Good Morning Captain Tom and all assembled!
Now, who is that behind the bar Appears to be a red headed fine looking specimen of a woman. Ah, Ruth is it So you are now a bartender along with all of the other “talents” you bring to the bar Fine – I will have a #3 from the menu board along with a large mug of coffee with just a “splash” to make it interesting. A round for the house if you please and keep the change!
We have returned from our visits to Calgary, Edmonton and Banff. Most relaxing, most enjoyable, and most happy to be back at the mountain retreat!
Appears as if the pages are beginning to show signs of activity since the resurgence several weeks ago. Good show, one and all! Most pleased to see the continuing support from the guys who helped get the bar back in business. [tuip ]
Forgive me if I do not address all of the queries directed my way, but you see I too am suffering from the Kalmbach Virus – you know, the one keeping some of us from logging on and then when we do, unable to retrieve information on back pages. Maddening, at best! Hate to say it, but it does appear that ignorance or perhaps gross incompetence rules the roost in some places. as far as I am concerned with these new changes.
I have noted the return of one Sir Nick to the bar, which is a treat for anyone who has a history with this fine establishment. Sir Nick is a “keeper,” as one would have it and truly fits into the atmosphere created by Captain Tom – one of the guys in all respects. Good to see you once again and in my younger days, perhaps we could have . . . well, never mind.
Some of you may know that Ralph Klein, the Premier of this fine Province for over 13 years is stepping down to seek a retired life. That reality came a bit hard for some people who have been adoring supporters of him through these many, many years. Really do not want to get political here and that is not my intent. But since I do have this on my mind, let me simply say that Lydia has taken it rather hard and we “just had to be there” for his goodbye. As with so many in politics, it was a love-hate “thing” and it appears he simply had enough. I am hardly a judge of politicians, but as a man, a very genuine individual.
Have had better flying conditions than we experienced, fortunately Lydia was focused on one thing – getting down safely! I had better get serious about that refurbished 747! <grin>
May or may not be back today – for the idea was to let you know that we have returned and hope to certainly get up to speed within the next few days.
Enjoy this holiday weekend on both sides of the 49th and make it a relaxing one - you have earned it!
Adieu!
BK in Alberta, Canada’s beautiful high mountain country!
ENCORE! Saturday - ENCORE! Saturday
GREAT BRITAIN PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #2
from multiple sources - first Posted on page 135
Here’s something to ponder with regard to our appreciation and fascination with
Classic Trains, this time from Great Britain! Check this pre-WWI poster out!
LONDON & NORTHWESTERN and CALEDONIAN RAILWAYS
London (Euston) ……………… 8h. 0m.
Birmingham …… To ………… 6h. 45m.
Liverpool ………. Glasgow ...... 5h. 10m.
Manchester ….. (Central) ….. 5h. 5m.
Bristol .………………………… 9h. 35m.
Birmingham …… To ………… 6h. 35m.
Liverpool ……… Edinburgh … 5h. 0m.
Manchester …. (Prin. St.) …. 5h. 10m.
Bristol .………………………… 9h. 45m.
London (Euston) ……………… 9h. 55m.
Birmingham …… To ………… 9h. 25m.
Liverpool ……… Dundee …… 7h. 15m.
Manchester …. (West) …….. 7h. 20m.
Bristol ………………………… 12h. 20m.
London (Euston) ...…………… 11h. 15m.
Birmingham …… To ………… 11h. 0m.
Liverpool ……… Aberdeen …. 8h. 20m.
Manchester …………………… 8h. 15m.
Bristol ………………………… 14h. 20m.
LUNCHEON and DINING CARS
for the accommodation of FIRST and THIRD CLASS PASSENGERS are run on the undernoted Trains:
………. From London (Euston)
To ..……………………….. a.m. …. p.m.
Glasgow (Central) ………. 10 0 …. 2 0
Edinburgh (Princes St.) … 10 0 …. 2.0
… Perth ..…………………. 10.0 … 2*0
… Aberdeen .…………….. 10.0 …. 2*0
*to Carstairs
………. From Liverpool
To ...………………………. a. m. …. p.m.
Glasgow (Central) .……… 9^50 …. 5 50
Edinburgh (Princes St.) ... 9^50 …. 5*50
… Perth ..………………… 9^50 …. 5*50
… Aberdeen ..…………… 9^50 ….. 5*50
*to Carstairs; ^Luncheon Car, Manchester (Victoria) to Glasgow,
Liverpool Passengers join at Preston.
……….. From Manchester
To ...……………………… a.m. …. p. m.
Glasgow (Central) .…….. 9 50 …. 5 45
Edinburgh (Princes St.) .. 9*50 …. 5^45
… Perth ..……………….. 9*50 …. 5^45
… Aberdeen ..…………... 9*50 …. 5^45
New and Improved SLEEPING SALOONS
………………. between …………………….
LONDON (Euston) & SCOTLAND by Night Trains.
(Note: Sorry for the misaligned columns; format differences make it so )
Enjoy!
Tom
G’day Gents!
A wonderful start to the long weekend here in mid-continent USA with the temps in the low 60s (F), blue sky and just a touch of fall in the air. Not to last very long as we’ll be in the 80s before too long – still, there’s HOPE! Petrol up at “Collusion Corner” is now at $2.47 (rounded) which is most unusual for a holiday weekend – first time we haven’t seen an upward spike in quite awhile. Well, “we takes what we gets,” eh
Quite a bit of activity since my last Post, so let’s get to them on this OPTIONAL ENCORE! Saturday . . . .
Lars, if I didn’t know better, I’d swear you have a “thing” for Ruth! Better watch it, Mate – your mate may be reading over your shoulder! Anyway, hang in there with the ‘puter and Forums crap. It is so very frustrating, but quite frankly unless and until the people at Kalmbach figure out that all isn’t well in cyber space – we either put up with it or take our discussions elsewhere.
Pete, a word of advice: Labor Day in the USA is for relaxing. So don’t’ let the Mrs. ‘con’ you into doing otherwise! Amazed at her – will have to discuss this next time we’re all together!
Rob, Vito the Hit is a friend of mine and as such one never, ever borrows from friends or family. Plus, I’m not thrilled with the prospects of the “payment plan” Vito’s bank engages in. <ugh> No, we’ll have to dredge up the funds elsewhere for that streamliner beauty for the bar. Wouldn’t it be great, if only . . .
Dave, always enjoy those SP epistles – and this latest on the motive power fits the bill quite well. Looking forward to your SP “thing” next week. Hang in there with the BS going on at work – things could be worse. You could be retired and spend your time wondering what day of the week it is! <grin>
Overtime What’s that In my 32 years of active duty there was no such thing! Ah, but you civilians have got the world by the short hairs, or so I’ve been told. I worked for a guy one time who really detested civilians assigned to the military – and I mean detested. He was one of the last of the holdouts when my outfit went in that direction. Of course he “lost,” but it was amusing to listen to his rants. I recall one of ‘em was, “If they don’t carry a green ID card, they ain’t worth the powder it would take to blow ‘em to Kingdom Come!” Wonder how you two would’ve hit it off <grin>
Pete (again) – great looking loco – thanx! I’m just a wee bit confused with the two Alans . . . but “whatever,” the more I drink, the more of the same I see! <chuckle>
Nick! What is there to say other than, you are back – in word and indeed!
Now, we must clarify something before it gets outta hand – YOU named the gals of “Our” Place (other than MY Cindy!) – so we’ve been going with RUTH as opposed to RUTHIE (which is the gal over at that Coffee Shop place). Soooooooooo, which is it to be Also, you must’ve been speaking with someone else last night – as Leon the Night Man took the bar at 5 PM – so could there have been another red head in the place, with tattoos at that! as you say! <grin>
I can’t imagine ten bucks a gallon for anything in liquid form – not even the finest hooch distilled much less the stuff that powers our “wheels”! That’s not only outrageous, but cause for drastic measures. On the serious side, I’ve never understood why we permit this extortion to continue. But that’s a story for another day . . .
Good to have you back with us and hope to enjoy the banter on a more regular basis!
Okay – time to set about the day! Ring the bell, Boris – a round of “spiked” OJ for all!
Well good evening again gentlemen all-like a moth to the candle I find myself here again,so lets have some beer and make an evening of it.
Ruthie-a round for the house if you please,a little something for your good self and send some out to the galley( if H&H are not piloting the zeppelins,then surely they can enjoy a wee dram along with the rest of us...)
DOUG-to quote Lennon & McCartney-"boy,you gonna carry that weight"-all power to your arm mate,a mans gotta do & all that..
CM3-I guess a lot of towns over there were started by by folk from over here so it makes sense that they would keep familiar names....
TOM-3 in a row-who would have thought it eh ?-thanks for the tip r.e. photobucket,will look into it when I have a moment-your mention of "Collusion corner " brought a smile to the old face-over here we pay $10 a gallon wherever you go-thank heaven its such a small island or we wouldn`t be able to afford to go anywhere -Hope Carol & Juneau are in good form by the way-do give them my best regards.
LARS-apologies for returning Boris in that condition,however,mission accomplished,and education completed-although it cost me all the cash I had on my person and a written undertaking to never darken their door again. It was worth it just to see the smile on what passes for his face
PETE-hoping to take a trip out to Mallow to take pix of the sugar beet traffic this autumn-will keep you posted. no info r.e Keith on the scottish show(s)-BBC radio2 broadcast the Hampden park gig last monday-possibly available on BBConline-very muddy sound (recorded in the stadium rather than from the sound desk ,so loads of echo from the back wall ) my pal Chrissie (the next missisnick if things carry on the way they are) went up to the cardiff show and Keith & Ronnie were the only people in the stadium smoking-would you try and tell them to put it out...!!
ROB-awright mate-hows life up by the lake ?-Ruthie does indeed have a tattoo or two,in fact she has a `W` on each buttock-when she bends over it reads `WOW`-sorry,coudn`t resist..........
DAVE-good to see you again,keep fighting the good fight-someone has to do those extra hours.
Right-it`s that time of night again(at least at this end of the bar)--show tomorrow with the Hoochie Coochie band so better make with the moonlight mile.
Ruthie-a round for the boys before I go and a couple of bucks in herr Wurlitzer-perhaps `communication breakdown` & `babe,I`m gonna leave you ` by Led Zeppelin to start with ,`wild horses`by the stones,`wooden ships` by crosby,stills & nash,& `a day in the life ` by the beatles for an eclectic mix-the rest are down to you guys.
Take care one and all-be good ,stay happy
nick
Hi Tom and all.
The Bathams is on top form tonite so I had better have another LEON and can you tell H&H I'll have the steak now, but not the one making all that smoke.
Good to see you in this evening ROB and DAVE.
I have just been sent Alan's latest pics. On one is one of the locos the other Alan is going to Scotland with as I said in my last post.
The loco is the exLMS class 5 # 45407.
It should enlarge
Pete.
Well hello Pete, I see that you snuck in while I was counting the bottles on the bottom shelf.Ni Nick I wa NOT insatlling a two way mirror for you
Pete-Sounds like your friend is enjoying another fine railfan excursionmore wonderfull shots ensuing I'm sure.To answer your question . I'm sure that no company would do that now,likely they would lock the gates of the park and charge the stragglers with tresspassing the golden age is gone I'm affraid.I think if you are being "treated' to heavy labour over the weekend, your wife's been talking to H&H again,they "enjoy" this weekend for some reason,the crews at the Zepplin sheds do not
Rob
Good evening Leon,just a small shot ( 3 fingers ) of CR if you please. Oh and here's a sack of qaurters for Herr Wurlitzer ! Yup should shape up to be a bit of a short on numbers weekend I would surmise,still how often do we get a looooong weekend on both sides of the boarder,coarse for TOM every weekend is a looong weekend LOL
Tom -Still after that Budd set for the bar eh Perhaps "Vito The Hit "can help you out with the financing options. . You go and try a new font and you get stomped on actually I thought it would be a nice font ( showed up,bigger on the preview ) oh well we'll chalk it upto forum idiosyncrisies instead of glasses Hope springs eternal , I do hope DL tries us out. You will notice that I chimed in with my over there as well.
Dave-Great to see you dive in during the week,next time you are endorsing I'll send you my account info An SP day I think will be wunnerfull, perhaps in the next couple o weeks once all the holiday's are over with
CM3-As Tom mentioned, I hope that you don't find yourself in the need of some hipwaders. Thanbks for the info on the P&PU amazing howmany "big roads" it fed into.The Virginian / N&W may make for an interesting theme day as well,Stay tuned. I figured that the NH would grab your attention. I like spreading the themes around to all points of the compass that way we all can feel right at home as it .were.
Lars-I hatre it when I loose a good post like that,drives you to drink. Thus far I've been spared alot of the problems that the rest of you are incuring from the new format.Mind you I type with my eyes and feet crossed so maybe that helps a bit.Still I aggree with you the volume of and number of inclusive posts is extremely heartening . I think we will throw out any "magazines" that Boris may have touched since last night.
Doug-Wow we akll feel your pain. Hopefully mortgage #2 is not a long lasting one,but as Tom said we are here when you have the time do don't sweat the small stuff. Again Vito The Hit may be of some use to you as well.
Nick-Well well, RUTH has a tattoo does she.Do the Ladies of Perpetual Motion know of this .Still we are looking forward to te snaps from the old country.As Tom suggests look into photobucket as a storage medium,it's free and as easy as one could hope for.Oh I do hope that Boris is of age for night crawling from pub to pub. You wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of the good inspector and the local constabulary.
Well folks that should bring me upto date,now I'll just check upon H&H and make sure that they aren't cremating this evenings steak.
A pint of Bathams RUTH and can you put me down for a steak and chips for later please. With the return of Nick, BORIS seems a lot happier and AWK and TEX lives should be a lot easier now..
LARS Sorry you lost your post this morning . I had the puter jam on me just now and I lost what I was writing but I think it was me and not the forum. Luckily I dont (so far) have a problem logging on to the forum, but do struggle with other aspects of it. I must admit I much preferred the old forum.
It WOULD be great if one day we could have a reunion in Britain and travel the rails there, perhaps one of us will win the Lotto.If we did go, the trip DL suggested to TOM is a must.I first did the trip in the early 70s. I travelled on an overnight to Glasgow then the first train to Mallaig where on Thursdays only, a boat sailed from Mallaig to Kyle of Lochalsh, with the Isle of Skye on the port side and the Scottish coast on the starboard. From there as DL says it is a very scenic line to Inverness, in 2000 they ran steam on this line, it was brilliant..
Another Our Place coincedence, the other Alan from Rugby is on a steam trip this weekend to the Scottish Highlands. Yesterday it was Preston to Glasgow with class 5 4-6-0 # 45407,today the same loco to Fort William then an ex LNER 2-6-0 K1 class # 62005 Fort William to Mallaig and back. On Saturday it is Fort William to Carlisle, on the Scottish border, with Sunday Carlisle to Preston.The Fort William to Glasgow line known as the West Highland line is single track with passing loops,steep grades, a horseshoe curve and is very scenic, passing Lochs etc, a great line to travel with any train but by steam it is superb.
TOM Thanks for the acronyms. It is the first reference I have seen over here to them.
I think DL really appriciated your advice on Canadian train travel and I hope he enjoys his trip. I see he says he has looked in at the bar and I hope he will join us soon.
ROB Great post on the Trolley Parks, I wonder what system today would run until everyone was taken back from the park.
CM3 Thanks for the LC info and the number of different roads the Peoria and Pekin connected to is amazing.
DAVE Good to see you in and thanks for the kind words.
DOUG May I join with Tom and hope you are able to sell the condo soon, I am trying to do the same with the house in England.
NICK I would love to see those pics of yours.. I have not travelled the Tralee line, but had some time at Mallow once, the trains were all loco hauled then. This May the Irish International steam tour visited the line.
Do you know anything about Keith Richards being in trouble for smoking on stage while in Scotland.
Well Ruth let me get a round in. The bride says to celebrate Labor day weekend I have got to do plenty of Labor, so I will call in as I can..
G’day Captain Tom and fellow travelers at the bar!
Well, it happened – lost a gem of a post to the ether . . . don’t know why, but once I submitted it, zap – gonezo. Blasted forums . . .
So, here goes one more time.
Ruth my deAH, you are lookin’ mighty fine today and I think a Schaefer will do, along with a foot long Hero, ham – Swiss – buttAh ‘n mustAHd with two large pickles from the barrel. I’ll get a saucer of brine for Tex the Armadillo. Round for the house if you please – Boris, put that magazine down and ring the bell!
Good stuff today as we head into the long weekend. Nice to see the inclusive posts continuing – makes it so much bettAH ‘round here when the guyz acknowledge one another. NevAH did care for this one-way stuff – if that’s the type dialogue some guys want, there are plenty of other places to go.
So, what was I saying Lost my thoughts . . . shudda followed Captain Tom’s advice and prepared my draft on the WP – then it wouldn’t be lost! Darn, darn, darn . . .
Must say that with the return of Nick to the bar, Boris seems to have perked up quite a bit. Can you even imagine there being a female “anything” out there for him Oh well, even cloven footed Cyclops need lovin’ – Just can’t imagine another of “his kind” out ‘n about (ooot ‘n aboot, for those north of the 49th!!) <grin>
Man, these forums have got me ticked off! Took me “forever” to log in – then when I finally accomplished that, I couldn’t get to the thread – kept taking me to the General Discussion page – but that’s all that showed up – no threads! Finally had to reboot the system – go thru the blasted log in once again, etc., etc. Really beginning to bother me big time. Exasperating, most exasperating.
Good to see Doug ‘n CM3 make an appearance today – and given that it’s a holiday weekend, my guess is we’ll have a light load until Tuesday. “We takes what we gets!”
Peeking at that proposed UK rail itinerary makes me want to join in – now THAT would be a great Rendezvous idea for “Our” Place, huh Perhaps Dave can spring loose with some of those millions he mentioned.
One more, Ruth, then I gotta skedaddle!
Until the next time!
Lars
G'day!
Nearly forgot - hey Pete - this excerpt is from "my first Thread - Canadian Passengers RRs" and is a comment from DL. I had told him that you and I are friends and that you're from Rugby . . .
On a related matter you should start planning a UK visit – you are right – sleeper London – Scotland is a good journey – but with small distances here (and faster line speeds) you tend to leave London after dark and arrive at Scottish destination early morning. The Highland Sleeper runs north through Rugby (non stop at about 10pm) and then splits into three portions in Edinburgh in the early hours – 1 for Aberdeen, 1 for Fort William in the West Highlands, and 1 for Inverness. The latter 2 are the most scenic and the Fort William one arrives mid morning so in summer plenty of daylight to view this highly scenic Highland journey. A classic summer trip would be: north from London to Fort William on over night sleeper which connects into Fort William to Mallaig scheduled summer only daily steam hauled service. From Mallaig take ship to Isle of Skye and bus to place to stay on the island for a few days. Then bus off Isle of Skye to Kyle of Lochalsh where take train on highly scenic route to Inverness. Stay in Inverness (or at least take evening meal in Inverness) – then take overnight sleeper back to London. Do this mid June to get benefit of longest daylight hours. Run this itinerary past your Missouri based Rugby born friend and see what he thinks!
A classic summer trip would be: north from London to Fort William on over night sleeper which connects into Fort William to Mallaig scheduled summer only daily steam hauled service. From Mallaig take ship to Isle of Skye and bus to place to stay on the island for a few days. Then bus off Isle of Skye to Kyle of Lochalsh where take train on highly scenic route to Inverness. Stay in Inverness (or at least take evening meal in Inverness) – then take overnight sleeper back to London. Do this mid June to get benefit of longest daylight hours. Run this itinerary past your Missouri based Rugby born friend and see what he thinks!
For the remainder of the conversation - check out the Thread at: http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/17/894997/ShowPost.aspx#894997
Ruth - a round on me - Boris, ring the bell!
So, what do you think
Quite a bit to cover this Friday morning and with the Labor Day weekend upon us, better get to it before many of you take off for R&R . . .
A round of “spiked” OJ for all – Ruth isn’t in yet, but Boris will take care of it for ya!
Since my last Post (Canadian Railways of the Past #7) we’ve had quite a bit of activity from: coalminer3 CM3 – LoveDomes Lars – pwolfe Pete – trolleyboy Rob (twice) – West Coast S Dave - nickinwestwales Nick and barndad Doug. Many thanx to all for keeping this place up ‘n running!
That saying, “When it rains, it pours!” surely applies to the folks residing in the mid-Atlantic states. CM3 – hope you are far from any “cricks” that can suddenly overtake the banks and everything else in the surrounding area. Glad you were able to make it in yesterday and always appreciate the round, quarters and of course the most insightful input!
Concur with you, CM3, I like that Dominion & Atlantic name and livery as well. During my visit to Nova Scotia in 2005, I picked up two HO RDC-1s in that livery (Proto 1000s) really nicely done and I’ve Posted Pix of them in the past . . . probably will show ‘em off again.
Also, your mention of the people of Cape Breton brings to mind some very nice memories of my visits to that part of the Province too (many wonder why IT isn’t a Province as well – given that PEI is! – ‘nother story for ‘nother time . . . ) Anyway, the Cape isn’t what it used to be, economically speaking, and with the demise of the mining and fishing industries, one just has to wonder how they continue hanging in there. Still have a friend up in Sydney who I communicate with regularly and he says things are grim for the working man.
Lars, let me put it this way – IF I were to return to NYC, I’d surely look you up and we’d climb aboard an Amtrak heading up to the Adirondacks. Would love to take that trip and to share it with one of our “own” from “Our” Place would make it even more worthwhile! Thanx for the invite . . .
Glad you enjoyed the Dome shots – and yes, there are MORE where they came from!
Pete, as with most things that come in acronyms, people have a way with converting the letters to whatever comes to mind – ATSF: Ate Tomalies and Spit Fire – BNSF: Better Not Ship Freight – SP: Slow Payer – WP: Wobbly Pacific - ET&WNC (East Tennessee and Western North Carolina): Eat Taters and Wear No Clothes – CSX: Can't Ship Xtra loads - D&RGW: Derailments & Really Good Wrecks - MKT: Mismanaged Cruddy Tracks and B&M: Bustem’ & Maim! It goes on and on as long as people have imaginations.
Rob, I think we’re going to need magnifying glasses to read some of your recent Posts! What’s with the teeny weeny fonts Anyway, appreciate your coming up for air and our of your “den” to let us know you’re alive ‘n well! Nova Scotia IS a wonderful place to spend time in and I’ve yet to meet anyone there who wasn’t friendly or “real” in all aspects of the word. I’m glad that I had the opportunity to at least experience some of the railroading that has now been discontinued. The trip between Halifax and Sackville, NB is really the better part of the run to Montreal, especially when VIA Rail was running the Budd equipment with the domes . . .
By the by, good stuff from your “Wierd Tales” too! (That was in a readable font!!)
Next up on the “Theme for the Day!” on Tuesday: NYNH&H (New Haven) – good choice!
Dave, always good to see ya during the week and appreciate your taking the time to provide a most-inclusive Post for the guys! Go for it with the SP – what’s stopping ya $13.5 million should just about cover the costs associated with “Our” Place purchasing a Budd stainless steel – all dome – consist powered by EMD E8s in CP maroon & grey livery for our Rendezvous plans! Now THAT’s something to dream about, eh
Nick, two days in succession! My oh my, you can spoil us with this kind of activity – good to see ya once again, Mate! We’d love to see the Pix you mentioned and may I suggest that you pay a visit to www.PhotoBucket.com – open an account and go for it! It’s rather simple and user friendly in comparison with the others out there. They are not without shortcomings – but then again, who or what isn’t Anyway, thanx for the narrative and undoubtedly a railroading challenge to say the least.
Good Morning Barkeep and All Present; coffee, please, round for the house and $ for the jukebox.
Barndad - Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Not for mortgage $ but for, as they say "residual educational funding."
Nick is with us. I enjoyed your post abt. Irleand, There is/was a Tralee, WV, not too far down the road from here. It had a monstrous tipple served by the VGN; all gone, now.
Dave - I do sometimes venture out on the Model RR side of the house, especially on the prototype information side. The Keystone Coal Manual goes back a long ways. It is still issued and is an excellent source of information about coal, coal mines, seams, facilities, and transportation. The older manuals are really something as they often have 2-page spread ads from different railroads boostong their coal sales depts. B4 I forget, state mine inspection reports are also a good source of information. Then we have mine rate documents which give insight into car distribution.
Rob - Thanks for trolley stories, etc.
Pete - LC is short for Library of Congress.
Hat dog! The New Haven - we can never run out of stuff to say about that. I'll probably do an encore and then add some more material.
The other day, when we were doing CNW, I mentioned the Peoria and Pekin Union Ry. Co.
Herewith some vintage P&PU ad copy from the stack of stuff in the east wing at the house.
"Route Shipments "Via Peoria and P&PU for Fast Service Through the Dependable Peoria Gateway. Keep Your Shipments Out of Congested Districts.
The Peoria and Pekin Union Railway is the intermediate switching line between following Line Haul Carriers, switching charges being absorbed."
Chicago and Illinois Midland Railway
Chicago and Northwestern Ry.
Gulf, Mobile and Ohio RR
Illinois Centrial RR
Norfolk and Westrn Ry.
New York Central
Pennsylvania
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
Chicago Rock Island and Pacific
Illinois Terminal
Peoria Terminal
Toledo, Peoria and Western
work safe
Good morning Tom and fellow life travellers. I'll have a light breakfast, and then I must be off. Didn't want to let another day slip without checking in though. As you might imagine, carrying two mortgages has resulted in my need to take-on another job, and this I have done. So I have a two month gig starting tomorrow, unless a more permanent job presents itself. So no rest for this wicked-one, I'm afraid. The posts, as usual have been outstanding, and I wish I could stay long enough to give derserved comments on all the fine material, but ...... off to work I go. Make a great day!
http://www.ahajokes.com/cartoon/beat_anorexia.jpg
Well good eveningTOM & gentlemen all-Ruthie my dear,you look lovely in that outfit,might I trouble you for a round for the gentlemen and a bottle of Staropramen for myself-they are on the bottom shelf below the bar...................my word that was a quality moment,thank you my dear,you have made an old muso very happy.
Enough already,Gentlemen,thank you for the warm welcome back,it gladdens my increasingly stressed heart. Since this is no place for my `life on the road` reminiscences,I thought I might share a few notes from our trip to the west coast of Ireland this spring( a case of "I can`t make Toronto so this will do")-specifically,the operations at Killarney,between Mallow & Tralee.
A little background may be in order here:-the line was built in two parts,by two different companies,the initial section (Mallow -Killarney) was laid out as a perfectly normal single track branch line with a `standard` terminal arrangement at Killarney-main and bay platforms with a small goods yard (main line coming in from the east,platform on the south side,yard to the north)....here`s where it gets weird.
The Tralee extension comes in from the north side,on an embankment,and drops down to run parallel to the main line at the station throat.
Instead of a direct connection through facing points (switches)the Tralee line runs through a trailing crossover and dead-ends as a sort of head shunt,thus all east-bound services from Tralee are required to set back into the platform whilst west bounds propel back onto the headshunt from the platform.
To add to the confusion,Killarney is a crossing point so you have two trains in the station at once-the sequence seems to be:-
Eastbound service arrives and sets back into main platform,Westbound arrives and runs into the bay.
Eastbound departs on the main,as soon as line is clear,westbound runs out onto the spur,reverses and heads out to Tralee.
Sadly,loco hauled services are now a thing of the past,as are the magnificent array of semaphore signals which used to grace the platform ends( we now have colour lights with `feather` route indicators)....the delightful black & orange general motors units have now been ousted by what looks like cascaded Dublin suburban M.U`s.
Indeed,the only G.M units `spotted` all week were a pair of tatty looking Bo-Bo`s on the water front sidings at Waterford-and they appeared to be on track-lifting duties (surely the saddest turn of all).
O.K-enough again-pix are on file of the entire crossing process,also the `model village` miniature railway at Clonakilty (some magnificent architectural modelling,although I doubt that the West Cork Railway`s ever used L.G.B products...............)so please let me know if you fancy a look at the `old country`.
Right-I`m going to take Boris to that very strange nightclub behind Union stn. & finish his education,one way or another-please make sure he sleeps in the shed tonight.
P.S-TOM-what finer welcome back could an errant `stool` wish for than that Canadian rail rundown you gave us today-bless you my friend
Right-Ruthie my dear,another round for the house,a bottle for now and a bottle to go,plus a small brown ale for Boris,a small mineral water for Leon and aww-sod it-a round of the reserve rum for the house--why the h*ll not???--and one for yourself of course-now when will you show me that tattoo of yours...........
O.K-looks like time for the moonlight mile for me,a quick few quarters for the juke(brown sugar to start,Heart full of soul by the yardbirds ,stay with me by the faces and I`ll leave the rest to the house-
Night all,have enjoyed your company-forgot how much I missed it,take care,nick
WIERD TALES FROM THE BARN # 7 TROLLEY PARKS & ATTRACTIONS
This is a few short excerpts from the ASRA, same company that posted the helpfull hints to local traction companies,and made some standarized operating rules for said companies, they were an industry publication.
One major suggestion the ASRA made was that traacction companies ( large or small ) should create a park or beach local or some such other attraction to which they had the exclusive way of getting people to and from,thereby creating revenue stream's for the company other than regular "main street fares".Here's a couple short stories to illustrate this point.
Amusement parks, built by traction companies as "traffic generators" soon sprang up outside every good sized city in the US & Canada. A Saturday evening's ride in the summer, would be the keynote event to end alot of peoples week.Hrere's apoem the Street railway Journal actually published in te 1890's.
Oh, what delight
On a soft June night
To ride an open car
You can satnt the expense
It's only five cents
No matter how poor you are
In the three rear pews
You may smoke if you choose
Tis' the rule of the open car
But you'll hear I'm affraid
Some fussy old maid
Say "Oh that horrid seegar!"
Here's another one just to tickle everyones funny bone I hope.
Often the favourite family rendezvous was the bandstand ringed by tree shaded seats.At Philidelphia's Willowgrove Park the greatest attractions by far were Sousa's Band and the celebrated electric fountain-particulaly aftre dark beacuase of the romantic stimulus of red and blue lights on the spraying waters.In many parks a breath taking display of rockets and aerial bombs signaled the closing of the Parks on saturday night.But trolley companies found that it took an additional hour to round up the last few carloads of couples for the trip back to the city, and it was frequently necessary to run a number of "last cars" to ship the last stragglers home.
The powerfull leverage of romance was also employed to drum up business for Wobderland park at Revere Beach.They energetically publicized a song that suggested that a trolley ride was almost an avenue to a girls heart.
Wonderland, Wonderland,that's the place to be!Each night when I call on my sweatie, she says to me/"Lets take a trolley ride to the oceanside. Where shining lights are grand.If you want to make good as a true lover should,just take her to Wonderland.
Have a good night folks.
Good afternoon Leon, I think a large guiness and some of H&H's wonderful? battered fish and chips pleses, hold the mushy peas though I noticed that Boris was hovering too close to the vat for comfort
Excuse the tardyness of my arrival, the week of midnights caught upto me yesterdayI'm better now thoughSo here's the scoop as I see it,I'm gooa try my darndest to get the weekly road of tthe week posted no later than the Wednesday before thereby giving everyone a week to prepare material.So since it's late this week I'll pick an easier semi done before one, and I won't complain if people rehash and reuse things from before ( just this time though ) so.....
UP NEXT TUESDAY THEME RAILWAY OF THE DAY ....THE HEW YORK NEW HAVEN & HARTFORD for arival onntrack one all day or at least until we run out of stuff to say
So to the housekeeping of the last day and a halfs wirth of content and yes even though the crowds have been a tad sparse, the info is a fresh and relevant as ever x a google as one was once to have said.
Tom-two most excellant articles sir,Nova Scotia is in my humble opinnion one of the nicest durn places to visit.Their railways were as unique as the poeple and the province. Sad to say that The DAR only exists in photo's the odd bit of preserved equipment and the occational faaded sign on a building I agrre with "Shane" it was a wonderfull railroad name.
Yesterdays august Great canadian RR events did niot go un-noyiced by moi either. A wonderfull piece as per suual sir beyond your usual high satbdars in fact.It twas a sad august when the streetcars came off in Montreal,luckily alot of their cars inclyudong all for of thier unique "stadium seating" open tour cars still exist. I know many a Montrealer is still bitter that their streetcars are gone ( mind you traffic in downtown Montreal would even be more nightmarish with the JO's that drive there weaving in and out opf streetcars )
Loved seeing all those wonderfull interior and exterior shots of the Evangeline Park again as well.The only Dome's I've ever been luckey enough to ride in were Algoma Centrals ex WP Domes. And although nice and well maintained, they don't hold a candle to the Park cars. Mind you they don't have the sleeping facilities anymore, just seating and washrooms, when we were on them even the food service and drink service area's were if not removed certainly not in use, as the ACR trains run with two or three diners depending on the time of yeear and number of passengers and coaches.
Nick-Good Gawd Gertie, tis been a while. Boris almost was able to have you declaired leagally dead ! He had eyes for your guitar's and house Tke your time and catch up, you'll find some photo's that I posted a week or so back possibly of intrest t you
Lars-Sorry to leave you hanging yesterday , sleep trumped typing unfortunatly.I'm glad to hear that you may have a line on a couple other's. There's a couple of guys I've been working on emailwise but they just don't want to budge from their usual perches. Still good to know still trying to attract a new crew. speacially since Tom's dipped into the treasury to pay Ruth hope the other three don't find out
P-Nice to see you back again,the rapido cars are nice,Branchline has come out with some wonderfully detailed old heavyweights as well ( they have a heavyweight price mind you as well )
Pete-Nice pictures from the KC station again, always nice to see As Tom say's jump on in on any of the railway theme days. With Wikipedia and the lot there is a ton of reusable and relevant material out there,the more the merrier.
Mike-wow that was quite te article, i haven't completely gotten through it but what i've read is right on sir. to answer your question yes to both
Wow I think I'm back up into the loop,apologies if I left anyone out.
A pint of Bathams please RUTH and I'll risk H&H's Fish and Chips a bit later.
NICK has seen the lights on at Our Place and called in, I hope you can call in again soon.. I have some more pics from Ireland and Alan has returned from a tour of some of the German steam railways and as said he will send me the photos.
MIKE The letter from D.L. Phillips was well worth the read. A great description of what happened at Council Bluffs at the time. Reading it I was trying to guess the date it was written and saw at the end it was 1875. A great record of train travel at the time, thanks for sharing.
CM3 Hope you can avoid any flooding. Thanks for looking for info on Lack Delano's color pics books. Excuse my ignorance , but can you tell me about what LC is.
LARS Good to see you in and thanks for the round,I shall look out for DL from the old land and with Nick the pub might be overrun by Brits.
TOM I was glad the morning at the bar was slow as we the got the Nova Scotia post. Very interesting lines.Despite the building of the Highway the D&A were able build passenger numbers with the DRCs. I noticed the passenger numbers increased with the better connections and when the connections were made worse the passengers tailed off. I guess railways the world over have been doing, and getting away with this when they want to end a passenger service. Glad the Windsor & Hantsport is still operating on part of the line.
Loved the nickname of the H&SW , Hellish Slow & Wobbly. did many railways of N. America have nicknames from their initials. One in Britain the Manchester South Junction & Altrinham rejoyced in the nickname of Many Short Jerks and Away. Its strange how many historic buildings have succumbed to " mysterious" fires.
I was in town yesterday and I noticed a bus heading for the Amtrak station so I think the track work must be on going still. We will have to a trip by train soon.
Another Bathams and a round on me RUTH.
Ruth, my deAH, you are lookin’ mighty fine with your hair “up” like that! A penny for MY thoughts, you say Ha – I’d be hog tied and put away if I revealed them!
A round for the house, a Schaefer in a frosty mug, and just a few snacks for this afternoon, thanks!
See where some interaction is going on over on Tom’s original Thread – Canadian Passenger RRs. Good to see and perhaps we’ve got a “live one” who may at least join us for a pint or two. Pete, this chap is from GB, so watch for him – goes by “DL.”
Liked that TEE in the ONR Northland livery. Must admit ignorance of those trains, but between what Rob recently provided and the other stuff I’ve looked at, interesting “stuff”!
Nick returneth – or at least – briefeth! The man has energy, that’s for sure – and if nothing else, he hasn’t forgotten this watering hole by the rails. Good to see ya, mate, and hope the in betweens are spaced a bit closer than they’ve been.
Those Via Rail shots are in a word – superb – my friend. You’ve really got quite a collection from your journeys and it’s really more fun to ‘visual’ the real thing as opposed to what most of our pix are – other people’s efforts. Appreciate the domes and hope you have at least a zillion more to share.
Nice work with your Railways of Nova Scotia! Where do you find this stuff Yeah, I know – Wikipedia – but one first has to have knowledge of what to look for. Really enjoyed the roads that I had never heard about. My guess is perhaps Rob learned something new as well. A 5- Salute to you Sir!
Thinking out loud – do you – Tom – have any plans to return to the east coast – even for a few days Sure would be great if we could take Amtrak northward. I’d love to see the Hudson one more time from the confines of a comfortable passenger car. Then again, I can’t speak for the comfort level of the equipment these days. Memories are overtaking me again . . .
BK – calling BK. C’mon many, you’re overdue and it’s time for you to join us at the bar!
Ok – looks like I’m just rambling away here – no CM3 I’m not Shane – no Doug – no Rob. Hmmmmmmmm – conspiracy afoot Only kidding – just one of those times, huh
One more, Ruth, then I gotta skeedaddle!
Uh-oh - Just caught CM3 I'm not Shane's post! Good to see ya, mate and hope you get a chance to peruse that article. It's worth the read . . .
Good Afternoon(!) Barkeep and All Present; coffee,please; round for the hoiuse and $ for the jukebox. Folks are waiting to see what the coastal weather has in store for us. There are lots of flood watches up this p.m. and flood warnings for Greenbrier and Pochontas Counties even as we speak. Was in Greenbrier this a.m. and it was not too bad where I was, but the climate can been entirely different 1-2 ridges over.
Thanks to all for posts. Lars - Will check out the container story.
Mike: Some westward trips haven't changed all that much. I was tickled at the writer's complaints (even though he traveled for free, if I understood what he was saying).
Pete: KLC train layout was a true noistalgia trip. As for Jack Delano in color, I am not sure. There are a couple of titles out there, however. I'll get them for you and post them later. IIRC, you can get copy prints of all of that material from LC. Their website will give you all of the particulars.
Tom: Via material and Nova Scotia items as well. I taught classes way back to a group of miners from Cape Breton - great folks. We consumed mass quantitites and told lies late into several evenings. Many of my wife's people came from NS. BTW, for those interested in mining in Nova Scotia there is an excellent book titles Last Man Out. I'm also looking the jukebox to see if it has "Springhill Mine Disaster." Anyway - thanks so much - BTW, Dominion and Atlantic has got to be one of the greatest rr names ever.
Since the Carolinas may be headed this way, how about a look at a couple of area shortlines from way back.
High Point, Thomasville and Denton RR. General Office - High Point, NC,
This line operated 26 miles between High Point and High Rock, It connected with the Southern at High Point and Thomasville and with the Winston-Salem Southbound at High Rock.
Winston-Salem Southbound Ry. operated 90 miles between Winston-Salem and Wadesboro. Along the way it connected with the N&W, SCL, HT&D (see above), Carolina and Northwestern, SOU, and the original Norfolk Southern.
Did I see Nick over in the shadows or do I need another visual field check - I thought I passed my last one, but now I'm not too sure!
G'day Gents!
Just returned from running a few errands and noticed that petrol up at "Collusion Corner" dropped to $2.50 (rounded) - amazing - up 'n down - but one can bet it goes up more substantially than down, eh
Don't know what to make of things 'round here as we seem to be back in the doldrums - at least for morning "regulars." I'm guessing that some of the problem lies with this @#$%&* Forums realignment. Takes a few times to log in - then I have to use Refresh/Reload to get the most current "stuff" - and the formats aren't easy to work with, and . . . <barf!>
I wasn't going to do this, but since there doesn't seem to be any activity - here's something that I had prepared months ago - it's a bit long, but what the heck - these days I'm not seeing too much concern over that . . .
Canadian Railways of the Past
Number Seven: Railways of Nova Scotia
Used with permission from: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Formatting differences made necessary due to Forums requirements. Some heralds from other sources.
Dominion Atlantic Railway
Reporting marks: DAR
Locale: Nova Scotia, Canada
Dates of operation: 1894 1994
Track gauge: 4ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge)
Headquarters: Kentville, Nova Scotia
The Dominion Atlantic Railway (DAR) was a historic Canadian railway which ran in the northwestern part of Nova Scotia, primarily through an agricultural district known as the Annapolis Valley. DAR was operationally headquartered in Kentville, Nova Scotia, although corporate headquarters were in London, United Kingdom and later Montreal, Quebec. The company is still maintained on paper and is currently headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.
Creation through merger
The DAR was created on October 1, 1894 through a merger of two end-to-end systems, the Windsor and Annapolis Railway and the Western Counties Railway. The W&A owned the track between its namesake port towns of Windsor and Annapolis Royal, and had also negotiated trackage rights to operate over the Intercolonial Railway's former Nova Scotia Railway "Windsor Branch" between Windsor Junction and Windsor, as well as on the IRC mainline from Windsor Junction into Halifax. The WCR on the other hand, operated between Yarmouth and Digby. The gap between Annapolis Royal and Digby was eventually closed in the early 1890s with government assistance.
The merger forming the DAR was for financial and operational reasons and permitted trains to operate continuously between Yarmouth and Halifax, the latter via trackage rights over the Intercolonial Railway from Windsor Junction. The transaction came about in 1893 when the W&A was authorized by the provincial legislature to purchase the WCR for $265,000.
Although the DAR technically connected to the Intercolonial Railway at Windsor, the IRC rarely operated on this line and left it to the DAR beyond the mainline connection at Windsor Junction. The DAR system also connected with
Well howdy TOM and fellow travellers all,just happened to be stumbling back to the regular flophouse from Union Stn & noticed the lights were on so I thought I`dcall in for a livener,please excuse the guitar cases but these old darlings never leave my sight outside the house.
Hope all is well about the old place-everything certainly looks strangely familiar,I`m sure a few rounds will smooth out any rough edges-set em up Sir,if you please.
Looks like the last 9 shows in 10 days frenzy has rounded out the busy part of the season and I can settle back down to a sensible 2 or 3 a week until christmas (mustn`t knock it-it`s paid for a new kitchen,bathroom & monstro Ashdown bass amp.........) and I can have something approaching a normal domestic existance again.
Will sit quietly in the corner until back up to speed-appreciate that much water has been passed since last I darkened these doors (?)-spotted PETE`s T&D pix in a quick fly-by-nice shotsreally caught the wild & windswept atmosphere of western Ireland.
Anyhow,just thought I`d let you all know that I`m still drawing breath.
Sad to say,only trainstuff I`ve had time for this summer is decalling a pair of O.N.R F.P7a`s and a rake of quad hoppers and some preparatory work on a C.N. F9 a-b-a lash-up zebra paint job-such is life.
O.K-off to the corner to feed scraps of raw meat to Boris and try to out-stare that wretched parrot (I`ve got a menu with your name on it pal) so another round for the house(make `em doubles) and speak to you all soon,fondest regards,nick
P.S-by a supreme irony that TOM will no doubt appreciate,whilst Sir Mick & the boys were banging out Jumpin` Jack Flash in Cardiff last night I was doing it for a mostly unappreciative bunch of rednecks in the a**e-end of Carmarthenshire to fulfill a long standing commitment.............................
Nice effort, Lars - I checked out those Posts of yours on the other Forum and Threads - and want you to know that I appreciate what you are trying to do. Doesn't appear that we're making any headway even when guys do stop in - don't see 'em again. That guy from the other day is a prime example - the retired CNW Conductor - he was welcomed and we haven't heard a thing since. Happens more times than not.
I see Mike has provided us all with some "light" reading - that will have to wait for a bit, but I'll get aroundtuit! <swg>
Today, for whatever the reason, I've been thinking about Canadian Passenger trains - love 'em, fer sure, fer sure and just wonder when the next opportunity will arise for another long distance trip. Day trips are one thing, but there's nothing quite like two or three nights of train travel - bedroom compartment, dining in the diner, sitting and sipping in the dome, meeing new people, taking in the sights - ahhhhhhhhhh! Now if only someone could come up with a cost effective way to get me from here to Montreal or Toronto! Ain't gonna happen and walking is out of the question! <grin>
The "Ocean's" F40PH's at Halifax, NS
Evangeline Park Car - Westbound Ocean at Moncton, New Brunswick
Mural Lounge in the Evangeline Park car
"Joanne" VIA Rail attendant, in the Bullet Lounge of the Evangeline Park car
The dome of the Evangeline Park car
Ah, memories ARE made of THIS!
Just caught your Post - Pete - good to see ya! We should begin planning our Amtrak trip for the fall NOW! Pix reminded me of a great time we had - good thing the club car had enough brew to keep us fueled! Actually, the only way we could take advantage of that Octoberfest gala is to spend the night . . . turnaround times being what they are these days.
Now you have got the job perminatly RUTH I will celebrate by having a Bathams XXX and a round please.. May I say again what a great theme day yesterday.
TOM Good to see the return of Canadian RR Histiory month. I though that 40 years was a long time that 2816 was not steamed, in 2001, but then I realised that the locos rescued from Barry scrapyard in South Wales UK which are being restored now for the first time, it will be over 40 years since they last steamed. Time flies indeed..
CM3Thanks for the Jack delano book info. Do you know if Jack Delano color photos have been published in a book .
LARS I checked out the Bar by the Track site, I tried to get to Tom's Canadian Passenger rrs but could not find it( the search was not any good) Can you help me to get to it. Another guy from the UK at the bar perhaps.
In the KC star it says they are going to have Kansas City's Oktoberfest at Union Station this year. They are going to bill it as the largest beer hall in North America. It is to be held Sept29-Oct1. Seeing this reminded me of a trip with Tom on Amtrak last December with the train late, I just had time to dash into Union Station and take some photos of the Jones train and the model railway set up there. For Model day I will post them,
This is a train which ran in Jones Store in Kansas City and had been restored after many years.
A great layout I thought
One more Bathams then RUTH.
Hi Tom and everyone, a round for the house.
rapidotrains 1st page is a hoot, thanks P
CM3 can I have your brain when you're done with it? Woefully undereducated, never heard of Jack Delano or the Farm Security Administration until Tom arranged for a Zephyr theme day. Googled a 1943 b&w of the CB&Q ticket window in Union Station.
Pete thanks for appreciating the fire barrel in the roundhouse and stuff like that. You are a credit to England and Missouri.
Try this for light reading and you be won't be any worse off I promise.
Letter to the Illinois State Journal by D.L. Phillips
A TRIP across the continent is no longer a noteworthy incident in the life of an American citizen. The Orient and the Occident are forever joined together by bands of iron and steel, and the great trans-continental highway, with one terminus holding the trade and commerce of the Atlantic and the other grasping the wealth of the Pacific, is too familiar to the reader to warrant the waste of either time or space in anything like an extended description.
To one who, like myself, had not visited the Pacific coast, the journey from Springfield, by the way of Chicago, to Omaha and San Francisco, was like a fairy tale--"a thing of beauty and a joy forever."
The country between Chicago and Omaha spanned by the Rock Island and Pacific railroad, is a magnificent portion of the great Valley of the Mississippi, of which no citizen of any one of the great central States of this Union can ever cease to be justly proud. In that great valley, and in those proud States, shall forever reside the all-controlling, coherent power which shall combine in one harmonious whole the family of
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States, which, for ages to come, shall grow and prosper as the homes of freemen on the American continent.
We had intended to go from Chicago to Omaha, over the Chicago and Northwestern railway, whose able and accomplished superintendent, Marvin Hughitt, Esq., had kindly furnished us transportation over his lines; but on the evening of the 8th instant he informed us that the floods, which then prevailed all over Western Iowa, had impeded travel on the Northwestern road, and advised us not to move until he had informed us, on the morning of the 9th, as to its condition. Early in the morning, he advised us that his lines were broken, and no trains for Omaha would attempt to leave Chicago that day. On inquiring, we learned that the Rock Island and Pacific railroad was undisturbed, and its trains would leave on time. Hugh Riddle, Esq., the general superintendent of the road, with that courtesy that marks so prominently his official life, and makes his lines so popular with the traveling public, furnished us with transportation over his road to Omaha, thus showing that an editor is not always unappreciated, and that railroad managers know how to sympathize with the feelings of one wending his weary way to a remote portion of the earth, seeking a new climate--a new atmosphere--in the hope of prolonging the life of an individual member of his family. In this public manner, the writer desires to say to Messrs. Hughitt and Riddle that their kindness and tender solicitude for the comfort and welfare of himself and son, an almost helpless invalid, will be garnered up among the precious treasures of memory, never to be forgotten, and will be worth far more than the silver of Nevada or the gold of California.
The trip to Omaha--or, rather, to Council Bluffs, the western terminus of the Rock Island and Pacific railroad--could not have been more pleasant. The management of the line seems to be almost perfect. From the terminal station of the five or six railways at Council Bluffs, it is, including the bridge across the Missouri river, about four miles to Omaha. These four miles, including the bridge, belong to a distinct corporation, independent of any of the roads on either side of the river. It is called the "Transfer Company," or something of that sort.
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No through trains are permitted to pass over it, and all baggage has to be transferred to the cars of this vile nuisance to the traveling public, and, to reach Omaha, each passenger has to get out of the cars on a platform, uncovered, and there remain till the "transfer train" comes over from Omaha to fleece him out of fifty cents for hauling him four miles. The roads centering at Council Bluffs are not permitted, except at rates that amount to downright robbery, to pass over this "transfer" piece of road into Omaha; nor is the Union Pacific railroad allowed to pass over to the point of the junction in Iowa, as it is tied up by contract, in some way, to the city of Omaha, to forever maintain its shops and eastern terminus in that city. Indeed, Omaha ought, it would seem, to remain perpetually the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific railroad, and those from the east ought to pass directly into the city, and the "transfer" outrage be wiped out
TRANSFER ANNOYANCES.
On the morning of the 10th instant, the Rock Island and Pacific railroad delivered, at the eastern end of this "transfer" line, in the open prairie, on the platform without cover, nine car loads of passengers--men, women and children. The baggage, that was checked through to Omaha, was unmercifully tumbled out of the cars on the platform, flung on trucks, and thence into ordinary box-cars, to be "transferred" to Omaha. The writer saw a lady, with three children, load her trunk and other articles of baggage on a truck, and haul it to the train, and with her own hands place it on the cars, to be taken across the river, while overgrown, lazy "galoots," in the employ of this corporation licensed to plunder passengers, were walking about, manifesting about as much interest in the passengers as they would have done in so many Texas steers. For more than an hour did we wait, when at last the "transfer train" arrived. It came, locomotive in front, and coupled on to the box-cars into which had been tumbled the baggage, express and mail matter. The engine was thus feruled at the head with box-cars and at the tail with passenger coaches. Of course there was a rush for the latter, when it was found that more
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than one-half of them were locked up. Those unlocked were speedily as much crammed as returning cars from a State fair, or on an excursion on the 4th of July; while the platforms on the locked cars were crowded to suffocation, and not for ten minutes--and until the absolute impossibility of crowding humanity any farther into the unlocked cars was evident--were the others opened. I heard a late Major General make a car smell of brimstone by his cogent expletives; he declared afterwards that he had not delivered himself, ore rotundo, so extensively for years before. The crowd indorsed all he said. The President, Attorney General, Congress--somebody--ought to break up this diabolical nuisance and steal.* That the commerce of six great lines of transportation--most of them land-grant roads--and the trade and travel over the Union and Central Pacific railroads (not only endowed by immense land grants, but subsidized by more than $60,000,000 of the money of the nation), should be subjected to this species of annoyance, outrage and legalized petty larceny--should be tolerated a single day--is an insult to the whole country. It is of no sort of importance who own and manage this bob-tailed corporate robber and perpetual nuisance. Let it be wiped out at once. Let every journal in the country denounce it until it no longer harasses trade, robs the public, and insults and outrages the whole traveling community over these great national highways.
[Note : Since the above was written, the Supreme Court of the United States has remedied the evil, in a final decision making Council Bluffs, in Iowa, the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific railroad.]
A HAPPY CHANGE.
At Omaha, the annoyances and troubles of the traveler cease. The excellence of the management of the Union Pacific railroad could not well be improved. A just sense of obligation to the traveler seems to manifest itself in every servant of the road, from the general superintendent down to the brakemen. Nothing necessary to the comfort of passengers is overlooked or omitted. The physical condition of the road is, in all respects, first-class, and the cars are as clean, airy and luxurious as any in the United States.
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Among the officers of the company, and as an old and warmly esteemed friend, I wish to make special mention of Thomas L. Kimball, Esq., the able, accomplished, faithful, and universally popular General Ticket and Passenger Agent of the road. Mr. Kimball has, measurably, spent his life in railroad service. He was long the western freight and passenger agent of the Pennsylvania Railway, in Chicago, from whence he was transferred to his present position at Omaha. This gentleman met us on the platform when we stepped from the dirty cars of the double-ender "transfer train," and if anything was omitted to make our trip to San Francisco comfortable and pleasant, neither Mr. Kimball nor the writer will ever know it. He secured our tickets, checked our baggage, selected our sleeping-berths--the very best in the sleeping car--and in these courtesies saved us the annoyances incident to standing for half an hour to get tickets and another half hour in checking baggage, each piece of which is carefully weighed if too heavy, and fifteen cents per pound charged on the excess of all baggage to San Francisco weighing over 100 pounds for each person. Ours, Mr. Kimball checked through in person. We speak especially of Mr. Kimball, first, as a friend and for his friendly offices, and in the second place, to commend one of the best officers we know of in the railroad service in the country.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COUNTRY.
The trains for San Francisco leave Omaha about noon. Nothing can be more pleasant than the afternoon run up the Platte river. A better country for agricultural purposes can not be found west of the Missouri than that which stretches back of Omaha for 350 miles, up the Platte Valley. Here the hardy emigrants of 1855-6, during the days of the Kansas troubles, found peaceful, quiet homes, and twenty years have filled this beautiful country with a population equal in industry, intelligence and morals to any in the country. Hundreds of great farms lie on each side of the river. Bright, cheerful residences greet the eye, and barns and out-buildings of all
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classes tell the story of an industrious, prosperous and happy people. We saw many thousands of acres of timber land, which were planted out many years ago, now ample for the farmers' use. There are beautiful groves, planted to screen the homestead from the northern winds and protect the stock, as well as vistas reaching far in the background to the bright and cheerful farm house, and hundreds of miles of trees are set out around the farms. Trees now from 50 to 100 feet high are seen in Nebraska, as you sweep across her vast fields of farm lands on your journey to the west, where, a few years ago, there was nothing but the grass of the plains.
It is not until you reach the western limits of Nebraska, and touch the eastern borders of Wyoming Territory, that the mountains are discovered. They are first seen about Bushnell, 460 miles west from Omaha. Here Pike's Peak, lying far to the southwest, in the Territory of Colorado, and other lofty peaks of the Rocky Mountains, are seen pushing their snowcapped summits high towards heaven, and gleaming in the sunlight like burnished silver. To the northwest lie the Black Hills, looking like banks of clouds piled up against the far distant horizon. As Cheyenne is approached, and the outlines of the mountains become more and more clearly defined, the vegetable kingdom fades out of sight. First the trees, then the grass, the weeds and flowers, and then all else save the perpetual, everlasting sage brush, which hangs on to the very waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Cheyenne is a place from whence supplies to the distant forts and mines will be sent for many years, and hence it will continue to be a place of much importance. It has many good and substantial brick houses, some fine stores and public buildings, and indicates a good degree of thrift and enterprise; but it has no trees, no shrubs, no flowers, no gardens. Around it, as far as the eye can reach, all is a barren, treeless and ashen waste.
West of Cheyenne, without any sharp curves or heavy grades, the summits of the mountains are reached at Sherman, the highest point between Omaha and San Francisco, being an elevation of 8,242 feet above the level of the sea. At this great
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altitude the air was piercing and cold, and from the rifting clouds eddying about the mountains, hail and snow came down enough to whiten the earth, and make one think of the chill days of December. The sensation produced by the rarity of the atmosphere at so great an elevation, is by no means pleasant. The face feels swollen with blood, the eyes are pained, the ears tingle and are uncomfortable, and the nostrils are hot and dry, and for the first and only time the writer's nose really bled. Headache was complained of by nearly all, and some invalids were much distressed for breath. The invalid son of the writer, however, experienced no inconvenience, but seemed to rather enjoy the inhalation of the chill and intensely rare air.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SCENERY.
The impressiveness of the scenery in the Rocky Mountains is not so overwhelming as the fancy of the poet would suggest. Gradually and steadily, for half a day, the mountains are approached. The ascending grades of the road bring you more and more to their level. You see no fearful yawning chasms below, nor cloud-piercing mountains hanging over you. The mighty hills continue their well-rounded and wavy successions upward and upward, while their summits are constantly and easily reached through depression succeeding depression, until the summit at Sherman is attained. Here the grandeur of the scenery reaches the sublime, and
"Rocks on rocks, promiscuous hurl'd,Seem fragments of a former world"
Pike's Peak, and many other historic elevations of these mountains, some of them 175 miles distant, are seen rearing their awful heads in the sky, seemingly only a few miles distant. The mountains are almost absolutely bare of verdure, and there is only here and there a stunted pine or oak, that seem to have warred forever for footholds in these scenes of weird and awful desolation.
From the summit the descent is rapid, and the only very noticeable point is Dale's Creek Bridge--a structure across a ravine, at the bottom of which lies the little silver thread of a stream, 126 feet below the rails. The bridge is of wood, some
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500 feet long, and the scenery from the center of it is really very fine.
But the grandest scenery is found in the Wahsatch Mountains, east of Ogden. The trains pick their way from cañon to cañon, while for many miles the mountains tower in vast beetling cliffs overhead, thousands of feet high. In the presence of such awfully sublime scenery one does not care to talk. Indeed, I noticed that there was not much conversation as we swept along and around these mighty monuments of Infinite Power, as well as mute but overwhelming witnesses of the littleness of man.
TOWNS, STATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS.
Of the towns, stations and dining places along the road, nestled in these mountain fastnesses, it is unnecessary to speak. They are small, but answer fully the ends and purposes for which they were intended. The eating places are all under railroad control, if not owned by the companies, and can not be too highly spoken of. The food is good, ample in variety, and ample time is given to eat it. At all these places, the railroad companies--both the Union and Central Pacific--have managed to have a cool front yard, some trees, shrubs and flowers, and a bubbling fountain with an irrigated garden in the rear. Sometimes the water is brought for many miles--in one instance I was told it was piped to the station from a point 15 miles distant. These are "oases" indeed. The force of that word never impressed my mind as during our trip over these roads.
On Weber river, some distance east of Ogden, are seen two Mormon settlements. They lie on both sides of Weber river, a stream about as large as Spring creek, near Springfield. Their lands are all irrigated. Their houses are small, and their farms match the houses, and I should think that the crops fitly harmonize with the houses and farms. The corn was dismally small, the potatoes looked small, and all else ran in the same groove. It seems to me that the Mormons pay a pretty high figure for their peculiar "twin relict of barbarism." I incline to the belief that, if Illinois farmers had to make livings on
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such places, the insane asylums would be crowded, the poor houses overrun and the coroners kept busy.
ON THE WESTWARD SLOPE.
At Ogden, the end of the Union Pacific railroad and the eastern terminus of the Central Pacific, the valley of Salt Lake is touched. Running around the northern extremity of the lake the great American Desert is reached. For 200 miles the country is arid, flat, without water, and as desolate as if, in anger, the Almighty had intended that the foot of man should never tread this desert waste. Dust--alkaline dust--filling the eyes, mouth, nose and lungs, and making one very impatient, is about all that need be said of this uninhabitable portion of the American Continent. At Halleck Station, 631 miles from San Francisco, are reached the waters of Humboldt river, which stream is followed by the railroad for over 300 miles, until, as the boys would say, it "runs into the ground," which is, I believe, literally true of this river, as it disappears in a lake of sand, called "Humboldt Sink." At Wadsworth, 329 miles from San Francisco, the line of railway strikes the valley of the Truckee river, and through the magnificent cañons and sublime scenery of the Sierra Nevada mountains, lying on the western side of the State of Nevada, at a point about 280 miles from San Francisco, the road enters the eastern side of the State of California. This point was reached in the night time. I had grown so tired of desert wastes and treeless mountains, that I sat up in my sleeping berth to catch the first view of the glorious pines of the Sierra Nevadas. As they began to appear, and the gleaming waters of the Truckee reflected their glittering sheen in the brilliant moonlight, the weariness of days of journeying was forgotten, and I literally feasted my eyes and rejoiced that I again saw trees and water. From this point until we reached Sacramento, the trees, the shrubs, the flowers, the gardens, the orchards, the vineyards, the houses and farms, the horses, the people, the mines (where placer digging has long since given way to the more expensive but successful hydraulic process,) the all but interminable water flumes, and many other things of interest, with the
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recollection of how this State was wrested from the unenterprising Mexican in 1846, and thereafter secured to freedom by the blood of Ferguson and Broderick, and the unquailing courage and eloquence of Baker, Lippincott, and a host of others--these objects and reflections occupied my thoughts, and I could hardly believe that we had reached the capital of California, until the long bridge across the American river, and the glittering dome of the capital, awoke me from my reverie.
THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY.
From Sacramento to San Francisco the distance is 140 miles. The country down the Valley of the Sacramento is as level as a floor, and aside from the towns, of which the pretty little cities of Stockton and Lathrop are the chief ones, there is little to interest the eye, except wind-mills, which no man can number, scattered all over the valley, to pump water. In some places the eye was actually teased and tantalized with these mills, and the impression would force itself on the mind that each farmer had tried to see how many he could put up. In some instances, both in the country and towns, they seemed actually perched up on the gable end of the family residence, and a tub or tank set up in the back yard, after the similitude of a railroad water tank, which is kept pumped full, both for domestic use and the irrigation of the garden. This is all right, as nothing ever freezes, so the pipes and hose are all safe; but the sensation of one of those wind-mill pumps, churning away almost on the top of the house, would, it seems, be about as unpleasant as it used to be to sleep in a room in a hotel adjoining an old-fashioned screw elevator. Besides, the things are not, to the eye, architecturally, a very handsome appendage to the finish of the house.
SAN FRANCISCO.
The approach to San Francisco, or to the head of the bay of that name, is through some treeless hills, anything but pleasing to the eye; but, as soon as the bay is in view, verdure and beauty break upon the senses in all directions, for the suburbs of Oakland, the prettiest city in California, are then reached.
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The evening of the day on which we arrived at San Francisco, after leaving Oakland and running out on the pier three miles into the bay, in the direction of San Francisco, was most uncomfortably cool. A heavy fog, late in the afternoon, invests the city at this time of the year, and the winds from the ocean are chilly and severe on persons of weak lungs or feeble constitutions. On reaching the city we drove at once to the Grand Hotel, where we kept a good fire burning in our rooms until we retired for the night. The next day a fire burned in our rooms all day, and was a most grateful relief from the chilly air and piercing wind which blew gently in the forenoon, and increased to a stiff breeze after 1 o'clock.
My impressions of San Francisco, its trade, banks, exchange and other things, must be reserved for another letter, as this is now far too long.
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., Sept. 27, 1875.
Merced Canyon http://memory.loc.gov/award/mhsdalad/290000//290015r.jpg
Mike
G'day Captain Tom and fellow travelers at the bar!
What a difference a day make, twenty four little hours . . . or so the song goes. Mid-week blahs perhaps
Ruth, set 'em up and I'll take a JD on the rocks - slide the snacks down my way, willya So, you're now on the clock as a full-timer, huh Good choice and just keep on doing what you do and all will be fine. Love what you do, by the way!
Took a visit away from our Forum and found a guy who is looking for what he calls paradise - a bar by the tracks! So, I invited him - and anyone else interested - to come over here! Check out the posting at: http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/893517/ShowPost.aspx and drop off an invitation!
Also "met" a guy from the UK on Tom's old thread - Canadian Passenger RRs - and invited him to stop by as well. Gotta do what must be done to attract (and keep) some new blood. Hope you guys will do the same while browsing elsewhere.
Nice 'special' for us today, Captain Tom - always enjoy those Canadian RR history pieces . . . good stuff!
Must wholeheartedly concur with the comments about our "Theme for the Day!" yesterday - worked extremely well. And, let's announce the next "up" - time is a wasting, as they say! <grin>
CM3 I'm not Shane - check this out regarding containers: http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=109670&ran=87860 (you may have to cut 'n paste this, as the forums seems to be giving me a hard time - what's new?)
I too am a bit short on gab today, so let me just adjourn to a table over by the windows and I'll watch the trains roll by . . . .
Good Morning Barkeep and All Present; coffee, please; round for the house and $ for the jukebox.
The CNW day turned out to be a good one. Thanks to all for history (Notes to Tom; Your historic CNW summary post did appear, but I think it walked here. Your Candian material was on the site this a.m. when I logged on; a task which took 15 minutes and 5 tries. Also the drumheads were a nice touch in one of your later submissions.
Thanks also for a fine selection of photos from different eras.
Rob with recycled Baldwins. Frisco and Rock Island were two other lines that recycled all kinds of power. Then there was the IC with their GP10 program, and ATSF CF7s, as well as SP. There’s a post in there somewhere.
Note to Lars: Thanks for the kind words. We can adjourn to the rat room to discuss merchant shipping. I see all kinds of containers on the road here as we are close by I-64. Can always tell when something has arrived at Norfolk.
Barndad’s posts of Jack Delano pictures have elicited many comments. I have one of his color shots as a screensaver. If you want to see more of his work, see if you can get a copy of a book titled Iron Horse at War. IMHO, it’s one of the best I have ever seen as it is a compilation of a lot of FSA railroad-related pictures. Another one which has some of Delano’s work in it is titled American Railroads in the Great Depression. Embedded in that book is a series of pictures taken in WV coalfields that is outstanding.
Another book, Documenting America: 1935-1943, has an extensive selection of Delano’s material focused on Union Station (Chicago) c. 1943. Some of the other photographers covered in this one include: Ben Shahn, John Vachon, Dorothea Lange (not the same stuff you see over and over again), Walker Evans (in New York City!), Arthur Rothstein, Marion Post Wolcott, Russell Lee, Gordon Parks, Margery Collins, Jack Collier, jr, and Esther Bubley. Some of these folks’ work is well-known today, while others deserve to be better known.
Work safe
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