"OUR" PLACE - SEE NEW THREAD!

[Anonymous]

Good evening Tom and gents! I'll have a bottomless draught please, and here's some Michigan quarters and money for a round. Ya know ....God punishes those who make fun of my jokes ...with route canals and flooding. Just thought you should know. Nice add for the LMS Tom, and brother Al is to be complimented on his fine streamliner on the San Franciso Chief!

Here's something for ya'll to play with tonight, from the pages of June 1953 BLF&E magazine:

Take the Railroad Animal Quiz

Match the railroads with the animals that appear on their logos and/or rolling stock

1.Algoma Central.......................... A. Alligator

2. California Western..................... B. Bear

3. Canadian Pacific......................... C. Bee

4. Chessie System......................... D. Beaver

5. Chicago & North Western............ E. Cat

6. Fort Worth & Indiana.................... F. Eagle

7. Grand Rapids & Indiana................ G. Falcon

8. Great Northern............................ H. Fish

9. Illinois Central............................. I. Goat

10.Missouri Pacific........................ J Goose

11.Norfolk Southern...................... K. Horse

12.M.O.L. (Containers)................... L. Pig

13.Reading................................... M. Skunk

14.Wisconsin Southern.................... N. Tarantula

[:I] A duck walks into a bar one day at lunch time. He orders a beer and a ham sandwich. After several days of the same lunch order the bartender says "Never saw a duck eat lunch in here before." The duck replies, "Well get use to it. I'm working on the construction job across the street."
A few days later the circus comes to town and the ringmaster comes into the bar for lunch. The bartender tells him about the talking duck that drinks beer and eats sandwiches. The ringmaster asks the bartender to send the duck down to the circus for a job.
The next day the duck comes in and the bartender tells him about the job offer. The duck looks surprised and asks "The circus is where animals do tricks inside a big tent right?" The bartender agrees. The duck asks, "What the hell would they need with a drywaller?" [:I]

[passengerfan]

Good Afternoon Tom and the rest of the gang. Time for a CR and a round for the house.
I believe this is the information Dave was seeking. Actually it was the Seaboard Air Line that owned the Sun Lounge cars.

Pullman Standard delivered the final three new feature cars to the SAL in December 1956 for assignment to the SILVER METEOR. These three cars were unlike any other feature cars ever built. They were 5-Double Bedroom Buffet 21-seat Sun Lounges. They featured five large windows on each side of the lounge area and five windows in the roof down each side. These large lounge area windows were found on these cars only and they were an immediate hit with the sleeping car passengers of the SILVER METEOR.

5-DOUBLE BEDROOM BUFFET 21-SEAT SUN LOUNGE CARS Pullman Standard January 1956 Plan: 4202 Lot: 6968 (Built for and assigned to SILVER METEOR)

18 – MIAMI BEACH

19 – PALM BEACH

20 – HOLLYWOOD BEACH

Personally traveled in one of these cars when owned by Amtrak but soon as we left Washington the top glass got a good coating of diesel exhaust from the old E units and couldn't see much out of them after that. They were fine under the wire between New York and Washington.

TTFN Al

[West Coast S]

Al, thanks, now I know i've too ridden in one as well, thanks for the ownership correction and specifications , strange what comes to ones mind in the wee hours of the morning, recalling a trip from so long ago when I was but a young lad..I also recall the purple Auto Train with it's "far out" 70's color fad gone terribly wrong, what nerve!!!

Drinks extended until 1830 tonight, enjoy, see you on the morrow Tom.

Dave

[pwolfe]

Hi Tom and all.

A pint of the usual please.

Had to rush off before I could comment on the LMS&LNER ad.
It still surprises me how the two companies were so co-operative at that time. I wonder if that extended to having joint tickets like the present day Brit-Rail pass [?].
Some of the places mentioned were served by both companies like York and Keighley for the Brontes. I know that it was possible to travel on a direct train in the 50s and the early 60s from Birmingham to Great Yarmouth by LMS metals through Rugby toPeterborough(East) then on LNER lines through March ,Thetford and Norwich to Yarmouth. This line brought a considerable amount of freight traffic to Rugby, as well as some EX LNER steam locos. Sadly the Rugby to Peterborough section of the route closed in 1966.

DOUG Good idea the quiz[tup]. I cant wait to see which one had the skunk.

DAVE Glad you was able to see Scotsman while it was over here. It is now at York being stripped down ready for a major overhaul. PETE.

[siberianmo]

Good Evening Gents!

[wow] Quite a flurry of activity after one of the most booooooooooooring days in quite awhile - well just a few days ago, actually!![swg]

In no particular order:

barndad Doug I got about 2/3rds of your quiz finished in a "flash" - but then got hung up. Will be interesting to see the answers. How long are you giving us[?]

Getting a bit sensitive about those awful jokes, are we[?][swg] Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah - sticks 'n stones, etc.!<grin> So, it would appear that I owe YOU a root canal, eh[?] This should prove interesting . . . .

Thanx for the round and of course the Michigan quarters![tup]

West Coast S Dave No need for penance, Mate! But we'll take the drinks and of course the lunch![swg] Good seeing you "out and about" on a Monday and appreciate your business![tup]

passengerfan Al Still hangin' in there, eh[?] Must be a "slack" day at the office![swg] Always informative stuff coming from the left coast . . . thanx for the round(s)![tup]

pwolfe Pete Figured you'd pick right up on that last Nostalgia that I Posted![swg] Ah, the good old days, eh[?] So, when are we going to KCity[?] Sounds like you've gotten the "bug" again![tup]

COMMENTARY: This is from the "For what it's worth department."

It seems to me that our Forum (Classic Trains - General Discussion) has been inundated with more and more of the inane type Posts - surveys, questions about virtually anything, etc. To respond to these type Posts is to enable the author to continue on with more and more and more. Why do it[?] I have checked the Profiles of about 2 dozen of these people over the last week and found that three quarters of 'em don't have anything in their Profiles worth looking at, along with no email communications. So what does that tell ya[?] At least check the Profiles BEFORE responding .... AND should you come across someone who is "legit," by all means INVITE that person to the bar! We surely can use "a few (more) good men!"

Leon the Night Man takes the bar at 9 PM!

Later![tup]

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[Anonymous]

Good evening again Tom and friends. I'll have another bottomless draught please. Yes, I know the jokes are awful. Can't say when for sure when that might change! As for the duration of the logo "animal quiz", howabout I post the answers Wednesday night?

Just got me 4 copies of Locomotive Quarterly from E-Bay. I guess they're discontinuing the publication. I haven't owned any of these until now. Can't wait to see them!

Just received four copies of Locomotive Engineers Journal from 1959 today, and am looking for items of possible interest to this group. You'll definitely be seeing something from these publications.

And now ...for something you really don't want to see!

[:I] Oprah, interviewing the infamous Captain Hook, inquired as to the loss of his leg, supplanted by the obvious peg leg. The pirate said it was caught between two ships at sea during a battle and had to be amputated. Asked the genesis of the famous steel hook instead of a left hand, Hook said he'd lost his hand in a fierce sword fight years earlier. Finally, stirred by the adventurous tale, Oprah asked how he lost his right eye, now covered by a coal black eye-patch. Hook said "I glanced up and a passing seagull's poop fell right into my eye". Astonished, Oprah said "How in the world could that cause the loss of your eye"? The pirate replied, "It was my first day with the hook". [:I]

[nickinwestwales]

Well howdy fellow tipplers,[4:-)][oX)]TOM,lower order menials & assorted fauna.
Since the phrase " drinks for the house" (does our mother tongue permit of a sweeter grouping of words [^]) has been much bandied about of late,I`ll try a Staropramen,by the neck & as cold as can be managed with a wee nip of the Jamaican sunshine juice to keep it company if you please good sir.
Right,since jokes seem to be en vogue of late-What goes clip clop clip clop clip clop BANG clip clop clip clop clip clop--------an Amish drive-by shooting .............Why wasn`t Jesus born in Wales---------they couldn`t find three wise men & a virgin................Why do dogs lick their own genitals-------------because they can.....................Why do Welsh men marry Welsh women----------because sheep can`t cook......
O.K then,having dragged things down to my own comfort level,time to get with the programme-PIX-another fine selection this week,so,in no particular order:-
LARS-always had a soft spot for the Alaska road colours,that combination of blue and yellow shades just looks right somehow,especially against the `big white`background-compare it to the O.N.R blue & `pumpkin` orange,much as I love the O.N,it just don`t work for me.........
AL-don`t sweat the name ol buddy--generally when folk get my name wrong they end up calling me Chris,for no good reason that I can pin down-one of lifes little mysteries...
DOUG-a splendid mixed bag from you my friend,that German machine definately has a place in the freaks,weirdos,ex-wives & other monsters hall of fame-for a similar shot of a milw. dome as delivered to the O.N.R via B.C.Rail and others ( one for you here AL ) check nicks pix pg2 #28-that Baldwin has something of the look of the So Pac/D&RGW Krauss/Maffei units to my (somewhat bloodshot) eye,perhaps just the angular shape of the carbody nose.....-that quiz is going to take me WEEKS to get on top of---nice one [tup][^][tup]
SIR THEODORE-layout looking mighty fine dear boy-having trains on the tracks really brings the whole thing to life,whilst the open garage door really adds depth to the `longwise` shots-you are putting me to shame here,must find some more hours in the day from somewhere.....
CM3-Appreciate the interest & support, but the `mountain stage` reference somewhat lost in translation.....care to enlarge,ageing beatniks need to know [swg]
DAVE-nice stuff on the `45`s & `35`s-always interested in the obscure by-ways and also-rans [^] --Don`t quote me on this but believe `Scotsman` tour plagued by `indigestion` re American coal-if I have the right of it,the loss of projected revenue from the cancelled part of the tour caused Alan Pegler to go bankrupt and forced the eventual sale of the engine--I`m sure PETE will put me right here,speking of whom...
PETE-Agree to differ on the deltics,but yes,the type 4`s & 2`s were MADE for the 2-tone green-I have some pix somewhere about of `47`s in post-office red,working out of Landore shed and on the dump roads between Bridgend & Cardiff-not right at all-but then again given my fondness for Ska,Bluebeat & Jamaican music generally,anything `2-Tone` is cool with me [swg]--R.E. the R+H shunter,I havn`t seen anything from Trix for many a long year but I suspect Tri-Ang/Hornby may have aquired the original moulds about the same time as they took over the MiniTrix `N` gauge range-they have had an R/H shunter fitted on the standard "Nellie"0-4-0 chassis since the early `70`s-indeed it is in the current catalogue as part of the train set range with,would you believe, a crane,match truck & tool van---nothing new under the sun.................
So,finally to the host of this fine house-[4:-)][oX)]TOM.
Hope the gums are not too worrysome-as someone who was forced into extensive ortho-dontic treatment as a child ( leaving me phobic to the point where I havn`t sat in a dentists chair for 30 years and perform any necessary work myself with pliers and narcotics) believe me-your pain is my pain-they are all escaped nazi war criminals and should be hunted down and prosecuted with the full powers of the law-you want gas-I`ll give you f****n` gas *&*%^$£!¬£%&^$£0-------
Right,starting again-Nice pix of the black 5 & royal scot-of additional interest is the Cravens (?) single unit railcar in the bay platform and what looks like a B.R mk1 version of a gresley full-panelled full brake behind the the loco in the first pic ( PETE-any info on this one ?)-note also the difference in finish between the smokebox and boiler barrel-this loco may be `in captivity` but she is still working hard for her living -by comparison ,those Swiss units are straight out of the box--nice contrast [tup][^][tup]
Onto more general matters-Yogi-ism-we have a phone like that,you cant hear it ring from 6 feet but the `beep` from the ansaphone can be heard 3 fields away-----coastguard clip-double plus funny,missisnicks mother is German and I can`t help but hear it in her voice-full (Deutsch)marks!!!
Book review tomorrow-too pi**ed to do it justice tonight ( a week of enforced abstinance tells its tale )
Gazette-throw me a topic and I`ll run with it ( safest) or leave me to ruminate ( always risky)........
H/C band looks set to make debut this fri. ( 3 song showcase during interval at my regular bands gig in town-mostly as a photo shoot -will forward a couple with the sunday selection for the amusement of the troops)
O.K,thats me done-I think I can dispense with any further medication tonight or small Hannah`s school may inform the social services (not a morning person at the best of times)--take care one and all,see you tomorrow,nick [C=:-)]

[siberianmo]

Hey Doug

How's this for Quiz answers[?]
Match the railroads with the animals that appear on their logos and/or rolling stock

1.Algoma Central.......................... A. Alligator..... B

2. California Western..................... B. Bear...... M

3. Canadian Pacific......................... C. Bee..... D

4. Chessie System......................... D. Beaver...... E

5. Chicago & North Western............ E. Cat...... G

6. Fort Worth & Indiana.................... F. Eagle...... N

7. Grand Rapids & Indiana................ G. Falcon...... H

8. Great Northern............................ H. Fish...... I

9. Illinois Central............................. I. Goat...... L

10.Missouri Pacific........................ J Goose..... F

11.Norfolk Southern...................... K. Horse..... K

12.M.O.L. (Containers)................... L. Pig..... A

13.Reading................................... M. Skunk...... C

14.Wisconsin Southern.................... N. Tarantula..... J

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[trolleyboy]

Good evening Leon,I'll nab a CR and leave a bit in the Lars box for a round tomorrow.

Great pictures yesterday everyone[tup][:D]I took yesterday off as a mental health day ( seeing as Tom refused a raise last week )[:0][B)][;)]

Ted Again the layout pictures are quite good mate [tup] You must have discovered H&H's frozen food locker,I was forced to bring them in to run the souop kitchen while Sir Nick was laid up with his montezoma's revenge.

Tom The europics are quite nice, Loved the LNR/LNER add and the photo's of the Brit steam. the swiss "lectrics" were quite beautiful units as well. All those juice jack's rais e the common denomonator around here LOL[;)]

I suppose the kitchen and bath fixtures are the only things left to name round these parts now ( I'm not sure that we want to go down that route however.[:0][}:)]I'm sorry to hear about your on going dental woes, not quite as bad as Lars's basement but it's right up there ( i've had my share of the novacane pushers this year as well ).

I'm glad you posted that warning of the AH's landing in our forum- I concur no point feeding them, the less gratification of "hit numbers" they recieve may send them back packing to their usual haunts.

Lars Great shots on the ARR.Lovely landscape,and a truly amazing RR up there.I remeber seeing their SD70's and 75's lurking about southern ontario on both the CN and CP. With the London On assembly plant so far removed from their home rails. The ARR demanded that the loco's be properly run in before they took delivery of them.

Doug Neat pictures and a couple real good articles today. I too await the final answer, I caught the major ones but a few have left me stumped as well.I won;'t coment on the latest jokes- I've had enough dental woes this year. BTW loved the captain hook one though no groans for that one just grins [tup]

Dave Thanks for the extra info on the SDP35's and 45's. Gonna to the SDP40's next ? I love those odd ball diesels, some of which are still with us, at least in some form, having been rebuilt into other types.


Rob

[trolleyboy]

CLASSIC DIESELS # 4 DIESEL MAKERS PART 3
This part will deal with the small companaies the railroads themselves and the rebuilders.

ATSF

Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe RY's shops at Cleburne TX has been a major locomotive re-manufacturer over the years. Performing the chopping of the GP 7"s & 9's and the rebuilding of the railways aging fleet of HH SD24's to SD26's. Their most famous and most lasting with some alive and well on shortlines today was the CF7 rebuilt from the aging F3's &'s and b units that the ATSF didn't want to part with,but whose classic bodies were becoming hard to maintain,and were less road switcher crew friendly.

ICG

The Illinois Central Gulf's shops at Paducah KY are well know for it's massive locomotive remanufacturing over the years. CP7's and ('s and some GP18's amny bouhgt second hand from other railroads became the classic frog eyed Paducah Geeps GP 8 GP 10 rebuilds. Also SD24's were bought up and remanufactuerd with short hoods and new electricals as SD20's many SD7's and ('s were alsio rebuilt here over the years.Mnay of these units like the ATSF's CF7's have found new homes on the various shortlines and regional railroads

MK

Morrison-Knudson of Boise Idaho now Boise Locomotive. Is a major contract rebuilder.Making new -3 and -4 locomotives out of old tired and in some case wrecked locomotives from all over. Many of theseunits are leased back to the class ones and regionals. MK also owns and runs a lease pool of compnay owned locomotives./
They have been the industry leader in the new Green goat locomotives and they have produced several 1500 amd 2000hp examples as well as the three MK5000 5000hp road diesels.

RLW

Republic Locomotive Works of Greenville SC. Were established in 1980 as a midsize locomotive rebuilder.Their most recent production was the rebuilding of FL9's for Metro North and the LIRR commuter services. I beleive thet MK/Boise has aquired them.

Vulcan ( without the pointed ears )

Vulcan Iron Works of Wilkes-Barre PA was abuilder of small internal combustion and industrial steam locomotives.Production ran from 1920 till 1954.

Rob

[Anonymous]

Good morning Tom and friends! I'll have a light breakfast please. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that my little quiz was answered 100% correctly so soon! [bow] As for myself, I didn't find the logos on 5 of them, so I guess that's an "F" for me. By the way, the quiz actually came from the latest Railroad Press magazine, though I believe I stated it came from somewhere else. Oops.

Nice series you have going with the diesel shops Rob. Good stuff!

I know today's subject is the Northern Pacific, and I actually have something! I just have to type it up. Which I will do right now. But first ......

[:I] The teacher gave her fifth grade class an assignment. Get their parents to tell them a story with a moral at the end of it. The next day the kids came back and one by one began to tell their stories. Ashley said, "My father's a farmer and we have a lot of egg-laying hens. One time we were taking our eggs to market in a basket on the front seat of the car when we hit a big bump in the road and all the eggs went flying and broke and made a mess."
"What's the moral of the story?" asked the teacher. Don't put all your eggs in one basket!" "Very good," said the teacher.
Next little Sarah raised her hand and said, "Our family are farmers too. But we raise chickens for the meat market. We had a dozen eggs one time, but when they hatched we only got ten chicks, and the moral to this story is, don't count your chickens before they're hatched." "That was a fine story Sarah. Michael, do you have a story to share?"
"Yes, my daddy told me this story about my Aunt Judy. Aunt Judy was a flight engineer in the Gulf War and her plane got hit. She had to bail out over enemy territory and all she had was a bottle of whiskey, a machine gun and a machete. She drank the whiskey on the way down so it wouldn't break and then she landed right in the middle of 100 enemy troops. She killed seventy of them with the machine gun until she ran out of bullets. Then she killed twenty more with the machete until the blade broke. And then she killed the last ten with her bare hands."
"Good heavens," said the horrified teacher, "what kind of moral did your daddy tell you from that horrible story?"
"Stay the hell away from Aunt Judy when she's been drinking." [:I]

[siberianmo]

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

TUESDAY’s INFO & SUMMARY of POSTS

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


Daily Wisdom

When pushing the chocolate drink Yoo –Hoo, he was asked, “Is Yoo-Hoo hyphenated?” He said, “No ma’am , it isn’t even carbonated!”[swg]
(yogi-ism)


Info for the Day:

Railroads from Yesteryear: Northern Pacific (NP) arrives TODAY! This will be the THEME for the DAY!

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

* 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) barndad Doug Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 05:11:11 (258) Milwaukee Super Domes & Joke, etc.

(2) siberianmo Tom Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 05:23:50 (258) Monday’s Info & Summary

(3) Theodorebear Ted Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 06:42:26 (258) Ted Speak!

(4) passengerfan Al Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 07:18:42 (258) Streamliner #68 – ATSF – SFran Chief

(5) siberianmo Tom Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 07:28:43 (258) Brief Acknowledgments

(6) coalminer3 CM3 Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 08:56:09 (258) CM3 Speaks!

(7) nickinwestwales Nick Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 09:02:16 (258) Nick Speaks!

(8) siberianmo Tom Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 12:08:05 (258) Acknowledgments, etc.

(9) siberianmo Tom Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 14:48:38 (258) NOSTALGIA #71 L M S and L N E R

(10) siberianmo Tom Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 16:13:22 (258) RRs from Yesteryear! Ad

(11) pwolfe Pete Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 16:18:12 (258) Inclusive Post, etc.

(12) West Coast S Dave Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 16:52:39 (258) Inclusive & Informative Post!

(13) barndad Doug Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 17:29:08 (258) RR-Animal Quiz & joke!

(14) passengerfan Al Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 18:15:43 (259) Sun Lounge car info, etc.

(15) West Coast S Dave Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 19:02:08 (259) etc.

(16) pwolfe Pete Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 19:09:12 (259) L M S and L N E R, etc.

(17) siberianmo Tom Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 20:08:40 (259) Acknowledgments & Commentary

(18) barndad Doug Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 20:24:29 (259) more! & joke

(19) nickinwestwales Nick Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 20:30:03 (259) Nick at Night!

(20) siberianmo Tom Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 20:51:32 (259) Quiz answers

(21) trolleyboy Rob Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 21:38:40 (259) Inclusive Post, etc.

(22) trolleyboy Rob Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 22:00:42 (259) Classic Diesels #4

NOW SHOWING:

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

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


That’s it! [tup][;)]

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

[siberianmo]

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


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


Northern Pacific Railway

Locale: Ashland, Wisconsin and St. Paul, Minnesota to Seattle, Washington, Tacoma, Washington and Portland, Oregon

Reporting marks: NP

Dates of operation: 1864 – 1970

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

Headquarters: Minnesota

(copied from public domain)
A Northern Pacific train travels over Bozeman Pass, June 1939.

The Northern Pacific Railway (AAR reporting mark NP) was a railway that operated in the north-central region of the United States. The railroad served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. The company was headquartered first in Brainerd, Minnesota, then in St. Paul, Minnesota.

History

The Northern Pacific was chartered on July 2, 1864 as the first northern transcontinental railroad. It was granted some 47,000,000 acres (190,000 km²) of land in exchange for building rail transportation to an undeveloped territory. Josiah Perham (for whom Perham, Minnesota is named) was elected its first president on December 7, 1864.

For the next six years, backers of the road struggled to find financing. Though John Gregory Smith succeeded Perham as president on January 5, 1866, groundbreaking did not take place until February 15, 1870, at Thompson Junction, Minnesota, 25 miles (40 km) west of Duluth, Minnesota. The backing and promotions of famed Civil War financier Jay Cooke in the summer of 1870 brought the first real momentum to the company.

Over the course of 1870, the Northern Pacific pushed westward from Minnesota into present-day North Dakota. It also began reaching from Kalama, Washington Territory, on the Columbia River outside of Portland, Oregon, towards Puget Sound. Four small construction engines were purchased, the Minnetonka, Itaska, Ottertail and St. Cloud, the first of which was shipped to Kalama by ship around Cape Horn. In Minnesota, the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad completed construction of its 155 mile (250 km) line stretching from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Lake Superior at Duluth in 1870. It was leased to the Northern Pacific the following year, and was eventually absorbed by the Northern Pacific.

In 1871, Northern Pacific completed some 230 miles (370 km) of railroad on the east end of its system, reaching out to Moorhead, Minnesota, on the North Dakota border. In the west, the track extended 25 miles north from Kalama. Surveys were carried out in North Dakota protected by 600 troops from General Winfield Scott Hancock. Headquarters and shops were established in Brainerd, Minnesota, a town named for the President John Gregory Smith's wife Anna Elizabeth Brainerd.

In 1872, the company put down 164 miles (264 km) of main line across North Dakota, with an additional 45 miles (72 km) in Washington. On November 1, General George Washington Cass became the third president of the company. Cass had been a vice-president and director of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and would lead the Northern Pacific through some of its most difficult times. Attacks on survey parties and construction crews building into Native American homelands in North Dakota became so prevalent the company appealed for Army protection from President Ulysses S. Grant. In 1872 the Northern Pacific also opened colonization offices in Europe, seeking to attract settlers to the sparsely populated and undeveloped region it served. Survey parties accompanied by Federal troops, railroad construction, permanent settlement and development, along with the discovery of gold in nearby South Dakota, all served as a backdrop leading up to the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the defeat of General George Armstrong Custer in 1876.

In 1873, Northern Pacific made impressive strides before a terrible stumble. Rails from the east reached the Missouri River on June 4. After several years of study, Tacoma, Washington, was selected as the road's western terminus on July 14. However, for the past three years the financial house of Jay Cooke and Company had been throwing money into the construction of the Northern Pacific. Like many western transcontinentals, the staggering costs of building a railroad into a vast wilderness were drastically underestimated. For a variety of reasons, led by the costs of constructing the railroad itself, Cooke and Company closed its doors on September 18. Soon, the Panic of 1873 engulfed the United States, ushering in a severe recession which would drag on for several years. The Northern Pacific, however, survived bankruptcy that year, due to austerity measures put in place by President Cass. In fact, working with last-minute loans from Director John Commiger Ainsworth of Portland, the Northern Pacific completed the line from Kalama to Tacoma, 110 miles (177 km), before the end of the year. On December 16, the first steam train arrived in Tacoma. The year of 1874, however, found the company moribund.

Northern Pacific slipped into its first bankruptcy on June 30, 1875. Cass resigned to become receiver of the company, and Charles Barstow Wright became fourth president of the company. Frederick Billings, namesake of Billings, Montana, formulated a reorganization plan which was put into effect. This same year George Custer was assigned to Fort Rice, Dakota Territory, and charged with protecting railroad survey and construction crews.

In 1877, construction resumed in a small way. Northern Pacific pushed a branch line north from Tacoma to Puyallup, Washington, where it turned east to reach coal fields around Wilkeson, Washington. Much of the coal was destined for export through Tacoma to San Francisco, California, where it would be thrown into the fireboxes of Central Pacific Railroad steam engines. This small amount of construction was one of the largest projects the company would undertake in the years between 1874 and 1880. That same year the company built a large shop complex at South Tacoma, Washington. For many years the shops at Brainerd and South Tacoma would carry out heavy repairs and build equipment for the railroad.

On May 24, 1879, Vermont lawyer Fredrick Billings became the president of the company. Billings tenure would be short but ferocious. Reorganization, bond sales, and improvement in the U.S. economy allowed Northern Pacific to strike out across the Missouri River by letting a contract to build 100 miles (160 km) of railroad west of the river. The railroad's new-found strength, however, would be seen as a threat in certain quarters.

Ferdinand Heinrich Gustav Hilgard had been born in Bavaria in 1835, emigrating to America in 1853, at the ripe old age of 18. Settling in Illinois, the well-educated Hilgard became a journalist and editor, covering the Lincoln-Douglas debates, then the American Civil War for the larger New York papers, changing his name to Henry Villard along the way. He went back to his native Germany in 1871, where he came in contact with European financial interests speculating in American railroads. When he returned to the United States after the Panic of 1873, he was the representative of these concerns. In the few short years prior to 1880, Villard intervened on the behalf of these interests in several transportation systems in Oregon. Through Villard's work, most of these lines wound up in the hands of the European creditors holding company, the Oregon and Transcontinental. Of the lines held by the Oregon and Transcontinental, the most important was the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, a line running east from Portland along the south bank of the Columbia River to a connection with the Union Pacific Railroad's Oregon Short Line at the confluence of the Columbia River and the Snake River near Wallula, Washington. Within a decade of his return, Henry Villard became the head of a transportation empire in the Pacific Northwest that had but one real competitor, the ever-expanding Northern Pacific. Northern Pacific's completion threatened the holdings of Villard in the Northwest, and especially in Portland. Portland would become a second-class city if the Puget Sound ports at Tacoma and Seattle, Washington were connected to the East by rail. Villard, who had been building a monopoly of river and rail transportation in Oregon for several years, now launched a daring raid. Using his European connections and a reputation for having "bested" Jay Gould in a battle for control of the Kansas Pacific years before, Villard solicited — and raised — $8 million from his associates. This was his famous "Blind Pool," Villard's associates were not told what the money would be used for. In this case, the funds were used to purchase control of the Northern Pacific. Depite a tough fight, Billings and his backers were forced to capitulate; he resigned the presidency June 9. Ashabel H. Barney was brought in as an interim caretaker of the railroad from June 19 to September 15, when Villard was finally elected president by the stockholders. For the next two years, Villard and the Northern Pacific rode the whirlwind.

In 1882, 360 miles (580 km) of main line and 368 miles (592 km) of branch line were completed, bringing totals to 1,347 miles (2,168 km) and 731 miles (1,176 km), respectively. On October 10, 1882, the line from Wadena, Minnesota, to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, opened for service. The Missouri River is bridged with a million-dollar span on October 21, 1882. The Missouri was handled by a ferry service most of the year. During winters, when ice was thick enough, the rails were laid across the river itself. General Herman Haupt another veteran of the Civil War and the Pennsylvania Railroad, set up the Northern Pacific Beneficial Association on August 19. A forerunner of the modern health maintenance organization, the NPBA ultimately established a series of four hospitals across the system in St. Paul, Minnesota, Glendive, Montana, Missoula Montana, and Tacoma, Washington, to care for employees, retirees, and their families.

Events reached their climax in 1883. On January 15 the first train reached Livingston, Montana at the eastern foot of Bozeman Pass. Livingston, like Brainerd and South Tacoma before it, would grow to encompass a large backshop handling heavy repairs for the railroad. It would also mark the east-west dividing line on the Northern Pacific system. Villard pushed hard for the completion of the Northern Pacific in 1883. During Villard's presidency, crews were averaging a mile and half (2.4 km) of track laying each day. Finally, in September, the line neared completion. To celebrate, Villard chartered four trains to carry visitors from the East to Gold Creek in central Montana. No expense was spared and the list of dignitaries included Frederick Billings, Ulysses S. Grant, and Villard's in-laws, the family of abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison. On September 11, the Gold Spike was driven at Gold Creek.

However, Villard's fall turned out to be even swifter than his ascendancy. Like Jay Cooke, the enormous costs of contructing the railroad now consumed him. Wall Street bears attacked the stock shortly after the Gold Spike, after the realization that the Northern Pacific was a very long road with very little business. Villard himself is said to have suffered a nervous breakdown in the days following the Gold Spike, and he left the presidency of the Northern Pacific and the United States to convalesce in Germany in January, 1884. Again, the presidency of the Northern Pacific is handed to a professional railroader, Robert Harris, former head of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. For the next four years, until the return of the Villard clique, Harris worked at improving the property and breaking away from its tangled relationship with the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company.

Throughout the middle 1880s, the Northern Pacific pushed to reach Puget Sound directly, rather than a roundabout route following the Columbia River. Surveys of the Cascade Mountains, carried out intermittently since the 1870s, now began anew. Virgil Gay Bogue, a veteran civil engineer, was sent to explore the Cascades again. On March 19, 1881, he discovered Stampede Pass. In 1884, after the departure of Villard, the Northern Pacific began building toward Stampede Pass from Wallula in the east and the area of Wilkeson in the west. By the end of the year, rails had reached Yakima, Washington in the east. A 77 mile (124 km) gap remained in 1886. In January of that year, Nelson Bennett was given a contract to construct a 9,850 foot (3,002 metre) tunnel under Stampede Pass. The contract specified a short amount of time for completion, and a large penalty if the deadline were missed. While crews worked on the tunnel, the railroad built a temporary switchback route across the pass. With numerous timber trestles and grades which approached six percent, the temporary line required the two largest locomotives in the world (at that time) to handle a tiny five-car train. On May 3, 1888 crews holed through the tunnel, and on May 27 the first train direct to Puget Sound passed through.

Despite this success, the Northern Pacific, like many U.S. roads, was living on borrowed time. From 1887 until 1893 Henry Villard returned to the board of directors. Though offered the presidency, he refused. However, an associate of Villard dating back to his time on the Kansas Pacific, Thomas Fletcher Oakes, assumed the presidency on September 20, 1888. In an effort to garner business, the Villard regime pursued an aggressive policy of branch line expansion. In addition, the Northern Pacific experienced the first competition in the form of James Jerome Hill and his Great Northern Railway. The Great Northern, like the Northern Pacific before it, was pushing west from the Twin Cities towards Puget Sound, and would be completed in 1893. To combat the Great Northern, in a few instances Villard built branch line mileage simply to occupy a territory, regardless of whether the territory offered the railroad any business. Mismanagement, sparse traffic, and the Panic of 1893 sounded the death knell for the Northern Pacific and Villard's interest in railroading. The company slipped into its second bankruptcy on October 20, 1893. Oakes was named receiver and Brayton C. Ives, a former chairman of the New York Stock Exchange became president. For the next three years, the Villard-Oakes interests and the Ives interest feuded for control of the Northern Pacific. Oakes was eventually forced out as receiver, but not before three separate courts were claiming jurisdiction over the Northern Pacific's bankruptcy. Things came two a head in 1896, when first Edward D. Adams was appointed president, then less than two months later, Edwin Winter. Ultimately, the task of straightening out the muddle of the Northern Pacific was John Pierpont Morgan. Morganization of the Northern Pacific, a process which befell many U.S. roads in the wake of the Panic of 1893, was handed to Morgan lieutenant Charles Henry Coster. The new president beginning September 1, 1897, was Charles Sanger Mellen. Though James J. Hill had purchased an interest in the Northern Pacific during the troubled days of 1896, Coster and Mellen will advocate, and follow, a staunchly independent line for the Northern Pacific for the next four years. Only the early death of Coster from overwork, and the promotion of Mellen to head the Morgan controlled New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1903 will bring the Northern Pacific closer to the orbit of James J. Hill.

In the late 1880s, the Villard regime, in another one of its costly missteps, attempted to stretch the Northern Pacific from the Twin Cities to the all-important rail hub of Chicago, Illinois. A costly project was begun in creating a union station and terminal facilities for a Northern Pacific which had yet to arrive. Rather than build directly down to Chicago, perhaps following the Mississippi River as the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy had done, Villard chose to lease the Wisconsin Central. Some backers of the Wisconsin Central had long associations with Villard, and an expensive lease was worked out between the two companies which was only undone by the Northern Pacific's second bankruptcy. The ultimate result was that the Northern Pacific was left without a direct connection to Chicago, the primary interchange point for most of the large U.S. railroads. Fortunately, the Northern Pacific was not alone. James J. Hill, controller of the Great Northern, which was completed between the Twin Cities and Puget Sound in 1893, also lacked a direct connection to Chicago. Hill went looking for a road with an existing route between the Twin Cities and Chicago which could be rolled into his holdings and give him a stable path to that important interchange. At the same time, Edward Henry Harriman, head of the Union Pacific Railroad, was also looking for a road which could connect his company to Chicago. The road both Harriman and Hill looked at was the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy. To Harriman, the Burlington was a road which paralleled much of his own, and offered tantalizing direct access to Chicago. For Hill as well there was the possibility of a high-speed link directly with Chicago. Though the Burlington did not parallel the Great Northern or the Northern Pacific, it would give them a powerful railroad in the central West. Harriman was the first to approach the Burlington's aging chieftain, the irascible Charles Elliott Perkins. The price for control of the Burlington, as set by Perkins, was $200 a share, more than Harriman was willing to pay. Hill, however, met the price, and control of the Burlington was divided equally at about 48.5 percent each between the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific. Not to be outdone, Harriman now came up with a crafty plan. Buy a controlling interest in the Northern Pacific and use its power on the Burlington to place friendly directors upon its board. On May 3, 1901, Harriman began his stock raid which would become known as the Northern Pacific Corner. By the end of the day he was short just 40,000 shares of common stock. Harriman placed an order to cover this, but was overriden by his broker, Jacob Schiff. Hill, on the other hand, reached the vacationing Morgan in Italy and managed to place an order for 150,000 shares of common stock. Though Harriman might be able to control the preferred stock, Hill knew the company bylaws allowed for the holders of the common stock to vote to retire the preferred. In three days, however, the Harriman-Hill imbroglio managed to wreak havoc on the stock market. Northern Pacific stock was quoted at $150 a share on May 6, and is reported to have traded as much as $1,000 a share behind the scenes. Harriman and Hill now worked to settle the issue for brokers avoid panic. Hill, for his part, attempted to avoid future stock raids by placing his holdings in the Northern Securities Company, a move which would be undone by the Supreme Court in 1904 under the auspices of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Harriman not immune either; he was forced to break up his holdings in the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific Railroad a few years later.

In 1903, Hill finally got his way with the House of Morgan. Howard Elliott, another veteran of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, became president of the Northern Pacific on October 23. Elliott was a relative of the Burlington's crusty chieftain Charles Elliott Perkins, and more distantly the Burlington's great backer, John Murray Forbes. He had spent twenty years in the trenches of Midwest railroading, where rebates, pooling, expansion and rate wars had brought ruinous competition. Having seen the effects of having multiple railroads attempt to serve the same destination, he was very much in tune with James J. Hill's philosophy of "community of interest," a loose affiliation or collusion among roads in an attempt to avoid duplicating routes, rate wars, weak finances and ultimately bankruptcies and reorganizations. Elliott will be left to make peace with the the Hill controlled Great Northern, the Harriman controlled Union Pacific, and between 1907 and 1909, the last of the northern transcontinentals, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, more commonly known as the Milwaukee Road.

In later years, consolidation in American railroading brought the Northern Pacific together with the Burlington, the Great Northern, and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway on March 2, 1970 to form the Burlington Northern Railroad. Ironically, the merger was allowed despite a challenge in the Supreme Court, essentially reversing the outcome of the 1904 Northern Securities ruling.

Company officers

Presidents of Northern Pacific Railway were:

• Josiah Perham, 1864-1866.
• John Gregory Smith, 1866-1872.
• George Washington Cass, 1872-1875.
• Charles Barstow Wright, 1875-1879.
• Frederick Billings, 1879-1881.
• Henry Villard, 1881-1884.
• Robert Harris, 1884-1888.
• Thomas Fletcher Oakes, 1888-1893.
• Brayton C. Ives, 1893-1897.
• Charles Sanger Mellen, 1897-1903.
• Howard Elliott, 1903-

Notable and preserved equipment

Northern Pacific was known for many firsts in locomotive history and was a leader in the development of modern supersteam locomotives. NP was one of the first railroads to use Mikado 2-8-2 locomotives in the USA The 4-8-4 knowen as a Northern on many railroads was first built by Alco in 1926 for NP and designated class A. The 2-8-8-4 called the Yellowstone was first built for the NP by Alco in 1928 and number 5000, class Z-5, with more built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930. Much of this and later devopment was due to NP's need to burn low grade semibituminous coal strip-mined at Rosebud Montana. The coal called rosebud had a Btu 50% lower than eastern coal which meant that the fireboxes had to be bigger than most locomotives. The Wootten firebox was used which was also used by the anthracite railroads. Northern Pacific purchased Timken 1111 called the "four aces", the first locomotive built with roller bearings, in 1933. The Northern Pacific renumbered it 2626 and classified it as the sole member of locomotive Class A-1. It was used in passenger service in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana until 1957 when it was retired from active service despite attempts to preserve the locomotive. After Timken 1111, NP bought only roller bearing locomotives.

References

• Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association
• Teriffic! It's Northern Pacific!
• The Tell Tale! Ten years of NP news!
• Armbruster, Kurt E. Orphan Road: The Railroad Comes to Seattle, 1853-1911. Pullman [Wash.]: Washington State University Press, 1999.
• Asay, Jeff. Union Pacific Northwest; The Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company. Edmonds [Wash.]: Pacific Fast Mail, 1991.
• Bryant, Keith L., Jr., Editor. Encyclopedia of American Business History and Biography, Railroads in the Twentieth Century. New York: Facts on File, 1990.
• Budd, Ralph, and Howard Elliott. Great Northern and Northern Pacific Review of Operations from 1916 to 1923. New York: Wood, Struthers and Company, 1927.
• Campbell, Edward G. Reorganization of the American Railroad System, 1893-1900. New York: Columbia University Press, 1938.
• Campbell, Marius Robinson. Guidebook of the Western United States; Part A. The Northern Pacific Route, with a side trip to Yellowstone Park. Washington [D.C.]: Government Printing Office, 1915.
• Donnelly, Charles. Facts About the Northern Pacific Land Grant. Saint Paul [Minn.]: Northern Pacific Railway, 1924.
• Fredrickson, James Merlin. Railroad Shutterbug; Jim Fredrickson’s Northern Pacific. Pullman [Wash.]: Washington State University Press, 2000.
• Fredrickson, James Merlin. Washington State History Train. Tacoma [Wash.]: Washington State Historical Society, 1995.
• Frey, Robert L., Schrenk, Lorenz P. Northern Pacific Railway Supersteam Era 1925-1945. Golden West Books 1985
• Frey, Robert L., Editor. Encyclopedia of American Business History and Biography, Railroads in the Nineteenth Century. New York: Facts on File, 1988.
• Hedges, James Blaine. Henry Villard and the Railways of the Northwest. New Haven [Conn.]: Yale University Press, 1930.
• Hidy, Ralph W., et al. The Great Northern Railway, A History. Boston [Mass.]: Harvard Business School Press, 1988.
• Lewty, Peter J. Across the Columbia Plain; Railroad Expansion in the Interior Northwest, 1885-1893. Pullman [Wash.]: Washington State University Press, 1995.
• Lewty, Peter J. To the Columbia Gateway; The Oregon Railway and the Northern Pacific, 1879-1884. Pullman [Wash.]: Washington State University Press, 1987.
• Macfarlane, Robert Stetson. Henry Villard and the Northern Pacific. New York: Newcomen Society in North America, 1954.
• Martin, Albro. James J. Hill and the Opening of the Northwest. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976.
• Oberholtzer, Ellis P. Jay Cooke. New York: Augustus M. Kelley, 1968.
• Schrenk, Lorenz P., and Robert L. Frey. Northern Pacific Classic Steam Era. Mukilteo [Wash.]: Hundman Publishing, 1997.
• Smalley, Eugene V. History of the Northern Pacific Railroad. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1883.
• Villard, Henry. Memoirs of Henry Villard. New York: Houghton, Mifflin, 1904.
• Ward, James A. That Man Haupt. Baton Rouge [La.]: Louisiana Sate University Press, 1973.
• Winks, Robin W. Frederick Billings: A Life. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.


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 the previous seven[?] Click the URL:

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[Anonymous]

Good morning again Tom. Sorry to eat and run but I must! Great start on the NP today. Here's a true story from the past:

From the May 1936 pages of Railroad Stories magazine

No. 822, eastbound Northern Pacific way freight from Helena to Bozeman, Montana, was nearing the end of its run one summer afternoon several years ago. The crew, weary of a long day of pick-ups, set-outs, “spots,” and wrestling merchandise, were on overtime, as usual, and greatly relieved to find themselves at Storey, a blind siding only four or five miles west of the home terminal. Here the last work of the day would be done.

The train halted upon the main track and the engine was promptly cut off. Pulling over the east switch, they backed into the siding and into the spur, which runs parallel to the siding for several car lengths before losing itself into a pile of earth. Instructions were to pick up a car of peas for movement to the Bozeman and spot an empty, or empties, on the spur in place of it. The empty cars stood between the locomotive and the load of peas. To expedite the move, both empties and load were pulled above the spur switch, then, with a gentle kick, the loaded car was uncoupled and allowed to roll into the side track. Under direction of the conductor and head brakeman the engine finally shoved the empty cars into the spur.

The swing brakeman caught the load as it rolled over the spur switch and swarmed up the ladder, club in hand, to stop the car a short distance in the clear. Spinning the slack from the brakewheel, he inserted his club and bore back upon it. But, though he cinched and cinched, the headway of the car did not lessen! To the contrary, the speed increased, and when it had reached twenty to twenty-five miles an hour the brakeman descended the ladder and jumped. The car lurched out through the west switch of the siding, splitting the points, and pounded off down the main track into the gathering darkness. The brakeman, somewhat bruised, raced back up the siding and informed the conductor of what had happened, and the conductor rushed to the telephone booth to notify the dispatcher.

The old main line from Logan to Bozeman, twenty-five miles, lies on a steadily ascending grade, eastbound, with the exception of a sag between Manhatten and Central Park. So severe and steady is the gradient that an alternate main line was built from Logan to Bozeman for eastward tonnage trains. This line leaves the old main at the east end of Logan yard, follows a circuitous route, and crosses the old main line at grade at BR tower, some three miles west of Story.

The second trick towerman at BR, noting that it was growing dark, decided it was time to eat. No trains were within miles of the interlocking plant save No. 822, which had passed eastbound a short time before. The old main line, having been the last route used through the plant, was clear. No derails forbade use of the track, though signals were at stop in both directions.

The towerman had just hoisted his feet to the lever bank, and opened his mouth to insert a sandwich, when something without headlight or markers shot across the diamond, westbound, and was swallowed by the darkness. The towerman, doubting his senses, leaped to his feet, snapped on the headset and told the dispatcher.

And at that instant, the conductor of No. 822 succeeded in unlocking the door of the Story phone booth and breathlessly broke in on the wire with the true facts. The train dispatcher’s stomach described a flip-flop. Then he assured himself there was nothing out of Logan, eastbound, on the old main line, with which the runaway could collide. But there was an eastbound tonnage train standing in the Logan yard, which would at any moment whistle off and pull out across the old main line into the low grade route. This train would be directly in the path of the carload of peas!

Employees commandeered a handy speeder, rushed to the east end of Logan yard and lined up the switches from the main line into the quarry spur. The heavily loaded runaway came pounding down through the reverse curve into the yard at breakneck speed, struck the turnout, roared in upon the quarry track, and with a terrific crash brought up on the rocks at its end, twenty miles from the scene of the escape. There it burst open like an over-ripe melon, sowing peas over many square miles of ground.

There was an investigation, of course. Severe discipline was meted out to the guilty ones. And down in St. Paul, a high official of the company wrote, in part; “One of the most disgraceful accidents ever brought to my attention.” – Chick Bliss, N.P. telegrapher.

[:I] A men’s foursome is waiting at the tee while a ladies foursome is hitting
from the ladies' tee.The ladies are moving slowly. When finally the last lady steps up to hit the ball, she hacks it 10 feet; she goes over and hacks it another 10 feet, then another 10 feet....She looks up at the men who are watching and says apologetically. "I guess all those f***ing lessons I took this winter didn't help." One of the men immediately replied: "Well, you know...that's your problem. You should have taken golf lessons instead." [:I]

[passengerfan]

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

Sorry for the repaet but could not find the other NP streamliners so this will have to do. The NCL appeared back on page 226. Sorry for the repeat. See what else I can find later today when I have more time and I am more awake.

Barndad and Nick keep the cute stories coming i try them on my young ladies at work and they laugh too. So far they seem to suit all generations.

NORTH COAST LIMITED CB&Q – NP – SP&S Trains 25-26 September 9, 1948 Chicago – Seattle/Portland daily 2,318 miles each direction 52 hours each way Although this is the date generally listed for streamlined NORTH COAST LIMITED operation the trains in actual fact heavyweight head end cars and heavyweight sleeping cars were still operated in the trains until 1952.

The NORTH COAST LIMITED oldest named train to the Pacific Northwest dating from April 29, 1900 was owned by the Northern Pacific Railway and was the last of the northwest’s premier trains to be fully streamlined. The September 9, 1948 date is generally accepted as the date the final car of the orders to equip the lightweight streamlined NORTH COAST LIMITED was delivered from Pullman Standard and placed in a consist departing Chicago by the CB&Q. Actually the NORTH COAST LIMITED kind of evolved into a lightweight streamlined train over a period of about 1-1/2 years. Six sets of equipment were required for daily operation of the NORTH COAST LIMITED between Chicago and Seattle and Portland. The NORTH COAST LIMITED when it began service as a lightweight streamlined train was the slowest of the premiere trains between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest. The CB&Q owned one set of equipment of the NORTH COAST LIMITED, as they were the operator between St. Paul and Chicago. For power the CB&Q supplied their own E-Units over their trackage. Between St. Paul and Seattle the NP purchased EMD A-B-B sets of F3 diesels to power the NORTH COAST LIMITED. The NP would soon switch to A-B-A sets of power, as they did not require turning at terminals. Each consist of the NORTH COAST LIMITED carried a through Chicago – Portland Coach and Sleeping car forwarded to and from Portland by the SP&S from Pasco, Washington. The following is the initial six eleven car consists of the NORTH COAST LIMITED between Chicago and Seattle – Portland. The last train set is shown without power as one set was being serviced in Chicago.

6500A EMD F3A 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

6500B EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

6500C EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

400 3,000-Gallon Water Baggage Car

425 30” Railway Post Office 21-Crew Dormitory Car

500 56- Revenue Seat Day Coach

588 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach

589 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach (Chicago – Portland)

494 26- Revenue Seat Coach Buffet 20- Seat lounge Car

450 12- Seat Lunch Counter 30- Seat Dining Car

ABERDEEN 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

BILLINGS 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

BISMARCK 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car (Chicago – Portland)

RAINIER CLUB 4- Double Bedroom 1- Compartment Buffet 26- Seat Lounge Observation

SECOND CONSIST

6501A EMD F3A 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

6501B EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

6501C EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

401 3,000-Gallon Water Baggage Car

426 30’ Railway Post Office 21 Crew Dormitory Car

501 56- Revenue Seat Day Coach

590 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach

591 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach (Chicago – Portland)

495 26- Revenue Seat Coach Buffet 20- Seat Lounge Car

451 12- Seat Lunch Counter 30- Seat Dining Car

BRAINERD 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

BUTTE 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

DETROIT LAKES 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car (Chicago – Portland)

SPOKANE CLUB 4- Double Bedroom 1- Compartment Buffet 26- Seat Lounge Observation

THIRD CONSIST

6502A EMD F3A 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

6502B EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

6502C EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

402 3,000-Gallon Water Baggage Car

427 30’ Railway Post Office 21- Crew Dormitory Car

502 56- Revenue Seat Day Coach

592 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach

593 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach (Chicago – Portland)

496 26- Revenue Seat Coach Buffet 20- Seat Lounge Car

452 12- Seat Lunch Counter 30- Seat Dining Car

DICKINSON 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

FARGO 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

HELENA 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car (Chicago – Portland)

ARLINGTON CLUB 4- Double Bedroom 1- Compartment Buffet 26- Seat Lounge Observation

FOURTH CONSIST

6503A EMD F3A 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

6503B EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

6503C EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

403 3,000-Gallon Water Baggage Car

428 30’ Railway Post Office 21- Crew Dormitory Car

503 56- Revenue Seat Day Coach

594 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach

595 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach (Chicago – Portland)

497 26- Revenue seat Coach Buffet 20- Seat Lounge Car

453 12- Seat Lunch Counter 30- Seat Dining Car

JAMESTOWN 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

MISSOULA 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

PASCO 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car (Chicago – Portland)

MONTANA CLUB 4- Double Bedroom 1- Compartment Buffet 26- Seat Lounge Observation

FIFTH CONSIST

6504A EMD F3A 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

6504B EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

6504C EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

404 3,000-Gallon Water Baggage Car

429 30’ Railway Post Office 21- Crew Dormitory Car

504 56- Revenue Seat Day Coach

596 56 Revenue seat Leg Rest Coach

300 (SP&S) 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach (Chicago – Portland)

498 26- Revenue Seat Coach Buffet 20- Seat Lounge car

454 12- Seat Lunch Counter 30- Seat Dining Car

VALLEY CITY 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

WALLA WALLA 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

PORTLAND (SP&S) 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

TACOMA CLUB 4- Double Bedroom 1- Compartment Buffet 26- Seat Lounge Observation

SIXTH CONSIST

405 3,000-Gallon Water Baggage Car

430 30’ Railway Post Office 21 Crew Dormitory Car

505 56- Revenue Seat Day Coach

598 (CB&Q) 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach

599 (CB&Q) 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach (Chicago – Portland)

499 26- Revenue Seat Coach Buffet 20- Seat Lounge Car

455 (CB&Q) 12- Seat Lunch Counter 30- Seat Dining Car

CHICAGO (CB&Q) 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

DUBUQUE (CB&Q) 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

SAVANNA (CB&Q) 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car (Chicago – Portland)

MINNEAPOLIS CLUB (CB&Q) 4- Double Bedroom 1- Compartment Buffet 26- Seat Lounge Car

In 1954 The NORTH COAST LIMITED became the VISTA-DOME NORTH COAST LIMITED and became one of the premier trains of North America. Each of the five consists received two Vista Dome 46-leg-rest seat coaches replacing two of the 56 seat flat top coaches. The other two Vista-Domes were Sleeping cars and were assigned two per consist replacing flat top sleeping cars. The NP operated the Vista Domes with a flat top car between so passengers had an unobstructed view. The NP VISTA-DOME NORTH COAST LIMITED was a faster train matching the timekeeping of the EMPIRE BUILDER by that time and had introduced the Raymond Loewy two-tone green paint scheme with white separation stripe.
In 1958 the VISTA-DOME NORTH COAST LIMITED received new 48-seat Dining cars from Budd the last new Dining cars ever built before Amtrak.
In 1959 the VISTA-DOME NORTH COAST LIMITED added a single unpainted stainless steel car a Slumbercoach to each consist. The reason this car was unpainted was due to the fact they operated in a pool with the VISTA-DOME DENVER ZEPHYR Slumbercoaches and that train was all stainless steel. The NCL lasted until Amtrak and many feel that this route should have been retained rather than the more northerly GN EMPIRE BUILDER route. The reason for the more northerly route was simply that no Interstate paralleled that route like the one that followed the NP across Montana.


TTFN AL

[coalminer3]

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

A couple of classics this a.m. "If Love Were Oil, I'd Be a Quart Low," and "If the Phone Don't Ring Baby, You'll Know It's Me."

Since we are doing NP today, how about a special on "Great Big Baked Potatoes." Customer's choice of toppings.

A couple of comments and then to the there of the day.

I am glad my memory abt. the SDP35s was not completely off. Also, I remember seeing and photographing part of the "Silver Meteor" consist in Nashville. This was when Amtrak was doing strange and wondrous things with cars - I made sure to get to the station as much as I could as you never knew what was going to show up. One evening we got a Silver Meteor obs (with tail sign.) We also got "Miaimi Beach" as well. I always liked the Beach cars.

For Nick - Mountain Stage is produced by WV Public Radio (Music From the Heart of the Mountain State - West Virginia.) It's distributed internationally through PRI; I remember you saying you couldn't get much of that sort of stuff where you are, but I believe you'd enjoy the program as it's an ecelectic mix of traditional, contemporary, and "off the wall." It may even be streamed on the web.

Here's some material re the Northern Pacific. I'm sure our car scholars can flesh out some of this.

Northern Pacific Passenger Service – 1969

NP Trains 25 and 26 the “North Coast Limited” were the flagship passenger trains of the “Main Street of the Northwest.” The NP was justly proud of its being the “Route of the Vista-Dome North Coast Limited.”

Trains 1 and 2 handled the following cars:

Dome “Lounge-in-the-sky” buffet sleeper
Standard sleeping cars with duplex roomettes, roomettes, duplex single rooms, and bedrooms.
Slumbercoach, which according to the Official Guide, featured 24 single rooms and 8 double rooms. Slumbercoach space could be purchased with a coach ticket.
Vista-dome coaches
Reclining seat coaches, with “leg rests and foot rests.”
Travellers rest car (buffet lounge)
Diner

Trains 1 and 2 were the “Mainstreeter.”

1 and 2 had Slumbercoaches available between Chicago and Seattle as follows. One car ran on CB&Q train 51 and 52 between Chicago and Minneapolis. Another Slumbercoach operated on NP 1 and 2 between Minneapolis and Seattle.
The Mainstreeter carried reclining seat coaches and an economy-buffet car.

Both trains followed the same route between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Bozeman, Montana. Trains 25 and 26 operated via Butte on their run between Bozeman and Garrison. Trains 1 and 2 operated via Helena on their way to and from Garrison.

The same route applied to both trains between Garrison and Seattle.

Another interesting set of trains operated between Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland via the “Puget Sound Line.” This line handled trains of the GN and the UP as well as the NP.

NP 407 and 408 operated between Seattle and Portland with a parlor-bar-lounge, reclining seat coaches, and an economy buffet car.

The NP had two runs per day via the “Columbia River Line” between Pasco and Portland via Vancouver, WA. These were mostly late night runs, with the exception of one train which was an afternoon trip from Portland to Pasco.

The SP&S handled NP trains between Spokane and Portland.

Their timetables provide a little more information about some of the cars on the “North Coast Limited.”

“SP&S 1-2/NP 25-26 Vista-Dome ‘North Coast Limited’ between Portland and Chicago via SP&S, NP via Butte, CB&Q. Standard sleeping cars between Portland and Chicago 6 roomettes 4 bedrooms, 8 duplex roomettes. Vista-dome coach. Between Portland and Chicago observation lounge-buffet car, radio, dining car service.

SP&S 3-4/NP1-2 ‘Mainstreeter’ via Helena. Reclining seat coaches, economy buffet car.

The timetable reminded travelers leaving Chicago that coach passengers had to check in at Chicago Union Station at least 10 minutes before departure. The desk was “near the train gate.”

I can't compete with the round of jokes that have been included in recent posts, but this "reflection" is too good.

I don't understand.

I don't understand. After the last child was born, my wife told me we
had to cut back on expenses. I had to give up drinking beer. I was not a big
drinker, maybe a 12 pack on weekends. Anyway, I gave it up but I noticed
the other day she came home from grocery shopping and when I looked at the
receipt and saw $45 for makeup.

I said, "Wait a minute I've given up beer and you haven't given up anything!"
She said, "I buy that makeup for you, so I can look pretty for you." I told her, "Hell, that's what the beer was for!"

I don't think she'll be back

Have a good one - oh, b4 I forget a note to our 'steamed proprietor - I am working on pictures - you won't be disappointed, but time constraints have been great and work and family concerns trump everything - appreciate your forbearance.

work safe

[siberianmo]

Good Morning!

Unbelievable ending to the month of February – yesterday afternoon it was “jacketless” around here with blue skies, slight breeze and spring in the air. Today we’re supposed to get into the 70s. Later in the week a drop to the 50s, but then right back up. I guess that’s that for the winter ‘round these parts. Petrol is at $2.07 (rounded) up at “Collusion Corner” after having been at $2.09 (rounded) for a day or two. That’s the mid-Continent USA report – such as it is![swg]

We wound up with 22 Posts yesterday, of course, backing out my own then the “true” number is revealed. Check the SUMMARY to see who Posted and when. Looks like our two “bookends” – Lars ‘n BK didn’t make it in, but again, given their situations, my guess is they are both doing other things. Lars is probably hoping his house won’t fall down around ‘em and BK may be in Edmonton or Calgary – but having fun nonetheless.[tup] Hope we see ‘em ‘round here soon ….

Looks like I’ve got some acknowledgments stacked up, so better get to ‘em:

barndad Doug
Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 20:24:29

Appreciate the evenin’ visit and comments. Joke[?] Was that really a joke[?]<smirk>


nickinwestwales Nick
Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 20:30:03

A great “Nick at Night!” Post and good to have you back with us. See, I told you that your Permanent Stool would always be here for you! You’’’ just have to earn that “regular” status back again![swg]

I’d say that you should keep your “night job” with the band, as joke telling is NOT your strength![swg] Terrrible . . . but, why did I laugh[?]<grin>

You covered quite a bit of “ground” with that Post and I appreciate your taking the time to address as many topics as you did![tup][tup][tup]

Don’t know how familiar you are with WHO Yogi is, given that he’s more of an “icon” on this side of the pond than on yours. He was one of the greatest catchers in baseball at one time – played with the NY Yankees and helped them establish one long running “dynasty” of championship seasons. Further, he wasn’t a bad manager and coach either with a few teams. The thing about the guy is that all of these quotes exemplify what the man not only said, but the way he is. A very nice guy, humble and about as “grounded’ as anyone would want to be. Just thought I’d add this for yours and Pete’s benefit . . .

Gazette: Well, how about this[?] There’s a “flap” brewing over the “Wearin’ o’ the Green on St. Patrick’s Day. Aside from the rather hateful stuff that has been going on for more years than I care to count – there’s some humor in it all, as some Orangemen have decided that if the “Mentor River” is to be dyed Green along with the center lines of the streets painted Green, then perhaps a retaliation is in order – they want “equal billing.” Run with that, if you will . . . [swg] I expect the next issue to be out on March 17th . . .

Again, we look forward to any and all photos, URLS, and the like that you wi***o share with us regarding your latest venture with “Rock ‘n Roar!”[swg]

trolleyboy Rob
Posted: 27 Feb 2006, 21:38:40 and 22:00:42

. . . And if it wasn’t for the fact that yours is a “part time” position ‘round here, I would have “docked” your pay for being AWOL on Sunday thru Monday evening!<geesh> What can you say about the “kids” of today[?][swg]

Thanx for the support regarding the AH onslaught on this Forum (Classic Trains – General Discussion)![tup] Just cannot stress is often enough about NOT enabling these people. ‘Tis a shame that some of our guys don’t seem to care about that aspect and jump right in without so much as checking the “identity” of the submitter (Profile). And there are times when even that isn’t a good indicator, it’s the substance over the subject every time. Let ‘em take it somewhere else, eh[?][tdn]

The fact that you are now into “Diesel Maker, Part 3,” says something, eh[?] I would never have imagined so many. Once again, this all supports the comments made on this Thread about the collapse of the infra-structure along with the prime and support industries of the railroads as society demanded more highways and runways. Says a lot . . . Thanx![tup]


barndad Doug
Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 05:16:54 and 05:59:39

So, let me see if I have this correct – I get all the quiz questions right and not even a mention of my name! <geesh>[tdn] That will cost ya a ‘round – Boris ring the bell and let’s get that OJ poured for one and all![swg] By the by – CONTEST: 10 – JOKES – 2! So there!<grin>

Great job with the NP “Theme for the Day!” Post![tup][tup][tup]


passengerfan Al
Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 07:37:02

Don’t fret over the preciseness of it – that Post was “right on” and well in keeping with the NP “Theme for the Day!”[tup][tup][tup]


coalminer3 CM3
Posted: 28 Feb 2006, 08:13:00

Another fine contribution this AM to our Theme for the Day! – NP[tup][tup][tup]

Loved that joke![swg] Some guys CAN tell ‘em, others, oh well …… <grin>

Thanx for the quarters and round![tup] And oh yes, “forebearance”[?] Moi[?] You’ve obviously gotten me confused with someone who gives a “Rat’s Patoot!”[swg]


Later![tup]


Tom[4:-)] [oX)]


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

Those who acknowledge the other guy, get acknowledged!

[nanaimo73]

Hi Tom.
I just wanted to let you know I'm working on another Amtrak line study, this one covering May 1, 1971.
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=57085

This might interest you as well, there should be some stuff here you can use.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/srchThumbs.aspx?srch=timetable&search=Search

Edit-You can copy and past the whole thing here if you like, and the masked links do not get messed up in the process.
David Voss, (Senior Web Developer Kalmbach Publishing Co.) told me the [url=" will not be effected in June when the Forum format changes.[:)]

[siberianmo]

Hi Dale

Good to see you at "Our" Place!

Appreciate the "head's up" on that fantastic compilation you have put together! I began to put together a "form" of what you created (with prior approval of course![tup]) but somehow got diverted. Intentions however, are honorable and one day, your work will indeed be displayed here for our guys to enjoy![tup]

I request that you do not delete your Post! Please let it remain - for the guys who frequent this place, drift in and out throughout the day and into the night.

Thanx again for the URLs and visit!

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[siberianmo]

THEME for the DAY! Northern Pacific (NP)
first Posted on page 145

PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #12

Here’s something to ponder with regard to our appreciation and fascination with
Classic Trains. Check out this ad (from The Official Guide of the Railways – 1956)



Look what they’re saying about the Vista-Dome North Coast Limited!

”FOUR VISTA-DOMES . . . the view really is terrific on the Northern Pacific!”

“Pride of the Northwest . . . a train second to none!”

“One of the top trains in the country”

“A LOVELY STEWARDESS-NURSE . . . so kind to me and my children”

“Most friendly and courteous employees”

“Comfortable trip – delicious meals. Our compliments to the chef”

“THE TRAVELLER’S REST buffet-lounge . . . most unique car we’ve ever seen . . . captures the flavor and romance of the West”

”WON’T YOU BE MY GUEST?”
Now a friendly Stewardess-Nurse welcomes you aboard the Vista-Dome North Coast Limited. You’ll enjoy extra traveling pleasure at no extra cost – in fact, even low Family Fares apply! Heading East or West through the scenic Northwest, you’ll see for yourself why passengers call it . . .

. . . . . One of the world’s Extra Fine trains . . . . .

. . . . . For complete information, write
. . . . . G. W. RODINE, Passenger Traffic Manager . . . . .
. . . . . Northern Pacific Railway, St. Paul 1, Minn. . . . . .

CHICAGO – TWIN CITIES – SPOKANE – PORTLAND – TACOMA – SEATTLE


Enjoy! [tup]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

THEME for the DAY! Northern Pacific (NP)

[nickinwestwales]

What Ho chaps,just grabbing a quiet hour whilst Missisnick takes small Hannah to her judo class ( yeah,really....) so I thought I`d poke my head round the door for a `swifty`-Starop it is please [4:-)][oX)]TOM and try one yourself if its not too early for you--Oh,go on then,line `em up for the rogues gallery as well [swg]
Before I forget,I`ve just picked up word of a documentary on The Canadian entitled `Canadas greatest ride` ( Margaret Trudeau,according to Ronnie Wood..ahem) due to be broadcast on CTV Travel & Discovery HD ( ???) -presume that means something to you guys -will post more info when available.
Right,book review time ( will come back to todays posts later this evening,if I may)
So-Printed on a very good quality high-gloss paper stock,the images are of a uniformly excellent quality-a splendid advert for the digital medium.
The author is obviously widely travelled,with,as far as I can recall,pix from all continents-rather than group each line separately the layout has taken the other route and divided by topic instead ( I.E-locos,signals,landscape,`at speed` etc)
This approach allows one a `global` perspective within each few pages-a sensible approch for a `coffee table` volume,obviously designed for browsing.
The real strength of this book ,for me,is the juxtaposition of images-on one page The Canadian with the majestic bulk of the Rockies as a back-drop,the next,bucolic Irish secondary routes,then Australia`s vast empty Ghan desert,a street market in Equador,the un-knowable mysteries of the Chinese hinterland...
The author is obviously an artist in his field-the composition of the shots rarely allows the subject to overwhelm the frame,showing each in it`s proper context of background and infrastructure where possible.
The pictures in two of the sections,one of extreme close-ups and the other `at speed`would not look out of place in any gallery specialising in modern abstract art
The human element has not been neglected ( That C.I.E guard has an unmistakeable `Oirish` twinkle in his eye ) and the shot of the old & battered steamer inching it`s way through the street market in Equador would grace any wall on which it was hung.
In summation then,a fine volume which would spend as much time on the table as the bookshelf in any self-respecting railwayists home-[4:-)][oX)]TOM,thank you for sharing it with us-guys look forward to your turn,it will be worth the wait.

Right,time for band practice ( spot of recording and a few pix tonight ) so I will see you all later.
TOM--the green & orange it is [tup][swg]--thanks for heads up r.e. Yogi-to my shame I had assumed it was the cartoon bear [*^_^*]
Have a good one guys,later,nick [C=:-)]
.

[siberianmo]

G'day Nick

I see you are still "out there!" Appreciate your Post and the RR Book Relay! REVIEW![tup][tup][tup] Far more than I anticipated and I expect very enlightening for those in waiting or wondering whether they should 'sign up'![swg]

My first thoughts were rather disjointed in that I expected a lot more narrative - tsk, tsk - shame on me for not picking up on the reality that this is a PHOTO book.[swg] I thought it was a bit on the "shy side" with informatiion related to the "where" and "when," however the Pix are truly outstanding and it isn't hard to pick up on just "what" these are. It is nicely done and surely worth the "ride!"

The lady may very well have been "Canada's greatest ride!" Oooooooops, THAT's an entirely different subject, eh[?]<grin>[}:)][:O][:P][:-,]

Appreciate the drink and hope to catch ya later on!

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[siberianmo]

”Our” Place RR Book Relay!




Status report: The second mailing is en route Illinois and barndad Doug from nickinwestwales Nick. Check out the review of the book in Nick’s Post on page 259!

There is STILL TIME to join in on this idea - ship me an Email with your address and I'll add you to the list of recipients.

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[LoveDomes]

Good Afternoon Tom and Gents at the bar!

Time for a break and I’ll have a frosty Schaefers in a bottle if you please – and a cold mug too. My wife and I will take a couple of those hogies – the ‘regular’ please, you know – ham, swiss, butter & mustard – and two large pickles each from the barrel. Oh yeah, she’ll have a diet pepsi <groan>!

The workmen are working and progress is being made. The good news is they are not going to tear out the basement wall as first anticipated. Apparently everything that needs to be done can be done from outside-in. We’ll wind up with a sump pump, the wall totally reinforced, waterproofed, and whatever other measures are required to keep the basement free from water. I’m not one to watch over the work, but they know I’m around.<grin> Have no gripes with the guys, just the screwballs who run the operation, if you know what I mean!

We had a great night out on Saturday – and need to do THAT more often, I’ll tell ya (so will she![swg]) There are just times when one needs to break away from it all . . . and have some fun. Ever hear of the musical “Mamma Mia”[?] It’s a great run thru of all the Abba songs “back when.” Lively and a fun show. I know it’s been around the continent a few times …. But it just “lives” on here on “The Great White Way!”[swg] Just an aside, weren’t those Abba babes “something else!![?][?] [wow] Of course, they probably are grandmothers by now![swg] Well, perhaps not really …. But it’s been sometime since they could wear those “hot pants” is my guess![wow]

Haven’t heard anything further from the insurance company and in fact, we’ve dropped them and have a new one in the “fold.” RIP or something like that! Been assured and reassured by the bank that we have absolutely nothing to be concerned about from their end – and the lawyer says he seriously doubts this will go anywhere. Sure hope that’s the case.

Hey, Tom some great Posts, as usual and I like this week’s installment of your series on the Railroads of Yesteryear. Another fine road and for those who like domes, they had some fine ones. I haven’t delved into any of the information and/or photo retrieval, but undoubtedly Al will “cover” for me! Also, real good stuff from barndad Doug[ and of course, “the Master himself – 20 fingers Al!” (Great moniker you placed on him, Doug!)

Nice job with the QUIZ answers, Tom! I too got through a bunch of them, but fell short by four or so. You surely didn’t waste any time coming back with the “winner!” WHAT did you win[?] Or was this one of “those” type Posts that you’ve been warning us about[?][swg] I’m glad it’s not just me, for I’m seeing more and more of those idiotic posts from the nit-wit element. Why anyone engages these JO’s is beyond my comprehension. Sorry bunch I’d say.

Nick you surely have a way to keep me enthralled with your posts. Glad to see that you are able to spend some time aboard the ‘good ship Mentor Bar & Grill’ – or better known as Tom’s “Our” Place![tup]

The posts have been coming rather hot ‘n heavy since yesterday afternoon – or so it seems. Good job one and all. See, Tom we don’t really NEED a bunch of guys, just a nucleus (as you have put it) who give a crap about this Thread to keep it going.

Glad you guys liked my Sunday contribution – meager, and they wouldn’t enlarge!! – but I tried![swg] Good stuff from Doug and Tom as usual. That’s quite an interesting layout you have down there in FLA, Ted and I don’t share in your self-criticism. I think you’ve done quite well with it. That’s the idea, build, change, adjust, etc. One day, I’ll begin with my own ….

WHAT! Who said you could take off, Rob!! Good thing I’m not the Manager around here, otherwise you’d be “holy stoning the deck!” Either that, or walking the plank! A day “off” – “mental health” <geesh ‘n double geesh!>

Well guys, time for one more brew, then we gotta scram outta here. Keep up the good work one and all! Here’s a ten spot for a round on us![tup]


Until the next time!

Lars

[siberianmo]

THEME for the DAY! Northern Pacific (NP)
first Posted on page 197

PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #47

Here’s something to enjoy regarding the Northern Pacific (NP) from a 1949 advertisement in my personal collection.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . See Nature’s greatest show at . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . YELLOWSTONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SEETHING GEYSERS and growling mudpots . . .

. . . . . steaming hot springs and lacy waterfalls . . .

. . . . . . . . . . begging bears and aloof antelope . . .

no wonder visitors never tire of talking about their Yellowstone trip on the streamlined North Coast Limited.

Make this your year to tour America’s biggest, strangest national park . . .

. . . . . but make your reservations soon! North Pacific – “the Yellowstone Park line” – will send literature about Yellowstone and other places you want to visit out West.

Write G. W. Rodine, Dept. 339, Northern Pacific Railway, St. Paul 1, Minn.

. . . . . . . . . . NORTHERN PACIFIC . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . YELLOWSTONE PARK LINE . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Enjoy! [tup]

Tom [4:-)][oX)]

THEME for the DAY! Northern Pacific (NP)

[siberianmo]

THEME for the DAY! Northern Pacific (NP)
first Posted on page 220

PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #58

Here’s something to enjoy regarding the Northern Pacific (NP) from a 1947 advertisement in my personal collection.



We met these “huskies” near Ikpikpuk!

Why deny yourself

. . . . . . . . . . ALASKA? . . . . . . . . . .

GO THIS YEAR to this fabled frontier land of Eskimos and totem poles, silent fjords and gleaming glaciers. Glide along the lake smooth Inside Passage, up endless aisles of emerald isles, past a parade of snow-capped peaks. We’ll send facts and prices, arrange every last detail, take you to your Alaska-bound ship in Seattle on the streamlined NORTH COAST LIMITED. If interested in this Alaska trip by train and steamer, just write E. E. Nelson, 313 Northern Pacific railway, St. Paul 1, Minn.


. . . . . . . . . . NORTHERN PACIFIC . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . MAIN STREET OF THE NORTHWEST . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Enjoy! [tup]

Tom [4:-)][oX)]

THEME for the DAY! Northern Pacific (NP)

[pwolfe]

Hi Tom and all.

A pint of the Bathams and a round for Theme Day[tup].

May I add a Comment on Robs post and answer Nicks Question[?].

Rob Good post on the Smaller manufacterors. Some of the Vulcan steam 0-6-0T switchers are preserved in England. A batch was bought after WW11by the Southern Railway and used for shunting at Southampton Docks. . Another couple of the same typehave been brought to England from Poland.

NICK That coach behind #45110 has got me beat, it looks MK 1sh But I am not sure.
I must admit the slighly worked stained apperance of the loco adds a lot of realism to me. They Class 5s were rarely seen in the prestine condition as seen on most preserved examples, unless they were ex-works or on Royal train duty. I was fortunate too see two of them when the Queen visited Coventry in the early 60s [^].

As to the DMU I believe it is a Derby built unit which were later known as class 108.
On some Saturday nights they run the Fish n Chip special from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth on the Severn Valley Railway. Although I have not been on it I believe you order the fish and chips and they are waiting for you at Bridgnorth.
As to the dreaded dentist did you have the mobile stainless steel trailer that used to visit the school and cause mass panic.
Looking forward to the photos[tup].

TOM Another great Theme Day on the Northern Pacific [tup][tup][tup],with even General Custer having to be involved. It was hard enough to build a railroad with out being attacked. The navvies were often the unsung heroes of the railroads a unique breed of men.
Many thanks DOUG AL and CM3 adding the great info.Liked the joke and the reflection[:)][tup].

Glad to hear the work has started LARS.

TOM I saw the TV ad with Yogi in ( cash is almost as good as money) and Laura explained who he was, not long after there was an article in the K.C. Star about him.
I bet the Yankees Locker room must have a great place with Yogi there.
Great book review from Nick. PETE.

[siberianmo]

Evenin' Gents!

Just a word or two for Pete 'n Lars before I fold the tent for the night:

Check out these URLs for something on "navvy" and "navvies"
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-nav1.htm
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/navvies.htm

Lots of intersting "stuff" comes out of the info provided on the NP, not unlike the RRs from all over the world. The people who busted their butts building those roads wouldn't be able to comprehend the way things are done in these times!

No doubt a laugh a minute with Yogi in the place - but he probably was the last guy to figure out they were laughing AT him![swg]

Good to see ya today, Lars - figured you'd either be in a straight jacket by now, or just plain "mellow!"[swg] Glad it's working out - finally. Perhaps they actually will meet the estimated date afterall since they aren't going to remove and reconstruct your basement wall.

We saw "Mamma Mia" the first time it passed through St. Louis a couple of years ago - it was great! Of course, one has to enjoy the music of ABBA otherwise my guess it would be "lost" on many. A jumpin' night at the theatre![tup]

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

Later![tup]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[nickinwestwales]

Well good evening my lambkins,are we all well ?-apologies for the late arrival this fine evening, but in the cab over here from the rehearsal rooms we picked up a report on the radio of a disturbance at the Zeppelin sheds and in my capacity as cub reporter for the Mentor Gazette and with editor Weber`s admonishments to seek out the story wherever it may be,I felt honour bound to investigate..........
It seems that,with the fleet flagship ,the `Draig Goch`in for servicing,the regular pilots Helga ( a life-long green ) & Hilda ( an equally commited orange) have fallen into a bitter sibling dispute,to the extent that the reserve craft have been re-named the "Michael Collins" & the "Red Hand" and there is talk of retro-fitting the cupolas with Spandau`s and entering into `aggressive` competition for the Can/Am/Cymru traffic.
Happily,reason prevailed ( Well who is going to take care of Boris if you two silly mares blow each other out of the sky ???) and hopefully,St Paddy`s day will be the joyful celebration that we of Mentor village know and love.
So-[4:-)][oX)]TOM,a very cold Starop and a VERY large rum if you please-tonights rehearsal was somewhat inhibited by two factors-one ,we were in #2 studio-dreadful acoustics & not a lot of space to move and two- Mojo brought along his partner & her twin sister (already christened Cora & Clarice by the rest of the band,after characters in Mervyn Peake`s classic gothic fantasy Gormenghast)-lovely ladies,to be sure ,but weird....
Right,to business-
ROB-the `mental health`option just don`t make it-you work here for goodness sake-this excuses you from any other duties............
Just out of interest,what is the take-up on the `Green Goat` idea-looks good on paper,does it come up with the goods ?

general enquiry-what does LOL stand for-I can figure out most acronyms but this one has me stumpted-too many possibilities....

DOUG -nice N.P anecdote-by the way,I may have dated Aunt Judy one time-does she have a Hells Angel `Warbonnet` tattoo on her left buttock ?.........
[4:-)][oX)]TOM-love that header pic-F40`s,still blue water,mountains in the back-I want a cabin there--I might even learn about fishing ( a great excuse to drink beer in the open and watch the trains go by...............) nice one on the N.P-as an ageing hippy I`ve got to get behind a company that has a Ying & Yang symbol as part of it`s logo-also like the idea of a golden spike at gold creek....just sounds right[^]
AL-glad the one-liners are working [swg]-believe me,most of my repetoire has 300lb Welsh rugby players wincing-still,can`t win `em all.....
CM3-Thanks for heads up on Mountain Stage-will check it out tomorrow,when sober-Fat Steve,the drummer ,also well into this music---something very special about hammer dulcimer,mandolin and banjo music-direct link to our collective past-good stuff [tup][^][tup]
DALE-welcome aboard-whats your poison?-have one on me-nice site links,havn`t time to explore just now,but definately one for when I have a few minutes [^][^][^]
LARS-some action at last !!!-funny how when you are 20 minutes late paying the premium they are on your back but as soon as you put in a claim...............
Hope we are making a small quiet space where you can get away from it all
PETE-thanks for heads up on the Severn Valley stuff-that coach is a bit of a mystery-profile & tumblehome & end says MK1,but I cant recall any MK1 stock with full-panelled body,wheras Gresley stock had vertical and horizontal external beading and different profile-will have to do some digging.
Never had the `pleasure` of school dentist but mother was dental nurse before marriage and boss (Harley St Orthodontist ) promised free treatment for her kids as wedding present-had teeth like bugs bunny as a kid,thanks to this cowboy I now look more like Lemmy Kilmister about the time of the first Motorhead album-ce la vie and all that.
Right [4:-)][oX)]TOM-another round for the gentlemen,one for yourself and a small glass of shandy for Boris ( who worked like a dog yesterday ) and I will bid you all a fond fare-thee-well for the night-a quick handful of coins into Herr Wurlitzer for the walk home ( Gimme Shelter,Midnight Rambler & Sympathy for the Devil ) and it`s the moonlight mile for me-take care guys,see you all tomorrow,nick [C=:-)]

[nickinwestwales]

PETE- I see you there-a pint of the Bathams on me [swg]