the neck and shabby gray pants, he looked as if he might be a miner or a drayman,. The old storekeeper was weighing out lima beans into paper bags. He didn’t like the stranger’s face nor his throaty accent; It was on account of such men that he kept a well-oiled rifle leaning against the back wall. But he replied mildly: “That’s sure a lot of dynamite, mister. What do you reckon you want it for?”

“Minin’ – what the hell d’you think?” The merchant went on weighing out his beans, but kept one eye on the man who was clenching and unclenching his fists. Let him rave! The storekeeper spat with excellent aim and drawled: “I ain’t got any dynamite, an’ I wouldn’t sell you any if I had.” Anger tightened the stranger’s face muscles, but he said nothing else and stamped out of the store. Later, when Superintendent Boyle and Officer Goddard heard the incident, they had dismissed it lightly. Miners are apt to be ingrown, they said; you can’t arrest everybody in Montana.

Twenty-six miles west of Livingston is the city of Bozeman. In the cool of the next morning the Northern Pacific agent at Bozeman was tramping to work when he noticed a padlock had been ripped off the railroad powder house. Peering inside, he saw cases of explosives in disorder. Dynamite is often stolen, and a check showed that a couple of cases were missing. When that news came over the wires, Dan Boyle became deeply concerned, like everyone else in Livingston, and the boys joshed each other “You’ll get yours when you hit that bridge,” they said, but the jokes fell flat.

With plenty of moonlight over his shoulder that night, Engineer Bill Dean was pulling a freight of fifty loads west toward Bozeman. Tall, lean and tough, Bill wasn’t a man to worry; his nerves were as strong as his Paul Bunyan watch chain. Abruptly he saw a flare of light on the rocks and heard a new and ominous roar under his wheels. The engine shuddered and lifted clear of the rails, bucking like a pony. The cab windows crashed into bits of broken glass, the lamps died, the headlight snuffed out. Even at that, Dean kept his head. He threw on the brakes and by odd luck the old kettle landed with all her wheels on the track and dragged to a stop.

“What’s the idea?” demanded the fireman. “Huh – I thought we were going to take a dive and pile up.” When lanterns bobbed alongside, Bill hopped to the ground. He and the conductor, Jim Gorman, located a dark spot which proved to be a big hole under the track. The train was standing on unsupported rails! Bill’s fingers, exploring, found that the fish-plates were gone from that rail joint. “Sure,” Bill said hollowly. “Somebody loosened up the joint so the weight of the engine would set off a percussion cap.”

There was no use trying to fix the headlight; it was a wreck. Bill climbed back to his cab and gave her the steam ever so gently till the waycar was clear. If his boiler could hold steam after such a wracking, it was the best boiler in the Rockies. Without a headlight, the track was a couple of steel wires strung in the moonlight, and grotesque trees were Nihilists with bombs. “We crept along wondering if every rail joint was going to blow up,” he reported when they got to Logan, “This little junction never looked so much like heaven before.”

Next morning a special brought Dan Boyle and the Livingston police. They found a stick of dynamite blown clear, a common type of mine explosive. With no other clue, the police in all the towns were asked to hunt for men with dynamite. Two foreigners bearing a parcel wrapped in newspapers were stopped at Bozeman by a deputy, who found dynamite in the package. They gave their names as Stadt and Chavez. “What the hell you carr’ dynamite for?” the deputy asked bluntly. “Aw, I got a mine near Mullan Pass” whined Stadt. The deputy snorted. “I s’pose you spent last evein’ at the Palace Hotel.” “We come in late and camped down by the river.”

Somebody had to be arrested, so Stadt and Chavez were tagged the number one suspects and sent to jail in Helena. After that, life became perdition for Dan Boyle, with his whole force getting a case of nerves. A machinist dropped a casting on one foot. A fireman who hadn’t missed a day in seven years checked in an hour late. Not that Boyle could blame them – anyone of the bys would have tackled the toughest stage villain that ever twirled a mustache; but you couldn’t fight a ghost. What was worse, the trainmen’s families began to hang around yards and shops asking if Bob or Tom was all right. Mr. Boyle was getting circles under his eyes and he sighed with relief when the Northern Pacific chief of detectives, W.J. McFettridge handed him a neatly penned letter which had come to the main office on the day before the first bombing.

“Unless you pay me $25,000 within 15 days,” read the letter, “I will blow the whole Rocky Mt. Division to Kingdom Come. Put the money in a sack and throw it off an engine at 2 o’clock between Helena and Missoula when you see a red lantern. Carry white flags on the rear drawbars of all trains as a sign that my demands are being considered.”

The superintendent grunted, “Well?” “That letter got to St. Paul just fifteen days before the first bombing,” McFettridge explained. “Notice that the paper curls up. It’s not smooth, but covered with fine crosslines as if it had been wired around a broomstick. What do you make of that?” “I don’t make anything of it,” Dan Boyle answered in bewilderment. How do you catch a dynamiter in western Montana? Everywhere you look the land is tossed up into stony ranges and gashed with deep canyons, anyone of which would do for a hideout. If the mountain tops are bare, the slopes are often thick with pine and tamarack, while even the little grassy valleys have plenty of cottonwood groves.

[:I] one or two more parts to follow [:I]

[trolleyboy]

Good evening Leon, a Keith's and round for those still standing,yes Boris even the ones that are strapped upright to the stools can have another just make sure that they get one of Vito's "From your door via the twisty country roads back to their place cab companies" ride home < sheesh > I keep telling Vito's cousin Vinnie that they need to shorten that name a bit, you can't see the cab for the lettering. [swg]

Right well Tom You've outdone yourself yet again great info on the Northern Pacific thanks to Doug and 20 fingers Al for their contributions as well, made for great reading gentlemen,just the kinda stuff we like to see here. [tup][tup][tup]

Lars & Nick well i'll be I take one day off in almost a year and you two jump on me like a 42 dollar show girl from down the stret at H&H's clothing optional massage and tanning parlour,wonder if the strips you two three if you count Tom's will leave white tan lines [?] [:O]

Lars Good to hear that some progress has been made, and yes I', glad that you aren't the manager here,coarse Ted's vacated position is still open if you wish it. [:D]

I haven't seen the mamma mia yet, Heather and I are contemplateing going to Toronto to take in a performance. As to the real ABBA ladies, I saw the blonde one on the tube last year,she looks as though she could still get away with the hot pants,[tup][:O] the other three are all starting to show the ages a bit more though however

Nick Good goawd man spandaus in the zepplins ? The girls going duck hunting or something,I figured that they would have picked a more Teutonic name for their airships given their nationalities,also hows does two teutonic lasses from the old country end up being a greenand an orange ? the story should be quite entertaining

As to the green goats, the orders are comming but slowely. I know that BNSF and UP sampled a couple of the 1500hp LPG fueled versions and CP has ordered a few as replacements for some of their aging SW1200RS's so time will tell.

Pete Hey thanks for the info on those Vulcan switchers, intersting that some actually made it to the other side of the pond, also gratifing to know that some were preserved as well.

Dale [#welcome] To Tom's place of business, I haven't completely checked out those url's but good stuff from the brief peek I did take at them [tup] hope you stay and chat with us here.

Right The NP, I haven't allot to offer accept that they were one of the railways that employed the use of designer Raymond Lowey's vast tallents. His paint schemes in the green on green for the mainstreeter passenger trains is by far one of the most beautifull and well loved and remembered ones from the 50's. Even the later simplified paint jobs still held that speacial classy Lowey look.

Tom I look forward to the BC bit on Thurs. I'm sure that I can dredge up some info for you. Glad that the diesel barn lists of manufacturers peeked your interest, gotta keep the new info flowing eh?As to my day off, lets just say I may have to report your actions to Vinnie the "locals" head rep, we wouldn't want a grievence now would we.[:O][8][:-,]

Rob

[trolleyboy]

Hello folks, just back again with some NP info that I did find amongst my railroad things.
Leon another round of Keith's if you please.Another Classic Diesel for the Barn #5.

THE NOTHERN PACIFIC AT A GLANCE c1960
this info from a railpace article I clipped eons ago

Headquarter's St Paul, MN

Route mileage 6,682

Locomotive Fleet All diesel 662 units

Rolling Stock as of 1960
freight cars - 34,200
passenger cars - 359

Principle Lines c1960

Minniapolis / St Paul - Fargo
Butte ND - Mt Tacoma WA
Logan - Helena - Garrison MT
Portland Or - Sumas Wa
Minneapolis / St Paul - Duluth Mn
Staples Mn - Ashland Wi
Little Falls - International Falls Mn
Manitoba jct / Crookstoon Mn - Winnipeg Man
Wadena Mn - Leeds ND

Notable Passenger trains

Alaskan Minneapolas / St Paul to Portland via Helena

Mainstreeter Chicago - Helena -Seattle / Portland

North Coast ltd Chicago - Butte - Seattle / Portland

* passenger trains were handles by CB&Q between Chicago and St Paul and by the SP&S between Pasco and Portland

enjoy Rob

[siberianmo]

Good (early) Morning or (late) Nite, Gents!

A touch of insomnia, so I thought I'd play a bit of 'catch up' with the acknowledgments:

First - I doubt we'll be seeing nanaimo73 Dale 'round here, that's why no "official" welcome - his Post was probably something better sent by Email in that it referred to a previous request I made to use some of his rather lengthy (aka: 20 fingers Al PLUS) material on Amtrak. Let's just say, a work in progress on my end .... Certainly HOPE he stops by now ' then .... just thought some of you might want to know.

Second - We changed our rail plans for May/June. Yup - scrapped the Amwreck ooooops Amtrak trip in favor of something else. We are booked for an Alaskan adventure instead. Finally found an itinerary we could live with - fly to Anchorage - stay a couple of days - train (dome seating) to Denali stay for a day - and then up to Fairbanks - stay a couple of days - return to Anchorage by rail (dome seating) - fly home.

REALLY looking forward this this. Great way to celebrate our 15th Anniversary .... will be something to return to the 49th State for me ... left there in 1960 after an 18 month tour of duty over on Kodiak Island aboard a ship. REALLY want to "do" this trip![tup][tup][tup]
Amtrak will "happen" another day . . .

To the acknowledgments:

pwolfe Pete Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 21:21:29

Work hard, play harder – might fit for the “navvies,” eh[?]


barndad Doug Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 22:18:10

Do tell[?] So it was moi who won the Quiz, eh[?] How nice!<grin>

‘Fraid I’ll have to “save up” the reading for the daylight – my eyelids are feeling close to slamming shut right now! Thanx for the NP related effort though.[tup][tup] What – no joke!![?][?]


trolleyboy Rob Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 22:51:45

Nice Post, as always! Too bad we can’t get you off that sked of yours and into Posting when the guys are around. But we’ll take what we can get and like it![yeah]

Don’t tell me that was YOU “feeding the Ahs” out there!<ugh>

Looks like Nick rattled your chain a bit, eh[?][swg] I’m not sure I fully understood exactly what it was you said in response, though. [%-)][%-)]

I’m afraid you’ve got to go into some “remedial training,” as part-time help aren’t entitled to days off, benefits and job actions. By the by, if you recall, Vito the Hit & the Boyz are all friends of mine – we went to different schools together![swg] So, I don’t frighten that easily! [:O]

Hate to say this, that NP piece is as close to a “carbon copy” of my Fallen Flag on page 145/226 as one can get – right down to the format. Appreciate it just the same – thanx![tup]


Okay guys – this time, I’m outta here![zzz]

Later![tup]


Tom[4:-)] [oX)]


Stick around a few minutes AFTER POSTING - The information you MISS may be for YOU!

Those who acknowledge the other guy, get acknowledged!

[siberianmo]

We open at 6 AM (all times zones!). (Don’t ask how we do that!)[swg]

WEDNESDAY’s INFO & SUMMARY of POSTS

The start of a new month along with Wednesday and mid-week already! Check out the freshly brewed hot coffee and the pastries from The Mentor Village Bakery! Then take a look at our Menu Board with some great selections for our <light> and <traditional> breakfasts!


Daily Wisdom

Pair up in threes.[swg]
(yogi-ism)


Info for the Day:

Canadian Railways of the Past: British Columbia Railways (BCR) arrives TOMORROW in two parts! Watch for it!

* Weekly Calendar:

TODAY: Pike Perspective’s Day!
Thursday: Fish ‘n Chips Nite!
Friday: Pizza Nite! & Steak ‘n Fries Nite!
Saturday: Steak ‘n Trimmin’s Nite! – and – ENCORE! Saturday


SUMMARY

Name …..…………… Date/Time …..…..………. (Page#) .. Remarks

(1) barndad Doug Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 05:16:54 (259) AM visit, quiz results & joke!

(2) siberianmo Tom Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 05:24:40 (259) Tuesday’s Info & Summary

(3) siberianmo Tom Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 05:28:28 (259) RRs from Yesteryear #8 – NP

(4) barndad Doug Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 05:59:39 (259) NP RR story & joke!

(5) passengerfan Al Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 07:37:02 (259) NP Theme for the Day - North Coast Ltd, etc.

(6) coalminer3 CM3 Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 08:13:00 (259) NP Theme for the Day, etc.

(7) siberianmo Tom Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 09:06:06 (259) Acknowledgments, etc.

(8) nanaimo73 Dale Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 10:23:51 (259) Amtrak info

(9) siberianmo Tom Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 11:26:33 (259) reply to nanaimo73

(10) siberianmo Tom Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 11:53:10 (259) Theme for the Day! NP – Ad (1956)

(11) nickinwestwales Nick Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 12:50:33 (259) Nick’s Review, etc.

(12) siberianmo Tom Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 13:04:15 (260) reply to nickinwestwales

(13) siberianmo Tom Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 13:33:29 (260) RR Book Relay! status

(14) LoveDomes Lars Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 14:23:36 (260) The Lars Report!

(15) siberianmo Tom Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 15:13:39 (260) Theme for the Day! NP – Ad (1949)[/maroon)

(16) siberianmo Tom Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 16:27:23 (260) Theme for the Day! NP – Ad (1947)

(17) pwolfe Pete Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 17:05:47 (260) Inclusive Post, etc.

(18) siberianmo Tom Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 19:39:24 (260) Acknowledgments, etc.

(19) nickinwestwales Nick Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 20:35:37 (260) Nick at Nite!

(20) nickinwestwales Nick Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 20:44:38 (260) etc.

(21) siberianmo Tom Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 21:02:18 (260) reply to nickinwestwales

(22) pwolfe Pete Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 21:21:29 (260) Nite talk!

(23) barndad Doug Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 22:18:10 (260) True Tails of the Rails, Part I, etc.

(24) trolleyboy Rob Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 22:51:45 (260) Inclusive Post, etc.

(25) trolleyboy Rob Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 23:22:00 (260) [maroon]Theme for the Day! NP info

(26) siberianmo Tom Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 00:34:09 (260) Acknowledgments, etc.

NOW SHOWING:

The Mentor Village Emporium Theatre
. . . . . Double Features, all of the time . . . . .

. . . Sunday, February 26th thru March 4th: Fours a Crowd (1938) starring: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland & Rosalind Russell – and – Holiday Affair (1949) starring: Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh & Wendell Corey.


That’s it! [tup][;)]

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]
Proprietor of “Our” Place, an adult eating & drinking establishment!

[Anonymous]

Good morning Tom and friends. I'll have 2 light breakfasts please, and I need to apologize to 20-fingers Al for not acknowleging his contribution to the NP theme yesterday. !st round of coffee is on me!

Ah ha! I knew my departing joke would be missed if I didn't end a message with it! How about we take a poll to see who wants 'em, and who wants 'em to stop? Here's something to help you make up your mind:

[:I] A young wife, her boorish husband and a young good looking sailor were shipwrecked on an island. One morning, the sailor climbed a tall coconut tree and yelled, "Stop making love down there!"
"What's the matter with you?" the husband said when the sailor climbed down.
'"We weren't making love."
"Sorry," said the sailor, "From up there it looked like you were." Every morning thereafter, the sailor scaled the same tree and yelled the same thing. Finally the husband decided to climb the tree and see for himself. With great difficulty, he made his way to the top. The husband says to himself, "By golly he's right! It DOES look like they're making love down there!" [:I]

[passengerfan]

Good Morning Tom and the rest of the gang. Time for a coffee and a crumpet from the Mentor Village Bakery.

Each day as tax season progresses I have less and less time to look at the forums I apoligize as I will have to find the time on Sundays to play catch up they finally decided to close on Sundays.
Since we ar also a check cashing and bill payment center we will be a mad house for the next three days at least.

PASSENGERFAN AL.'S STREAMLINER CORNER #70


PHOEBE SNOW DL&W trains 3-6 November 15, 1949 Hoboken – Buffalo daily each direction 396.2 miles each direction 8 hours 15 minutes

The Delaware Lackawanna and Western would introduce there one and only lightweight fully streamlined train the PHOEBE SNOW on November 15, 1949 between Buffalo and Hoboken, New Jersey. The schedule called for a fast 8 hours 15 minutes in either direction. The new PHOEBE SNOW train sets were interesting from the point of view that cars from all three major builders (American Car & Foundry, Budd Company, and Pullman Standard) were operated in each of the two consists. For Power the DL&W initially assigned A-B-A sets of EMD F3 diesels later they would replace these with pairs of EMD E8A units. The PHOEBE SNOW operated with lightweight streamlined 68-revenue seat Coaches built by both AC&F and Pullman Standard. The Budd Company built the lightweight-streamlined smooth sided 36 seat Dining Cars 469 and 470 and 56 seat Tavern Lounge Observations 789 and 790 for each of the two train sets. This was the first time Budd supplied smooth sided stainless steel cars to match the smooth sided cars from the other manufacturers. These cars along with the Coaches from the other builders were delivered in the beautiful Maroon and Gray paint scheme. The exact consists of the PHOEBE SNOW varied from day to day depending on the days of the week with the largest consists operating on weekends.

CONSIST ONE

801A EMD F3A 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

801B EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

801C EMD F3A 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

Heavyweight Baggage Car

301 62- Revenue Seat Coach

303 62- Revenue Seat Coach

305 62- Revenue Seat Coach

469 36- Seat Dining Car

307 62- Revenue Seat Coach

309 62- Revenue Seat Coach

311 62- Revenue Seat Coach

789 Bar 23- Seat Tavern Lounge 25- Seat Lounge Observation

CONSIST TWO

802A EMD F3A 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

802B EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

802C EMD F3A 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

Heavyweight Baggage Car

302 62- Revenue Seat Coach

304 62- Revenue Seat Coach

306 62- Revenue Seat Coach

470 36- Seat Dining Car

308 62- Revenue Seat Coach

310 62- Revenue Seat Coach

312 62- Revenue Seat Coach

790 Bar 23- Seat Tavern Lounge 25- Seat Lounge Observation

In 1964 after the DL&W and ERIE merger forming the E-L the PHOEBE SNOW became a Hoboken – Chicago train. Sleeping Cars from the former Erie and DL&W were assigned to the PHOEBE SNOW for the through service to Chicago.

In 1966 the PHOEBE SNOW was discontinued.

TTFN AL

[Anonymous]

Hello to everyone and a feeble appology for the extended absence. Tom, may I begin with a tall O.J. and one of Al's crumpets?[^] There has been far and away too much landscape for me to cover in just this hurried post. The Northern Pacific, as Rob stated, had one of the most distinctive paint liveries of all western roads. While many Road's in the West tend to sport the more "billboard" colo(u)rs of the G.N., A.T.S.F., W.P., et al.; the eastern lines seemed to favor more subtle hues. Great Northern was an exception to the "unwritten rule." Can't say I have a preference...I "dig" all of them.[^] I would like to thank Pete, Nick, Rob, Tom for the flattering words on my Pike efforts. And, may I encourage those who are thinking of embarking into the realm of modeling on their own to "just do it." Recent developments have prevented further work on my project, but hopefully, more time can be made available anon.

Congratualtions Tom on winning Doug's quiz. Also, the change of plans for the Anniversay sound far more interesting than the original.[tup] I spent a "whirlwind" week in Alaska while in the service: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Sitka, Juneau and Katchekan {SP?) and it was overwhelming. This wasn't by rail, unfortunately. BTW, I believe you have my information for the "Book Relay" already on file, right?

Good information from Pete and Nick on the t'other side of the Briney.[tup] Reminded me of the R.R.ing in Erin's Isle on a soujorn a couple of years back. BTW, the Iri***rains still had full kitchens and menus then, very good meals. Lars, "hang in their buddy," all will come to rights and I hope sooner than later. The sump pump probably should have been there all along, don't you think? Although this post hasn't nearly covered all the fine submissions by so many; at least everyone will know Im still "pitching in" whenever possible. Okay Boris, let's hope Nick and Rob can resolve the pending hostilities between your keepers caretakers H & H. We wouldn't want to witness an international incident here. Happy rals one and all.

[coalminer3]

Good Morning Barkeep and All Present; coffee, please, round for the house and $ for the jukebox. Let's play some transportation-related material today. "Wreck of the Od '97, Wabash Cannonball, and Bluegrass Express." Then for a Bonus(?) how about "Thank God and Greyhound She's Gone."

I can't wait to see what the Zeppelin Korps comes up with for St. Patty's Day.

Also many thanks to all for posts re Lackawanna, NP and lots of other stuff.

Lars - Go get 'em. Hopefully all of this waterproofing, etc. will work.

Nick - Gormeghast? Zoiks - my imagination went into overdrive - was not a pretty site.

Since today is pike perspectives, let's turn our thought that way. Last time I talked abt. Lionel advertising, etc. and catalog art form different manufacturers.

Today let's do some more Lionel material, operating accessories (equipment) to be specific. I started out with a Lionel set a loooooong time ago and added to it as time and $ permitted. I recall having a few operating cars. One, of course, was the milk car. This car's doors would open, and a little man would pop out and toss milk cans onto a loading platform. The platform was metal and the cans had magnets in them so they would stick to the platform. Cans were loaded into an ice hatch at the end of the car. I used to run this with my passenger train (couldn't afford many cars) because just abt. every passenger train I saw had some sort of head end cars with it.

Anyone out there remember what a pain it was to unjam the cans if they got stuck in the car? I learned a lot (including how to use sentence enhancers - we had a lot of Navy people in our neighborhood who viewed every encounter as a teaching moment) at a young age when trying to fix that situation

Another car in the collection was a PRR boxcar which had a plunger-operated door which opened and again another worker emerged. The car itself was not a bad model.

One friend had the oil well (bubbles inside a clear plastic line) and another had the rotating aircraft beacon. Still others had the operating freight station and the gateman's shed.

Two items I never did acquire were the coal loader and the log loader. I did have more than a few coal cars and some flats, but they carried piggyback trailers; again I tended to get models of what I was used to seeing when I was out and about.

One thing I did enjoy fooling with was electrical circuits, etc., so I wound up with several block signals and a signal bridge. I wired these up to work like the real thing - trust me, I was no Gomez Addams because I earned the $ to buy the equipment. One other item I had was a wigwag (aka banjo) signal which worked off a pressure switch under the tracks. Again, there were more than few places in New England that had these back in the day.

One other thing that really piqued my memory was an ad for Plasticville buildings that I saw in the model press awhile back. Always the tinkerer, I remodeled various Plasticville buildings. This included painting the inside walls black and dividing the interior into rooms up with cardboard walls and then installing interior lighting. The overall effect was not too bad. I had their big station bldg which I fixed up with several through platforms - somewhat like the old station at Providence, RI - again I modeled that which was familiar.

I don't know how many of you remember a book by Raymond F. Yates titled How to Improve Your Model Railroad, but I think I wore out the local library's copy; Yates had a lot of scratch building projects which could be done basically with what was around the house; so I did a lot of these. My mom, having grown up in the Depression, never threw anything away, so there was always an ample of supply of materials around the house that could be creatively reused.

Also, how many of you recall an author by the name of Boyce Martin who wrote for MR and Model Trains (IIRC) back in the late 40s and early 50s - I devoured his writings as well as he had a lot of insight on small industries that were served by rail; again more projects.

Well, I hope that will get some memories going.

work safe

[siberianmo]

Good Morning!

I see a rather active start to our day and it’s good to see y’all![tup]

barndad Doug By all means continue with those jokes of yours! It would be a let down of sorts not to have you to pick on![swg]


passengerfan Al C’mon, who ‘works’ in an office environment[?] And YOU drove a truck for years – now, I’d say that was work![swg] Appreciate any time you give to us. Things wouldn’t be quite the same ‘round here without 20 fingers Al to keep us “glued” to the screen – scrolling, scrolling, scrolling, gee my eyes are soring, scrolling, scrolling, scrolling, my hide! (to the tune of “Rawhide,” of course!)<grin> (and that’s soring as in pain – not soaring as in flight!)

Now I know that I could find this out – but tell us, just who WAS “Phoebe Snow”[?][swg]

A special THANX to you for keeping my “other thread” up ‘n running – good show![tup][tup][tup]


Theodorebear Ted As a former late-great baseball announcer was known to say, “It might be, it could be, it IS ……” Good to see ya at the bar in mid-week. Been awhile, I’d say. But always appreciate any time you and the guys have to keep this place in mind.[tup]

Yes, you ARE on the list for the RR Book Relay! Just wish we’d get a few more participants. This shouldn’t be a difficult decision, but some of the Emails I’ve received would have one think that I’m asking for a huge sacrifice.<geesh>

My 18 months in Alaska were highlighted by so many events, that to chronicle them here would not only have me way [#offtopic] but would require too much time. My rail trip from Anchorage up to Fairbanks back in the days when the U.S. Army ran the trains was ‘something else. Of course, at that age (21 or so) riding trains took a distant 3rd place to a few other things young men like to do.[swg] (Even some older ones!<grin>) The 49th State was quite the place back in the days I was there – a brand new State with a brand new future. I’m sure the emotions still run rather hot regarding that issue. We are looking forward to our adventure very much.


coalminer3 CM3 Just caught your Post as I was getting set to display this one. I’ll make my comments later on …. Looks like you've provided us with a "goodie" for Pike Perspective's Day!

Gotta get going, have some errands to run and appointments to keep. Always good to have you stop in and we look forward to those rounds and quarters for Coal Scuttle and Herr Wurltizer!


Enjoy the breakfasts and coffee! By the way, coffee is free unless that’s all one orders. Then it’s a fiver![swg]


Later![tup]


Tom[4:-)] [oX)]


Stick around a few minutes AFTER POSTING - The information you MISS may be for YOU!

Those who acknowledge the other guy, get acknowledged!

[trolleyboy]

Morning Tom, I think one light breakfast and the never ending coffee for me this am ( IV Drip version )

Tom Sorry i know that that NP post was quite similar to yours best I had, there was an article attached but it seemed to be pretty much the samo samo as Doug had provided for us. Best I could do on the NP I'm afraid. [sigh].

As to the AH, that particular one I've had dealings with, not to bad a sort, we've kept on him about the profile he may get it eventually, at the very least he's civil and tends not to stray to far from the beaten path.

Sounds like the Alaskan gettaway will serve you both well. ( What no cruise ? [%-)][oX)][:-,][(-D] ) I figured that an old salt like yourself would have wanted to feel and smell the air as it were.

No worries about Nick and myself, he gave me a dig I give him one back no harm nor foul[;)]. I'm not sure what I ment now either, made sence at the time [:O]

CM3 Great bit o pikes perspective there [tup] There is something to say about the "old" tried and true techniques, I still do allot of buildings that way myself, I don't light them though unless I go crazy with interior detail,having at least walls in does at least give the impression of the building being more than just an empty shell. I think i have an old copy of that book arouind here somewhere, it's still a half decent reference book, true some of the tecniques are a bit dated but they do still work .

Ted hey good to see you,what no prune danish [?] Your the only one we bring them in for[:O] Oh well tex does like them once they become dayold but that's another story and mess[:(][V][|(] I agree with you though for those still in the armchairs of the great MRing field, jump in the water's fine, it ain't as hard as it looks. I figure that you will get back to your projects as time permits, there is that old MR saying, " the layout's never truly done " Unless your Tom and three are done ![:-,][(-D][;)]

Al Nice morning epistle, I'm intrested too exactly who was Phobe Snow, I heard once that she was a civil war nurse of local fame but I'm interested to hear the real story in any case.

Doug Naa keep the jokes comming,between them and the Yogism's they are now part of the tapestry that is this bar. [tup]

The only extra pikes perspectives I have today are this, About half of the new benchwork is reinstalled,hopefully the final form will be completed next week and I can get some basic scenery started and some railed vehicles moving. Due to the shape of the "new" room the layout is a large "U" shape. A raised upper town at the join of the "U" for the streetcar running, the lower bits are the industrial area's for the regular trains, should work well for me. Non functuioning Overhead catenery will be installed ( I've picked up a couple sets of Bowser poles and wire ). I;ll run the streetcars of the rail but you can't not have overhead , just look's naked otherwise.

Anyhow have yourselves a great day.

Rob

[siberianmo]

G’day!

Now it’s time to elaborate on a few Posts that I didn’t have time for earlier in the day.

barndad Doug That latest story of yours (True Tales of the Rails) somehow reminds me of listening to the radio as a kid back in the 1940s. The story tellers would have the family wrapped around that little tuning eye that so many early radios had. Yes, it was a different time and imagination played a much different role than today when it comes to entertainment. But that’s another story . . .

This mystery story of yours has a few twists that I’m sure will unfold . . . thanx for finding it and I’m looking forward to the next installment – and the next![tup][tup][tup]

Now, regarding the joke that followed a bit later on – a question: What took the sailor so long[?]<grin>


trolleyboy Rob Figured you’d want to help out with the BC Rail stuff comin’ up for tomorrow. While we aren’t going to “Theme” the day, some supporting material surely would be nice. What I have to offer will be in two installments, which I’ll try to get out in the morning.

Your later comment about that Fallen Flag NP sounds apologetic. NO NEED at all! Really. Just another example of how much ‘stuff’ is out there and one never quite knows who the real creator might be. Mine is from a book I bought – yours from an article; perhaps by the same author. Who knows[?] Still was good of you to put it out there … helped maintain the “Theme!”[tup][tup][tup]

Also from your most recent Post – no cruises for us. The bride doesn’t care for the idea and I figure that the sea duty I had aboard “real” ships is all I’ll ever need. Never really got “into” that aspect of travel and vacationing. I think that the smell of the salt air will be noticed in Anchorage – catch the name of the town[?][swg] Surely looking forward to this adventure as it is something we’ve discussed for years. Finally came together when I found exactly what we were looking for in terms of availability. scheduling and of course price. This is an all first class trip for us – and the way I look at it, it surely should be! A once in a lifetime getaway and we want to do it right, so we will.[yeah]

Don’t know why I haven’t mentioned it – but “good deal” on relocating your layout to a more convenient space and one that will provide you with the room you want for the type of operation you desire. Helps to have a supporting wife, eh[?] In my case, I took over the entire basement. No sweat – she helped! Now it’s pretty much “done,” and perhaps I should consider putting in a turnstile for ‘showings.’ Of course, no fees required for Rendezvous attendees![swg]

Back to your ideas – yes I can understand the ‘traction’ element and of course that will be a must. It’s what makes this hobby so great – whatever we have in mind, comes to life in miniature, with ourselves as the biggest critic or fan. Go fer it![tup][tup][tup]


nickinwestwalesNick Once again you posed a name for which I had no “clue.” So here’s a URL to help others who may not be as well read as our friend from West Wales (via London!):
http://www.answers.com/topic/gormenghast-novel


coalminer3 CM3 Thanx for that narrative on your childhood recollections with the Lionel accessories. I HAD THE LOG LOADER![swg] I always wonder, given that the “toys” of yesteryear were very much instrumental in forming a boy’s mechanical abilities and the like, what “toys” of today provide similar benefits[?] With electric trains, obviously electricity – then the mechanical stuff ranging from unclogging a milk can from the “shute,” or fiddling with a balky drive rod on a loco, or figuring out how to open up a passenger car to change a light bulb, or . . . . Planning entered into it as well with layout “design.” Of course it was lots of trial ‘n error, but ultimately something worked out and the trains made it ‘round and ‘round through an assortment of turnouts and crossovers, etc. What you had to say DID bring back some memories, but none of those people you mentioned. In my situation, I wasn’t an avid hobbyist or reader of train magazines. Just devoted my time and very limited dollars directly to running the Lionel.[yeah][tup][tup][tup]


Boris Ring the bell – time for an afternoon round on the house! Actually, it will come out of the Lars Box![tup][tup][tup]


Later![tup]


Tom[4:-)] [oX)]


Stick around a few minutes AFTER POSTING - The information you MISS may be for YOU!

Those who acknowledge the other guy, get acknowledged!

[LoveDomes]

Good Afternoon Tom and Gents at the bar!

I was just about to “spring” for the drinks when I noticed that our leader has “sprung” from the Lars Box!![swg][tup] Enjoy, Gents . . . here’s a ten spot for replenishment!

Things are progressing favorably with the foundation work as they call it – wall repair as I call it. It’s quite a process that they follow and I’m surprised that our house can stand up to the rigors. This place is about 60 years old, one of the “new” ranch style homes that cropped up in places here on the “Island,” which I’m sure you recall, Tom.

The first repair we had done, which the company is honoring, didn’t involve anything like what they are doing now. I’m a bit surprised that they are putting so much into it – but who am I to complain!![?]

Get this – an insurance adjustor came around this morning from the “former” company. He wanted to take some pix and get me to sign off on some documents. Of course I refused and essentially told him to get the H off my property. The guy was an ok sort of fellow, but enough is enough. I never quite knew what a “complete idiot” was – now I know where there’s an entire company of them![swg]

Shortly after he departed, another adjustor arrived. I was ready to unload when he explained that he was at my home for the purpose of checking out the foundation/basement wall work. I was confused. Seems that the contractor has insurance to cover what should have been done right in the first place, but wasn’t. Get it[?] Amazing parade of people coming by these days![swg]

Someone made mention of a sump pump[?] Probably me. We have a sump pump, but it is in the wrong place and not at all powerful enough to handle the kind of water that came in this time. So, the new one will be an add-on for those “just in case” scenarios. Flooded basements are a rarity on this part of the “Island.” My home being the exception to the rule, that is![swg]

So what’s this[?] You’re dropping the Amtrak Trifecta for that Alaskan “thing”[?]![wow] What a choice! I’d do the same, as they say – in a New York minute! Now that’s a trip I’ve always wanted to make, and I think you’ve planted the seed! Been talking it up around here, so who knows[?] She can always get a night job![swg] Seriously, that’s a great choice and I hope it all works out for you two.[tup][tup][tup] So, what kind of airline routing did you get[?] I know that since TWA is long gone and American has pretty much pulled out many of their non-stop service from St. Louis, that you guys pretty much have to change planes to go around the block. We surely are spoiled in this part of the world, but I always appreciated TWA and am very sorry they couldn’t make it. Quite history left behind in U.S. airlines lore.

Hey Doug you can’t quit with the jokes! I agree with Rob – between what Tom gives us in the Summaries and your horrible excuses for humor, why it’s all part of the fabric![swg]

I also agree with Tom about that “yarn” of yours – just like an old time radio show. Keeps one spellbound, so to speak, and with NO commercials![tup]

Nick I’m going to have to start a refresher course on my Euro-literature. You surely bring up some references that I haven’t thought about for eons. Sailors are like that, we’ll read just about anything to pass the time. So, I’ve delved into some of those “fantasty” epochs. Don’t think they would hold my interest today, but there was a time. Just don’t have the keen memory that I once had either.

Looking forward to your “Canadian Railways of the Past” tomorrow. Always liked the British Columbia Rail organization and rolling stock. Also traveled up that way once or twice. Beautiful, beautiful place.

Barkeep – I’ll have a quickie – JD on the rocks and then I’ve gotta split.


Until the next time!

Lars

[siberianmo]

Tom’s INDEX, thru Feb 2006
recommended for "bookmarking."

A helplful hint:

Generic URL: Just insert the index page in place of “106,” copy ‘n paste ‘n “go,”

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=247&TOPIC_ID=35270

-or- insert the index page in the address portion of this page (at the top).


Fallen Flags (passenger ops):

106/150/253 SP … 106/150 MP .…….. 108/155/170 WP ….. 109/182 Frisco
112/187 CNR . . . . .112/182 Heralds . . 114/195 ACL …..….. 115/195 SAL
116/195 D&RGW .. 118/181 RI . . . . . . 119/202 D&H …..….. 120/144 PRR
122/144 NYC .…… 124/202 UP ..…..… 125/203 AT&SF ..…. 127/203/234 B&O
128/204 CM&StP . 129/205 CB&Q ..…. 130/205 Soo Line …. 133/205 C&NW
134/206 SP&S ….. 136/213 GN ………. 139/216 B&M .…….. 140/218 NH
141/219 MEC …… 142/221 BAR .……. 145/226 NP .……….. 146/231 L&N
147/237 WRR …... 148/234 C&O .……. 148/243 KCS ……… 151/250 N&W
152/256 Erie …….. 152 IC ....…………..154 NPR .….………. 155 SOU
156 CGW .……….. 157 RDG ..…………158 MON .....………. 159 IT
162 LV ..………….. 163 GM&O ...……..164 Extra


Personal rail trips

12 ………... Canada Rail Journey, Part I
13 ………... Canada Rail Journey, Part II
15 ………... Canada Rail Journey, Part III
16 ………... Canada Rail Journey, Part IV (final)
80 ………... Dallas Trip
99/206 .…... A trip to remember (personal account of cross-Canada rail trip)
124/243 ….. A tale of Classic Trains BC Rail RDC trip
134/206 ….. Personal RR journey CPR’s “The Canadian”
199 ………. A Trip to Remember (Remembrance Day Train 2005)


Passenger Train Nostalgia:

110/181 .…. MKT Combined Fallen Flag and Ads
112/187 ….. CNR Ad - Super Continental Time Table
113/144 .…. #1 ”Start ups” 1800s & early 1900s
117/144 .…. #2 Ad - Vista-Dome sleeper obs-lounge
121/174 .…. #3 Ad - CP Hotels & Lodges
127/202/234 .B&O Ad - Strata-Dome
127/219/234 .B&O Ad – Diesel Electric Trains
129/174 .…. #4 Ad - CN Hotels, Ltd.
130/206 .…. Great Britain #1 Poster - East Coast Route
133/221 .…. #5 Poster - CP 1886
133/211 ….. #6 Poster - CP 1950s
134/244 ….. #7 Poster - Washington & Old Dominion Railway
135/226 ….. Great Britain #2 London & Northwestern & Caledonian Railways
137/231 ….. Great Britain #3 London & Northwestern & Caledonian Railways
137/231 ….. #8 Ad – Great Northern (1956)
139/237 ….. #9 Ads – Great Northern (1956)
140/237 ….. #10 Ad – Union Pacific
141/250 ……Nostalgia 1956 Hotel Ads
142/257 ……Nostalgia Fairbanks-Morse motive power Ad
143/257 ….. #11 Ad - PRR – The Jeffersonian
145/259 ….. #12 Ad – NP
146 ……….. #13 Ad – L&N
146/257 ….. Great Britain #4 Poster (1870s)
147/237 ..... #14 Ad – Budd & Wabash – New Blue Bird
148/234 ..... #15 Ad – C&O
149 ……….. HERTZ Ad - 1956
151 ……….. #16 Ad – Budd RDC (1950)
153 ………. .#17 Ad – Budd RDC (1950)
153/247 ……North American Steam Loco Wheel Arrangements
154 …….…. #18 Ad – Budd RDC (1953)
155 …….…. #19 Ad – Budd RDC (1954)
156/250/253.#20 Ad – SP, Golden State (1951)
157/253 ……#21 Ad – SP, Sunset limited (1951
158/254 .......#22 Ad – SP, City of San Francisco (1951)
159/246 ……#23 Ad – AT&SF (1950)
161 …….…. 9 WWII Ads ENCORE! of Vets/Remembrance Day Commemoration
162/246 ……#24 Ad – AT&SF (1951)
163/247 ……#25 Ad – AT&SF (1952)
164 …….…. #26 Ad – Olympian Hiawatha
166 …….…. AVIS Ad – 1956
167 …….…. Pocket List of RR Officials Ad – 1956
169/240 ..... #27 Ad – NYC Aerotrain (1956)
170/240 ..... #28 Ad – NYC Xplorer (1956)
171 ……….. #29 Ad – CP (1950)
172 ……….. #30 Ad – CP (1950)
173 ……….. #31 Ad – Pullman (1950)
176 …….…. #32 Ad – Pullman (1950)
177 …….…. #33 Ad – Soo Line – Winnipegger (1956)
178 …….…. #34 Ad – Burlington Route (1949)
180 …….…. #35 Ad – Soo Line – Mountaineer (1956)
181 …….…. #36 Ad – Soo Line – The Laker (1956)
182 …….…. #37 Ad – MoPac – Eagle Dome Coaches (1956)
183/240 ......#38 Ad – NYC – New 20th Century Ltd (1948)
184 ……….. #39 Ad – PRR – Broadway Ltd (1949)
186 ….……. #40 Ad – British Railways (1948)
.……….…… #41 Ad – Glacier National Park (1949)
188-189 ...... #1-8 Ad Christmas RR travel #1
190/240 ……#42 Ad] – NYC – Dieseliner (1950)
191/247 …...#43 Ad – AT&SF – El Capitan (1949)
193/254 ..... #44 Ad – SP – Golden State (1949)
194/250 …...#45 Ad – Rock Island – Golden State (1949)
196 …….…. #46 Ad – Canadian Pacific (1949)
197/260 ……#47 Ad – NP – Yellowstone (1949)
199 …….…. #48 Ad – British Railways (1949)
200 ……….. #49 Ad – UP – Bryce Canyon (1949)
.……….…… #50 Ad – Southern (1949)
209 …….…. #51 Ad – CP (1963)
.………….… #52 Ad – EMD (1948)
210 ……….. #53 Ad – CNR (1949)
211/234 ..... #54 Ad – B&O (1946)
212 …….…. #55 Ad – Pullman (1946)
218 …….…. #56 Ad – CP (1965)
219 …….…. #57 Ad – SP (1946)
222/260 …...#58 Ad – NP (1947)
222/240 ….. #59 Ad – NYC (1954)
224 ……….. #60 Ad – Great Britain: LMS – LNER (1933)
225 …….…. #61 Ad – UP (1933)
228 …….…. #62 Ad – California Zephyr (1949)
.………….… #63 Ad – Budd Company (1949)
229 ……….. #64 Ad – Pullman Company (1949)
230 …….…. #65 Ad – Milwaukee Road (1933)
231 …….…. #66 Ad – Swiss Federal Railways (1933)
239 …….…. #67 Ad – SP (1948)
249 ……….. #68 Ad – NYC (1954)
254 ……….. #69 Ad – Railways of France (1933)
256 ……….. #70 Ad – CNR (1933)
258 ……….. #71 Ad – L M S and L N E R (1933)


Canadian RR events, history & Railways of the Past

215 …….…. Significant events in Canadian RR History (Jan): Part I of II, 1800s to 1900
216 …….…. Significant events in Canadian RR History (Jan): Part II of II, 1900s to present
241 ……….. This day in Canadian RR History (Feb 8th): Hinton train collision
243 ……….. Significant events in Canadian RR History (Feb)
246 ……….. Canadian Railways of the Past #1 – CNoR
249 ……….. Canadian Railways of the Past #2 – NAR


Railroads from Yesteryear

233 ……….. Railroads from Yesteryear #1 – B&O
234 ……….. Railroads from Yesteryear #2 – C&O
237 ……….. Railroads from Yesteryear #3 – PRR
240 ……….. Railroads from Yesteryear #4 – NYC
242 ……….. Railroads from Yesteryear #5 – NH
246 ……….. Railroads from Yesteryear #6 – ATSF
253 ……….. Railroads from Yesteryear #7 – SP
259 ……….. Railroads from Yesteryear #8 – NP


Railways of Europe

247 ……….. Railways of Europe #1 – British Rail
248 ……….. Railways of Europe #2 – Eurostar (London-Paris-Brussels)
255 ……….. Railways of Europe #3 – TGV of France


The Mentor Village Gazette

165 ……….. Vol I, Number 1 – November 17th, 2005
188 ……….. Vol I, Number 2 – December 12th, 2005
208 ……….. Vol II, Number 1 – January 2nd, 2006
236 ……….. Vol II, Number 2 – February 2nd, 2006


NOTE:

trolleyboy Rob’s Barn - passengerfan Al’s Streamliner Corner & barndad Doug’s Roundhouse have individual Indexes


Enjoy!

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]

[passengerfan]

Good Afternoon Tom and the rest of the gang. Time for a quick CR and a round for the house.

Sorry to disappoint anyone but Phoebe Snow was nothing more than an advertising gimmick of the Delaware Lackawanna and Western. Mind you it was extremely successful. Today their is a musical star using the name, but know actual person ever existed with that name at the time the railroad began using the advertiseing.

TTFN AL

[siberianmo]

G'day!

I KNEW 20 Fingers Al would come through![yeah] So, no more fantasies about Phoebe Snow guys! Just a figment . . . [swg]

Good to see ya at the bar Lars as the ongoing saga of the "March of the Insurance Companies" continues. Utterly amazing! Keep workin' on the other half, and perhaps you too will erxperience that "dome adventure" up in the 49th State![tup]

Thanx for the ten spot Lars and the round Al![tup]


I'm amazed at the continuing crap Posts arriving on "our" Thread - doesn't seem to be an end to the nonsense and "go no where" questions. And of course, as P. T. Barnum was once quoted, "There's a sucker born every day!" - or something like that. Keep enabling them, and they'll keep doing it.

Later!

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[Trainnut484]

Good afternoon Tom and all. Miller Lite for me. Nice job [tup] on the Index, Tom. The flags are a nice touch.

Good grief Lars, sounds like grand central station at your house. Hope you're satisfied with your new insurance company.

Three [tup][tup][tup] up for the NP theme yesterday. Sorry I didn't have anything to contribute to it.

The Louisiana Steam Train Association is here at Union Station for the KC Rails Expo. The train arrived yesterday morning, and the exhibit will be open starting March 4th and continue to April 30th. The train had to be brought in by KCS, since exSP 745 is having mechanical problems. Donations are accepted for the upkeep of the train, and membership info can be found at http://www.lasta.org/

SP 745 2-8-2 (click to enlarge)


Take care for now,

Russell

[siberianmo]

Good Evening!

Trainnut484 Russell - take a look at my "other thread," you may find some Pix of interest!

Nice shot of the SP steamer in KCity. What is the makeup of the entire train[?} Doubt that I'll be making a trip out there to see it . . . . got the Rendezvous in Toronto and my Alaska trip coming up.

Missed having your Pix for our Sunday Photo Posting Day! Hope you'll be able to check out the pages since your last visit AND perhaps join us this Sunday![tup]


Leon the Night Man takes the bar at 9 PM (Central)


Later!

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[nickinwestwales]

Well here we are again,broken the back of another week and all hitting our stride ready for the weekend-pikes perspective day already and here I am without a thing to wear-pish & tush,what will become of us.....
Right [4:-)][oX)]TOM-a big green bottle for me,a Keith`s for yourself perhaps and refills all round for the chaps...
Thanks for the Gormenghast URL-I tend to forget that not everybody is a shiftless idle layabout with endless time for reading--I would warmly recommend the volumes in question to one and all-Peake creates a `world` unlike any other I have discovered-this and Tolkiens masterwork are my all time fave reads ( did you know time--As a child Tolkien lived next to a marshalling yard and his interest in linguistics {the Lord of the Rings was originally an interlectual exercise to provide a framework for his invented Elvish language} derived from seeing private-owner wagons lettered for various Welsh collieries,often with almost unpronounceable names,moving in and out of the sidings.
Also,his vision of the fires of Mordor derived from childhood memories of the firebox glow of the various switchers working the yard at night)
Whoops-where was I-ah yes--I would agree wholeheartedly that model railroading brings with it a whole box full of associated skills-electronics,carpentry,art ,graphic design,maths(geometry etc) ,metalwork,history,geography,social interaction ( after you Claud,I`m in the hole here)--try getting that lot from flesh-eating zombie turtles on playstation mk7 or whatever the heck it is.......................I rest my case m`lud
By-the -bye,that trip sounds like a fine way to celebrate 15 glorious years (many congrats to Carol & Yourself )
DOUG-lovin the story-as noted by others,you have captured that authentic `wireless` (Radio) feel-keep the gags comin`-you have an audience here [^]
ROB-R.E the orange & green-Michael Collins was an Irish Republican hero/terrorist who was involved in the 1916 uprising that led to the formation of the Irish Free State ( Eire) and the Red Hand were (are) a loyalist group-[4:-)][oX)]TOM has thrown me a tricky ball to field here since any reference to this topic must,by definition,refer to what is still to many ,an on-going civil war.
However,I will endeavour to tread lightly in an area where both politics & religion ( anathema in any well run bar ) draw together.
AL-Nice one on Phoebe Snow (the train)-as to Phoebe Snow (the fantasy figure),best left to your various imaginations ( for myself,Phoebe the nurse works well-crisply starched uniform,black stockings,warm soft hands................waaaah)
Enough of this.
SIR THEODORE-Always a pleasure to have you amongst us-there`s always a drink or two in the pipe with your name on it ,with my compliments-hope the new project is proceeding apace [tup][^][tup]
CM3- A fine job on the Pikestuff-I don`t share the same memories, but you set me off on a pleasant ramble down memory lane-thank you [^]-----sentence enhancers-a lovely phrase-says as much about you as it does them [tup]
LARS-You sound brighter already my friend-what a difference a day makes !!--go for the trip-we only live once after all ( Buddhists notwithstanding ) I reckon you owe yourself ( and Missislars) some quality time after all this s**t you`ve been presented with
RUSS-Nice to see you-have a beer on me-nice pic although I can`t get used to seeing locos with oil-tanks instead of proper tenders ( oil firing never really caught on on this side of the pond)
Right,looks like it`s that time of night again,moonlight mile for me-a large shot of rum all around and a handful of coins for Herr Wurlitzer-I`ve got a Woodstock head on tonight, so how about:- Wooden ships by Crosby,Stills & Nash,See me,feel me & Summertime blues from The Who,I`m going home from Ten Years After and The Star Spangled Banner from Mr Jimi ( private tape from the galley,bearing in mind [4:-)][oX)]TOMS preferences) to finish off with--Have a good one guys,see you all for fish & chips tomorrow-be lucky,nick [C=:-)]

[siberianmo]

Good Evening!

Back again - couldn't resist after reading through Nick at Nite![swg]

Also, there's a Monty Python special on our PBS channel - hilarioius is simply not good enough to describe what we've seen thus far![swg][tup] This is a series entitled, "Monty Python's Personal Best" - and I believe we picked it up at "Part 3 of 6." This stuff is infectious and overwhelmingly funny . . .

So, where to begin[?] I'll drink that Keiths thanx! Let me spring for a round as well, it's close enough for me to take a seat on the other side of the bar![yeah]

Pretty good run down on the "benefits" of toy and model trains as opposed to the "toys" of today. Aside from the flesh eating turtles, et al, I'd say the socialization of our youth into the practical aspects of things to come falls far short today as compared to "my day."[tdn]

I can "dig" that vision you have of Phoebe Snow[yeah][wow] However, I'd have her in white mesh stockings - snow, ya know![swg]

Don't get wrapped around the axle with the "challenge" I threw your way. On this side of the pond, the rift between green and orange has a totally different meaning. So, light 'n lively it shall be . . . [tup]

Sorry, Sir - but when someone, anyone mentions "Jimi" and anything symbolic of things I hold dear - nope, no way, and no how. Didn't like him when - disliked him then - and have nothing but disdain for the memory. So how do I really feel[?][tdn] Having said all of that, I respect your right to hold to your insanity![swg]

Hope to see ya at the Fish 'n Chips Nite! - but don't be disappointed at the turnout. The guys aren't really "into" our menus these days (daze) - you know, times and people change. Been thinking of scrapping the idea of the Thursday thru Saturday bill or fare - but then again, what's the harm[?] Pete seems to always remember .....

Leon the Night Man now has the bar!

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[Anonymous]

Good evening Tom and all! I'll have an Amstel tonight for a change ... and speaking of change, here's some rail-flattened Michigan quarters that aren't any good for anything, but I enjoyed squashing them! [;)]

Nice piece on the Phoebe Snow Mr. Al, and I must say that Tom's index shows a heck of a lot of effort that has gone into keeping our not-so-little thread such an incredible source of railroading history and information. Just amazing! Nice pic of the SP 745 on its way to KC, Mr. Russ. I already asked if I could go see it, and the answer was no. Grrrrrrrrrrr

I don't have any model railroad material to share, but will you settle for another installment of The Dynamiter?

True Tails of the Rails from Dec. 1939 Railroad Magazine

Mountain railroading, in case you don’t know it, begins at Livingston. The twenty-six miles from there to Bozeman are all on angles, with a fair-sized tunnel and a canyon as vulnerable points. It seemed to Superintendent Boyle that the dynamiter might strike there, so he got local police and farmers to patrol that line till there was a track-walker for every half mile. The Northern Pacific raised its reward to $2500, the Governor added $1000 for his state and the county piled on another $500 for good luck.

Little more could be done but fake the payoff and try to spring a trap – risky, but no worse than waiting. Boyle ordered every train to fly white flags. Then he talked with the sheriff of Livingston, a heavy-set man named A.S. Robertson with a friendly face and keen eyes. “We might as well try it,” agreed Robertson, “and make a show of the money.”

Dusk was creeping on September 2nd that year when a buggy under heavy guard rolled from the First National Bank through the streets and up the track to an engine on the main line. Armed men lifted a canvas bag clinking with metal and bulging with packages shaped like currency. They lugged it over the rails and plunked it on the iron floor of the cab. Steam was already rapping at the safety valve and Charley Gardner’s firm hand was clamped on the lever. “That’s a lot of cash!” McFettridge shouted to the engineer. “Be sure and get a receipt.”

Charley knew it was all window dressing; the hard money was fifty pounds of iron washers and the “currency” was paper cut and bound into packages. In the tender under the coal, the police had built a pint-sized fortress to hold three men armed to the fingernails. Two were deputy sheriffs and the third was the chief dispatcher, Bob McLeod, with a telegraph set that he could hook to the nearest wire.

Behind the payoff engine, out of sight but close enough to pull up in a few minutes, there would follow a train full of possemen and horses and bloodhounds. The sheriff had already gone by buggy to the Bozeman tunnel, where he could climb aboard in the darkness.

Bell clanging, Charley started west at thirty miles an hour. As they neared the Bozeman tunnel he slowed to a crawl and peered ahead in the dark for the sheriff. “Hi, hogger!” hailed Robertson, climbing into the cab. Charley grinned and gave the old girl more steam. But when they had left the lights of Bozeman twenty miles behind, the runner’s heart drooped into his shoes as his engine began to clank and grind and labor, slowing down to a jerky crawl. “Airbrakes must be leakin’,” he said.

Right enough, a bleeding-**** just over the rear driver was hissing; partly open, it was pulling on the brakes. Charley might have stooped, but he revolted at the idea of missing his schedule. There was a way to reach the **** by leaning forward from the lower cab step with his face close to the driving rod. If he had never done that at night, he might as well learn how. Sheriff and fireman watched him climb down the step and lean forward. After a long minute the hissing ceased and the engine began to better her speed. When Charley got back, blood was trickling down his face, dripping from his chin. “Rod hit me,” he explained.

The gash in his forehead looked mean, but it was not serious. They patched Charley up and rattled on through the night – and then they struck torpedoes, which called for a stop, and a flagman walked up slowly with a lantern. “Our freight’s stalled ahead,” said the flagman. “We’ll be out in a couple of minutes.”

Charley writhed as he waited, knowing that delay might knock the schedule to flinders and with it their hope of catching the fool whose hobby was blowing up trains. His toes curled in his shoes as the minutes stretched to half an hour and they finally got a clear track. Beyond Helena he watched critically for a red signal, the sheriff at the other window, while they pushed along over hollow culverts and echoing cuts. One by one the lamps of Missoula snapped into view. “Missed him.” The sheriff was crestfallen. “That blankety blank must be fooling,” Charley grumbled. “or else he was kind of sore at the delay. He don’t seem very good-humored.”

A few days later a new extortion letter was slapped on Dan Boyle’s desk, not neat like the first but half printed in smudgy pencil with words spelled wrong, and minus the curious marks which made the first look as if it had been wired to a stick. “Too bad I could not meet your payoff train,” it read. “My price is now $50,000.”

Since there were no further orders for delivering the money, Mr. Boyle could do no more than put an armed guard in every cab, supply the crews with guns and send more track-walkers out on the line, till it seemed that every man in western Montana who could be spared was walking track. No tunnel nor bridge was now unguarded. The super raised the Northern Pacific’s reward to $5000, making a total of $6500.

ON the morning of September 18th the warehouse of the A.M. Holter Hardware Company at Helena was found burglarized of half a ton of dynamite. On the same day two secret caches of explosives were uncovered west of Helena – grim news to trainmen and their wives. Four days later the engine of the Logan stub train hit dynamite right in the Helena yards. Clods flew; guards hurrying up squinted into the smoky dust till they could see that the cab windows were jagged holes and one rail was bent out like a rubber hose. Through engineer and fireman grinned as they brushed pieces of broken glass from their sleeves, they looked green around the edges.

Careful scrutiny revealed horseshoe prints near the track, showing that a rider had come from the highway and returned to it; but on the hard road the trail was lost so definitely that the best hounds in Park County ran around in circles. On October 5th a locomotive struck dynamite in the mountains west of Helena, and rails were torn out, but still no engineman was hurt. While the tension was sweeping over the division like wind over a low fire, Dan Boyle opened a third letter, stamped at Helena, in which the suspects Stadt and Chavez were mentioned. “I will blow up the Travis house unless you get them men out of jail.”

Thomas Travis was the Helena chief of police. Guards took stations around his home and the jail, around the Governor’s mansion and the State Capitol; but the search shifted far west when word came that a small bridge near Mullan Pass had been burned and dynamite had been set off under the track nearby without ripping up the rails. Superintendent Boyle was dismayed. At Livingston he issued terse commands: “As a precaution against time bombs, passengers will not leave baggage on trains or in stations. Armed men on handcars will precede every train over Mullan Pass.”

Before the handcar plan could be put into effect, two more engines ran into dynamite, one on each end of the Mullan Tunnel. Boyle thereupon ordered guards to the pass by rail, but a cloudburst ripped out a bridge so that he had to organize a posse of horsemen. At the top of the pass, near the tunnel, they surprised a sheepish-looking man behind a scraggly beard red with tobacco. “I’m just an old prospector, boys,” he mumbled in answer to their questions. “What’s that under your arm?”

The man’s eyes were shifty; it was a ham. “Stolen from me this morning,” declared a sharp-nosed rancher who lived near the pass. If men’s nerves had not been raw, they would not have shipped the old fellow to Helena, where he was freed after a few perfunctory days in jail.

[:I] A professor is sent to darkest Africa to live with a primitive tribe. He spends years with them, teaching them reading, writing, math, and science. One day the wife of the tribe's chief gives birth to a white child. The members of the tribe are shocked, and the chief pulls the professor aside and says, "Look here! You're the only white man we've ever seen and this woman gave birth to a white child. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened!"
The professor replied, "Chief, you're mistaken. What you have here is a natural occurrence.. what we in the civilized world call an albino! Look at that field over there. All of the sheep are white except for one black one. Nature does this on occasion."
The chief was silent for a moment, then said, "Tell you what. You don't say anything more about the sheep and I won't say anything more about the baby." [:I]

[trolleyboy]

Good evening Leon. A trankard of keith's for me, and a round for those left at their stools.

Tom Nice index, I think we may need to call you 30 fingers LOL that's quite the compilation. [tup] I'm digging and rummaging for at least one perhaps two bits for tomorrows BCR / PGE lovefest.

Thanks for the comments on the layout, really the best possible move for it, and you are right an overly tolerant mate is essential in this hobby of ours. Not sure that anything will be operable by may but you are welcome to looksee it-stay to long though and you may find yourselves wiring and laying track.[:D][;)][:-,]

I have watched parts of Gormenghast on TV, TVO and the space network up here ran it several times a few years ago, bit to wierd for me [alien] pretty sure that Boris was part of that book/film, that would tend to explain alot. maybe that's where Nick found him.


Lars I think you need to put a farebox out, a donatuion from every adjuster that show's up and you could make yourself quite the profit from these ongoing antics. Ain't insurance companies grand ?

Doug Again some interesting stuff, hope you can get a good index out eventually, I'd hate to lose track of such fine reading. [tup] We tend to frown upon kids trying to flatten currency at the museum, can be dangerous, about three years ago a kid put a looney ( $ 1 coin) infront of the Witt I was operating and the thing was caught by the leading axel and shot accross the tracks like a bullet, no one or nothing was harmed but geez someone could have caught that in the forehead or something.

Al yes he came through oh well so much for all our evil thoughts as to who she was.Boris was almost excited at the descriptions that had been flying around, so much so that he required extra tranquilization.


Nick Glad that you pop[ed back in, I'm looking forward to your culinary talents tomorrow, usually Pete and I will order something anyway, mind you old Boris has taken to feeding the extras to Tex the meesse left behind are something akin to awfull.
Now what are we going to do with these shrubberies that have been dropped off here inexplicably [?][;)]

Rob
[:-,][:-,]

[siberianmo]

We open at 6 AM (all times zones!). (Don’t ask how we do that!)[swg]

THURSDAY’s INFO & SUMMARY of POSTS

Thursday! Check out the freshly brewed hot coffee and the pastries from The Mentor Village Bakery! Then take a look at our Menu Board with some great selections for our <light> and <traditional> breakfasts!


Daily Wisdom

Upon being paid by check for a radio stint, he looked at the “Pay to Bearer,” and said, “You’ve known me all this time and still can’t spell my name!”[swg]
(yogi-ism)


Info for the Day:

Canadian Railways of the Past: British Columbia Railways (BCR) arrives TODAY in two parts! Watch for it!

* Weekly Calendar:

TODAY: Fish ‘n Chips Nite!
Friday: Pizza Nite! & Steak ‘n Fries Nite!
Saturday: Steak ‘n Trimmin’s Nite! – and – ENCORE! Saturday


SUMMARY

Name …..…………… Date/Time …..…..………. (Page#) .. Remarks

(1) siberianmo Tom Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 05:16:13 (260) Wednesday’s Info & Summary

(2) barndad Doug Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 06:05:37 (260) Am visit, joke info & joke

(3) passengerfan Al Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 07:38:59 (260) AM visit & Streamliner #70, Phoebe Snow

(4) Theodorebear Ted Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 07:43:43 (260) Mid-week visit! Could it be . . . .[?]

(5) coalminer3 CM3 Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 08:24:26 (260) CM3 Speaks & Pike Perspectives!

(6) siberianmo Tom Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 08:31:48 (261) Acknowledgments, etc.

(7) trolleyboy Rob Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 11:21:02 (261) Inclusive Post, etc.

(8) siberianmo Tom Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 13:17:00 (261) Acknowledgments, etc.

(9) LoveDomes Lars Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 14:00:00 (261) The Lars Report!

(10) siberianmo Tom Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 14:56:34 (261) Tom’s Index

(11) passengerfan Al Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 15:15:52 (261) Phoebe Snow, etc.

(12) siberianmo Tom Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 16:36:14 (261) Acknowledgments, etc.

(13) Trainnut484 Russell Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 16:42:18 (261) Wed Visit & Pix

(14) siberianmo Tom Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 19:34:47 (261) reply to Trainnut484

(15) nickinwestwales Nick Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 20:32:45 (261) Nick at Nite!

(16) siberianmo Tom Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 21:02:59 (261) reply to nickinwestwales

(17) barndad Doug Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 21:47:00 (261) Inclusive Post, True Tales, Part II & joke!

(18) trolleyboy Rob Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 22:23:44 (261) Inclusive Post, etc.

NOW SHOWING:

The Mentor Village Emporium Theatre
. . . . . Double Features, all of the time . . . . .

. . . Sunday, February 26th thru March 4th: Fours a Crowd (1938) starring: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland & Rosalind Russell – and – Holiday Affair (1949) starring: Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh & Wendell Corey.


That’s it! [tup][;)]

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]
Proprietor of “Our” Place, an adult eating & drinking establishment!

[siberianmo]

Canadian Railways of the Past

Number Three:British Columbia Railways (BCR)

PART I of II




Used with permission from: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Formatting differences made necessary due to Forums requirements. Some heralds from other sources.


BC Rail



Locale British Columbia

Reporting marks
BCOL, BCIT (formerly PGE and PGER)
Dates of operation 1912 – 2004
Track gauge
4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge)

Original track gauge
Headquarters North Vancouver, British Columbia

BC Rail (AAR reporting marks BCOL and BCIT), known as the British Columbia Railway between 1972 and 1984 and as the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE; AAR reporting marks PGE and PGER) before 1972, was a railway that operated in the Canadian province of British Columbia between 1912 and 2004. It was a class II regional railway and the third-largest in Canada, operating 2 320 km (1,441 miles) of mainline track. It was owned by the provincial government from 1918 until 2004, when it was sold to Canadian National Railway.

Chartered in 1912, the railway was acquired by the provincial government in 1918 after running into financial difficulties. A railway that ran "from nowhere, to nowhere" for over 30 years, neither passing through any major city nor interchanging with any other railway, it expanded significantly between 1949 and 1984. Primarily a freight railway, it also offered passenger service, as well as some excursion services, most notably the Royal Hudson excursion train. The railway's operations were not always profitable, and its debts, at times, made it the centre of political controversy.

History

1912–1948


Pacific Great Eastern Railway logo

The Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE) was incorporated on February 27, 1912, to build a line from Vancouver north to a connection with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP) at Prince George. Although independent from the GTP, the PGE had agreed that the GTP, whose western terminus was at the remote northern port of Prince Rupert, could use their line to gain access to Vancouver. The railway was given its name due to a loose association with England's Great Eastern Railway. Its financial backers were Timothy Foley, Patrick Welch and John Stewart, whose construction firm of Foley, Welch and Stewart was among the leading railway contractors in North America. Upon incorporation, the PGE took over the Howe Sound and Northern Railway, which at that point had built nine miles (15 km) of track north of Squamish. The British Columbia government gave the railway a guarantee of principal and 4% interest (later increased to 4.5% to make the bonds saleable) on the construction bonds of the railway.

By 1915, the line was opened from Squamish 176 miles (283 km) north to Chasm. The railway was starting to run out of money, however. In 1915 it failed to make an interest payment on its bonds, obliging the provincial government to make good on its bond guarantee. In the 1916 provincial election campaign, the Liberal Party alleged that some of the money advanced to the railway for bond guarantee payments had instead gone into Conservative Party campaign funds. In the election, the Conservatives, who had won every seat in the legislature in 1912 election, lost to the Liberals. The Liberals then took Foley, Welch, and Stewart to court to recover $5 million of allegedly unaccounted funds. In early 1918, the railway's backers agreed to pay the government $1.1 million and turn the railway over to the government.

When the government took over the railway, two separate sections of trackage had been completed: A small section between North Vancouver and Horseshoe Bay, and one between Squamish and Clinton. By 1921, the provincial government had extended the railway to a point 15 miles (24 km) north of Quesnel, still 20 miles (32 km) south of a connection to Prince George, but it was not extended further. The track north of Quesnel was later removed. Construction of the line between Horseshoe Bay and Squamish was given a low priority because there was already a barge in operation between Squamish and Vancouver, and the railway wanted to discontinue operations on the North Vancouver-Horseshoe Bay line. However, the railway had an agreement with the municipality of West Vancouver to provide passenger service that it was unable to get out of until 1928, when they paid the city $140,000 in support of its road-building programme. The last trains on the line ran on November 29, 1928, and the line fell into disuse, but was never formally abandoned.

For the next 20 years the railway would run from "nowhere to nowhere". It did not connect with any other railway, and there were no large urban centres on its route. It existed mainly to connect logging and mining operations in the British Columbia interior with the coastal town of Squamish, where resources could then be transported by sea. The government still intended for the railway to reach Prince George, but the resources to do so were not available, especially during the Great Depression and World War II. The unfortunate state of the railway caused it to be given nicknames such as "Province's Great Expense", "Prince George Eventually", "Past God's Endurance", and "Please Go Easy".

1949 to 1971


The cover of a PGE passenger train timetable from 1964.

Starting in 1949, the Pacific Great Eastern began to expand. Track was laid north of Quesnel to a junction with the Canadian National Railways at Prince George. That line opened on November 1, 1952. Between 1953 and 1956 the PGE constructed a line between Squamish and North Vancouver. The PGE used their former right-of-way between North Vancouver and Horseshoe Bay, to the dismay of some residents of West Vancouver who, mistakenly believing the line was abandoned, had encroached on it. The line opened on August 27, 1956. By 1958 the PGE had reached north from Prince George to Fort St. John and Dawson Creek.

In 1958, British Columbia Premier W.A.C. Bennett boasted that he would extend the railway to the Yukon and Alaska, and further extension of the railway was undertaken in the 1960s. A 23 mile (37 km) spur was constructed to Mackenzie. A third line was extended west from the mainline (somewhat north of Prince George) to Fort St. James. It was completed on August 1, 1968. The largest construction undertaken in the 1960s was to extend the mainline from Fort St. John 250 miles (400 km) north to Fort Nelson, less than 100 miles (160 km) away from the Yukon. The Fort Nelson Subdivision was opened by Premier Bennett on September 10, 1971. Unfortunately, the opening of the line was overshadowed by the inaugural train derailing south of Williams Lake, south of Prince George.

1972 to 1989



British Columbia Railway logo (1972-1984)

The railway underwent two changes of name during this time period. In 1972, the railway's name was changed to the British Columbia Railway (BCR). In 1984, the BCR was restructured. Under the new organization, BC Rail Ltd. was formed, owned jointly by the British Columbia Railway Company (BCRC) and by a BCRC subsidiary, BCR Properties Ltd. The rail operations became known as BC Rail.

In 1973, the British Columbia government acquired and restored an ex-Canadian Pacific Railway 4-6-4 steam locomotive of the type known as "Royal Hudsons", a name that King George VI permitted the class to be called after the Canadian Pacific Railway used one on the royal train in 1939. The locomotive that the government acquired, numbered 2860, was built in 1940 and was the first one built as a Royal Hudson. The government then leased it to the British Columbia Railway, which started excursion service with the locomotive between North Vancouver and Squamish on June 20, 1974. The train ran between June and September on Wednesdays through Sundays.


Map of the British Columbia Railway

In the 1960s, a new line had been projected to run northwest from Fort St. James to Dease Lake, 412 miles (663 km) away. On October 15, 1973, the first 125 miles (201 km) of the extension to Lovell were opened. The cost of the line was significantly greater than what was estimated, however. Contractors working on the remainder of the line alleged that the railway had misled them regarding the amount of work required so that it could obtain low bids, and took the railway to court.

The Dease Lake line was starting to appear increasingly uneconomical. There was a world decline in the demand for asbestos and copper, two main commodities that would be hauled over the line. As well, the Cassiar Highway that already served Dease Lake had recently been upgraded. Combined with the increasing construction costs, the Dease Lake line could no longer be justified. Construction stopped on April 5, 1977. Track had been laid to Jackson, 263 miles (423 km) past Fort St. James, and clearing and grading were in progress on the rest of the extension. It had cost $168 million to that point, well over twice the initial estimate.

The management and operation of the railway had been called into question, and on February 7, 1977, the provincial government appointed a Royal Commission, the McKenzie Royal Commission, to investigate the railway. Its recommendations were released on August 25, 1978. It recommended that construction not continue on the 149 miles (239 km) of roadbed between Dease Lake and the current end of track, and that trains be terminated at Driftwood, 20 miles (33 km) past Lovell. The rest of the track would be left in place but not used. In 1983, after logging operations ceased at Driftwood and traffic declined sharply, the Dease Lake line was closed. However, it was reopened in 1991 and, as of 2005, extends to a point called Chipmunk, still over 175 miles (281 km) south of Dease Lake. Many of the Commission's other recommendations, including the abandonment of the Fort Nelson line, and discontinuation of uneconomic operations such as passenger services, were not followed.

In the early 1980s the railway built a new line and acquired another. The Tumbler Ridge Subdivision, an 82 mile (132 km) electrified branch line, opened in 1983 to the Quintette and Wolverine mines, two coal mines northeast of Prince George that produced coal for Japan. It has the lowest crossing of the Rocky Mountains by a railway, at 3,815 feet (1 163 m). There are two large tunnels under the mountains: The Table Tunnel, 5.6 miles (9 km) long, and the Wolverine Tunnel, 3.7 miles (6 km) long. Electrified owing to the long tunnels and close proximity to the W. A. C. Bennett Dam and transmission lines, it was one of the few electrified freight lines in North America. Although initially profitable, the traffic on the line was never as high as initially predicted, and by the 1990s was under one train per day. The railway had incurred much debt building the branch line, and the expensive, unprofitable operations on the branch line could not help to repay that debt. In 1984 BC Rail acquired the British Columbia Harbours Board Railway, a 23 mile (37 km) line that connects three class I railways with Roberts Bank, an ocean terminal that handles coal shipments. Since the line had been constructed in 1969, it had previously been leased to CP Rail, Burlington Northern Railroad, and Canadian National Railway in succession.

1990 to 2003

In the early 1990s, the provincial government reduced subsidies to BC Rail. As a result, BC Rail, burdened with several money-losing services that it was required to operate, saw its debtload grow more than sixfold between 1991 and 2001.


BC Rail electric locomotive undergoing dismantling in 2004.


Two dismantled British Columbia Railway electric locomotives at CEECO Rail Services in Tacoma, Washington, July 6, 2004. [Creative Commons] (photo: Sean Lamb)

In the 1990s, BC Rail branched out into shipping operations, acquiring terminal operator Vancouver Wharves in 1993 and Canadian Stevedoring and its subsidiary, Casco Terminals, in 1998. In 1999 these operations became the three operating divisions of a new entity, BCR Marine. BCR Group became the parent company of both BCR Marine and BC Rail. In early 2003, attempting to reduce the railway's large debt, BCR Group sold its BCR Marine assets except for Vancouver Wharves (which was also not included in the subsequent sale of BC Rail to Canadian National, and remains a provincial Crown corporation).

On August 19, 2000, the Quintette mine closed, and the portion of the Tumbler Ridge Subdivision between Teck and Quintette, British Columbia, was abandoned. The last electric locomotives ran along the line on September 29, 2000, after which the line was worked by diesels. The Wolverine mine closed on April 10, 2003, after which the remaining 69.6 miles (112 km) of the Tumbler Ridge Subdivision between Teck and Wakely was abandoned, although the track is still in place. The electric locomotives were shipped south to Tacoma, Washington, where they are being dismantled by CEECO Rail Services. One of the locomotives was preserved in the British Columbia Railway & Forest Industry Museum in Prince George.


BC Rail Rail Diesel Car. BC Rail discontinued its passenger services in 2002. Photo courtesy http://www.trainweb.com/.

Several other services were also discontinued around this time. The Royal Hudson steam train excursion was discontinued at the end of the 2001 excursion season. The 2860 was out of service in 2000, needing extensive repairs. The backup steam locomotive, a 2-8-0 locomotive built for the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1912, broke down in May 2001, and for the rest of the season BC Rail used a former Canadian Pacific Railway FP7A diesel locomotive #4069 that it had leased from the West Coast Railway Association in Squamish. Passenger train service which consisted of the Budd-RDC operated Cariboo Prospector and Whistler Northwind trains ended October 31, 2002. The service was unprofitable, partly owing to BC Rail's heavy dependence on their fleet of aging Budd Rail Diesel Cars (RDC) that were becoming increasingly expensive to keep in service. The RDCs have since been sold to various museums and operators around North America, (such as the Wilton Scenic Railroad in New Hampshire and the West Coast Railway Association in Squamish). Service between Seton Portage and Lillooet was replaced by a railbus. As well, around this time BC Rail ended its intermodal service.

END PART I of II


Used with permission from: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Formatting differences made necessary due to Forums requirements. Some heralds from other sources.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Enjoy!

Tom [4:-)][oX)]


waving flags credit: www.3DFlags.com

[passengerfan]

Good Morning Tom and the rest of the gang. Time for a quick cup of coffee and a crumpet from the Mentor Bakery.

PASSENGERFAN AL'S STREAMLINER CORNER #71

CARIBOU DAYLINER PGE trains 1-2 September 25, 1956 Vancouver – Prince George tri weekly north of Lillooet daily south of Lillooet 462.5 miles each way 16 hours each way

The CARIBOU DAYLINER entered service September 30, 1956 after the busy summer season was over, operating over the mainline of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway between North Vancouver and Prince George, British Columbia Canada a distance of 466 miles in 16-1/2 hours either northbound or southbound. The PGE had just completed their line through from North Vancouver to Prince George and for passenger services over the newly completed line the Railway turned to the Budd Company. They purchased four RDC 3s and three RDC 1s from Budd for the new service. The RDC 3s were equipped with a Kitchen to prepare meals for service at ones seat and the RDC 1s were equipped with a small snack bar. The all day trip between North Vancouver and Prince George offers the most spectacular scenery in North America mile for mile of any railroad trip in North America. Each Morning two RDC 3s and from two to three of the RDC 1s depart North Vancouver as the CARIBOU DAYLINER. The train then winds its way through West Vancouver where some of the most expensive homes and property are located in all of Canada indeed North America. Many of the homes in this area exceed 2 million dollars in value. After departing the West Vancouver suburbs the train passes high above Horseshoe Bay where the British Columbia Ferry system operate ferries to Vancouver Island near the city of Nanaimo and to the Sunshine Coast. The CARIBOU DAYLINER operates on a narrow shelf blasted out of the rock along the cliffs of Howe Sound to Squamish. North of Squami***he train operates through the picturesque rugged interior of British Columbia. When the train reaches Lillooet the RDC 1s are set out and the two RDC 3s continue to Prince George. The southbound CARIBOU DAYLINER comprised of the remaining two RDC 3s then add the RDC 1s left in Lillooet by that days northbound CARIBOU DAYLINER and continues to North Vancouver and an early evening arrival.

TTFN AL

[Anonymous]

Good morning Tom and all! I'll have 2 light breakfasts, and some glycerin pills, as today is tax-day for me! Rob, yeah, I don't really flatten coins on the rails anymore .... but I used to! In fact, we had some rails running through a tomato field close to one of my childhood homes in Huntington Beach, Ca., and as you can imagine .... many of those tomatoes were lined-up for execution now and then. Bad me.

Great piece on the BCR Mr. Tom! Really terrific stuff! Good job on your Caribou Dayliner streamliner this A.M. Mr. Al. How many keyboards do you go through in a year?

Couldn't help but notice that some of the recent discusion has centered around travel arrangements. I say ...why should we be bothered by mass-transportation rules, restrictions, schedules and prices, when we at "Our Place" have the power to eliminate the middle-man and travel when and where we please anytime ..... with our very own ......OUR PLACE TRAINSET !!!



Yep ...this baby is for sale. The Cincinnati Railway Co. (CRC) has for sale a complete (full size and full scale) trainset made up of former Amtrak equipment. The F40PH diesel loco was built for Amtrak in 1981. It had a major overhaul in 2000, and was painted in the "Amtrak West" color scheme. Retired after running only 93,000 miles, CRC bought it in 2003. It is currently in service, and has current "blue card." It also has a new Kim "hot start" heater. Price: $140,000 or best offer.

Also for sale are three full-length coaches, two coach/dorms and one diner/lounge. Ex-Amtrak coaches 39945, 39948 and 39960 were built by the Budd Co. for the Santa Fe Railway in 1956 as the new double-deck, "high-level" cars. Coaches 39915 and 39917 are unique in that they have the "low-level" diaphragm at one end which allows transition from the high-level cars to conventional low-level cars.

Finally, there is diner/lounge 39981. Also built by Budd in 1956, this car provided dining on the upper level, with a kitchen on the lower level. A dumbwaiter moved food and dishes between both levels. This car was modified by Amtrak into a diner/lounge with small table seating at one end, plus a VCR and two television sets for entertainment. Although not in active service today, this diner's equipment has been tested and appars operational. It was in active service with Amtrak just before being sold to CRC.

Price for the entire trainset is only $195,000! Kinda makes you think ..doesn't it?

[:I] Bob takes a vacation every summer. He is a golf nut and spends 2 weeks up at Hecia Island. This year he met a woman out there and fell head over heels in love with her. On the last night of his vacation, the two of them went to dinner and had a serious talk about how they would continue the relationship.
"It's only fair to warn you, I'm a total golf nut," Bob said to his lady friend. "I eat, sleep and breathe golf, so if that's a problem, you'd better say so now."
"Well, if we're being honest with each other, here goes," she replied. "I'm a hooker."
"I see, Bob replied, and was quiet for a moment. Then he added, "You know, it s probably because you're not keeping your wrists straight when you tee off. [:I]

[coalminer3]

Good Morning Barkeep and All Present; coffee, please; round for the house and $ for the jukebox.

Lots to read today.

LARS - Let me see if I have this right - the "adjustor" was followed by the "adjustor general." It's starting to sound a little like Gilbert and Sullivan.

Nick - Enjoyed the story abt. Tolkein and the coal cars - I'd like to see what he would have made out of some U.S. reporting marks.

Trannut 494 - appreciated the picture of the SP 2-8-2.

Monty Python - what next? Three of my favorite bits were "The Minister of Silly Walks," the parrot (singing with the choir invisible), and the lumberjack song which has been showing up in a commercial running on Sports Center.

Barndad - Sheep and the baby - excellent!

In 1969 the PGE was still in the Official Guide.

Trains 1 and 2 ran daily between North Vancouver and Lillooet. These were the "Cariboo Dayliner" as mentioned earler. The equipment note for them read "Trains 1 and 2, the Cariboo Dayliner, will carry RDC's. Reserved seats with complimentary meals available between North Vancouver and Prince George. Reclining Lounge seats, view windows, air conditioned throughout."

The tri-weekly service mentioned above was listed as a "Dayliner" between Lillooet and Prince George. This ran between Lillooet and Prince George on M,W, and FR. Return trips were made on TU, TH, and SA.

Additional service operated between Prince George and Dawson Creek; at this remove, it's hard to tell whether it was rail or bus. I was intrigued by the footnote beside one pair of trips which read "subject to change without notice."

Freight service only between Prince George and Chetwynd; Chetwynd and DAwson Creek, Chetwynd and Ft. St. John, and Odell and Ft. St. James.

PGE's connections were as follows.

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority - North Vancouver
Canadian National - No. Vancouver and Prince George
Canadian Pacific (Including Vancouver and Lulu Island Branch - No. Vancouver
Milwaukee Road (via barge line) - No. Vancouver
Great Northern (via CN or CP) - No. Vancouver
Northern ALberta Rys Co. - DAwson Creek
Northern Pacific (via barge line) - No. Vancouver
Union Pacific - No. Vancouver.

Any idea what the theme day topic will be for next week?

work safe

[siberianmo]

Good Morning!

Another great start to the day here in mid-Continent USA as we await the arrival of spring. We were in the upper 70s (F) yesterday – today it’s going to be in the mid 50s (F) and they are talking about further drops over the weekend, with perhaps some snow showers thrown in.[yeah] Love it!<grin> Petrol up at “Collusion Corner” was pegged at $2.04 (rounded) when I passed through yesterday, the downward trend surely is a better alternative, eh[?][swg]

Some acknowledgments, of course!

barndad Doug
Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 21:47:00

Nice Part II![tup][tup] More on the way[?] Joke, if that’s what it is supposed to be, 1.0 – 1.5 – 1.0 – 2.5 – 1.5! [tdn][swg] Thanx for the comments about the Index. Just hope it provides a point of reference for anyone interested in reviewing some of the ‘stuff’ Posted over these months and months.[tup]


trolleyboy Rob
Posted: 01 Mar 2006, 22:23:44

Ditto on the Index comments![tup] Get me into a trainroom, and that’s where I’ll be![swg] Maybe the day of departure, Sunday, before heading out to Pearson …… hmmmmm.[tup]

Emails have been received and saved for possible Gazette use! Thanx.[tup]


passengerfan Al
Posted: 02 Mar 2006, 07:30:52

Nice supporting Post on the BC Railways/PGE!![tup] An Email is en route with a bit of “technical info.”

I see your Posts, CM3 ‘n Doug …. Will get to ‘em a bit later on!


STAY TUNED! Part II of today’s “feature” will Post around 10 AM (Central). Watch for it![tup]


Later![tup]


Tom[4:-)] [oX)]


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