"OUR" PLACE - SEE NEW THREAD!

[Anonymous]

Wow, good morning to all and may this week be kind to you. Tom old friend, I can squeek in a O.J. and a cuppa Joe before rafting over to Tampa this A.M., thanks. There have been so many terrific posts, pix, commentary and personal vignettes since my last visit, where does one begin?[:O] I suppose the best place ( to begin ) is to send my highest regards to everyone who so unselfishly participate in the daily pander of this peerless Thread. Second, the interaction between folks, so desperatly called for by Tom, seems to be coming to fruition.[:D] Third, I can't tell you how gratifying it is to see that "Our" Place has established a momentum of its own far stronger than any one single member, save the nucleus: Tom, Nick, and Rob.[tup][tup][tup]

Even though my "own time" is reduced to counting minutes ( not hours ), I am still able to enjoy the highlights of many posts. Sunday Photo Post Day, both last week and yesterday were a smashing success due, in no small way, to the hurculean efforts of Tom's generous efforts. Thank you Tom for bringing order out of chaos in sorting out the myriad of pix "dumped" in your lap.[^] I'll be sending mail shortly.

As the old bumper sticker states: "I'd rather be fishing posting" is a horrific understatement. However, there are issues and events that weigh heavily on a person's priorities that demands attention. If I didn't believe this work wasn't important, it wouldn't get a second thought. There is no "in between the lines" ineuendo to be made here, so please give any dark thoughts "the boot."[V] Okay Boris, "hit it!" I gotta a lotta ttraffic, a little gas and a long drive, so best regards to all, til next time. Happy rails everyone.

[siberianmo]

Good Morning!

Seems that I failed to include a proper Greeting in the SUMMARY this fine day![%-)][%-)] Certainly hope that everyone's new work week is starting off on the right foot and if you are reading this, it is![swg]

We've got a blue sky morning - temps expected to be in the low 50s (F) and petrol up at Collusion Corner holding at $2.12 (rounded). Could be far worse in all respects. Noted in the morning bird cage liner (aka: St. Louis Post-Disgrace) that the low temp in Alaska this day is expected to be -56 (F). My bride commented, "That's chilly!" Now coming from a Canadian, I suppose they do have a different definition than I when it comes to "cold" and "chilly."[swg]

I'd say we had a rather successful Sunday Photo Posting Day! and my appreciation goes out to barndad Doug & LoveDomes Lars for their contributions![tup][tup][tup] Also, many thanx to Nick & Pete for taking the time to compile and forward their Pix to me and for providing descriptions following the Postings![tup][tup][tup]

While I'm at it, for those who took the time to make mention of the efforts put forth by the people mentioned, that too is appreciated.[tup] It has ALWAYS been expected that we'd drop our comments thru the mail slots on the front doors on Sundays. What is and has been discouraged are Posts of the "routine" nature (Fallen Flags - Nostalgia - Encore! - Streamliners - Classic Juice, etc.) Sundays are for Pix and Pix commentaries.[tup]

I noted that a couple of guys made Posts at the end of the week that were apparently made without awareness of the information previously put out - on the SAME page. That, my friends, should be embarassing and is surely not in keeping with the way we operate 'round here. Once again, I implore you guys - especially those in the Permanent Order of the Stools to support the policies of the bar and of course, take the time to acknowledge what is going on. <geesh>

Good to see you 'round here again, Sir Ted and your positive approach to the efforts put forth at this bar is refreshing indeed.[tup] I believe there are sufficient Pix for two more Sundays worth of your efforts. So, if there is to be another foto disc - I'm ready![swg]

Another day, another Streamliner! However, what would "Our" Place without 'em[?] Always good stuff, Al and appreciated![tup][tup]

If you somehow find a way to read this, Sir Rob C'mon baaaaaaaaaaack! This has gone on far too long. I'll buy you a 'puter if it comes to that. Just need you on board again. The IC has been reduced to two and if it drops to moi - well as they say in Tibet - I'm outta here![swg]

Enjoy this fine day, Gents!

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[coalminer3]

Good Morning Barkeep and All Present; coffee, please; round for the house, and $ for the jukebox. Here's a couple of old favorites this a.m.: She Made Toothpicks Out of the Timber of My Heart," and "My John Deere Was Breaking Your Field, While Your Dear John Was Breaking My Heart." We'll add those to Tom's list of all-time greats.

Weather here today is lovely - 50s and high clouds, although we are supposed top have snow tomorrow - and I get to be outside all day tomorrow; never fails.

B4 I forget, please think of the miners in Canada - the outcome there looks fairly favorable according to news reports this a.m.

I bounced around this a.m. reading posts and going back and linking captions with pictures (real and model). Interesting stuff, for sure and most appreciated. BTW, Tom, I am working on a set of shot for photo posting; but work keeps intervening.

Any idea where the South Shore Line sign came from? That is truly a rare beastie.

Also, thanks to wanswheel for more CV material. The CV people always made me feel at home when I visited. Lots of good memories of St. Albans, Italy yard and other area locations.

The stories abt. Switzerland remind me of what my Dad said about his trips there - the trains ran to the second and they were ON TIME - as he suggested, a far cry from the NYNH&H.

Fred Narragansett was a character that was part of Red Sox advertising back in the 60s; back when the only time you had trouble getting a ticket was when the Yankees came to Boston and the NY fans outnumbered the locals. Where have you gone, Pumpsie Green? I know this is not a baseball site, but there's lots of stories in the file. Only abt. 17days until pitchers and catchers report.

Movie nights are looking good. North by Northwest - excellent stuff, REAL NYC cars and location shots for the most part. I'm glad that you have added "Shadow of a Doubt" to the upcoming lineup. Speaking of UK rail material, how about resurrecting "The Titfield Thunderbolt?"

In line with canals and railroads, here's some material on anthracite mines, canals, and railroads - part of our ongoing coal and railroads thread. I apologize for bizarre punctuation; I may have missed some of it when I went back and corrected the paste up I did.

Pennsylvania contains approximately 75 percent of the world's anthracite (hard coal) deposits. Anthracite is found in four areas or fields in northeastern Pennsylvania. The Northern field is in northeastern Luzerne and northwestern Lackawanna counties. Its biggest cities are Wilkes-Barre and Scranton. The Eastern Middle field, centered around Hazleton, occupies the southern Luzerne County, the northeastern corner of Schuylkill County, and a sliver of northwestern Carbon County. The Western Middle field runs east to west from Northumberland County and across southern Columbia County into central Schuylkill County and its largest towns are Mt. Carmel and Shenandoah. The Southern field is the biggest. It runs north and east from Dauphin County through Schuylkill and into Carbon County. Pottsville and Tamaqua are two well-known cities if the Southern field.

People knew about anthracite for a long time but could not get it to burn; a problem partially solved by Jesse Fell, a judge from Wilkes-Barre who, in 1808, developed a grate for burning anthracite. Fell's grate worked well in limited applications but was not usable by large segments of industry. Then in 1815 two iron workers accidentally found how to get anthracite to burn. They closed the door on their furnace which forced the furnace's draft through the fire rather than over it. This accidental discovery made anthracite a viable industrial fuel.

Anthracite mining stimulated Pennsylvania's regional economy and the national economy as well. New foundries and machine shops opened in Pennsylvania to meet the increased demand for their products created by the anthracite industry. Readily available anthracite supplies in the 1830s and 1840s transformed American manufacturing into big business. Anthracite powered the hot-blast method of making pig iron which resulted in a major relocation of the American iron industry to Pennsylvania. New factories and growing cities needed abundant supplies of cheap fuel and anthracite helped meet this demand.

Anthracite Canals

Rugged topography restricted transportation of anthracite to market. In the early days anthracite traveled to market by water. It was shipped down rivers in small boats in the 1800s, somewhat similar to how coal was shipped in Virginia. In the 1820s, canals were built to carry coal from mine to market. While wheelbarrows and scoops pulled by horses and mules made the job a little easier, the anthracite canals for the most part were built by pick and shovel labor and injuries and disease killed many laborers.

The canals created local economies along their routes. Lumber yards, iron works and boatyards grew to support the canals. They also served to open up isolated areas and to carry agricultural goods and forest products as well as coal to market. A canal was still not the answer to the anthracite industry's need for reliable, all-weather transportation. Winter forced them to shut down. Spring floods often damaged the canal structure and locks and filled the canals with debris and silt which meant they had to be dredged before operations could resume. Canals generally did not operate at night and traffic flow was limited by the speed of the horses and mules that pulled the barges.

Anthracite Railroads

Railroads built the anthracite industry and put the canals out of business. The first railroads in the anthracite fields were feeder lines constructed in the 1820's and 1830's to carry coal from the mines to the canals. Five major "anthracite railroads" were operating by the time of the Civil War. These lines included the Philadelphia and Reading; Lehigh Valley; Delaware and Hudson; Delaware, Lackawanna and Western; and the Central of New Jersey.

The Philadelphia and Reading (Reading), incorporated on January 3, 1831, was the biggest anthracite railroad. The first section of the line opened between Reading and Norristown in July 1838 and the entire road from Reading to Philadelphia opened a year later. The Reading reached Pottsville in January 1842. The Reading, well-constructed and built to high engineering standards, continued as a coal hauler until the Civil War. Franklin B. Gowan became president of the P&R in 1869 and immediately decided to buy coal properties to ensure a steady supply of traffic for his railroad. Gowan's timing was unfortunate as he chose to buy land at a time when coal land prices were artificially inflated by a frenzy of postwar speculation. The Reading purchased 100,000 acres in the Schuylkill and western Lehigh coal fields in the early 1870s and organized the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company to hold these lands. The railroad lost money in mining due to overcapacity in the industry and, unable to meet its financial obligations, in 1880 the Reading went into receivership. For the next 20 years they tried to reduce fixed charges, make their coal business more profitable and to diversify their traffic base to lessen their dependence on coal.

The Middle anthracite field did not get a railroad at first due to its remote and also because the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company fought to keep its monopoly on anthracite shipments on the Lehigh Canal. The canal, however, was an undependable source of transportation because of weather and damage from repeated floods. Asa Packer, a businessman and canal boat operator, decided to try and solve the problem and bought the charter of the so-called "paper" Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad. Packer changed the company=s name to the Lehigh Valley (LV) and started laying track from Mauch Chunk (Jim Thorpe) to Easton. Packer's railroad was complete and operating by 1855. The LV eventually reached as far west as Buffalo and on the east to the shores of New York harbor. Packer was a visionary in that he built the Valley only as a railroad company rather than part of a larger mining operation. The Lehigh Valley got into the mining after the Civil War. In the 1870's the Valley set up the subsidiary Lehigh Valley Coal Company (LVCC) to watch over its mining interests. By 1911, the LVCC's operations ran more than 8 million tons per year and by 1916 they owned 30 breakers to handle their coal. At its height, only the Reading carried more coal than the Lehigh Valley.

The Delaware and Hudson (D&H) began as a mining company during the War of 1812 when Philadelphia was cut off from its supply of imported British coal. Philadelphia businessmen William and Morris Wurts bought coal lands in the Lackawanna Valley and the first shipment of coal from their properties reached Philadelphia in 1822. The Lehigh Canal had opened in 1820 and the Wurts turned their attention to supplying the coal needs of New York because New York City was closer to their coal properties than was Philadelphia. In 1823 they received charters from Pennsylvania and New York to construct the Delaware and Hudson Canal. The D&H Canal Company planned to go into the mining business from its inception. A railroad was constructed to carry coal from the mines to Honesdale. The canal carried the coal from Honesdale to Rondout, New York where it went down the Hudson River 94 miles to New York City. The canal and the railroad were completed in 1829. The D&H's rail operations expanded as new mines were developed and opened. In 1859 the Pennsylvania legislature allowed the company to build any lines needed to connect its coal lines to the canal. The Delaware and Hudson=s railroad operations expanded after the Civil War, and by 1871 their tracks were as far north as Whitehall, New York on the shores of Lake Champlain. By the turn of the century the D&H had sold the canal and their rail lines reached well into the northern part of New York where they served several iron mines. By 1907, the D&H had established connections in Quebec with both the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railway. As coal traffic declined, the D&H became more of a bridge route to carry traffic between Canada and the United States.

The ancestry of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western (DL&W) goes back to 1826 when Henry Drinker received a charter from the Pennsylvania legislature to form the Susquehanna and Delaware Canal and Railroad Company to run from Pittston to the Delaware Water Gap. Nothing came of this project but two other railroads were chartered to run near the route surveyed by Drinker's company. These lines were combined to form the DL&W in 1853. From the beginning the Lackawanna had a vigorous and efficient management. The railroad contracted with large shippers to furni***heir own cars which were pulled by Lackawanna locomotives. Small producers sold their coal to the railroad's coal department which in turn gave the line control over that part of their coal business. Anthracite was the DLW=s principle cargo until around the turn of the century when it began to be replaced by more general freight. The DL&W merged with the Erie Railroad in 1960.

Construction began on the Elizabeth and Somerville Railroad in 1831 after protracted legal wrangling over the line's proposed charter. The company was sold and reorganized in 1846 and extended into the Delaware Valley. The line was renamed the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) in 1849. The line reached from Elizabethport to Phillipsburg by 1852. Coal traffic became an important part of the CNJ's business starting in 1856 when they obtained connections with the Lehigh Valley and the Lackawanna. The Central of New Jersey expanded its operations after the Civil War when it built a line nearly parallel to the Lehigh Valley's route into the anthracite fields. The CNJ and the Lackawanna agreed to merge in 1872 but this plan was rejected by the Jersey Central's stockholders. In 1873 the Jersey Central greatly expanded its holdings of coal lands through purchasing properties that belonged to the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company. These acquisitions occurred during a downturn in business conditions and the Central of New Jersey fell into receivership in 1873.

A series of protracted legal and financial maneuvers followed and by 1892 the CNJ was controlled by the Reading - a situation that was overturned the next year. J.P. Morgan had reorganized the Reading, purchased the Lehigh Valley, and by 1899, controlled the Central of New Jersey as part of his effort to stabilize the anthracite industry. The Reading finally purchased a controlling interest in the Central New Jersey in 1901 but the two railroads continued to operate independently. At the same time that this occurred, the Baltimore and Ohio took control of the Reading which allowed the B&O access to New York City.

The anthracite railroads exerted a profound economic influence where they operated. They built massive facilities at New York Harbor and Philadelphia to unload anthracite from trains and into colliers for shipment to east coast cities. Buffalo, New York became an anthracite port that shipped coal produced by Reading and Lehigh Valley-owned mines to industrial cities along the Great Lakes and to western states. The railroads owned and operated their own oceangoing vessels and lake boats. The Reading had the largest fleet of ships of all of the anthracite railroads. The anthracite companies sold their coal to consumers from yards in large cities such as Boston, New York, Buffalo, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

work safe

[siberianmo]

All of our regulars know about the Birthday Watch List .... however, it needs to be posted repeatedly, just as a reminder regarding who is coming up next for the Birthday Bash ......


[bday] 2006 BIRTHDAY WATCH LIST [bday]
(rev. Jan 30th):

March 5th (Nick – 46) Next up!
March 13th (Doug – 50)
March 31st (Lars – 66) Just added!
April 18th (Al - 64)
May 18th (Tom - 68)
May 27th (Dave - 47)
June 3rd (John) – 47) Legion of the Lost
June 24th (Dan - 44) Legion of the Lost
July 30th (Russell – 35)
August 11th (Pete – 55
August 16th (Ted – 68)
September 8th (Rob - 35)
October 18th (BK – 66)
December 29th (CM3 – 60)


Not on the list [?] Send me an Email with your birth date (month-day-year). Corrections too!


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



NOTE for all: Check the SUMMARIES!

[siberianmo]

Now arriving on track #1 …..
Railroads from Yesteryear! Number One

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad


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


Locale: New York City, New York via Baltimore, Maryland to Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri

Reporting marks: B&O

Dates of operation: 1830 – 1963

Track gauge: 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge)


The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) is one of the oldest railroads in the United States, with an original line from the port of Baltimore, Maryland west to the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia and Parkersburg, West Virginia. It is now part of the CSX network, and includes the oldest operational railroad bridge in the world. The B&O also coincidentally included the Leiper Railroad, the first permanent railroad in the U.S.

The railroad's former shops in Baltimore, including the Mt. Clare roundhouse, now house the B&O Railroad Museum.

History

Chapter 123 of the 1826 Session Laws of Maryland, passed February 28, 1827, and the state of Virginia on March 8, 1827, chartered the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company, with the task of building a railroad from the port of Baltimore, Maryland west to a suitable point on the Ohio River. The railroad, formally incorporated April 24, was intended to provide an alternative, faster, route for Midwestern goods to reach the East Coast than the seven-year-old, hugely successful, but slow Erie Canal across upstate New York.

Construction began on July 4, 1828, and the first section, from Baltimore west to Ellicott's Mills (now known as Ellicott City), opened on May 24, 1830. Further extensions opened to Frederick (including the short Frederick Branch) December 1, 1831, Point of Rocks April 2, 1832, Sandy Hook December 1, 1834 (the connection to the Winchester and Potomac Railroad at Harpers Ferry opening in 1837), Martinsburg May 1842, Hancock June 1842, Cumberland November 5, 1842, Piedmont July 21, 1851, Fairmont June 22, 1852 and its terminus at Wheeling, West Virginia (then part of Virginia) on January 1, 1853.

On July 20, 1877 there were bloody riots in Baltimore, Maryland from Baltimore and Ohio Railroad workers. Nine rail workers were killed at the hands of the Maryland militia. The next day workers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania staged a sympathy strike that was also met with an assault by the state militia; Pittsburgh then erupted into widespread rioting.

The Pennsylvania Railroad acquired the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad in the early 1880s, cutting off the B&O's access to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The B&O chartered the Philadelphia Branch in Maryland and the Baltimore and Philadelphia Railroad in Delaware and Pennsylvania and built a parallel route, finished in 1886. The Baltimore Belt Railroad, opened in 1895, connected the main line to the Philadelphia Branch without the need for a car ferry across the Patapsco River, but the cost of its Howard Street Tunnel drove the B&O to bankruptcy in 1896.

The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad took control of the B&O in 1963, and incorporated it, along with the Western Maryland Railway, into the Chessie System in 1973. In 1980, the Chessie System merged with the Seaboard System Railroad to create CSX. In 1986, the B&O finally went out of existence when it formally merged with the C&O (which itself formally merged with CSX later that same year). At the height or railroading's golden age, the B&O was one of several trunk lines uniting the northeast quadrant of the United States into an industrial zone. It marked the southern border and corresponded to the New York Central's marking of the northern border. The Pennsy and the Erie railroads worked the center. The corners of this map are Baltimore in the southeast, Albany in the northeast, Chicago in the northwest, and St. Louis in the southwest.

Early engineering

When construction began on the B&O in the 1820s, railroad engineering was in its infancy. Unsure of exactly which materials would suffice, the B&O erred on the side of sturdiness and built many of its early structures of granite. Even the track bed to which iron strap rail was affixed consisted of the stone.

Though the granite soon proved too unforgiving and expensive for track, most of the B&O's bridges have survived until the present, and many are still in active railroad use by CSX. Baltimore's Carrollton Viaduct, named in honor of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, is North America's oldest railroad bridge still in use. The Thomas Viaduct in Relay, Maryland was the longest bridge in the United States upon its completion in 1835, and remains in use as well.

Branches

Washington

In 1831 a law was passed in Maryland, enabling the B&O to build its Washington Branch, connecting Baltimore to the national capital of Washington, D.C. This opened in 1835, and later served as a terminus for the Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad to Annapolis.

Mount Airy
Frederick

The Frederick Branch was built as part of the original line, opening on December 1, 1831. The continuation of the main line from Frederick Junction opened April 2, 1832.

Metropolitan

The Metropolitan Branch was opened in the early 1870s. It leaves the District of Columbia and proceeds northwest through Montgomery County, joining the B&O main line at Point of Rocks. It serves as a bypass around Baltimore and is still in active use.

Georgetown

The line was operated in some manner from 1889 until 1985 when it was proposed for abandonment; it served basically as a minor freight spur carrying coal and building materials to local outlets in Chevy Chase, Bethesda and Georgetown. It was originally built with the intention of connecting to southern railroads to compete with the Pennsylvania Railroad's Long Bridge, but no bridge across the Potomac River was ever built. The abandoned right-of-way is now used as the Capital Crescent Trail.

Trivia

• In the U.S. version of the board game Monopoly, the B&O is one of the four railroad properties on the board, though it did not serve Atlantic City, New Jersey, from which many of the US edition's properties are named.

• A one-time B&O warehouse at the Camden Yards rail junction in Baltimore now dominates the view over the right-field wall at the Baltimore Orioles' current home, Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

References

Railroad History Database
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Timeline
Mileposts from CSX Transportation Timetables


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

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

Enjoy!

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

Hello Guys,

For anyone interested in this week's Double Feature at The Mentor Village Emporium Theatre check out these URLS:

Oh, Mr. Porter!
http://www.britmovie.co.uk/genres/comedy/filmography/021.html

Shadow of a Doubt
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036342/

Enjoy![swg]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[LoveDomes]

Hey Tom - I guess your name for this place, The Feast or Famine Bar & Grill really fits today. Where is everyone? Unbelievable ....

Enjoyed your new series start! Really good way to begin with the nation's first RR![tup] Especially meaningful in my family - goes back to great grandpa - grandpa and dad. I broke the chain - became a sailor![swg]

Have you been over to your other thread lately? I think you and Al have cooked something up - too much coincidence if you ask me.[swg]

Okay, I'll have one of those Ballentine Ale's in the green bottle. Nice frosty much will go fine too.

I checked out those movie URLS and that's a nice touch. Helps a bit to know "what's up" with the flicks. You surely are a detail kinda sailor, aren't you?

Especially enjoyed that submission by CM3 and those antracite connections to the rails. Lots of in depth history there. Nice job![tup]

Hang in there, barkeep - only one way to go, and that's UP![tup]


Until the next time!

Lars

[passengerfan]

Good Afternoon Tom and the rest of the gang. Time for a CR and a round for the house.
Really enjoyed the B&O piece, your new series should be very enjoyable and will fit very nicely in "Our Place". Just stopped by the house for a late lunch now its back to the office.
TTFN AL

[pwolfe]

Hi Tom and all.

A pint of Bathams and a round for the fine photos of yesterday please[tup].

DOUG Thanks for the comments on the photos. Later on there is a photo of a small narrow guage loco in York which can be compared to the small loco in your photo .

AL Good post on the Texas Special and its great to see TED calling in, you are very much missed.

CM3 It would be good to see The Titfield Thunderbolt on at the Emporium. I think it was the first Ealing comedy to be filmed in colour. The star of the show the 0-4-0 LION was steamed for a short time in the early 1980s when it was the worlds oldest working loco.
I was lucky enough to have a ride behind her on the Keighly & Worth Valley Railway in Yorkshire in an open truck. The loco now is in a museum in Liverpool.

Another great post on Coal Canals and Railroads. the South Wales coalfield had from west to east had anthracite, steam and lesser coal seams which supported a massive railway system. The Great Western Railway locos were designed to run on Welsh steam coal. In 1964 at the end of G.W.R steam a high speed railtour was run using 3 Castle class locos. Someone decided to put anthracite in the tender unfortunatly it melted the fire-bars making the loco a failure[:-^].

NICK Thanks for the description on those great photos from yesteryear[tup]
We had a full L&NWR glass canopy at Rugby but this was taken down a few years ago and the modern one put up [V]. There was an attempt to get the station listed as a historic building but this failed. I believe that Preston has most of its L& NWR glass roof still, which is the last one.

TOM Great new series. It said at the start that the worlds oldest operational bridge was on the line then later it said the oldest in N. America does anyone know which is right[?] but still some really interesting facts[tup].
The Yogism reminded me of the collections at work for someone who was retiring.
Another Bathams please and I'll be off PETE.

[Anonymous]

Evening Tom and gents! I'll have a shot of tequilla ... no worm please, and a round for the house. Well, you said there would be a big surprise today, and we sure got one! Wonderful stuff on the B&O. Excellent work! The Yogi for today was a winner too.

Nick, I've put together a few "oddball" pix for the next Sunday photo session, just for you.

Great to see Ted pop by ... yes indeed.

Thanks for another great streamliner Mr. Al, and congrats on surpassing 50! Youv'e posted a truely amazing amount of material, and we surely appreciate it.

We were treated to more great coal related info from CM3 today. I really enjoyed the article.

Good to see you Mr. Lars! Maybe we should start a train DVD exchange similar to the book exchange that Tom has going. I recently bought a copy of "The General" with Buster Keaton, just so I could see what I have been missing. Have you seen it?

Great to see you Pete. Interesting information on melting the fire bars on the 3 Castle class loco. Didn't know that hard coal burned that hot!

Gotta run gents .... that's my life these days!

[siberianmo]

Good Evenin’!

To the acknowledgments:

coalminer3 CM3
Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 09:49:45

Another fine effort, chock full of informative stuff. There’s a great amount of history contained within your piece on anthracite and the railroads; much appreciated.[tup][tup]

I’d say those miners in Canada came out of their situation a hulluva lot better than the poor guys in WVA. Takes a special breed of guy to go into those circumstances to earn a living – and earn it they do.

I surely should remember “good ole Fred Narragansett,” but unfortunately do not. My first tour in NE began in 1963, so the timing should have been “right.”

Your wish is my command, Sir CM3 and The Titfield Thunderbolt has been added to the “Coming Attractions” at The Mentor Village Emporium Theatre. Watch for it![swg]

With no relevance to your anthracite piece, the mere mention of “Schuylkill” brings back some memories of childhood. My Godfather was a dredge operator along the rivers of the northeast in the U.S. and Canada (he was from Montreal). Anyway, one year he had a contract to work the “Schuylkill River” in the Valley Forge area of Pennsylvania. They invited me to spend a month or so with them and it was quite a summer treat for a lad of about 8. Swam in the river, saw all the sights, just wonderful memories.

Okay, time for me to add some songs of my own to the “list”:

Geoff Bartley
….. Folk Music Is The Final Refuge Of The Weird

Bobby Bears
….. Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Goalpost of Life

Lou & Peter Berryman
….. Naked and Nude

and <drumroll>

Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band
….. Can Blue Men Sing the Whites?

Thanx for the round and quarters![tup]

LoveDome Lars
Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 15:34:58

Appreciate your taking the time to drop by. Judging by the times of the Posts today, we’re “bunching ‘em” instead of spreading ‘em out. However, that’s far better than none at all.[swg] Feast or Famine Bar ‘n Grill is indeed an appropriate name![swg]

No collusion going on between Al and I – really just coincidence. Good eyes![swg]

So, you want me to go “UP” as in Union Pacific[?][?] Nah, I’d rather stick with the Fallen Flags![swg]

passengerfan Al
Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 16:18:01

Since you and I have been “accused” of collaborating – why not Post that B&O piece over here[?] It surely would be a good fit, don’t ya think[?]

pwolfe Pete
Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 16:31:23

Well, Pete no one can ever accuse you of not reading! Can’t say I picked up that as a discrepancy. I’ve done several searches on the Carrollton Viaduct and no where have I found it referred to as the “oldest in the world.” Perhaps someone else can pick up the baton on this. Glad you enjoyed the start-up piece, though ……..

Thanx for the round![tup]

barndad Doug
Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 18:02:46

A surprise visit! Didn’t expect to see you today and of course, we’re all pleased that you made it in!

A DVD exchange wouldn’t be a bad idea. Unfortunatetly, I haven’t acquired any RR DVD’s (yet), have a “mess” of VHS though.[swg] Wish you luck with the idea – it was hard enough getting a “quorum” for the RR Book Relay!

Glad you liked the new series![tup] Certainly cannot and will not take “credit” for what the people at Wilkipedia put together. Mine was a nightmare of formatting – and I think you know what I mean on that. Those things take gobs of time …..[tdn]


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!

[passengerfan]

Good Evening Tom. Time for a CR and a round for the house. Good idea to post the B&O dome piece over here.

Baltimore
&
Ohio
(B&O)

The B&O purchased a pair of Pullman Standard 8-car coach streamliners following WWII for Baltimore-Chicago service. The two trains were delivered to the B&O in May 1949 and entered service as the COLUMBIANS May 5, 1949. The fourth car in each consist of the COLUMBIAN was a Strata-dome coach.
All cars in the COLUMBIAN trains were numbered and named the two Strata-dome coaches were 5550 HIGH DOME and 5551 SKY DOME. These cars seated 42 on the main level of the cars 18 forward of the dome and 24 aft of the dome. Beneath the dome was a pair of comfortable lounges for passengers to relax in; one of these lounges seated 6 the other 11. The domes were only 15’ 3” above the rails giving these two Strata-domes the distinction of being the lowest height short domes operated in North America. Upstairs in the dome of the two Pullman Standard built Strata-domes were 24 seats arranged in six pairs on either side of the center aisle. The backs of the seats were lower than those found in any other dome cars. One feature found on the B&O Strata-Domes not found on others was on the forward bulkhead of the car above the aisle was located a speedometer, clock, altimeter and barometer.
In December 1950 the B&O purchased three Strata-dome sleeping cars from the C&O and after updating these virtually new cars that had never entered service for their original owner assigned them to the CAPITOL LIMITED and SHENANDOAH. These Budd built cars dated to August 1956. After purchase by the B&O before entering scheduled service the cars made a brief visit to Pullman for upgrading for sleeping car service. At the short end of the car forward of the dome on the main level was 5 roomettes. On the main level to the rear of the dome were 3 drawing rooms. Beneath the dome was a single bedroom, car attendants quarters and conductors office Upstairs the dome seated the usual 24.
The CAPITOL LIMITED received a pair of these Strata-domes one for each train set. The SHENANDOAH with a single car provided every other day Strata-dome service between Chicago and Washington. The B&O numbered and named each of the cars as follows:

7600 MOONLIGHT DOME originally C&O 1850

7601 STARLIGHT DOME originally C&O 1851

7602 SUNLIGHT DOME originally C&O 1852

The B&0 7600 MOONLIGHT DOME to the SHENANDOAH, while 7601 STARLIGHT DOME and 7602 SUNLIGHT DOME were assigned to the CAPITOL LIMITED.
In 1952 all five domes were shopped and after having lights mounted on the right side roofs forward of the domes became the first and only dome cars that could light up the countryside at night. These floodlights were nothing more than locomotive headlights with each putting out 250 watts. They were mounted on the roofs at angles of 60, 70, 80 and 85 degrees from the cars centerline. A breaker was mounted ahead of the lights to protect them from hanging icicles in tunnels and at stations having overhead platforms. The lights were used outside of the major towns and turned off when passing through heavily populated areas.
The three Strata-dome sleeping cars were leased to the Atlantic Coast Line between December 1965 and April 1966. After return from the ACL the cars were leased to the Canadian National from May 1966 to March 1968. The CN assigned the three cars to service in the SUPER CONTINENTAL between Edmonton and Vancouver.
After return from the CN in March 1968 the B&O assigned the cars to the CAPITOL LIMITED until July 1968 when the three Strata-dome cars were once again leased out. This time they were leased to the Seaboard Coast Line who purchased the three domes in July 1969. During this period they operated in the FLORIDA SPECIAL during the winter season and SILVER METEOR at other times. In both trains they operated between Richmond and Miami. Once more the cars were sold to Hamburg Industries in 1970 who after refurbishing the cars leased them back to the SCL.

TTFN AL

[pwolfe]

Hi Tom and all.

A pint of the usual please.

DOUG Sorry I was not very clear. It was only one Castle that had the melted firebars. When it failed the only loco avaliable was a very sad looking Hall Mixed Traffic 4-6-0.
Despite its apperance it put up a very fast run. The other two Castles did run their alloted portions of the tour,although in good condidtion, if I remember right, the magic 100MPH was not quite reached on the day.

AL Great post to compliment Tom's B&O piece.

TOM Did your hear any of the Bonzo Dog stuff [wow] that was a name from the past.
Oh well back to the second feature at the Emporium PETE>

[siberianmo]

Evenin' Gents!

Al & Pete Nice of you guys to stop by again!

Al Interesting stuff on those B&O domes, and very timely. Wonder if you'll be able to read my mind for the next installment of my new series[?] Hint: Does C&O ring a bell[?][swg]

Appreciate the round![tup]

Pete Bonzo Dog [yeah] I was a backgorund singer in that group.[swg] Nah - never heard of 'em until I ran across the name in my quest to match CM3 with those son titles. Good stuff, eh[?]

Enjoy the movies!

Leon the Night Man has the bar!

Ring the bell, Boris - drinks on the house![tup]

Nite[zzz]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[siberianmo]

TUESDAY’s INFO & SUMMARY of POSTS

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


Good morning! The pastry case is chock full of goodies from The Mentor Village Bakery and the menu board features our <traditional> and <light> breakfasts. So, fill up a cuppa Joe and start the day with us![tup]


Daily Wisdom

Steve McQueen looks good in this movie. He must have made it before he died. (yogi-ism)


Info for the Day:

* Weekly Calendar:

Wednesday 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) siberianmo Tom Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 05:29:09 (232) Monday’s Index & Summary

(2) passengerfan Al Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 06:53:33 (232) Streamliner #51 – Texas Special

(3) Theodorebear Ted Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 07:02:17 (232) Inclusive weekly Post, etc.

(4) siberianmo Tom Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 07:45:49 (232) Acknowledgments, etc.

(5) coalminer3 CM3 Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 09:49:45 (232) Inclusive Post & Anthracite mines & RRs

(6) siberianmo Tom Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 10:33:50 (232) Birthday Watch List!

(7) siberianmo Tom Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 10:53:49 (232) RR’s from Yesteryear #1 – B&O

(8) LoveDomes Lars Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 15:34:58 (232) PM check-in

(9) passengerfan Al Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 16:18:01 (232) PM chat

(10) pwolfe Pete Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 16:31:23 (232) Inclusive Post, etc.

(11) barndad Doug Posted: 30 Jan 2006, 18:02:46 (232) Inclusive Post, etc.

(12) siberianmo Tom Posted: 30 Jun 2006, 19:01:25 (232) Acknowledgments, etc.

(13) passengerfan Al Posted: 30 Jun 2006, 20:37:58 (234) B&O Domes

(14) pwolfe Pete Posted: 30 Jujn 2006, 21:17:46 (234) Nite Cap!

(15) siberianmo Tom Posted: 30 Jun 2006, 21:34:41 (234) Acknowledgments, etc.



NOW SHOWING:

The Mentor Village Emporium Theatre
Double Features beginning Monday, January 30th!

. . . January 30th thru February 4th: DOUBLE FEATURE Oh, Mr. Porter! (British - 1937) starring Will Hay, Moore Marriott & Graham Moffitt – and – Shadow of a Doubt (1943) starring Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten & Macdonald Carey.


That’s it! [tup][;)]

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

[passengerfan]

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

PASSENGERFAN AL'S STREAMLINER CORNER # 52

C&O
CHESSIE
(1948)

The C&O proposed a new daytime streamlined train to operate between Washington and Cincinnati with a streamlined coal fired Turbine Electric Locomotive for power. The CHESSIE was the name selected for the new streamlined train that would also provide a streamlined connecting service between Newport News and Cincinnati with the two sections combining at Charlottesville west-bound and separating at Charlottesville eastbound. The cars built for the new CHESSIE were some of the most innovative ever constructed for any daytime train. After the C&O had completed a tour with one of the three new train sets, then seeing how B&O was having difficulty filling their much shorter five car CINCINNATIAN train sets between Washington and Cincinnati. The C&O quietly quit advertising the CHESSIE and just as quietly dropped all mention of the train. No other daylight train in America would have offered passengers as much leisure space or non-revenue space as the CHESSIES. The CHESSIES would have introduced a new lower profile dome to trains in the east and each of the three consists from Budd were fifteen cars in length. In total there were 46 cars built for the CHESSIE by the Budd Company and when the train was canceled the C&O would eventually sell off all but four of the original CHESSIE cars to other railroads in the United States and several were even sold to Argentina. The three Coal fired Turbine Electric engines were found to be extremely trouble prone and all three were quietly scrapped.

Chesapeake
&
Ohio
(C&O)

The Chesapeake & Ohio purchased six domes all delivered by Budd in 1948 these six domes were of two different types. There were 3-coach–lounge observations 1875-1877 and three family room dome cars 1850-1852 as they were called. Both types of domes were built for the CHESSIE a new daytime streamliner between Washington – Newport News and Cincinnati. The CHESSIE would have operated as two sections east of Charleston. One section of the CHESSIE to and from Washington and the other section of the CHESSIE to and from Phoebus (Newport News), consolidating westbound at Charleston and splitting at this point eastbound. Alas, it really didn’t matter, as the CHESSIE never entered service. The forty-six cars delivered by Budd in August 1948 for the CHESSIE trains were disbursed over the next few years. All six of the dome cars were sold. The Dome sleeping cars were sold to the B&O in December 1950 for service in the CAPITOL LIMITED and SHENANDOAH. The C&O had seriously considered adding these cars to their own SPORTSMAN and even went so far as to assign names to the cars even though the names were not actually applied as follows:

1850 BELLE ISLE DOME

1851 CHAMBERLIN DOME

1852 HAMPTON ROADS DOME

See the B&O Chapter for further detail of these cars.
The other three CHESSIE domes the coach lounge Observations featured 20 seats forward of the dome and 16 seat lounge aft of the dome in the rounded end of the cars. A newsagent’s stand and the cars restrooms were located beneath the 24 seat domes. The C&O assigned these cars to service in the PERE MARQUETTES between Chicago – Grand Rapids and Detroit – Grand Rapids. The three cars 1875-1877 were sold to the Rio Grande in September 1949. Before delivery to the Rio Grande the cars were fitted with an adaptor complete with diaphragm for mid-train operation. After repainting in Grande Gold and Black the cars were renumbered 1248-1250 respectively. See Rio Grande Chapter for further details on these cars.

TTFN AL

[siberianmo]

G'day!

Looks like the theme for the day is C&O, so here's somethng from the past:

ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!

PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #15

Here’s something to enjoy regarding the C&O from a 1940 advertisement found in one of my scrap books.
previously Posted on page 148



YOU’LL WISH YOU COULD LOOK both ways AT ONCE!

EXPERIENCED TRAVELERS call it “The most beautiful train trip in the East,” this mountain-and-canyon route of Chesapeake and Ohio Lines. On this magnificent journey you look out and down upon waves of mountains – the majestic Alleghanies, the mysteriously tinted Blue Ridge . . . upon valleys stretching like bright carpets to the far, purple hills. The scene changes – and you look up the towering green walls of the New River Gorge as you roll smoothly through the widest and deepest canyon this side of the Rockies. Yes, when you watch this panorama of thrilling beauty from your train windows, you’ll wish you could look both ways at once!

On your next trip east or west GO CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO . . . and enjoy glorious mountain country!

You’ll travel in complete comfort, on the smoothest of roadbeds, in cool, clean air-conditioned cars that invite you to relax by day and Sleep Like a Kitten at night . . . When you travel west or east, plan to ride through The Chessie Corridor on these famous trains- THE GEORGE WASHINGTON – THE SPORTSMAN – THE F. F. V.

Sleep like a Kitten

THE CHESSIE CORRIDOR, The Scenic Route of the East
A NEW BOOK on Chessies Travel Packages will help you plan interesting, economic trips. Write for free copy to Chesapeake and Ohio Travel Services, 829 East Main St., Richmond, Va.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . George Washington’s Railroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CHESAPEAKE and OHIO Lines
Original Predecessor Company Founded by George Washington in 1785


Enjoy! [tup]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!

[siberianmo]

And another "theme" Post:

ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!

Here’s another Fallen Flag for the gang from Classic American Railroads: previously Posted on page 148

Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O)

Headquarters: Richmond, VA

Mileage in 1950:

5,343 (including ferries)

Locomotives in 1963:

Steam: 3 (fireless “cookers”)
Diesel: 1,053

Rolling stock in 1963:

Freight cars: 92,992
Passenger cars: 324

Principal routes in 1950:

Chicago-Cincinnati, OH-Ashland, KY-Staunton, VA-Newport News, VA
Gordonsville, VA-Washington, DC
Clifton Forge-Richmond VA
Ashland-Louisville, KY
Limeville (Ashland)-Columbus, OH-Toledo, OH
Columbus-Pomeroy, OH
Catlettsburg (Ashland)-Elkhorn City, KY
Ronceverte-Durbin & Bartow, WV
Chicago-Grand Rapids, MI-Detroit, MI-St. Thomas, ON-Buffalo & Niagra Falls, NY
Grand Rapids-Petoskey & Bay View, MI
Erieau, ON-Ludington, MI
Ludington-Milwaukee & Manitowoc & Kewaunee, WI (ferry routes to each from Ludington)
Toledo-Bay City, MI
Port Huron-Bay City-Elmdale, MI
Holland-Muskegon-Hart, MI

Passenger trains of note:

George Washington (Washington & Newport News-Cincinnati & Louisville)
F.F.V. (Washington & Newport News-Cincinnati & Louisville)
Sportsman (Washington & Newport News-Cincinnati & Detroit)
Pere Marquettes (Detroit-Grand Rapids; Chicago-Grand Rapids & Muskegon; Detroit-Saginaw, MI)
Resort Special (Chicago-Petoskey; later, Washington-White Sulphur Springs, WV)


Enjoy! [tup]

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]

ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!

[siberianmo]

And for yesterday's "theme" -

ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!

Here’s another Fallen Flag for the gang from Classic American Railroads: previously Posted on page 127/203

Baltimore & Ohio (B&O)

Headquarters: Baltimore, MD

Mileage in 1950: 10,000

Locomotives in 1963: Diesel: 491

Rolling stock in 1963: Freight cars – 59,152 Passenger cars – 654

Principal routes in 1950:

Jersey City, NJ (New York)-Baltimore, MD-Pittsburgh, PA-Chicago
Washington, DC-Point of Rocks, MD
Cumberland, MD-Cincinnati, OH-St. Louis, MO
Detroit, MI-Toledo, OH-Cincinnati
Hamilton, OH-Beardstown, IL
Pittsburgh-Buffalo & Rochester, NY
Akron-Cleveland, OH
Midland City, OH-Columbus, OH-Pittsburgh

Passenger trains of note:

Ambassador (Baltimore-Detroit)
Capitol Limited (Jersey City-Washington-Chicago)
Cincinnatian (Detroit-Cincinnati; later, Baltimore-Washington-Cincinnati)
Columbian (Washington-Chicago)
Diplomat (Jersey City-Washington-St. Louis)
Metropolitan Special (Washington-St. Louis)
National Limited (Jersey City-Washington-St. Louis)
Royal Blue (Jersey City-Washington)
Shenandoah (Jersey City-Washington-Chicago)


Enjoy! [tup]

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]

ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!

[siberianmo]

And some more for yesterday's "theme" . . . . .

ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!

More on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) of the Fallen Flags from The Official Guide of the Railways - Aug 1956
previously Posted on page 127



Thrilled travelers tell us “There’s nothing like the view from B&O’s STRATA-DOME” ….. Route your passengers via B&O and they’ll sing your praises too

Passengers traveling in a B&O Strata-Dome marvel at the thrilling panorama and natural beauty of the ever-changing scenery.

FLOODLIGHTS AT NIGHT

Powerful floodlight beams provide a novel view of the landscape after dark.

This exclusive B&O service between Washington and Chicago is offered at no charge!

Strata-Dome Dieseliners between

CHICAGO – AKRON – PITTSBURGH – WASHINGTON

The Capitol Limited (All Pullman) – The Columbia (Deluxe-Coach) – The Shenandoah* (Pullman and Coach)

THROUGH SERVICE TO AND FROM BALTIMORE, WILMINGTON, PHILADELPHIA AND NEW YORK.

*On the Shenandoah, Strata-Dome is operated on alternate dates. Available only to Pullman passengers on the Shenandoah.

BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD

Enjoy! [tup]

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]

ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!

[siberianmo]

And yet another for yesterday's "theme" . . . . .

ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!

More on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) of the Fallen Flags from The Official Guide of the Railways - Aug 1956
previously Posted on page 127/219



B&O DIESEL-ELECTRIC FEATURE TRAINS

CAPITOL LIMITED – COLUMBIAN – SHENANDOAH
Between Chicago, Pittsburgh, Washington and the East

NATIONAL LIMITED – DIPLOMAT – METROPOLITAN
Between St. Louis, Cincinnati, Washington and the East

THE AMBASSADOR
Between Detroit, Washington and Baltimore

THE ROYAL BLUE
Between Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York

STRATA-DOME CARS*
On 3 Fine Trains

CAPITOL LIMITED – COLUMBIAN – SHENANDOAH
Chicago – Akron – Pittsburgh – Washington
Baltimore – Wilmington – Philadelphia – New York

(* In service between Chicago and Washington)

Enjoy! [tup]

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]

ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!

[siberianmo]

Found yet another for yesterday's "theme" ...... last one!

ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!

PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #54

Here’s something to enjoy regarding the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) from a 1946 advertisement in my personal collection.

Your Holiday begins with ”all aboard”

* When your Diesel-Electric Baltimore & Ohio luxury train glides smoothly from the station, you’ll know your holiday has really started. Mile after mile, you’ll enjoy the thrill of modern rail travel . . . the extra measure of pleasure for which B&O is so well-known.

* Outstanding with “holidayers” is the friendly courtesy of B&O people. In big and little services, alike, you’ll constantly enjoy this warm hospitality . . . for courtesy is traditional on the B&O.

* And, when you visit B&O diners, you’re in for a real “holiday treat.” For, B&O is famous for its good food . . . prepared just the way you like it . . . at prices that are reasonable.

* Then, there’s B&O’s record for “on-time” dependability. Not only does B&O strive to make your travel time thoroughly enjoyable but it also makes a special point of seeing that you arrive at your destination on schedule!

* Yes, when you start your holiday with Baltimore & Ohio, the extra measure of pleasure given by such features as friendly courtesy, good food and “on-time” dependability will be proof why more and more travelers say:

NOW . . . AS ALWAYS – The B&O is the Way to Go!

. . . . . . . . . . BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD . . . . . . . . .


Enjoy!

Tom [4:-)][oX)]

ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!

[siberianmo]

Now arriving on track #1 …..
Railroads from Yesteryear! Number Two


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


Chesapeake and Ohio Railway

Locale: District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin

Reporting marks: CO

Dates of operation: 1869 – 1972

Track gauge: 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge)

Headquarters: Cleveland, Ohio

The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from many smaller railroads begun in the 19th century. Tapping the coal reserves of West Virginia, it formed the basis for the City of Newport News and the coal piers on Hampton Roads, and forged a rail link to the midwest, eventually reaching Columbus, Cincinnati, and Toledo in Ohio and Chicago, Illinois.

Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, in 1972, it became part of the Chessie System, along with the Baltimore and Ohio and Western Maryland Railway. In 1980, the Chessie system combined with Seaboard Coast Line Industries to form CSX Corporation, which by 1987 had merged all its railroad subsidiaries into CSX Transportation, one of seven Class I railroads operating in North America at the beginning of the 21st century.

The city of Huntington, West Virginia is named for one of its early leaders, Collis P. Huntington.


Early history, Crozet, and crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains

The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway traces its origin to the Louisa Railroad of Louisa County, Virginia, begun in 1836, and the James River & Kanawha Canal Company, also begun in Virginia in 1785. The C&O of the 1950s and 1960s at its peak before the first modern merger, was the product of about 150 smaller lines that had been incorporated into the system over time.

By 1850 the Louisa Railroad had been built east to Richmond and west to Charlottesville, and in keeping with its new and larger vision, was renamed the Virginia Central Railroad. The Commonwealth of Virginia, always keen to help with "internal improvements" not only owned a portion of Virginia Central stock, but incorporated and financed the Blue Ridge Railroad to accompli***he hard and expensive task of crossing the first mountain barrier to the west. Under the leadership of the great early civil engineer Claudius Crozet, the Blue Ridge RR built over the mountains, using four tunnels, including the 4,263-foot Blue Ridge Tunnel at the top of the pass, then one of the longest tunnels in the world.

While the Blue Ridge was being breached, Virginia Central was building westward from the west foot of the mountains, across the Great Valley of Virginia (The Shenandoah Valley), and the Shenandoah range (Great North Mountain), reaching a point known as Jackson's River Station, at the foot of the Alleghany Mountains (note that in Virginia Alleghany is spelled with an "a"), in 1856. This is the site that would be called Clifton Forge later.

To finish its line across the mountainous territory of the Alleghany Plateau (known in old Virginia as the "Transmountaine"), the Commonwealth again chartered a state-subsidized railroad called the Covington and Ohio Railroad. This company completed important grading work on the Alleghany grade and did considerable work on numerous tunnels over the mountains and in the west. It also did a good deal of roadway work around Charleston on the Kanawha River. Then the American Civil War intervened, and work was stopped on the westward expansion.

C & O predecessors during the Civil War

During the Civil War the Virginia Central Railroad was one of the Confederacy's most important lines, carrying food from the Shenandoah region to Richmond, and ferrying troops and supplies back and forth as the campaigns surrounded its tracks frequently. It had an important connection with the Orange and Alexandria Railroad at Gordonsville, Virginia. On more than one occasion, the Virginia Central was used in actual tactical operations, transporting troops directly to the battlefield. But, it was a prime target for Federal armies, and by the end of the war had only about five miles of track still in operation, and $40 in gold in its treasury.

Ellis P. Huntington links the tidewater of Virginia with the Ohio Valley

Following the war, Virginia Central officials, led by company president Williams Carter Wickham, realized that they would have to get capital to rebuild from outside the economically devastated South, and attempted to attract British interests, without success. Finally, they succeeded in getting Collis P. Huntington of New York, interested in the line. He is, of course, the same Huntington that was one of the "Big Four" involved in building the Central Pacific portion of the Transcontinental Railroad, which was at this time just reaching completion. Huntington had a vision of a true transcontinental that would go from sea to sea under one operating management, and decided that the Virginia Central might be the eastern link to this system.

Huntington supplied the Virginians with the money needed to complete the line to the Ohio River, through what was now the new state of West Virginia. The old Covington & Ohio's properties were conveyed to them [Note: the name was Railroad at this time ... it will be changed later to Railway] in keeping with its new mission of linking the Tidewater coast of Virginia with the "Western Waters." this was the old dream of the "Great Connection" which had been current in Virginia since Colonial times.

On July 1, 1867 the C&O was completed nine miles from Jackson's River Station to the town of Covington, seat of Alleghany County, Virginia. By 1869, it had crossed Alleghany Mountain, using much of the tunneling and roadway work done by the Covington & Ohio before the war, and was running to the great mineral springs resort at White Sulphur Springs, now in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. Here, stagecoach connections were made for Charleston and the navigation on the Kanawha River (and thus water transportation on the whole Ohio/Mississippi system).

During 1869-1873 the hard work of building through West Virginia was done with large crews working from the new city of Huntington on the Ohio River and White Sulphur (much as the UP and CP had done in the transcontinental work), and the line was completed at Hawk's Nest, West Virginia on January 28, 1873. The West Virginia stretch of the C & O was the site of the legendary competition between John Henry and a steam-powered machine; the competition is said to have taken place in a tunnel south of Talcott, West Virginia near the Greenbrier River.

Typical of the men who built the C & O during this period was William N. Page, a civil engineer who had attended special courses in engineering at the University of Virginia before he went to work on the railroad. Page directed the location and construction of the New River Canyon Bridge in 1871 and 1872, and of the Mill Creek Canyon bridge in 1874. In 1875 and 1876, he led the surveying party charged with mapping out the route of the double-track railway to extend between Hampton Roads and the Ohio River via the New River and Kanawha Valleys of West Virginia. Like many men who came to West Virginia with the railroad, Page was struck with both the beauty and potential of the natural resources and is considered one of the more energetic and successful men who helped develop West Virginia's rich bituminous coal fields in the late 19th and early 20th century. Page settled in the tiny mountain hamlet of Ansted, West Virginia, a town located in Fayette County near Hawk's Nest, on high bluffs overlooking the New River far below, where the C&O occupied both sides of the narrow valley.

Collis Huntington intended to connect the C&O with his western and mid-western holdings, but had much other railroad construction to finance and he stopped the line at the Ohio and over the next few years did little to improve its rough construction or develop traffic. The only connection to the West was by packet boats operating on the Ohio River. Because the great mineral resources of the region hadn't been fully realized yet, the C&O suffered through the bad times brought on by the financial panic (Depression) of 1873, and went into receivership in 1878. When reorganized it was renamed The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Company.

West Virginia coal development and Newport News piers

Shortly after the end of the Civil War, Collis P. Huntington and his associates began buying up land in Warwick County, Virginia. During the ten years from 1878 to 1888, C&O's coal resources began to be developed and shipped eastward. In 1881 the Peninsula Subdivision was completed from Richmond to the new city of Newport News, located on Hampton Roads, the East's largest ice-free port. Transportation of coal to Newport News where it was loaded on coast-wise shipping and transported to the Northeast became a staple of the C&O's business at this time.

Morgan and Vanderbilt take control

In 1888 Huntington lost control of the C&O in a reorganization without foreclosure that saw his majority interest lost to the interests of J.P. Morgan and William K. Vanderbilt. In those days before US anti-trust laws were created, both many smaller railroads which appeared to be in competition with each other were essentially under common control. Even the leaders of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and New York Central Railroad (NYC) had secretly entered into a "community of interests" pact.

Morgan and Vanderbilt had Melville E. Ingalls installed as President. Ingalls was, at the time, also President of the Vanderbilt's Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (The "Big Four System"), and held both presidencies concurrently for the next decade. Ingalls installed George W. Stevens as general manager and effective head of the C&O.

The C&O gains a water level route along the James River across Virginia

In 1889 the Richmond and Allegheny Railroad company, which had been built along the tow-path of the defunct James River and Kanawha Canal, was merged into the C&O, giving it a down grade "water level" line from Clifton Forge to Richmond, avoiding the heavy grades of North Mountain and the Blue Ridge on the original Virginia Central route. This "James River Line" would be the principal artery of eastbound coal transportation down to the present day.

Ingalls and Stevens completely rebuilt the C&O to "modern" standards with ballasted roadbed, enlarged and lined tunnels, steel bridges, and heavier steel rails, as well as new, larger, cars and locomotives.

In 1888, the C&O built the Cincinnati Division, from Huntington, West Virginia down the south bank of the Ohio River in Kentucky and across the river at Cincinnati, connecting with the "Big Four" and other Midwestern Railroads.

From 1900 to 1920 most of the C&O's lines tapping the rich bituminous coal fields of southern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky were built, and the C&O as it was known throughout the rest of the 20th Century was essentially in place.

In 1910 C&O merged the Chicago, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad into its system. This line had been built diagonally across the state of Indiana from Cincinnati to Hammond in the preceding decade. This gave the C&O a direct line from Cincinnati to the great railroad hub of Chicago.

Also in 1910, C&O interests bought control of the Kanawha and Michigan (K&M) and Hocking Valley (HV) lines in Ohio, with a view to connecting with the Great Lakes through Columbus. Eventually anti-trust laws forced C&O to abandon its K&M interests, but it was allowed to retain the Hocking Valley, which operated about 350 miles in Ohio, including a direct line from Columbus to the port of Toledo, and numerous branches southeast of Columbus in the Hocking Coal Fields. But there was no direct connection with the C&O's mainline, now hauling previously undreamed-of quantities of coal. To get its coal up to Toledo and into Great Lakes shipping, C&O contracted with its rival Norfolk & Western to carry trains from Kenova,. W. Va. to Columbus. N&W, however, limited this business and the arrangement was never satisfactory.

C&O gained access to the Hocking Valley by building a new line directly from a point a few miles from its huge and growing terminal at Russell, Ky., to Columbus between 1917 and 1926. It crossed the Ohio River at Limeville, Ky. (Sciotoville, Ohio), on the great Limeville or Sciotoville bridge which remains today the mightiest bridge ever built from point of view of its load capacity. It was truly a monument to engineering, but seldom commented on outside of engineering circles because of its relatively remote location.

With the connection at Columbus complete, C&O soon was sending more of its high quality metallurgical and steam coal west than east, and in 1930 it merged the Hocking Valley into its system.

Van Sweringen era - Pere Marquette Railroad

The next great change for C&O came in 1923 when the great Cleveland financiers, the Van Sweringen brothers (O. P. and M. J. Van Sweringen), bought a controlling interest in the line as part of their expansion of the Nickel Plate Road (NKP) system. Eventually they controlled the NKP, C&O, Pere Marquette Railroad (in Michigan and Ontario), and Erie railroads. They managed to control this huge (for the time) system by a maze of holding companies and interlocking directorships. This house of cards tumbled when the Great Depression began and the Van Sweringen companies collapsed. But the C&O was a strong line and despite the fact that in the early 1930s over 50% of American railroads went into receivership, it not only avoided bankruptcy, but took the occasion of cheap labor and materials to again completely rebuild itself.

During the early 1930s when it seemed the whole country was retrenching, C&O was boring new tunnels, adding double track, rebuilding bridges, upgrading the weight of its rail, and rebuilding its roadbed, all with money from its principal commodity of haulage: Coal. Even in the hard years of the Great Depression, coal was something that had to be used everywhere, and C&O was sitting astride the best bituminous seams in the country.

Because of this great upgrading and building program, C&O was in prime condition to carry the monumental loads needed during World War II. During the War it transported men and material in unimagined quantities as the U. S. used the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation as a principal departure point for the European Theater. The invasion of North Africa was loaded here. Of course coal was needed in ever increasing quantities by war industries, and C&O was ready with a powerful, well organized, well maintained railway powered by the largest and most modern locomotives.

Post World War II - Robert R. Young

By the end of the World War II, C&O was poised to help America during its great growth during the decades following, and at mid-century was truly a line of national importance. It became more so, at least in the public eye through Robert Ralph Young, its mercurial Chairman, and his Alleghany Corporation.

Young got control of the C&O through the remnants of the Van Sweringen companies, in 1942, and for the next decade he became "the gadfly of the rails," as he challenged old methods of financing and operating railroads, and inaugurated many forward looking advances in technology that have ramifications to the present. He changed the C&O's herald (logo) to "C&O for Progress" to embody his ideas that C&O would lead the industry to a new day. He installed a well-staffed research and development department that came up with ideas for passenger service that are thought to be futuristic even now, and for freight service that would challenge the growth of trucking. Young eventually gave up his C&O position to become Chairman of the New York Central before his suicide in 1958.

During the Young era and following, C&O was headed by Walter J. Tuohy, under whose control the "For Progress" theme continued, though in a more muted way after the departure of Young. During this time, C&O installed the first large computer system in railroading, developed larger and better freight cars of all types, switched (reluctantly) from steam to diesel motive power, and diversified its traffic, which had already occurred in 1947 when it merged into the system the old Pere Marquette Railroad (PM) of Michigan and Ontario, Canada, which had been controlled by the C&O since Van Sweringen days. The PM's huge automotive industry traffic, taking raw materials in and finished vehicle out, gave C&O some protection from the swings in the coal trade, putting merchandise traffic at 50% of the company's haulage.

Chessie System, CSX

C&O continued to be one of the more profitable and financially sound railways in the United States, and in 1963, under the guidance of Cyrus S. Eaton, helped start the modern merger era by "affiliating" with the ancient modern of railroads, the hoary Baltimore & Ohio. Avoiding a mistake that would become endemic to later mergers among other lines, a gradual amalgamation of the two lines' services, personnel, motive power and rolling stock, and facilities built a new and stronger system, which was ready for a new name in 1972. Under the leadership of the visionary Hays T. Watkins Jr., the C&O, B&O and Western Maryland Railway became Chessie System, taking on the name officially that had been used colloquially for so long for the C&O, after the mascot kitten used in ads since 1934.

Under Watkins' careful and visionary leadership, Chessie System then merged with Seaboard System Railroad (itself a combination of great railroads of the Southeast including Seaboard Air Line, Atlantic Coast Line, Louisville & Nashville Railroad, Clinchfield Railroad and others), to form a new mega-railroad: CSX Transportation (CSX).

Today, CSX, after acquiring 42% of Conrail in 1999, is one of four major railroad systems left in the country, and still an innovative leader, true to its roots in Robert Young at "For Progress," the Van Sweringens and their quest for efficiency and standardization, to George Stevens and his dedication to operation efficiency and safety awareness, back to Collis P. Huntington and his dreams of a transportation empire, and even back to those old, long forgotten Virginians who started it all to carry their farm produce to market in 1830.


References

None provided.


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)]

Did you miss Number One[?]
Click here: http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=233&TOPIC_ID=35270

[trolleyboy]

Well I must say that it's good to be back. Having said that Sir Tom here's a "newfie firiing squad" ( $50 CDN ) for multiple rounds of joy due to my overwelhming absence.

Have to say that the last week and a half have been hell ( I don't like being that far out of touch ) Thanks to all who missed me, I will try to not do that again.

Two well represented sunday's of pictures, my chapeau off to those who took the time to post such wonderfull shots!

Tom Much thanks for your understanding and offer of the computer, so far I have been able to cobble this one back together to at least a moderate level of operability. i will likely take Russ's advice and have one made as I too do not trust the buy out of the box units out there. The new " railway's of yesteryear " looks to be a winnah [tup] Nice touch and very appropo to what we do around here. [tup]

Al One word WOW [bow] a virtual conicopia of passenger info,too much for me to properly comment on but all the same some wonderfull reading. Particularly liked the ONR sections. [tup]

Nick & Pete Classic brit rail info is always appreciated around here. A glass raised to the both of you. Pete Not sure what the 25,000 live foxes were moved for. We had no heavy fox hunting in Ontario my best guess is that they were transported as raw material for the late lamented Hudson bay Company. Wonderfull pictures of over'ome BTW. [tup]

Lars Nice dome shots and info sir. I'm gratified that you missed me as well,here's hopping that I don't have another prolonged outage. I'm gal dto see that you jumped up and in to fill some of the voids this past week or so. [tup]

Doug Wonderfull pictures the past two sunday's as well sir. The final story of the decopds was appreciated as well. Liked the posts on the various unusual smoke deflecting devises as well.Who say's that the german's invented the schnorkal having seen the shot of the rather long apparatice applied to that consolidation back in 1918.

CM3 As always some fine info from you on the coal minning industries. Alsoglad that you had some additional info on the St Clair division. Amazing how such a small and seemingly unknown piece of railroad was known.

BK A round to your quick finishing of your final tour of duty? Next time you find yourself in the attendance of our PM designate pass on my congratulations from a furvent Ontario supporter[tup] I'm glad to see that you are able to somewhat keep up with us , given the distances involved.

Nick and Al Just to further the disscussion of the ONR rebuilds. My understanding is that locomotives 2000 and 2001 which were last used for the Northlander did recieve and entire cat rebuild,only the original GE gen sets were retained. Similar to the half dozen RS18's that the BCR rebuilt with cat motors and Kato gens and alternators. Apparently though the rebuilds were not as cost efficiant as hoped and they tended to need more maintenance than if they had been left original. I notice now that GP38-2's have replaced the F's on all the ONR's passenger runs.

Mike Thanks for the email I have responded [tup] Also I did enjoy the new info on your families rail herritage as well. Always well written and definatly on topic. [tup]

Well folks I will bid adieu for now. Concert night here in Brantford so I'll likely not check back in till tomorrow.

Rob

[passengerfan]

Good Afternoon Tom. Time for a CR and a round for the house.

Rob nice to have you back nothin g more frustating than the computer going down. Was able to custom order this one a couple of years ago from Dell and have been more than satisfied with their service contract as well.

BALTIMORE
&
OHIO
Streamlined Coaches
by Al

The B&O was one of the earliest pioneers of streamlining with the experimental ADAMS WINDSPLITTER of 1900. This train was rebuilt from heavyweight cars of the era in the Baltimore and Ohio’s own St. Clare shops in Baltimore. The Baggage, four Coaches and enclosed Observation car were about thirty years ahead of their time. At the turn of the century the idea of streamlining and the high speeds it implied were commendable they were anything but practical given the state of steam power and most railroads roadbed at that time. Although this pioneer attempt at streamlining was quite successful no other railroads of the period showed any interest and after about a year the cars were quietly stripped of their streamlining and returned to commuter service between Baltimore and Washington.
It would take the Great Depression to reawaken interest in the streamliner concept on the B&O and other roads. The B&O would order two streamlined consists from American Car & Foundry in 1934 for 1935 delivery. One eight car consist was built for service on B&O subsidiary Alton operating a daily Chicago – St. Louis round trip and named the ABRAHAM LINCOLN. This train was completed in April 1935 and inaugurated streamlined ABRAHAM LINCOLN service July 1, 1935. This train was constructed of Cor-Ten steel and was referred to as the steel train by Railroad historians. The ABRAHAM LINCOLN cars were lightweights and the one thing that detracted from their streamlined appearance was the use of rivets in the construction of the cars. The Maroon and Red paint scheme with Yellow separation stripes and lettering was among the most attractive of the streamline era. This consist was train lined in the following order:

5751 Baggage 30’ Railway Post Office Car

5803 64 Revenue seat Coach

5804 64 Revenue seat Coach

5805 64 Revenue seat Coach

5701 9 seat Lunch Counter 32 seat Dining Car

5932 24 Revenue seat Parlor Car with 5 seat Parlor Drawing Room

5933 24 Revenue seat Parlor Car with 5 seat Parlor Drawing Room

5999 18 Revenue seat Parlor with 15 seat Lounge Observation

64 REVENUE SEAT COACHES American Car & Foundry April, 1935 (Built for and assigned to ABRAHAM LINCOLN)

5803 – 5805

The Baggage 30’ Railway Post Office Car 5751 was rebuilt to a Baggage 44 Revenue seat Coach Combination in November 1936 with no change of number.
The changes to the above consist that affected coach passengers were the rebuilding of 64 revenue seat Coach 5803 into a Buffet Lounge Car in April 1937 with no revenue seating.
The entire train became Gulf Mobile and Ohio property with the purchase from B&O of the Alton effective May 31, 1947 with no changes of car numbers or paint scheme. The cars were simply lettered for the Gulf Mobile & Ohio replacing the former Alton name in the letter boards.
The second B&O consist of 1935 was delivered in June 1935 for service as the ROYAL BLUE between Jersey City and Washington D.C. round trip daily. The cars for the ROYAL BLUE were constructed of Aluminum with a steel center sill running the length of the cars. This train is referred to as the Aluminum train by Railroad historians and the weight of this train compared to the steel train was nearly identical. Not sure about the structural strength of Aluminum the cars sheeting was much thicker than really necessary so any weight savings was never realized. The two trains built of different materials were constructed to see how each would stand up to rail use. Both trains lasted until 1968 when they were finally retired so it would have to be said it was a draw as to which type of material was better. A comparison of maintenance costs for the two different car types bears this out. The consist of the ROYAL BLUE follows:

5750 Baggage 30’ Railway Post Office Car

5800 64 Revenue seat Coach

5801 64 Revenue seat Coach

5802 64 Revenue seat Coach

5700 9 seat Lunch Counter 32 seat Dining Car

5930 24 Revenue seat Parlor Car with 5 seat Parlor Drawing Room

5931 24 Revenue seat Parlor Car with 5 seat Parlor Drawing Room

5998 18 Revenue seat Parlor 15 seat Lounge Observation

Almost immediately the B&O began making changes to the ROYAL BLUE train set. The first change to occur was the rebuilding of 64-revenue seat Coach 6400 into a Buffet Lounge Car without revenue seating and no change of number in July 1935. One year later in July 1936 the Baggage 30’ Railway Post Office Car 5750 was rebuilt to a Baggage 44 Revenue seat Coach Combination retaining its original number. The B&O St. Clare shops in Baltimore constructed a new 60 revenue seat Coach for the ROYAL BLUE and numbered this car 5806 in January 1937. In July, 1937 the nine car ROYAL BLUE train was transferred to B&O subsidiary Alton and repainted in the Red and Maroon color scheme and became the new ABRAHAM LINCOLN at that time operating a round trip daily service between Chicago and St. Louis. The original ABRAHAM LINCOLN consist was renamed ANN RUTLEDGE and continued operating a second daily Chicago - St. Louis round trip daily. In March 1942 Baggage Coach Combination 5750 was shopped and rebuilt to a 60 Revenue seat Coach and was renumbered 5807 at that time. This consist became Gulf Mobile and Ohio property with the merger of the Alton into the G&MO on May 31, 1947.

64 REVENUE SEAT COACHES American Car & Foundry June, 1935 (Built for and assigned to ROYAL BLUE transferred to Alton in 1937 becoming ABRAHAM LINCOLN cars)

5800 – 5802

60 REVENUE SEAT COACH Baltimore & Ohio St. Clare Shops January 1937 (Built for and assigned to ROYAL BLUE reassigned to ABRAHAM LINCOLN in July, 1937)

5806

The B&O turned to there own St. Clare shops in Baltimore for their next two streamlined trains. The first of these to enter service was a new ROYAL BLUE on April 25, 1937 replacing the lightweight streamlined train from American Car & Foundry. The new ROYAL BLUE was nothing more than a group of heavyweight cars streamlined in the roads own shops. The cars were given streamlined roofs with squared ends, side skirting below the car sides to hide the under floor equipment. The cars were given full width diaphragms as well. Interiors of these cars were modernized at the same time. The consist of this ROYAL BLUE follows the number in parenthesis is the heavyweight car number they were rebuilt from:

1300 Baggage 36 Revenue seat Coach Combination (1432)

3520 68 Revenue seat Coach (5299)

3511 54 Revenue seat Coach (5328)

3512 54 Revenue seat Coach (5329)

3065 52 Revenue seat Buffet Coach (5326)

1075 10 seat Lunch Counter 32 seat Dining Car (1051)

2110 26 Revenue seat Parlor Car with 5 seat Parlor Drawing Room (5327)

3300 Buffet Solarium Observation (5325)

This train became the COLUMBIAN on December 9, 1937 operating a daily round trip between Jersey City and Washington when it was replaced by a new streamlined heavyweight consist that became the new ROYAL BLUE on that date. The ROYAL BLUE consist of December, 1937 was nearly identical to the April 1937 train now named the COLUMBIAN. The consist of the December, 1937 ROYAL BLUE was as follows the numbers appearing in parenthesis are the car numbers they were streamlined from:

1301 Baggage 36 Revenue seat Coach Combination (1434)

3521 68 Revenue seat Coach (5293)

3513 54 Revenue seat Coach (5291)

3514 54 Revenue seat Coach (5292)

3066 52 Revenue seat Coach with 7 seat Lunch Counter Car (5295)

1076 44 Revenue seat Coach (1054)

2111 26 Revenue seat Parlor Car with 5 seat Parlor Drawing Room (5296)

3301 Buffet Solarium Observation (5298)

The COLUMBIAN was temporarily replaced by a heavyweight train in November, 1941 while the heavyweight cars of the streamlined consist and some additional cars were rebuilt and streamlined for a second consist of the COLUMBIAN. The COLUMBIAN when it reentered service was a new Coach streamliner operating overnight between Baltimore – Washington and Chicago. Those cars in the original COLUMBIAN consist to receive modifications were 1300 the Baggage 36 revenue seat Coach rebuilt to a Baggage 12 crew Dormitory, Buffet 16 seat Lounge Car renumbered 1306. The two 54-revenue seat Coaches 3511 and 3512 were renumbered 3562 and 3563. The 68 Revenue seat Coach 3520 was remodeled to a 54 revenue seat Coach and renumbered 3564. Cars 3065 the 52 Revenue seat Buffet Coach and 2110 the 26 seat Parlor Car with 5 seat parlor Drawing Room were both rebuilt to 46 revenue seat Coaches with a train stewardess room receiving new numbers 3570 and 3571 respectively. Lunch Counter Dining Car 1075 was shopped and rebuilt to a 47 seat Dining Car and renumbered 1082. The 3300 was renumbered 3303 with no apparent changes taking place to the cars interior. In addition to the above changes the following cars were shopped, remodeled and in some cases rebuilt and all were streamlined for service in a second COLUMBIAN consist. Streamlined 54 Revenue seat Coaches 3558 – 3561 were former heavyweight coaches 5310, 5312-5314 respectively. Newly remodeled 47 seat Dining car 1081 was the former 1050, and Buffet Solarium Observation 3301 was rebuilt and remodeled from 5234. The two streamlined consists were assigned to a new all Coach streamlined service operating between Jersey City and Chicago by way of Baltimore and Washington overnight in each direction. This new service retained the COLUMBIAN name and was inaugurated December 19, 1941 replacing the old Jersey City – Washington COLUMBIAN service. The B&O St. Clare shops had previously streamlined and remodeled eight heavyweight coaches into 54 revenue seat Coaches for service in the streamlined NATIONAL LIMITED in June, 1940. The former 5200 series cars 5244, 5246, 5253, 5256, 5263, 5267, 5287, and 5289 after rebuilding and streamlining were renumbered 3550 – 3557 respectively.
Following WW II the B&O would introduce a pair of five car coach streamliners for service between Baltimore and Cincinnati by way of Washington daily in each direction. These cars unlike previously rebuilt cars from the B&O St. Clare shops were fully streamlined the former heavyweight cars were stripped to the frame and rebuilt completely. Many felt these cars were as good as any cars built by the big three car builders AC&F, Budd or P/S. The quality of the workmanship was unquestioned but some of the interior décor was a little dated for that period. The new CINCINNATIANS entered service January 19, 1947 behind streamlined Presidential Pacific Locomotives painted to match the trailing train in the magnificent Blue and Gray scheme.

5301 PRESIDENT ADAMS 4-6-2 Streamlined Pacific & Tender

1307 EDEN PARK Baggage Crew Day Room Buffet 24 seat Lounge Car

3565 INDIAN HILL 60 revenue seat Coach

3572 OAKLEY 56 Revenue seat Coach with Stewardess Room

3567 COLLEGE HILL 60 Revenue seat Coach

3304 PEEBLES CORNER 24 seat Dining 18 seat Lounge Observation

SECOND CONSIST

5302 PRESIDENT JEFFERSON 4-6-2 Streamlined Pacific & Tender

1308 HYDE PARK Baggage Crew Day Room Buffet 24 seat Lounge Car

3566 WINTON PLACE 60 Revenue seat Coach

3573 NORWOOD 56 Revenue seat Coach with Stewardess Room

3568 WALNUT HILLS 60 Revenue seat Coach

3305 FOUNTAIN SQUARE 24 seat Dining 18 seat Lounge Observation

BAGGAGE CREW DAY ROOM BUFFET 24 SEAT LOUNGE COMBINATION CARS B&O St. Clare Shops December, 1946 (Rebuilt and Streamlined for the CINCINNATIANS)

1307 EDEN PARK

1308 HYDE PARK

60 REVENUE SEAT COACHES B&O St. Clare Shops December 1946 (Rebuilt and Streamlined for the CINCINNATIANS)

3565 INDIAN HILL

3566 WINTON PLACE

3567 COLLEGE HILL

2568 WALNUT HILLS

56 REVENUE SEAT COACHES WITH STEWARDESS ROOM B&O St. Clare Shops December 1946 (Rebuilt and Streamlined for the CINCINNATIANS)

3572 OAKLEY

3573 NORWOOD

24 SEAT DINING 18 SEAT LOUNGE OBSERVATIONS B&O St. Clare Shops December 1946 (Rebuilt and Streamlined for CINCINNATIANS)

3304 PEEBLES CORNERS

3305 FOUNTAIN SQUARE

Two 52 revenue seat streamlined Coaches 3574 AVONDALE and 3575 PRICE HILL were completed by St. Clare Shops in March, 1947 and replaced 60 Revenue seat Coaches 3567 COLLEGE HILL and 3568 WALNUT HILL in the CINCINNATIANS at that time.

52-REVENUE SEAT COACHES B&O St. Clare Shops March 1947 (Rebuilt and Streamlined for the CINCINNATIANS)

3574 AVONDALE

3575 PRICE HILL

The prewar COLUMBIAN consists received four rebuilt streamlined 42 revenue seat Coaches in June 1948 for each consist. These eight cars numbered 3576 – 3583 and a Baggage 12 Crew Dormitory Buffet 24 seat Lounge Car were the last cars completely rebuilt by the B&O St. Clare Shops for streamlined passenger service.

42 REVENUE SEAT COACHES B&O St. Clare Shops June 1948 (Rebuilt and Streamlined for the COLUMBIANS)

3576 – 3583

Brand new COLUMBIAN consists were ordered from Pullman Standard for April, 1949 delivery and these two train sets have the distinction of being the only all new consists ever built for the B&O in the postwar period. These two eight car streamlined trains were two of the finest Coach Streamliners to ever enter service in the eastern United States. Although the pair were intended as a daytime operation between Chicago and Baltimore by way of Washington the two new trains entered overnight service May 5, 1949. The CINCINNATIAN was already a daylight operation over part of the same route and the B&O was none to happy with the bottom line produced by the CINCINNATIAN. As a matter of fact the CINCINNATIAN lost money every month it was in operation. The COLUMBIANS featured the first Dome Coaches to enter scheduled service between Chicago and Washington – Baltimore. These Pullman Standard built dome coaches gave passengers their first nighttime viewing of the passing countryside when the B&O installed two batteries of three locomotive headlights at the forward end of the dome coach’s roof. One in each three light battery was angled at 60 degrees from the cars centerline and the remaining two were installed at 80 degrees and 85 degrees. When one battery or the other was lit they afforded the passengers in the domes some magnificent night views. This lighting system was exclusive to the B&O and no other railroad that operated domes in overnight service provided a lighting system for their passengers. All cars in the new COLUMBIAN consists were both numbered and named. The B&O had been an EMC later EMD E unit buyer for passenger trains but with the COLUMBIANS purchased A-B-A sets of EMD F3 units. These units developed 1,500 hp each and ran on B trucks compared to the E unit A-1-A trucks. No reason was ever given for the COLUMBIAN being assigned F units instead of E units initially. The train entered service with just an A-B on the head end instead of the proposed A-B-A sets for power. The 3,000 hp developed by the two units were capable of maintaining schedule and even making up lost time when needed. The following are the two consists of the COLUMBIANS:

87A EMD F3A 1,500 hp Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

87X EMD F3B 1,500 hp Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

1350 HARPERS FERRY Baggage 12 Crew Dormitory Buffet 24 seat Coffee Shop Combination Car

5500 CONNELLSVILLE 56 Revenue seat Coach

5502 GARY 56 Revenue seat Coach

5550 HIGH DOME 42 Revenue seat Strata Dome Coach with 24 non-Revenue seats in Dome

1090 AKRON 38 seat Dining Car

5504 MARTINSBURG 56 Revenue seat Coach

5506 NEW CASTLE 56 Revenue seat Coach

3315 CHICAGO 27 seat Tavern Lounge Bar 26 seat Lounge Observation

SECOND CONSIST

88A EMD F3A 1,500 hp Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

88X EMD F3B 1,500 hp Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

1351 SILVER SPRING Baggage 12 Crew Dormitory 24 seat Coffee Shop Combination Car

5501 CUMBERLAND 56 Revenue seat Coach

5503 LA PAZ 56 Revenue seat Coach

5551 SKY DOME 42 Revenue seat Strata Dome Coach with 24 non-Revenue seats in Dome

1091 PITTSBURG 38 seat Dining Car

5505 McKEESPORT 56 Revenue seat Coach

5507 YOUNGSTOWN 56 Revenue seat Coach

3316 WASHINGTON 27 seat Tavern Lounge Bar 26 seat Lounge Observation

The CINCINNATIAN would have its route changed June 25, 1950 from a Baltimore – Cincinnati daylight schedule to a Detroit – Cincinnati daylight schedule where it would remain until Amtrak. On this new routing the train sets became successful almost from the beginning.
The COLUMBIAN had two major changes take place in 1958, first in February the COLUMBIANS received a 24 Single Room 8 Double Room Slumbercoach for each train set. These were the first Slumbercoaches to enter service in the eastern United States. The second change to occur to the COLUMBIAN in 1958 was it’s combining with the all Pullman CAPITOL LIMITED. The combined train then operated under the CAPITOL LIMITED name and the COLUMBIAN name was retired from B&O service. The CAPITOL LIMITED then became a Coach and Pullman Train operating between Baltimore and Chicago by way of Washington.

24 SINGLE ROOM 8 DOUBLE ROOM SLUMBERCOACHES Budd Company February, 1958 Plan: 9540 Lot: 9691 – 211 (Built for and assigned to COLUMBIANS)

7700 SLUMBERLAND

7701 DREAMLAND

The B&O would lease three additional Slumbercoaches beginning in May 1959 and the Missouri Pacific would lease a fourth beginning in September 1959. This made it possible for the B&O and MP to jointly offer through Slumbercoach service between Baltimore-Washington and San Antonio, Texas. The B&O NATIONAL LIMITED carried the through car from Baltimore to St. Louis and the MP TEXAS EAGLE beyond St. Louis to San Antonio. During the summer of 1959 the three B&O Slumbercoaches provided Baltimore – St. Louis service. With the fall schedule change and the delivery of MP Slumbercoach 699 SOUTHLAND the four cars began providing through daily service in each direction between Baltimore and San Antonio. Through Slumbercoach service ended in 1964 and the B&O returned the three Slumbercoaches they had leased to Budd. Budd in turn sold all three of the former B&O leased Slumbercoaches and later the MP Slumbercoach when it to was returned at the end of its lease to the Northern Pacific Railway.

24 SINGLE ROOM 8 DOUBLE ROOM SLUMBERCOACHES Budd Company May, 1959 (Built for and assigned to NATIONAL LIMITED later became through cars via TEXAS EAGLE to San Antonio)

7702 RESTLAND

7703 SLEEPLAND

7704 THRIFTLAND

TTFN AL

[siberianmo]

Well, well - looks like Sir Rob has returned, and just in time I'd say! Great to see you again.

I've had some diffiuclty getting this Post out - don't know what's going on, but I've "lost" it several times - but thanx to having it on WP, it ain't quite as hard to put it back together. Just following my own "edict."

Nice compilation you've put together and it sure is evident that you've done some catch up - that's what we missed most - your ability to be inclusive and interactive with one and all![tup][tup][tup]

It's been a long day in that no one has Posted during daylight until yours (I see Al is lurking in the shadows.. perhaps he's about to Post) .. anyway perhaps the longest draught we've ever had. Hope your return is a good sign of postive things to come.

Hey, try those Dell 'puters - we've been totally saitsified both here and where the bride works. They stick behind their product, which is what one really hopes for these days (daze).

Enjoy the concert - which is[?][?][?]

So, it is YOU - Al. Now, I cannot understand how you could completely miss all of the Posts I put together this morning - you simply didn't see any of them[?] Good grief! I don't get it. Makes me wonder why ......... Well, no point in acknowledging you, if it ain't reciprocal, wouldn't you agree[?]

Gotta go before I blow my one remaining gasket - I'm getting to the fed up stage.

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[passengerfan]

Good Afternoon once again Tom. Time for another CR and a round for the house.

Great B&O and C&O posts Tom dropped a little of my own B&O info in to keep the flow going.

Absolutely right about the Dells we have them in our office as well and nary a problem the last thing we would need in Tax season.

Friend of mine boaught a GW about the same time as I bought my Dell as GW had a store here at the time. They have since closed the store and his Computer has been one problem after another he is ready to go the legal route to get his repairs done.

Tom give me a hint what you have planned for tomorrow and I will see what I can find to go along with it.

Haven't heard from Lars or many of the regulars today. Time for me to get back to the office and will probably be their until at least 8 PM tonight.

TTFN AL

[trolleyboy]

Good evening again Tom. A CR round for all if you please.

I had noticed that it's been a tad slow today. No matter the nostalgia and encores have been right on the old mark. I see Al's been at it again,more B&O streamliner info to absorb. As always good stuff, right down to the consists. At this rate Al you won't need to publi***he book ! [:O][swg]

Tom & Al Thanks for the Dell info, I will look into it as we get further into the year. For now this old HP's still a humming. Tom The concert is Great Big Sea. A favourite of both Heather and myself. Good down home newfie band. This concert is kicking off the NA tour for their latest album. Their eigth all have gone multy gold and platinum. If they are ever your way chech them out ! I haven't had a chance to compile any new info for here. So it will be a comment responce type and encores from me for the next we bit, till I can get caught up and some new material fleshed out.

Later all

Rob

[trolleyboy]

ENCORE! ENCORE! A flash back to page 159 and the first of the classic steam. To go along with Nick and Al's revisitation of central ontario the last couple of days.[:D] Enjoy Rob

QUOTE: So Classic CNR Steam #1 The Huntsville Subdivision

The Huntsville subdivision ran ( still runs ) through central Ontario in the Muskoka lakes district. It is a 111 mile subdivision running from Huntsville through to it's Northern terminus of North Bay.And down to it's southern terminus of Gravenhurst.

The local switching was done three times a week.These originated in North Bay on mon, wed, and fri.laying over in South River, and returning on alternate days.The Southern trains also operated three days a week starting at South River to Gravenhurst same three days a week will the layover at scotia ontario, and returning on alternate days.

The Huntsville switcher This served the Acme planning mills,Cities service oil spur,McColl Frontenac coal shed,( train coal and hating coal ) Supertest/sun oils petrolium spur,the stations frieght shed for lcl service,Anglo-Canadian leather's two spurs,Forest basket co( gone in 1957 ) and The Muskoka Wood products spur ( charcol plant )

Usually this train was called at 5:15or 5:45 am and was powered by ten wheelers or consolidation type locomotives.

Gravenhurst-South River way frieghts served
South falls-team track
Bracebridge-Sheir lumber,Anglo_Can leather's coal bin spur,(leather co gone in 1951 ) Imperial oil's spur,Northern planning mill ( two sidings) the Bracebridge station's team track and freight shed ( lcl loading )Muskoka trading feed mill


Utterson-team track ( pulp wood & lumberloaded)

Falkenburg -team track ( cities service ) ,Lumber and planning loads and pulpwood also loaded at this team track.

Martins-team track ( lumber & pulpwood )

North of Huntsville -Muskoka wood products spur ( charcoal ), K>J> Wallace( became international ceramic minning ) Taplins mill ( lumber and pulpwood)

Novar-back tracks ( pulpwood , lumber, from novar lumbermill )

Scotia- back track and storage tracks ( logs from Algonquin park ,off spot cars for the park line,) Baldwins ( small ice facility )

Emsdale-team track for Scotia Jct Trading lumber co. ( large volume lumber and pulpwood facility)

Katrine- team track spur ( little used )
North Bay - South river trains

Burk's Falls-team track( freight shed behind station )lcl friegth, back track coal,and lumber loading.Thompson heydan ( lumber spur )

Sundridge- Pineland timber,Oakville basket company ,team track ( feed , lumber,stock pens and grist mill )

South river - team track ( behind freight shed ) long logs for international shipping,) Coaling tower, stock pens ,( large seasonal cattle and pig auctions here ) Standard chemical ( charcoal out , boxcars of fertilizer and tank cars of alcohol out and in )

Trout Creek-team track (lumber & pulpwood )Glen Robertsons shipped logs to inco in sudbury and telephone poles.

Powassin-teamtrack ( for finihed lumber from Powassin Planning supply co,) One shipment of cattle a week from Powassin Farm Supply

Hills- team track ( lumber & pulpwood )

Calander-frieght shed ( lcl loading ) J. B. Smith co lumber& charcoal ( several sidings )Citiies service siding.

Nipissing-transfer yard,( south bound picked up at ONR yard then lifted local traffic at the transfer yard.All cars were weighed at Huntsville and all southbound trains coaled and waterd here.

These trains normally wer called at 6:15 am Typical power was consolidation some heavy mikes.

Passenger trains om this subdivision included mixed trains 263/264 for Algonquin park, Trains 41/44 and 46/47 Two day trains runin each direction between North Bay and Toronto. These trains handled considerablr hraad end volume in mail and express picked up and set out along the way.

Train 3 The Continental Limited This was the Vancouver bound arm of the Continental limited which passed through allandale ( Barrie ) just ahead of train 47. Motive power was usually a bullet nosed betty of the 6060 series(4-8-2 ) mountain type. Unually 11-17 cars including sleepers and dinning cars.

trains 49/50 Joint ONR/CNR trains that ran between Toronto and Timmons typical power was Northerns or Mountains

trains 51/52 Summer only trains between Capreol and Toronto power was usually heavy pacific types

Trains 55/56 Summer only THe Algonquin ran into Algonquin Park daily except sunday.Thes wer a tourist train from Toronto handled by pacifics and consolidations ( from Gravenhurst to the Park due to bridge restrictions )

Trains 43/156 Summer only trains from Toronto to North Bay usually a heavy passenger pacific or a mountain would handle this train.

Trains 45/42/148 night trains operated from Toronto to Midland via Allendale ( Barrie )Thes mail trains conected to the Meaford passenger trains and only operated as far North as Orilla.

A short version of the typically busy mid ontario trains on the CNR branch lines.
hope you stayed awake.

Rob

[LoveDomes]

Hello Tom and Gents at the bar!

What a day this has been. This retired life is worse than working, well at times it seems so.[swg]

Sorry, Tom for not keeping my "schedule," but I've been away from the computer for the day. Just have a few minutes before the President's State of the Union address. But wanted to make comment on a few things.

First: What a fantastic effort you have put forth, once again, in providing those well formulated pieces that have supplemented your new series - B&O from yesterday and the theme for this day, the C&O. Really have an almost overload of info that I will surely take advantage of either later tonight or in the morning. Much appreciated, Tom and I think all the guys really feel the same.

Second: Great to see you back in the saddle, trolleyboy Rob - I know that we have suffered somewhat of a set back lately with the regulars seemingly bailing out. While I am hardly a regular, I do see the necessity of being consistent with the posts and of course the reading. There is no way one can keep up if one takes the easy way out and simply does the old hit and run routine. That drives me nuts too. So, Rob with you back, I'm hoping this takes some of the pressure away from our Proprietor.

Third: My guess is Tom is ticked tonight. I'd be surprised if he resurfaces at all and if he's smart (which he surely is) he'll shut down until he cools down.

So, Leon the Night Man how about a cold draught in a frosty mug[?]


Until the next time!

Lars