If you had the chance to...............

[passengerfan]

I was fortunate enough to have several rides on the PIONEER ZEPHYR before it went to the museum. But in its last couple of years of service it wasn's the glamor king it once had been. It ran out of St. Joseph its final couple of years and more often than not it would return behind a diesel after breaking down somewhere on its route to Lincoln and return. The St. Joseph mechanical forces had very little good to say about the Pioneer Zephyr and were quite happy to have it donated to a museum. Most parts for the engine had to be hand made as it had been years since the old Winton diesel had been built. The St. Joseph shops were not much on washing the stainless steel streamliner and it often appeared unkempt its last couple of years in service. It was still a thrill to ride this early streamliner and have many fond memories.

[passengerfan]

I was fortunate enough to have several rides on the PIONEER ZEPHYR before it went to the museum. But in its last couple of years of service it wasn's the glamor king it once had been. It ran out of St. Joseph its final couple of years and more often than not it would return behind a diesel after breaking down somewhere on its route to Lincoln and return. The St. Joseph mechanical forces had very little good to say about the Pioneer Zephyr and were quite happy to have it donated to a museum. Most parts for the engine had to be hand made as it had been years since the old Winton diesel had been built. The St. Joseph shops were not much on washing the stainless steel streamliner and it often appeared unkempt its last couple of years in service. It was still a thrill to ride this early streamliner and have many fond memories.

[cnw1995]

I would've loved to ride any sort of passenger train, but I would choose a Zephyr or one of the North Shore Line streamliners.

[cnw1995]

I would've loved to ride any sort of passenger train, but I would choose a Zephyr or one of the North Shore Line streamliners.

[passengerfan]

I was also fortunate to have ridden the Electroliners before all CNS&M service ended and remember the Hamburger was particularly good. I was also fortunate to have ridden the Pacific Electric its last year of operation between downtown Long Beach and Los Angeles. The USO club in LA was only a couple of blocks from the PE terminal and many service men rode the PE to Long Beach returning to their ships. I was probably the only Railfan in the service at the time who rode the PE, Pioneer Zephyr and the Electroliners. I also remember traveling on the American Royal Zephyr overnight between Chicago and St. Joseph in a upper berth and returning to Chicago on the Kansas City Zephyr in the Parlor Observation where I caught the electroliner home. None of these trains are in service today but they talk about the new services available in southern California but it was my understanding that the PE as i remember it took one hour to go from Longe Beach to Los Angeles with numerous stops and they replaced it with the bus service called the freeway flyer between downtown Long Beach and LA and it made no stops and took an hour and one-half and that was called progress.

[passengerfan]

I was also fortunate to have ridden the Electroliners before all CNS&M service ended and remember the Hamburger was particularly good. I was also fortunate to have ridden the Pacific Electric its last year of operation between downtown Long Beach and Los Angeles. The USO club in LA was only a couple of blocks from the PE terminal and many service men rode the PE to Long Beach returning to their ships. I was probably the only Railfan in the service at the time who rode the PE, Pioneer Zephyr and the Electroliners. I also remember traveling on the American Royal Zephyr overnight between Chicago and St. Joseph in a upper berth and returning to Chicago on the Kansas City Zephyr in the Parlor Observation where I caught the electroliner home. None of these trains are in service today but they talk about the new services available in southern California but it was my understanding that the PE as i remember it took one hour to go from Longe Beach to Los Angeles with numerous stops and they replaced it with the bus service called the freeway flyer between downtown Long Beach and LA and it made no stops and took an hour and one-half and that was called progress.

[gbrewer]

I had a chance to ride both the original California Zephyr and the CNS&M Electorliner. I wrote a little article about riding the Electorliner. It is available online if you are interested:
http://homestaydenver.com/northshore

[gbrewer]

I had a chance to ride both the original California Zephyr and the CNS&M Electorliner. I wrote a little article about riding the Electorliner. It is available online if you are interested:
http://homestaydenver.com/northshore

[Anonymous]

Without a doubt, teh 1938 20th Century Limited. In my opinion it was the epitome of railroad excellence in color, interior and service. And I'm a PRR fan!
If I were to rebuild a heavyweight train I'd choose the 1930Congressional. All Pullman parlor car with a buffet at the head end, several parlors, a PRR diner, and the parlor obs buffet at the end.

By the by...The reason North Shore Line's "Electroburger," the hamburger served on the Electroliner, was so remarkable was that it was tenderloin. Not a chopped version of other cuts of beef. In essence a chopped filet mignon with a little extra fat added for frying. That was a good quarter pounder.

Mitch

[Anonymous]

Without a doubt, teh 1938 20th Century Limited. In my opinion it was the epitome of railroad excellence in color, interior and service. And I'm a PRR fan!
If I were to rebuild a heavyweight train I'd choose the 1930Congressional. All Pullman parlor car with a buffet at the head end, several parlors, a PRR diner, and the parlor obs buffet at the end.

By the by...The reason North Shore Line's "Electroburger," the hamburger served on the Electroliner, was so remarkable was that it was tenderloin. Not a chopped version of other cuts of beef. In essence a chopped filet mignon with a little extra fat added for frying. That was a good quarter pounder.

Mitch

[ZephyrOverland]

decisions, decisions........

My streamlined nomination would be the stillborn Chessie. That train had interior design features that made it unique and would have been a delight to ride.

For the heavyweight nomination, it would have to be the late 1920's version of the 20th Century Limited. It epitimized the concept of first class Pullman travel at the height of the American passenger train.

Runners up include:
Super Chief - the first streamlined version
Santa Fe de-Luxe - "extra fine, extra fast, extra fare" - another example of high-end first class train travel

[ZephyrOverland]

decisions, decisions........

My streamlined nomination would be the stillborn Chessie. That train had interior design features that made it unique and would have been a delight to ride.

For the heavyweight nomination, it would have to be the late 1920's version of the 20th Century Limited. It epitimized the concept of first class Pullman travel at the height of the American passenger train.

Runners up include:
Super Chief - the first streamlined version
Santa Fe de-Luxe - "extra fine, extra fast, extra fare" - another example of high-end first class train travel

[Anonymous]

I would go for the best of both worlds with the Olympian Hiawatha of 1947. All but the last 2 cars were the newest of streamliners, painted in that futuristic Brooks Stevens scheme. The last 2 cars were a heavyweight 6-6 Pullman and a 3-2-observation lounge with an open platform on the back.

Imagine racing between Chicago and the Twin Cities on one of the fastest schedules in the country (definitely the fastest for a train with an open-platform obs!) If you were really lucky, one of the streamlined F7s would be on the point, substituting for the usual E7 diesels (it happened, sometimes).

Then snake through the Rockies and the Cascade Range behind chrome-faced Erie Builts, waving to the crews from time to time on their box cab freight motors....

[Anonymous]

I would go for the best of both worlds with the Olympian Hiawatha of 1947. All but the last 2 cars were the newest of streamliners, painted in that futuristic Brooks Stevens scheme. The last 2 cars were a heavyweight 6-6 Pullman and a 3-2-observation lounge with an open platform on the back.

Imagine racing between Chicago and the Twin Cities on one of the fastest schedules in the country (definitely the fastest for a train with an open-platform obs!) If you were really lucky, one of the streamlined F7s would be on the point, substituting for the usual E7 diesels (it happened, sometimes).

Then snake through the Rockies and the Cascade Range behind chrome-faced Erie Builts, waving to the crews from time to time on their box cab freight motors....

[Anonymous]

Go back into the time machine. When I was little, we lived in Wichita,KS next to the Santa Fe trks. From 1965-1972 I can recall lots from that span including the pre Amtrks. What I would like to do is sit on the front porch starting in 1887 when that old house was built, and progres say every five yrs until the mid 60's watching the trains, riding trains and seeing the many changes take place. Have always had an interest in what that area was like before my time. Probably sounds corny but that is what I'd like to do

[Anonymous]

Go back into the time machine. When I was little, we lived in Wichita,KS next to the Santa Fe trks. From 1965-1972 I can recall lots from that span including the pre Amtrks. What I would like to do is sit on the front porch starting in 1887 when that old house was built, and progres say every five yrs until the mid 60's watching the trains, riding trains and seeing the many changes take place. Have always had an interest in what that area was like before my time. Probably sounds corny but that is what I'd like to do

[Anonymous]

Broadway Limited with a GG1from NYC to Harrisburg, then K-4 to Chicago. My Grandfather was an executive with the NYC, and is probably turning over in his grave! Sorry Pappi!! [;)][angel]

[Anonymous]

Broadway Limited with a GG1from NYC to Harrisburg, then K-4 to Chicago. My Grandfather was an executive with the NYC, and is probably turning over in his grave! Sorry Pappi!! [;)][angel]

[NW_611]

Good thing someone split it between steam and diesel power; I'll take that one step further and add electric:

Steam: The Norfolk and Western's Powhatan Arrow. It'd be a perfect match for the most elegant 4-8-4 ever designed---no Day-Glo loco need apply.

Diesel: The Pennsylvania's Broadway Limited, circa 1949 or so once they got the E7/E8 motive power in Tuscan red with the similarly-colored lightweight coaches.

Electric: The Pennsylvania's Morning Congressional, with a Tuscan red GG1 on the point and the stainless steel post-war equipment, as profiled in Dream Trains a while back.

Runners-up include: The Lackawanna's Phoebe Snow, the Western Pacific section of the California Zephyr, and perhaps the Northern Pacific's North Coast Limited. Throw the Delaware & Hudson's 1970s Laurentian and the Lehigh Valley's 1950s Black Diamond in there as well; they've got a certain common denominator that would make them worth having.

And just for kicks and to annoy people, resurrect the Broadway Limited with everything in as-new condition, lettered and liveried for the Penn Central.

[NW_611]

Good thing someone split it between steam and diesel power; I'll take that one step further and add electric:

Steam: The Norfolk and Western's Powhatan Arrow. It'd be a perfect match for the most elegant 4-8-4 ever designed---no Day-Glo loco need apply.

Diesel: The Pennsylvania's Broadway Limited, circa 1949 or so once they got the E7/E8 motive power in Tuscan red with the similarly-colored lightweight coaches.

Electric: The Pennsylvania's Morning Congressional, with a Tuscan red GG1 on the point and the stainless steel post-war equipment, as profiled in Dream Trains a while back.

Runners-up include: The Lackawanna's Phoebe Snow, the Western Pacific section of the California Zephyr, and perhaps the Northern Pacific's North Coast Limited. Throw the Delaware & Hudson's 1970s Laurentian and the Lehigh Valley's 1950s Black Diamond in there as well; they've got a certain common denominator that would make them worth having.

And just for kicks and to annoy people, resurrect the Broadway Limited with everything in as-new condition, lettered and liveried for the Penn Central.

[jlampke]

Money no object, you say? All the remaining unrestored 4-8-4's in North America that are sitting around rotting in parks or in storage, fully restored to full operational condition, used to pull regularly scheduled excursion trains, the cars of subject trains to be made up of pre-W.W.2 vintage fully restored Pullman passenger equipment.

[jlampke]

Money no object, you say? All the remaining unrestored 4-8-4's in North America that are sitting around rotting in parks or in storage, fully restored to full operational condition, used to pull regularly scheduled excursion trains, the cars of subject trains to be made up of pre-W.W.2 vintage fully restored Pullman passenger equipment.

[trainboyH16-44]

I'd have VIA repaint the Canadian into old CP, and get them to run it with F7s and 9s. All in red and gray, of course.
Trainboy

[trainboyH16-44]

I'd have VIA repaint the Canadian into old CP, and get them to run it with F7s and 9s. All in red and gray, of course.
Trainboy

[PBenham]

Here I go again! I'd bring back the Valley's flagship: the Black Diamond, but which one? The down on its luck [%-)]dieselized version I'd relate to best, or one with brand new pullman parlor cars, a full diner, and standard coaches, with a K5 Pacific leading! Decisions, decisions.

[PBenham]

Here I go again! I'd bring back the Valley's flagship: the Black Diamond, but which one? The down on its luck [%-)]dieselized version I'd relate to best, or one with brand new pullman parlor cars, a full diner, and standard coaches, with a K5 Pacific leading! Decisions, decisions.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mcfarrand

"Somewhere deep buried in the consciousness of every American there lies the image of a steam locomotive..." Unattributed quote from The Age of Steam, Beebe/Clegg 1957

The sound of a steam locomotive is something I hope I never forget.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mcfarrand

"Somewhere deep buried in the consciousness of every American there lies the image of a steam locomotive..." Unattributed quote from The Age of Steam, Beebe/Clegg 1957

The sound of a steam locomotive is something I hope I never forget.

[artpeterson]

I'll vote for the postwar "Century" with "Hickory Creek" on the tail end, E7s up front, etc.

[artpeterson]

I'll vote for the postwar "Century" with "Hickory Creek" on the tail end, E7s up front, etc.