Trains.com

"Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Locked

977512 views
4001 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 4:30 PM

Good day Tom and all in attendance. Drinks all around and Guinness for me. It's still hot down here. I have to change clothes 3 to 4 times a day and shower twice at least.

Today's calendar: My favorite is coming soon.

Tom: I wonder if you got to see "Into Alaska with Jeff Corwin" on the travel channel, last night. It showed some nice scenics of Alaska taken from the Alaska RR with vista domes in tow.

Lars: That shot of the "Abraham Lincoln 4-4-4" is unusual. I have never seen an American steamer with the type of smokebox fastening system usually seen on British locomotives. Is it possible that engine was built in the UK and sent to the B & O for a special occasion?

Eric: I figured that AEM-7 had some link to Europe (Scandinavia to be more precise). I wouldn't have any opportunity to see one down here. (no electrification). I'm glad to see Amtrak is doing something right for a change.

Jan: Have another Guinness on me

CM3: I went to the link for the Commemorative Air Force. The sound of the P-38 was truly awesome. Thanks to guys like you to expand our horizons to stuff we would not think of checking out. Pretty soon I'm going to have to get a bigger computer to hold all my favorite links.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: GB
  • 376 posts
Posted by JanOlov on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 2:31 PM

Good evening Tom and fellow bar visitors...

May I please have an extra cold Guinness, top up and cigars please for the boys?

And few $$$ as well for cigar box and Mr Wurlitzer.

Tom, got to love those ads! That is some nice artwork. I really look forward to see more of them....

coalminer3, well, I think that this might be their season....I hope. Tell me though, I'm right thinking that they've never won the SUPER BOWL?

Oh! I just wanted to show you this picture from Yesteryeardepot....what a show, eh!?

TEHACHAPI 3-SP cab-forwards

This has got to be one of the most definitive shots ever taken of
Tehachapi Loop.  In it photographer Ted Hopping managed to capture
three Southern Pacific cab-forwards in a single train going up-
grade.  Further, this view was far enough back so that he got
almost all of the loop in focus.  Finally, Mother-nature added
a cold, overcast, rainy day and the stage was set for steam
power on Tehachapi at its finest!

Photographer:  Ted Hopping

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket All the best! Jan
  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA
  • 7,214 posts
"Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment!
Posted by siberianmo on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 10:09 AM

G'day Gents!

Good to see our WVA Connection - CM3 Shane - on board this AM - however, sorry to learn he may not be with us tomorrow! Priorities, priorities . . . <grin>

Something to liven up the joint this fine day!

 

 

 

 

Now Arriving on Track #1

Six Pack Special Number Two

RR advertisements from the Classic Era

 

 

 

 

Atlantic Coast Line

 

Santa Fe

 

Union Pacific

 

Illinois Central

 

Railway Express

German Railways

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy! Thumbs Up [tup]

Tom Captain [4:-)] Pirate [oX)]

Happy Railroading! Siberianmo
  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: WV
  • 1,251 posts
Posted by coalminer3 on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 8:40 AM

Good Morning Barkeep and all Present; coffee, please; round for the house, and $ for the jukebox.  We have had a little rain (first time in approx 6 weeks) overnight, but it's not even put a dent in anything.

DL - Thanks for the summary of the high speed "record run."  The information you have on the LEV is the most current out there.  Nobody studies history, but the New Haven had Mack Railbuses which got into all sorts of trouble because they did not activate signals - suddenly, we have a "train" out there but we don't know where it is.

Let's see, you want to know about aircraft preservation.  Many private groups are involved with this sort of thing. One of the best known is the Commemorative air Force (the used to be the Confederate Air Force, but PC will be PC).  Their website follows.  Incidentally, listen to the audioclip of the P38; it'll curl your hair. 

http://www.realtime.net/centex/

The US Air Force Museum is at Wright-Patterson in Dayton, OH - appropriate, I think.  Their website is insane - you can spend a month or so looking at all of the material.

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/  Have fun, and don't say I didn't warn you.

DD1 sent another PRR picture.  Steel King is a good one.  IMHO, Teller did not take all that much license with the houses in the picture you posted yesterday. 

Lars forwarded comments and some good steam pictures - Enquiring minds want to know; after Eli?  Gonna be a long season. 

Eric - I watched the Ravens and the Bengals last night - the late game started WAY LATE for me as we are up and at ‘em around 5 a.m.  Anyway, neither the Bengals nor the Ravens seemed to want the victory.  I still don't understand why the Ravens chose to throw on short yardage close to the goal line late in the game.  My son almost threw the TV out the window. 

Jan - Careful now.  The Vikings have been known to be a first half of the season team - oh well, that's why they play.

My compliments on a nice selection of SP pictures.  The picture with the kids at Salinas was great - try and do that today (unhand me Awk, that's all I'm going to say).  The shot at Cuesta with the  helper was a good one.  BTW, engineering folks in the group; take a look at the track in those pictures - don't see it like that hardly anywhere now. 

OSP - Hockey?  October 3.  Thanks for the CP material.  It looks as if they are going to be getting into the coal business in a big way.

I will try and be online tomorrow, but it doesn't look too promising.

Work safe  

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA
  • 7,214 posts
"Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment!
Posted by siberianmo on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 7:01 AM

<personal foto>

G'day Gents!

Today is the 62nd B'day for a guy who has been long gone from this Saloon by the Siding. Normally I haven't acknowledged those in the Legion of the Lost - however - Per (marthastrainyard) has contacted me with assurances that he will be returning. So with that in mind - Happy B-Day [bday] to our Cowboy [C):-)] Resident Texas Swede! Happy B-Day [bday] Hope to "see" you at the bar real soon! Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup]

Time again to fill up the coffee mugs, grab a few pastries from The Mentor Village Bakery case ‘n order a <light> or <traditional> breakfast! Next to having it all served up in the Penthouse Suite, what better way to begin the day Question [?] Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

 

Comments from the Proprietor:

Well, we KNOW what today is, don't we Question [?] Some positive thoughts for such a negative event - if we can! Thumbs Up [tup]

Customer Acknowledgments (since my last narrative)

Jan (JanOlov) at 8:29 AM Monday - Sep 10th: A visit replete with MORE RR lyrics ‘n supporting fotos! Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup]

Seems you are more American than Swede! <grin> You surely have a "thing" for U.S. railroading - all aspects at that. Nicely done! Yeah!! [yeah]

Again - "top up," bucks for the cigar box ‘n Herr Wulitzer's Coal Scuttle much appreciated!

CM3 Shane (coalminer3) at 9:13 AM Monday - Sep 10th: My NEW hardcover "The Killing of History" arrived yesterday! Now to read it . . . easier said than done. I've gotten way behind in my reading, but WILL most assuredly do that very thing. I found it on the web, even though long out of print. A couple of extra bucks, but . . . Thumbs Up [tup] 

Spent far too much time in front of the "tube" Sunday ‘n it all began at noon with the "Lambs" of St. Louis hosting a better team from Carolina.

Not a pleasant situation up in Buffalo . . .

Then came the Dead Birds who were out in the desert determined to snatch another loss from the jaws of victory. Ugggggggggggh. Was far too weary to watch the Jints at night - although I did peek in from time to time to pick up on the offensive show that it turned out to be.  Dropped another to the Cubs yesterday - actually got STOMPED, big time! <ugh>

On the more serious side, seems that the Cards are really hurting with Chris Duncan the latest to fall with his "sports hernia" problem. That explains why he's been rather pathetic at bat for several weeks. King Albert is a mere shadow of past seasons (and still batting over .300!!), but the rest of the MV3 haven't done diddley squat - Rolen out for another surgery ‘n California Surfer Dude Jimmy being more off than on. Can't forget the season ending injury to Juan Encarnacion. Throw in the pitiful starting pitching more times than not, and it's easy to see why the team is simply wallowing. I think the credit for successes they've had surely has to go to the guys from the bench and those minor leaguers who have excelled when called up. Oh well . . . wait ‘til next year. <grin>

So when does the NHL begin for real Question [?]

Watched a couple of WWI DVDs this week - All Is Quiet on the Western Front (modern version) - and - The Lost Battalion. Hadn't seen either before 'n will add them to the "list" for showing. Glad you approve of the Emporiums weekly bill o'fare! Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

As always, a fine Monday entry with all sorts of insights! Quarters ‘n round didn't "hurt" either! Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

Dan (DL-UK) at 10:17 AM ‘n 11:58 AM Monday - Sep 10th: Yeah, I've suspected that Wolfman Pete is "up" to something, especially when I picked up on the contents of that bag he's always carrying. A roll of duct tape - hood with NO eye holes - wrist cuffs of plastic - knock out drops - ‘n airline tickets made out in my name for the UK. Hmmmmmmm. <grin>

In all the times I've frequented Toronto's Union Station, I've never taken advantage of any of the more organized tours. The one you provided seems like something to do, fer sure, fer sure. That's a storied place with a storied past ‘n it truly is a wonder that it is still standing intact. So much of it being unused with relatively few passenger trains in comparison with the capacity of years gone by. I'd guess the destroyers, developers ‘n real estate people would love to get hold of that land. A far smaller facility could easily handle the trains arriving ‘n departing the area . . . <sad>

I don't know this for certain, but after "911," the available funding for the mid-west hi-speed rail initiative seemed to dry up. Our treasury, contrary to world opinion, is not comprised of an infinite amount of gold bri

Happy Railroading! Siberianmo
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: GB
  • 376 posts
Posted by JanOlov on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 7:00 AM

Greetings Tom and all....

Could I please have an extra cold Gunniess for myself and a large top up for the boys? Well, the kitchen is spotless and ready for all your needs and wishes... Not much else to do when our place is closed on Sundays...Sigh [sigh]Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg] All the cutlery and pots etc are as I said spotless and shiny. Almost a shame to use them again....Whistling [:-^]

Tom, nice CP adverts for Canadian. Thumbs Up [tup] Was CN "Super Continental" as popular as CP streamliner?

DL - UK, If you ask me DL, ANY piston engine from WWI and WWII is pure music to my ears....just like the sound of steamlocomotive. Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

DD1, another nice PRR calendar picture. Thumbs Up [tup] One of my best friends was a sailor for quite a few years. Now he's suffering from Malaria. Imagine his surprise when the doctor told him that.

Da Larsman, aaaww.... isn't that a shame? Did your teams not do well tsk tsk...Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]Laugh [(-D]Laugh [(-D]. Great shots of sweet looking steamers. Thumbs Up [tup] You're a hard man to keep up with. Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg] I'm looking forward to your next set. Bow [bow] Hmmm...suddenly have the feeling that I've forgot something important...Confused [%-)] Aaah, right! GO VIKINGS!!!!

EricX2000, you know what mate? I think that we should stock up here to wait and see who shows up later from the penthouse and maybe get some damaging pictures....Whistling [:-^]Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg] I'll see what more songs that I can find with a train connection...

SP 4412 on test run of new Daylight.

Southern Pacific GS2 4-8-4, #4412, is seen on test
run of the new "Daylight Limited" near Aromas,
California.  The train is running as second section
of 2-70, 1937.

The 1937 conversation over at the enginehouse at
Watsonville Junction went something like this between
Fred Stoes and the mechanic. "Yep, Fred! I'd be out
their along the main somewhere today with your camera
come train time for the #70.  The brass are running a
second section of the "Coaster." It is the first test
run of the complete new 'Daylight Limited' and, of course,
they don't want anyone to know!"

In short order Fred found himself set up along the high
curve at Aromas, California. It was cold from the high
fog that hung over the Pajaro Valley.  The wind was
slightly blowing, moving the clouds around.  And then he
heard it.  Off in the distance the mornful cry of the air
horn on GS #4412 broke the silence of the quiet surrounding
countryside. In almost no time at all, as if out of Camelot,
there it was in its sleek warm colored body pounding the
mainline rails at speed, 79mph.  The shutter clicked. This
stunning image was the result.

Photograph by Fred C. Stoes

SP 4412/Daylight, SLO-Horseshoe Curve

July 4th, 1937:  The curve near Cuesta has just been
reballasted. As the new Daylight tried to round the
upgrade curve the locomotive drivers could not gain
traction.  Finally a 2-10-2 was called out from San Luis
Obispo to add a little tractive effort.  The entire
time photographer Stoes just waited.  The final picture.

Photograph by:  Fred C. Stoes

1st trial Daylight at Salinas, 1937

Arriving as the second section of westbound #69, the
first public Daylight Limited arrives in Salinas.
Note the children running alongside as the big engine
comes to a halt.

1st Daylight at Salinas, 1937 #2

The first public Daylight Limited has arrived in
Salinas, California.  Officials, politicos, Rodeo
representatives, and the general public are on hand
for the event.

SP 4415 on new Daylight Limited, 1937

Southern Pacific #4415 on the Los Angeles bound Daylight
is bringing on the charge as it picks up speed after
coming  out of the curving Pajaro Gap and into the "
Valley of the Birds."

Photograph by:  Fred C: Stoes

SP 4415 on new Daylight Limited, 1937

This original 1937 view depicts a brand new, high speed,
eastbound, Southern Pacific "Daylight Limited" pickin' em
up and layin' em down on the two track main near Logan,
Califonia.

Photograph by:  Fred C: Stoes

Southern Pacific 4-8-4 #4420 train #72

Photographing a Daylight locomotive coming at you at
79mph means you have to determine the depth of field.
In this shot #4420 is in focus at speed.  Everything
else is a blur!  Under test, 1937.

Photograph by:  Fred C. Stoes

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket All the best! Jan
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Phoenix, AZ
  • 683 posts
Posted by EricX2000 on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 1:37 AM

Good morning Captain Tom and Gentlemen!!

Leon, still awake? Yeah, I'll have an early breakfast. French toast, syrup and powder sugar, a large OJ and coffee! Thank you!

Monday, Monday. It says it all. For another 101 days.

Tom –  Thanks for the Sunderland link!Thumbs Up [tup] Interesting info!Yeah!! [yeah]

Cards lost another one in Chicago tonight.Oops [oops] Right now the Buzzards are losing (?) their game against the 49:ers. Yeah, they lost when it was 22 seconds remaining! Why am I not surprised?Grumpy [|(]

Nice ad for the only remaining (?) classic train today, the Canadian!Thumbs Up [tup]

JanOlov –  I guess you also recognized the laughter from the Penthouse Suite? Not much to look into, all facts are obvious!Mischief [:-,]

Today you found songs that I don’t think I’ve ever heard!Smile [:)]
Interesting pictures of engineer Malloy and fireman Shephard!Thumbs Up [tup]

CM3 –  Thanks, it is nice to be back to more normal days even if it was nice to have so many weeks off. Kind of a retirement rehearsal.Wink [;)]

I don’t remember if they built the building around the Sunderland or not.Confused [%-)] I took that picture 1979.

Dan –  No apoligies necessary, I read your comments and found them very interesting and I must say I agree with everything you said! Smile [:)]

The Sunderland is an impressive airplane.Yeah!! [yeah] Fascinating.

I can imagine the sound of those four engines of the Lancaster was nice to listen to! I am afraid I don’t have the answer to your question if USAF is sponsoring the retention of any old aircraft.

Ron –  The Amtrak electric, AEM-7, is basically the same locomotive (based on) as the Swedish Class Rc4. Amtrak tested a Swedish Rc4 back in 1976 and liked it. The result was/is AEM-7.
The picture below shows Rc1 #1018. Rc1 looks almost exactly the same as Rc4 on the outside. I couldn't find any picture of a Rc4 right now.




Lars –  Interesting locomotives!Thumbs Up [tup] I think that picture number two from the top actually is showing B&O 4-4-4 Lady Baltimore, not Abraham Lincoln.

B&O had 20 Class P-7, 4-6-2, that were named after the 21 first presidents of the US. One of those locos represented both John Adams and John Quincy Adams.

 

 

Eric 

  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: northeast U.S.
  • 1,225 posts
"Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment!
Posted by LoveDomes on Monday, September 10, 2007 2:28 PM

Ahoy Cap'n Tom ‘n fellow travelers at the bar!

Ruth my deAH it's time for a tall, cold one - make it a Piels if you will ‘n slide the snack tray down my way wudja please Question [?] My, my you are lookin' mighty fine to these old eys. <blush>

Boris, the crittAHs are lined up - it's feeding time once agan! Once done, that small jar of PPF is yours! Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

NFL report: NOT a good start for my "home" teams - Giants had no defense and the Jets got stomped. Well, 15 more to go! Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg] Mets have a comfortable lead though! Yeah!! [yeah]

Appears we had one of those extra special Sundays ‘round the Watering Hole by the Wayside. Even though we were CLOSED yesterday, there's all kinds of great stuff just waitin' to be absorbed by the crew. Hope they do! Nice work, gents! Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup]

Sorry there's no specifics today. Gotta get going on finishing the RR Book Relay ‘n get it mailed! Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg] So, IF I've failed to address a specific question or comment, PLEASE drop it my way one more time! Thumbs Up [tup]

Good to see so many "in" today - Jan - CM3 I'm NOT Shane! - Dan - Ron - all most welcome ‘n appreciated! Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup]

Some steam locos for this Monday . . .

IC 2-8-4 #8049 (from: www.yesteryeardepot.com) Photo: Paul Eilenburger

B&O 4-4-4 Lady Baltimore Loco #1 (from: www.yestyeardepot.com)

PRR K4 4-6-2 (1948) (from: yesteryeardepot.com)(photo: Fred C. Stoes)

CN #1560 4-6-0 (from: www.yesteryeardepot.com)

CN #6149 4-8-2 (from: www.yesteryeardepot.com)

Ruth my deAH, we bettAH get a move on - time to catch up on that <ahem> admin stuff that's pile up since Friday! WondAH what in the world Eric was inferring <again> Question [?] Hmmmmm.

Boris, ring the ding ‘n drinks all around . . . Thumbs Up [tup]

Until the next time! Thumbs Up [tup]

Lars

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 10, 2007 12:55 PM

Good day Tom and all present. Drinks for the house. I'll have a hot pastrami on rye with Coleman's mustard and a dill on the side. Today's calendar:

Jan: Some mighty nice pictures and history of 4-8-4's. They must have been awesome to watch in person. I haven't been around trains lately, especially passenger, but the shot of the Amtrak electric at Union Station is the first I've seen. They have that European look that I like. Maybe if it was painted a single color instead of the Amtrak colors, it would look better. I also liked the pictures of engineer Malloy. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a locomotive engineer, so I ended up as a marine engineer in ship design.

Tom: I realize it's football season again, but I don't follow it much anymore. I used to be a big fan of the SF 49er's when Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott were in the line-up. They were role models a kid could look up to. The game just doesn't hold the same interest as it did 25 years ago. Steve Young and Steve Bono kept the team alive for a while, but now it's just a shadow of it's once greatness. The same goes for the N.Y. Giants. Anyway, I don't want to spend time watching sports when I can be playing at trains. Time is getting short.

CM3: Yeah, your right about those houses backed up to the ROW. I'll bet the place would shake every time a train went by. I think Teller may have taken some "artistic license". Gas down here is $2.73 and that's for name brand gas (Texaco). BP is always the most expensive around these parts. My Silverado runs good on any brand of gas, so I buy the cheapest. The rubber tired loco, was taken in Philadelphia. I suspect the yard switchers from Alco, Baldwin and FM, eventually displaced the RTL's. Thanks for the machinery title. I'll see if I can find it. I used to collect old PM, PS, MI and S&M magazines. I had them back from the early 20's. I would pick them up at used book stores in N.Y.C. It was interesting to me to see the inventions (some good, some goofy) like the crutch for a 3 legged dog. I should have recognized the picture of the USS Nautilus since I worked on the refueling of the reactor in Portsmouth, N.H. in 1962. One of my jobs was to design a rail car to transport a very radioactive coolant pump to a site way out west. It was a nightmare for the railroads as they had to plan the route away from populated areas. Since I brought it up, maybe there is something on the web about that car. I'll have to check.

DL: That tour of the Toronto station sounds like a great idea. I wonder if such tours exist in the U.S. for Grand Central, Union Station's, etc. Railroad stations were regarded as prime architecture. Little cost was spared in designing stations, as they were considered a  representation of  a great and mighty railroad. The same regard was given to banks and government edifices.

I think one has to take into consideration who the principal rider-ship of a high speed train would be. Would it be the business traveler or vacationer. I don't see commuters traveling more than 100 miles from home on a regular basis. It must also be able to compete with air travel, not on price, but on time. Today's travel by air has been seriously affected by security concerns which can add 4 hours or more to a round trip. Trains could compete time wise between larger metropolitan areas, but security could again become a factor. Trains and especially trackwork is easily sabotaged and security could easily be compromised by terrorists.

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • 280 posts
Posted by DL - UK on Monday, September 10, 2007 11:58 AM

Hello all

I'll have another beer please - one of the Batham's that Pete has often ordered - someone better drink it in his absence!

Forgot to mention when we were discussing aircraft that on Saturday afternoon I was sitting in my living room doing pretty much nothing of note when I heard the sound of a piston engine aircraft flying rather low - I did not think too much of it until I heard it again but could see nothing from the window - heard it a third time and decided to go out into the street to have a decent look - it turned out to be the sound of the RAF Memorial Flight Avro Lancaster doing circuits of our City Centre to mark a commemoration.

The memorial flight is retained by the RAF as a sort of ‘flying tribute' - they fly keep 1 Lancaster, 2 Hawker Hurricane and I think 5 Supermarine Spitfires in flying condition.

This of course is the only other airworthy Lancaster besides the one in the Hamilton Warplane Museum Canada - so I'd seen both airworthy Lancasters in the space of about 3 weeks!

I must say it was a superb sight to see this aircraft flying low, and even better to hear the sound of those Rolls Royce engines. There's just nothing like that sound so it was no wonder the first hearing of it caught my attention.

Some more information is here:

http://www.bbmf.co.uk/bomber.html

Just wish I'd known about it earlier and I could have positioned myself somewhere better for a full view (eg the roof of my house - since they went more or less right over head!)

I guess the number of veterans who heard those engines back in the day is dwindling these days. Apparently demand for appearances from the memorial flight is higher than ever in recent years. Does the USAF sponsor the retention of similar old aircraft in flight worthy conditions for similar purposes?

DL

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA
  • 7,214 posts
"Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment!
Posted by siberianmo on Monday, September 10, 2007 11:31 AM

G'day Gents!

Off to a good start on this Monday with Jan in Scotland providing some music 'n CM3 Shane in WVA coming through with insights galore! [tup ]Thumbs Up [tup] Then along came Dan (DL-UK) with another typical "sterling" Post! Yeah!! [yeah] Elaborations tomorrow . . .

Time for another Blast from the Past - are ya ready Question [?] Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #56

<A form of this was initially Posted on Page 218 of the Original Thread>



Here's something to enjoy regarding the Canadian Pacific (CP) from a 1965 advertisement in my personal collection.


 




We'll give your holiday a foreign flavor 
(just north of the border!)




Rail away with us through the Canadian Rockies aboard "The Canadian."

 

 

You'll enjoy spectacular scenery, continental service in the comfort of a Scenic Dome streamliner as you travel the Banff-Lake Louise route between Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.

 

It's a holiday all the way - gourmet dining, tasty budget meals, snacks, all accommodations reserved.




 

Canadian Pacific 

Trains/Trucks/Ships/Planes/Hotels/Telecommunications 
WORLD'S MOST COMPLETE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

 

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

 

 

Enjoy! Thumbs Up [tup]

Tom Captain [4:-)] Pirate [oX)]

Happy Railroading! Siberianmo
  • Member since
    August 2006
  • 280 posts
Posted by DL - UK on Monday, September 10, 2007 10:17 AM

Hi Tom and all in

First of all, thanks for your response to my message and your generous comments - keeping on the right side of Da Boss is no harm, so thanks for the drink! Yep, I think it is fair to say that in the UK the museums are pretty thick on the ground, and we are fortunate to have some great museums of industry, railroading, cars and automobiles to complement the more conventional art galleries, historic houses and the like.

I'm assuming Pete has been working up a plan to kidnap you, your passport and your chosen travelling companion and get you over here some time - if not I expect he's working on it!

So having said all that, I'll take you up on the beer offer and have a Keith's!

Interesting comments from Eric and Ron regarding European High Speed, but first of all I was able to get an accurate write up of the London - Paris high speed run - apparently some subsidence just before the run in northern France (caused by subsidence where the line runs over former First World War trenches of all things!) resulted in a speed restriction down to about 80 mph near Calais (must have been frustrating going THAT slow eh...) meant that the time was lost so they could not get the time in under 2 hours, which was the aim. I reckon they will break the 2 hour time some time they need a bit more publicity in the future!

On the subject, I also read the article in Trains Don Phillips wrote - and agree with his analysis. In France, Paris - Lyon was the first TGV (no doubt inspired by Japan's Bullet Train) and this must have been planned from the mid 1970s. At that time there would have been domestic air but that would have been from state owned Air France competing with State Owned SNCF railways - the government probably worked out what was most efficient - rail - as they would both have been subsidised, and went with the TGV idea. I think the success surprised them and it was on the back of that other lines were planned and countries like Germany, Spain and Italy planned their own lines. Britain was left out of this because the Thatcher Government's ‘Reagonomic' ideology of the time was deeply hostile to rail specifically (because at that time they could not think of a way to privatise it), and projects requiring subsidy in general. This was not so in France where a different attitude to infrastructure investment prevails.

Back in those days there was no question of cheap airlines as the European airline market was pretty highly regulated, and given the population densities (as I think Tom pointed out) it would have been seen as a choice between automobiles and trains - with aviation only seen as for the high end business sector.

I have no doubt that high speed rail could work in the US on certain inter city routes - despite the cost issues (Government has a way of solving ‘cost issues' when it wants to do something doesn't it!) - I just believe it is down to political will - and a sense that a project is worth doing. Problems like grade crossings, subsidy levels etc are all ‘small beer' when you decide to actually do something and have the will to do it. BUT - you do need the correct mix of population centres, density and distance from centre to centre - but those conditions must exist somewhere in the North American continent! However, you also have to accept it won't pay its way (just like no other form of transport does). But that is back to politicians ceasing to ‘pretend' the other modes make profit. Beyond that you have to accept that high speed passenger and freight do not mix - and you have to make a clear choice on that. You also have to convince people that the service will be good - but if you build it and operate it reliably - as happens with these new lines in Europe - people will use it - and it is hard to believe that would not happen in the US too - oh and you have to make it convenient too - no silly check in times, waiting times, probably not even checked baggage service - you need to know you can just turn up, buy a ticket and get on - just like you can walk up to your car, turn the ignition key and go, (and take your chances for a space on the highway!).

The new line in the UK is of course piffling compared to the mainland Europe network - a mere 60 or so miles of line here from London to the tunnel - but it will show the potential. There are groups lobbying for an extension of a high speed line to Scotland - and the sooner that happens the better - but the politicians are scared of the cost commitment. Sadly UK infrastructure expenditure is a dirty word to the Treasury - who never seem to see expenditure as investment - so I don't hold too much hope. The line from London (which should have been built 15 years ago) probably only happened because the UK became a laughing stock the moment the trains left northern France at 186 mph and exited the tunnel to be restricted to 60 - 70 mph. I guess this eventually shamed the politicians into (reluctant) action.

ANYWAY - that's ‘my 2 cents' and apologies because I've rambled on a bit when what I wanted to do was also to follow up Eric's point about the Leyland vehicle - now I've found a link to a pic at Connecticut, probably in 2001:

So - it looks as Eric says (unless CM3 has any more up to date info but it looks like it moved away from West Virginia):

http://www.nashuacitystation.com/bostonmaine.php?content=railbus

Also Eric - thanks for the Sunderland picture - I can imagine my uncle up there at the controls in the cockpit!!

So - now I should feedback on the Toronto Union Station Tour - this really was a real highlight - on the Last Saturday of the month these tours are run by the Toronto Railway Historical Association

http://www.trha.ca/discoverywalks.html

And this tours was superb - the guy who did it really knew his stuff and took us on a detailed 2 hour tour covering the history of the building, a sense of its importance in the development of the city, some of the important people who had visited it over the years.

Up on to the platforms to see Go Train departures and VIA train departures and to talk about the design of the shed, down into underground areas beneath the station (including seeing some of the original 1920s battery operated luggage carts still stabled at their charging points and the vintage charging equipment room still down there!).

From there we went up into mostly disused office areas within the station building (which were being used to film something so we were unable to see as much as is normally the case sadly), and then around the great hall on the overhead walkways that are inside the arched windows at the end of the hall - and on gantries at the higher level opposite the ticket offices. Some of the building behind the scenes is pretty derelict, sadly with examples of roof plaster collapsing and what must be areas of really useful real estate simply standing there un-used!

This tour was great - and if you are planning a trip from Toronto it would be very well worth attempting to factor in the time to go on one of these tours around any Toronto visit.

Regards

DL

PS - CM3 - just caught your post as I posted this - any thoughts on the Leyland Railbus and the Virgina Central Railroad line ? 

 

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: WV
  • 1,251 posts
Posted by coalminer3 on Monday, September 10, 2007 9:13 AM

Good Morning Barkeep and all Present; coffee, please; round for the house and $ for the jukebox.  Hot and dry here this a.m., gas is holding at $2.99 (actually 3.00 if you round it up).  Football is underway with a disastrous result in Buffalo - hate injuries like that.

Lots to cover, so here goes (in no particular order).

Lars sent RDC pictures and history along with PRR and MP steam pictures.  Our Giants went, but not quite enough. 

Jan sent lots of material.  The Milwaukee steam shots were good ones.  The Wabash shot at Union Station has a lot of details to look at.  If you check out the consist you'll see that there is a mix of HW and LW cars - typical for that time period as railroads ran what was available.  The NYC 4-8-2s I remember well as they were some of the last NYC steam running in and out of Boston.  The DL&W engine ( I think) was photographed at Scranton.  Others commented on the PRR and MP power, so we won't plow the road again. 

There were some other interesting pictures in some of your posts as well.  The D&H shot is a good one - look and you'll see a NYC observation car.  NYC ran through cars between New York and Montreal via the D&H - IIRC, we went over this on the old page.  The ACL 4-8-4 was one of the best-looking examples of its type IMHO.  Dynamic augment was an issue with these engines as it was with the New Haven's I5s.  These forces really raised all sorts of problems with rails.  It was eventually corrected, but the ACL engines never really got a chance to show what they could do in the service for which they were intended.

Also enjoyed your LV and DL&W shots.

There must be a gazillion versions of the "Wabash Cannonball" out there.  I was fortunate to see Roy Acuff perform the song when the Grand Ol' Opry was still at the Ryman.  Just read through your post this a.m.  Good tunes, all.  Let's not forget two more; "Fireball Mail," and "Ridin' the Bluegrass Express."  The NP pictures were magnificent.  Have you seen the story that ran in Trains yrs ago about an engineer on the SP?  It was reprinted in Faces of Railroading .

DD1 - "Working Partners" is one of my all-time favorite pieces of PRR calendar art, probably because of the artist's depiction of the houses right beside the track.  The PRR ran right down the middle of residential streets in Bucyrus, OH - I bet the neighborhood homemakers loved that on washday.  PRR vehicles were interesting to see as well - I think they also used them in Philadelphia as well as Jersey City.  Appreciated your musings on tools; my grandfather worked as a patternmaker for Starrett and then for Brown and Sharpe, so it's "in the blood" with me.  My mom recalled  riding the train from Athol to Providence when he changed companies - this was before the Depression.  Incidentally, see if you can find a copy of Kenneth L. Cope's book, Makers of American Machine Tools, if you don't have it in your collection.  It's a good ‘un.

Condolences of your loss - it is tough.  We did the same with ours (in the section of the yard that he defended).

Eric - Congratulations on being back on the "active" list.  I want to know how they fit the Short in the building. 

Mike sent all kinds of interesting CV material.  The story about the shipment gives a good summary of "package freight" service as it used to be b4 Interstates and trucks.  The New York pictures where fascinating.   The shot with the "Fletcher's Castoria" sign was especially good.  Those buildings beg to be modeled.  DPM kits would be a good place to start.  Then we had CV boats, pictures of SSN 571 at Electric Boat (and underway), and then the ‘Wyoming," basket masts and all.  Boris, fetch me my copy of Dictionary of Fighting Ships, please.

OSP - The "6 pack" of posters was a good selection of graphic art styles from the late 30s.  The New Haven used the I5 on a lot of their material as they wanted the "streamline" look to be emphasized.  The CP item for the "Century of Progress" was a good one.  "Empire State" was immediate prewar as the streamlined version had its maiden voyage on 12/07/1941.  I see where "Flyboys" will be at the Theatuh.  Looking forward to that.  Also, I have not seen the "Desert Fox" in years.

Work safe

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: GB
  • 376 posts
Posted by JanOlov on Monday, September 10, 2007 8:29 AM

Greetings Master Tom and fellow forum travellers, 

May I please have an extra cold Guinness and a top up for the lads please? I'm just gonna put some $$$ in the cigar box and Mr Wurlitzer....

Let's see, what are we gonna play today, this sunny and warm day....hmmmm

EricX2000, as for the lights on and woman laughter, so it wasn't only me that heard it. Maybe it's worth to look into, eh?

Coal Smoke, Valve Oil And Steam

Opening & Refrain

Coal smoke, valve oil and steam
My heart is sad - I'm living in dreams
I can't tell why I love the smell
of coal smoke, valve oil and steam

I worked for the railroad all of my life
To make a home for my darlin' wife
But now I'm retired and feeling so low
Weary and tired with a heart full of woe

Repeat refrain

I pulled on the whistle to clear the line
And to bring that fireball in on time
Oh, time in your flight please take me back
Let me hear the drivers click again on the track

Repeat refrain

A short forty years went flyin' in on by
Now I'm so lonesome I could die
If I find heaven the way I've been told
I'll roll an engine down a track made of gold

Repeat refrain

Engineer
     Engineer Malloy at the throttle of W-1 Class Mikado type #1682, built in 1910.  Steam locomotives were about to disappear from the Northern Pacific Railroad when the last mixed train ran to South Bend.  Allan deLay photo.

Oiling Around. Engineer Ed Malloy takes advantage of the stop in Raymond to lubricate his locomotive's moving parts.  Allan deLay photo.

Engineer Malloy.  Allan deLay photo.

Fireman Harry Shephard adjusts the power stoker for efficient combustion of the N.P. RR's low-grade coal.  Allan deLay photo.

Golden Rocket

'Board...
From old Montana down to Alabam'
I've been before and I'll travel again
You triflin' women can't keep a good man down
You dealt the cards, but you missed the play
So hit the road and be on your way
Gonna board the Golden Rocket and leave this town

I was a good engine a-runnin' on time
But baby I'm switchin' to another line
So honey never hang your signal out for me
I'm tired of runnin' on the same old track
Bought a one-way ticket and I won't be back
This Golden Rocket's gonna roll my blues away

Hear that lonesome whistle blow
That's your cue and by now you know
That I got another true lover waitin' in Tennessee
This Midnight Special's a-burnin' the rail
So woman don't try to follow my trail
This Golden Rocket's gonna roll my blues away

Hear her thunder on through the night
This Golden Rocket is a-doin' me right
And that sunny old Southland sure is a part of me
Now from your call-board erase my name
Your fire went out, you done lost your flame
And this Golden Rocket is a-rollin' my blues away

That old conductor, he seemed to know
You'd done me wrong, I was feelin' low
For he yelled aloud, we're over that Dixon Line
The brakeman started singing a song
Said you're worried now, but it won't be long
This Golden Rocket is leavin' your blues behind

Then the porter yelled with his southern drawl
Let's rise and shine good mornin' you all
And I sprang to my feet to greet the newborn day
When I kissed my baby in the station door
That whistle blew like it never before
On the Golden Rocket that rolled my blues away

Hey Porter.

Hey porter! Hey porter!
Would you tell me the time?
How much longer will it be till we cross
that Mason Dixon Line?
At daylight would ya tell that engineer
to slow it down?
Or better still, just stop the train,
Cause I wanna look around.

Hey porter! Hey porter!
What time did ya say?
How much longer will it be till I can
see the light of day?
When we hit Dixie will you tell that engineer
to ring his bell?
And ask everybody that ain't asleep
to stand right up and yell.

Hey porter! Hey porter!
It's getting light outside.
This old train is puffin' smoke,
and I have to strain my eyes.
But ask that engineer if he will
blow his whistle please.
Cause I smell frost on cotton leaves
and I feel that Southern breeze.

Hey porter! Hey porter!
Please get my bags for me.
I need nobody to tell me now
that we're in Tennessee.
Go tell that engineer to make that
lonesome whistle scream,
We're not so far from home
so take it easy on the steam.

Hey porter! Hey porter!
Please open up the door.
When they stop the train I'm gonna get off first
Cause I can't wait no more.
Tell that engineer I said thanks alot,
and I didn't mind the fare.
I'm gonna set my feet on Southern soil
and breathe that Southern air.

Jack Delano. Chicago, Illinois. Pullman porter at the Union Station.

John Henry.

John Henry's pappy woke him up one midnight
He said, "'Fore the sheriff comes I wanna tell you - listen boy!
Said, Learn to ball a jack, learn to lay a track, learn to pick and shovel too,
And take my hammer! It'll do anything you tell it to.

John Henry's mammy had about a dozen babies,
John Henry's pappy broke jail about a dozen times
The babies all got sick and when the doctor wanted money,
He said, I'll pay you quarter at a time startin' tomorrow
That's the pay for a steel driver on this line.

Then the section foreman said, Hey - hammer swinger!
I see you brought you own hammer boy, but what else can all those muscles do
And he said, I can turn a jack, I can lay a track, I can pick and shovel too
(Can you swing a hammer boy?)
Yes, Sir, I?ll do anything you hire me to.

Now ain't you something! So high and mighty wif' your muscles!
Just go ahead, boy, and pick up that hammer! Pick up the hammer!

He said, Get a rusty spike and swing it down three times.
I'll pay you a nickel a day for every inch you sink it to.
Go on and do what you say you can do.

With a steep nose hammer on a four foot switch handle,
John Henry raised it back 'til it touched his heels. Then
The spike went through the cross tie, and it split it half in two.
Thirty-five cents a day for drivin' steel.
(Sweat! Sweat boy, sweat! You owe me two more swings!)
I was born for driven steel.

Well John Henry hammered in the mountain.
He'd give a grunt and he'd give a groan with every swing.
The women folks for miles around heard him and come down,
To watch him make the cold steel ring. Lord what a swinger!
Just listen to that cold steel ring!

But the bad boss come up laughin' at John Henry.
Said, You full of vinegar now, but you about through!
We gonna get a steam drill to do your share of drivin?,
Then what's all them muscles gonna do? Huh, John Henry?
Gonna take a little bit of vinegar out of you.

John Henry said, I feed four little brothers,
And baby sister's walking on her knees.
Did the lord say that machines aughtta take the place of living?
And what's a substitute for bread and beans? (I saint seen it)
Do engines get rewarded for their steam

John Henry hid in a coal mine for his dinner nap.
Had thirty minutes to rest before the bell.
The mine boss hollered, Get up, whoever you are, and get a pick axe!
Give me enough coal to start another Hell. (And keep it burnin!)
Mine me enough to start another Hell!

John Henry said to his captain, A man ain't nothin' but a man.
But if you'll bring that steam drill round, I'll beat it fair and honest.
I'll die with my hammer in my hand but I'll be laughing
'Cuz you can't replace a steel driven man.

There was a big crowd of people at the mountain,
John Henry said to the steam drill, How is you?
Pardon me mister steam drill, I suppose you didn't hear me. I said how're you
Well can you turn a jack, can you lay a track, can you pick and shovel too?
Listen - this hammer swinger's talkin' to you!

2000 people hollered, Go, John Henry!
Then somebody hollered, The mountain's caving in!
John Henry told the captain, Tell the kind folks don't worry.
That ain't nothin' but my hammer suckin' wind! (It keeps me breathing.)
A steel driver's muscle I intend.

Captain, tell the people, move back further!
I'm at the finish line and there ain't no drill.
It's so far behind, but yet ain't got the brains to quit it!
When she blows up she'll scatter cross the hills! (Lord Lordy!)
When she blows up she'll scatter cross the hills!

Well John Henry had a little woman,
I believe the lady's name was Polly Ann. (Yeah that was his good woman.)
John Henry threw his hammer over his shoulder and went on home.
He laid down to rest his weary back, and early next mornin', he said,
Come here Polly Ann Come here Sugar
Ya know, I believe this is the first time I ever watched the sun come up
That I couldn't come up.
Take my hammer, Polly Ann, and go to that railroad.
Swing that hammer like you seen me do it.
And when you're swinging with the lead man,
They'll all know they'll all know you're John Henry's woman
But, but tell them ain't all you can do.
Tell 'em I can hoist a jack, and I can lay a track,
I can pick and shovel too! (Ain't no machine can!)
That's been proved to you!

There was a big crowd of mourners at the church house.
The section hands laid him in the sand.
Trains go by on the rails John Henry laid.
They slow down and take off their hats, the men do.
When they come to the place John Henry's layin', restin' his back,
Some of 'em say, 'Mornin', steel driver! You shor' was a hammer swinger!
Then they go on by, pickin' up a little speed. (Clickity clack, clickity clack, clickity clack, clickity clack)
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man, oh lord!
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man.
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man, oh lord!
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man.
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man, oh lord!
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man.


Credit:The Sou'wester of the Pacific County Historical Society and Museum, Resources for Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust and Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy, bhamrails.info/John_Henry.htm,

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket All the best! Jan
  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA
  • 7,214 posts
"Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment!
Posted by siberianmo on Monday, September 10, 2007 5:48 AM

<personal foto>

A smile to begin the week!

Is he living? Is he living now?

<A Yogi-ism!>

G'day Gents!

And it's THAT day again, Monday, Monday - some hate this day! Well, it's just another day to excel for the boss, eh Question [?] Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg] The countdown begins once again - 4 more mornings ‘til Saturday! Yeah!! [yeah]

Coffee has been freshly ground ‘n brewed. Pastries have been stocked in The Mentor Village Bakery case ‘n our Menu Board features some <light> ‘n <traditional> breakfasts. So let's get a move on! Thumbs Up [tup]

Comments from the Proprietor:

None! Wow!! [wow]

Customer Acknowledgments (since my last narrative)

Jan (JanOlov) at 11:36 AM Saturday - Sep 8th: A whole lotta music to enjoy with those railroad lyrics! Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup] Foto supplements "work" well too! Yeah!! [yeah]

"Top up," cigars ‘n money for tips ‘n Herr Wurlitzer always appreciated! Thumbs Up [tup]

Lars (LoveDomes) at 1:32 PM Saturday - Sep 8th: Wouldn't be a day-complete without a visit from our Manager! Yeah!! [yeah]

Didn't disappoint with some comments ‘n those fine ENCORE! Posts you dug up. Wow!! [wow] Haven't "heard" from those guys in some time, especially the one's long, long gone. Nice selections ‘n I hope the boyz pick up on the info . . . material Posted at the bar (either the old or new) LIVES in the Ether for all to enjoy! Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup]

Thanx for the round! Thumbs Up [tup]

DD1 (Ron) at 1:50 PM Saturday - Sep 8th: Quite a foursome lined up in that Pennsy calendar shot of yours! <cool> Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup]

Nice Saturday catch-up ‘n appreciate the time you're taking to acknowledge the boyz!

Thanx for the visit ‘n round! Thumbs Up [tup]

Eric at 11:10 PM Saturday - Sep 8th: Appears my Cardinals are playing themselves out of the race against your Snakes. Rather than getting "down" over it, I can honestly say I haven't been "up" for baseball this year. Hate to think that way, but such is life. <groan>

Rams took it on the chin today in their opener on Sunday. Nice to watch some NFL "foo-ball" that has meaning for a change. But I'd say the "Lambs" need lotsawork. <uh oh>

Schedule has ‘em playing the Arizona Buzzards twice this year - since they are in the same division. You know the Buzzards, eh Question [?] Used to be the St. Louis Cardinals! <grin>

Oh yeah, they also go by the name of Vultures! Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

In the car immediately forward of the UltraDome we were traveling aboard was a baggage car. I'd only be guessing at the "exhaust" or whatever that is on the roof . . . Perhaps an auxiliary heater, after all they do run many of those cars year ‘round (not the UltraDomes or regular domes though).

Email received ‘n responded to - THANX! Thumbs Up [tup]

Here's a link on the aircraft you Posted a foto of - or at least a version of it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_Sunderland

Fotos appreciated as was your visit! Thumbs Up [tup]

Mike (wanswheel) at 1:52 AM ‘n 11:46 AM Sunday - Sep 9th: A most rare, but enjoyable, all narrative - all foto spread from the guy who we call "Silent Mike"! Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup]

CV material looks familiar - but a good read nonetheless!

Some nostalgia in there from my days in NY City . . . USN vessels really bring back some memories, fer sure, fer sure! Brooklyn Navy Yard was a humming activity in those times. Used to see all kinds of warships from the Staten Island ferry - a great 20-25 minute trip for taking advantage of just about all kinds of vessel activity one could imagine. Yeah, brings back some fond thoughts . . .

Your URL in the 2nd Post has a terrific WP California Zephyr shot! Well worth checking out! Yeah!! [yeah]

Figured that

Happy Railroading! Siberianmo
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Phoenix, AZ
  • 683 posts
Posted by EricX2000 on Monday, September 10, 2007 12:54 AM

Ahh, easy to find the mail slot tonight thanks to the light coming from the Penthouse suite! Penthouse suite? Who the heck is in the Pent... Hmmm, I can hear a woman laughing. Strange. I better drop this and leave.

A lot to read here even though the bar is closed on Sundays! That is great!

Mike –  Very interesting to read the history of Central Vermont and its pier in New London, Connecticut.Thumbs Up [tup] Bringing cargo by boat to and from New York City must have cost a lot of money but was probably cheaper than building its own right of way. I like all those pictures showing what it actually looked like around Pier 29 and Manhattan. Different times, but very interesting!Yeah!! [yeah]

Lars –  After looking at the pictures of those dome cars I can only say one thing, people knew how to travel back then!Thumbs Up [tup]

Looking closer at them, one picture looks like it is a fake though. It is the black & white “California Zephyr - obs dome lower level lounge”. Through the windows one can see some mountain tops and I get a feeling that the car is at a pretty high altitude descending to the nearest track below. I may be wrong, but it does not look right to me.Confused [%-)]

Ron –  Nice calendar picture showing PRR #6110, Class T1, 4-4-4-4. Thumbs Up [tup]

I am glad I never had to operate any of those rubber tired engines. Couldn’t have been too much precision with a ship’s style steering wheel.Wink [;)]

Interesting info on Mephis and Charleston Railroad!Thumbs Up [tup] Broad gauge that was later changed to normal gauge. Interesting pictures! I bet that poor black guy never saw this photo.

JanOlov –  You are correct, the picture of F 1200 was taken the first Saturday of November 1970 at Tillberga, Sweden.Thumbs Up [tup] A lot of people showed up to see it.

Thanks for all interesting facts on those “full-size” steam locomotives!Thumbs Up [tup] I noticed that most of those classes do not have any survivors. Too bad. I also noticed that one of AT&SF Northerns is supposed to be in Kingman, AZ! Maybe it is time to make a trip up there. Smile [:)]


Union Station, Washington D.C.

 

 

Eric 

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: GB
  • 376 posts
Posted by JanOlov on Sunday, September 9, 2007 3:29 PM

Greetings Tom and fellow classic trains connoisseurs...

I see that it's rather quiet in here, so I just pop a few $$$ in cigar box and Mr Wurlitzer for next week and start some preparations for the food as well...never hurt to be prepared you know. Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]Chef [C=:-)]

Tom, Great posts as always mate. I really enjoy those Alaska Railroad pics, reminds me of where I'm from in Sweden and further up the country, keep 'em coming. Awesome! Thumbs Up [tup] Bow [bow]

DD1, My love for rockabilly comes along with my worship of Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly, Johnny Burnette and the likes. If you ask me THAT is real music. I think that I must 200+ CD with 50's, early 60's, Surf and instrumental music. And of course along this music come the interest in retro hotrods and kustoms too. Which you can see loads of in all over Sweden Thumbs Up [tup]Bow [bow]. I really enjoy your PRR calendar pics etc. Great stuff!

EricX2000, That's some of my favorite railroad songs, trying to remember some of the other ones that I used to listen to as a kid. Nice pics mate, especially on the F-1200 I have to say. Taken in the 70's maybe??

wanswheel, Interesting post and great pics...how can you NOT like looking at old b&w pics I'm asking??

Da Larsman, Awesome posts matey... Is it just me or does the pics of Pullmans inside look better in b&w? Have almost all the Pullman books from Pullman Library (I think that's the name) published in the 90's and more often than not when that I recognize a picture from them but in color I go....naaaah! Laugh [(-D]

Should I by any chance have missed someone or something, feel free to slap me and I'll remember you the next time.

And now for some lovely looking lassies...all the best everyone and take care!

N&W J 600. The Norfolk & Western Railway built a fleet of fourteen (road numbers 600 through 613) 4-8-4s that were an excellent balance of strength and speed. They were built by the N&W's own forces in its shops in Roanoke, VA.

In 1941, the first five, (road numbers 600 through 604) were designated Class J and were of a streamlined design and had 70" drivers, 27 x 32 cylinders and a boiler pressure of 275 psi. They weighed 494,000 lbs and had a tractive effort of 73,000 pounds. The Class Js could achieve speeds that exceeded the steam locomotives rule of driver diameter plus 10 and could cruise at speeds well into the 90 mile an hour range.

In 1944, six more, (road numbers 605 through 611), this time designated Class J-1, were built without streamlining because of wartime shortages of materials. They were otherwise identical to the Class Js. After World War II, they were refitted with streamlining and with light weight rods. Number 610 was loaned to the PRR for testing and during tests was able to hold a steady speed of 110 miles per hour.

In 1950, after the big three steam locomotive builders had stopped building steam locomotives, the Norfolk & Western Railway built three more Class J-1s (road numbers 611 through 613). These last three were the last steam passenger locomotives built for an American railroad and were identical to the other eleven. By 1950, all of the Class Js and J-1s had their boiler pressure raised to 300 psi which increased the tractive effort to 80,000 pounds.

During the 1940s and 1950s on the Norfolk & Western, locomotives were kept in top shape in facilities that were modern, clean and well-equipped. The Js could be fully serviced in just about one hour. With this efficiency, this small group of locomotives could handle 80% of the N&W's passenger trains. They operated daily between Cincinnati and Norfolk, pulling such trains as "The Powhatan Arrow", "The Pocahontas" and "The Cavalier".

There is one survivor, number 611, which is now at the Virginia Museum Of Transportation in Roanoke, VA.

MP 4-8-4 2121 on an westbound freight in Van Buren, January 1950. In the early 1940s, the Missouri Pacific Railroad converted all 25 of its 2-8-4 Berkshires into 4-8-4 Northerns. These rebuilt locomotives (road numbers 2101 through 2125) were given 75" drivers, greater boiler capacity, a cast steel engine bed and roller bearings on all axles. They had 28 x 30 cylinders, a boiler pressure of 250 psi, a total weight of 449,950 lbs and a tractive effort of 66,640 pounds.

In 1943, 15 more Northerns (road numbers 2201 through 2215) were delivered from the Baldwin Locomotive Works. These "war babies" were duplicates of the 1938 D&RGW 4-8-4s and had 73" drivers, 26 x 30 cylinders, a boiler pressure of 285 psi, a weight of 496,000 lbs and a tractive effort of 67,200 pounds.

There are no survivors.

DL&W 1605. The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western designed and purchased five 4-8-4s (road numbers 1501 through 1505) to increase its motive power for the "Lackawanna Limited" and other passenger trains. These locomotives were assigned Class Q-1 and were built by the American Locomotive Company after the Northern Pacific took delivery of the first 4-8-4s in 1927. DL&W wanted its new locomotives to have a distinction of their own and decided to call them "Poconos", for the mountains that the railroad crossed. Designed with passenger service in mind, these locomotives had 73" drivers and a tractive effort of 64,500 pounds.

Starting in 1929, DL&W began to receive thirty new "Poconos" (road numbers 1601 through 1620 Class Q-2 and 1621 through 1630 Class Q-3) from ALCO. These were intended for freight service and had 70" drivers and a tractive force of 71,600 pounds.

In 1934, it purchased 20 more Class Q-4 (road numbers 1631 through 1650) ALCO "super power" 4-8-4s, this time intended for dual service. They were designed to have 74" drivers, a tractive effort of 72,000 pounds and roller bearings on all axles.

There are no surv

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket All the best! Jan
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 9, 2007 1:59 PM

Memphis and Charleston Railroad

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Memphis & Charleston

Locale

Southern United States

Dates of operation

1857 - 1894

Successor line

Southern Railway

Track gauge

5 ft 60# T-rail

Length

311 miles

Headquarters

Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis & Charleston Railroad

 

Fate

Merged

 

 

Successor

Southern Railway

Founded

1846

Defunct

1894

Location

Memphis, Tennessee

Industry

Railroad

Key people

Tennessee Governor James C. "Lean Jimmy" Jones, Richard T. Wilson, Samuel Tate (President of the company)

The Memphis and Charleston Railroad completed in 1857 was the first railroad in the United States to link the Atlantic Ocean with the Mississippi River. Chartered in 1846 the railroad ran from Memphis, Tennessee to Stevenson, Alabama through the towns of Corinth, Mississippi and Huntsville, Alabama. In Alabama, the railroad followed the route of the Decatur-Courtland-Tuscumbia Railroad between, Tuscumbia and Decatur, the first railroad to be built west of the Appalachian Mountains.

The American Civil War

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, this railroad became of strategic importance as the only east-west railroad running through the Confederacy. On the morning of April 11, 1862, Union troops led by General Mitchell captured Huntsville, cutting off this railroads use for the Confederacy.

The railroad and its route through Corinth, Mississippi was a significant factor in the Battle of Shiloh in 1862.

While the railroad briefly survived the American Civil War, the affect of the war on the railroad was devistating and led to its merger into other railroads of the same fate and eventually to become part of the Southern Railway system.

The Memphis and Charleston Route Today

The Memphis and Charleston Railroad eventually merged into the Southern Railway. The route is still in use today as part of the Norfolk Southern Railway line running between Memphis and Chattanooga, Tennessee. US 72 roughly follows the original route of the Memphis and Charleston between Memphis, Tennessee and Muscle Shoals, Alabama. From Muscle Shoals to Huntsville, Alabama Alt. US 72 follows the original Memphis and Charleston. US 72 follows the route again from Huntsville to Stevenson, Alabama.

Additionally, the railroad was built from both directions and met in a town called Luka, Ms. There a silver spike ceremony was performed. The Memphis and Charleston RR was the longest railroad in the nation at that time. (Info from Mississippi Farm Bureau).

Here is some information on railroads during the Civil War: Credit is given to David L. Bright, (http://www.csa-railroads.com/) for it's use.

Notice the poor fellow sitting on the ground holding what looks like a cup of coffee.

Notice the grapeshot to the right of the canon balls.

The following courtesy of http://www.allposters.com/

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, September 9, 2007 1:10 PM

Good day to all. Sunday is a good day to play catch-up, so I will just slip this under the door.

Eric: Those rubber tired engines had a ship's style steering wheel. In fact, they had two, one for each direction of travel. There is one picture on that link that shows the wheel. I actually saw one up close in operation during my youth. It was being used in Jersey City (I think) on a city street. I believe it was made by Mack, so they may have been made by more than just one company.

Mike: A nice bunch of pictures of New York City from the 1930's-40's? I'm always intrigued by old photos. I like to study them closely under a magnifying glass. It takes me back to more gentler times, I'm sure some of us would like to revisit. If you or anyone else is interested in tools and machinery, there used to be a hardware on the corner of 40th street and 5th avenue, just across from the NY public library, that sold every tool that was on the market at that time. I used to go there every Saturday with my allowance and buy a new tool. I would spend hours browsing all the display counters. In those days, there were NO tools made in China. They were all made in the U.S.A. This was in the late 40's. There was and will never be a store as grand as Patterson Brothers. Just down the road a few blocks, there was another store called Stoeger's that sold guns. I would usually stop in there for a little while with my friend who was big into guns. After that afternoon of "shopping", we would usually go to Nedicks for a hot dog and an orange drink. New York in those days was an exciting place to be in. The N.Y. of today is a far cry from what it used to be. If it was, I would be back in a heartbeat. That picture of the submarine passing under the Brooklyn bridge confuses me. The scene looks like one from the early 50's, but I see a helicopter at the right side of the picture.

Lars: I like those pictures of the California Zephyr, especially the clothing worn by the men and women. Brings back memories, when people dressed up and women wore long dresses and hats.

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • 4,190 posts
Posted by wanswheel on Sunday, September 9, 2007 11:46 AM
  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: northeast U.S.
  • 1,225 posts
Posted by LoveDomes on Sunday, September 9, 2007 11:23 AM

Ahoy Cap'n Tom ‘n fellow travelers waiting for the bar to open!

Another Sunday, but this is the start of NFL SUNDAY for the 2007-08 season. Go Giants! Yeah!! [yeah]

Another great set of pix from Cap'n Tom and his Alaska RR adventure of last year. Always flicks my switch! Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup]

Some fine stuff from Eric too AND some visuals from Mike! Wow!! [wow] Looks like there's all kinds of things to feast on . . . Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup]

As has been my practice of late, I've been trying to get the guys to understand that even though the bar is CLOSED on Sundays, we can still drop messages through the mail slots in the front doors! Kinda for the guys who just can't get enough of this Watering Hole by the Wayside! Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

  

Something for your viewing enjoyment!

California Zephyr obs dome bar lounge (courtesy: www.calzephyr.railfan.net - Public Domain)

  

California Zephyr obs dome bar lounge (courtesy: www.calzephyr.railfan.net - Public Domain)

  

California Zephyr - obs dome lower level lounge (courtesy: www.calzephyr.railfan.net - Public Domain - photo: Hedrich-Blessing)

  

California Zephyr - Pre 1960 obs dome lower level lounge (courtesy: www.calzephyr.railfan.net - Public Domain)

  

California Zephyr - Post 1960 obs dome lower level lounge (courtesy: www.calzephyr.railfan.net - Public Domain)

  

California Zephyr (from: www.trainweb.org)

Until the next time! Thumbs Up [tup]

Lars

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • 4,190 posts
Posted by wanswheel on Sunday, September 9, 2007 1:52 AM

Hi Tom and everyone, a round for the house

Good to see you guys, lots of interesting posts and pictures.

Samuel de Champlain visited Vermont in 1609 via St. Lawrence and Richelieu River route that involved a canoe and portaging.around the rapids. Two-and-a-half centuries later Vermont was still that rare New England state without access to Atlantic shipping. J. Gregory Smith of St. Albans, president of the Central Vermont, leased the New London Northern as CV's southern division and built a pier on the Thames.

Central Vermont Pier at New London, Connecticut

Public Archeology Survey Team http://www.past-inc.org/projects-right.html

In September 2002, following historic background research, the pier area was walked over and closely inspected at low tide by using kayaks in order to assess the historic integrity of the structure. It was determined by PAST's historian Bruce Clouette and historical archaeologist Ross Harper that the original pier is still intact but is now under the cover of modern asphalt.

The pier itself is a historic resource, and meets the criteria for listing on the National Register of Historic Places as an early major facility of the Central Vermont Railroad. Historical research indicates that the pier was completed in 1876, the design following period practice for harbor works: masonry perimeter walls, probably resting on timber-pile foundations, with an earth-fill interior.

One of the pier's chief functions was to unload coal from Reading Railroad freighters into waiting rail cars; the pier could process more than 100 tons of coal an hour. In 1904 the railroad reconfigured the pier in conjunction with a new freight service to and from New York harbor. Two steamers, the New London and the New York, were purchased specifically for this purpose. Freight headed to New York City or for export from the harbor would be carried by rail to the pier, where it was transferred to one of the freighters, which would travel overnight to New York's Pier 29. Shortly after World War II, during a postwar economic slump, aging steamers and competition from truck traffic brought the rail-sea connection at the Central Vermont Railroad Pier to an end.

Border Line by William L. Rohde, excerpt from article in August 1947 Railroad Magazine

The traffic manager gave his final order, "route these via the CV," closed his little red book and watched six cartons of fine briar pipes receive an address stencil and waybill to Chicago. A few minutes later a company truck backed up to the loading platform and the cartons were loaded with many others into the one-ton body. The steel doors were secured with a padlock ...and six cartons were safely originated on the Central Vermont Railway at New York.

Next stop is Pier 29, East River, almost at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, facing New York harbor.

The pier is a typical wood-shelter dock, with an agent's office at the landward end and company offices upstairs occupied by the Central Vermont Terminal and the Central Vermont Transportation Company. To the left and right are other piers, where the booms of Liberty ships and several larger cargo vessels are constantly working cargo.

Through the gloomy, musty scented freight shed our little shipment moves with hundreds of others into the belly of a small ship painted funereal black. There is enough lcl and carload freight in break-bulk lots to fill one ship every day, and enough inbound traffic to warrant the arrival of a sister ship each morning.

The Central Vermont Transportation Company operates three of these steamers, one each way to New London, Connecticut, from New York every night. The third vessel is held in reserve and used as an extra or repair substitute.

Now our shipment moves out on Long Island Sound, eastward to Chicago. At 5:30 a.m. it leaves New London on CV train 491, and begins to cross Canada south of Montreal about 8 a.m the following morning. Still not much nearer its destination, it turns west and south until it reaches the United States again. At 2 a.m. on the third day it arrives in Chicago.... This is excellent time for a journey which began the wrong way by water from New York, then moved north over single track from New London, via double iron across the B&M and along the CV's main line into Canada.

A passenger might like to make this trip, if he had time and an interest in railroading and wanted a bit of a boat ride. In fact, only World War I prevented the inauguration of passenger service on the Sound. Unfortunately, the black ships still carry no passengers and at this printing the CV's sole mixed train daily on the Southern Vermont-Massachusetts-Connecticut portion of its lines may be discontinued. However, a passenger can ride, and enjoy, the crack Ambassador or Montrealer from White River Junction north, and then follow the CV freight route on Canadian National passenger trains.

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?2005120720220710016.jpg

Could you see the shadow of the flagpole atop the CV Terminal on South Street?

Mike

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Phoenix, AZ
  • 683 posts
Posted by EricX2000 on Saturday, September 8, 2007 11:10 PM

Good evening Captain Tom and Gentlemen!!

Leon, I can't say I am hungry tonight so I'll just have a ham sandwich and coffee!

I thought I would be able to stop by earlier this afternoon, but that did not work out.

JanOlov – Some very nice pictures!Thumbs Up [tup] The top one of PRR #6940 seems to be from the Horseshoe Curve. 6940 was one of 200 Class M1 built by Baldwin and Lima 1926. They were retired 1949-59.

AT&SF #3745 was one of 51 Class 3700, built by Baldwin 1918-24. Retired 1950-55.Smile [:)]

Good looking steam locomotives all those 4-8-2s!! Thumbs Up [tup]

Very good railroad songs!Thumbs Up [tup] City of New Orleans is one of my favorites! Interesting picture of the Cannonball departing Union Station, St. Louis. Quite a difference comparing with today!

Tom –  Thanks for the link to the Rubber Tired PRR locos!Thumbs Up [tup] A whole bunch of photos (some color) of the different ones PRR had. The engine in the center of the cab in at least some of them!! I am glad i did not have to operate those! Wink [;)]

Yes, my photo is from Sweden.

I love those ARR-photos!Thumbs Up [tup] The nature, the train, everything. The picture of the train entering the only tunnel shows an exhaust pipe with a muffler on the roof of the car in front of you. Do you know what the function that (diesel-?) engine had? Question [?]

Two very good movies next week on the Emporium, Flyboys (that I have not seen) and The Desert Fox (that I have seen)!!Yeah!! [yeah] Very good choice, including What’s The Matador? Rommel has always fascinated and interested me.

Email will be sent to you tonight.

Lars –  Thanks for the “re-runs”!!Thumbs Up [tup] I like that Illinois Terminal #1605! Obviously now belonging to IRM! Something to look at during the 3rd Annual Rendezvous in Chicago in just 250 days!

And a very good Nick post! Very entertaining to read!Thumbs Up [tup]

Ron –  Interesting site about Martin Rindlisbacher of Switzerland!Thumbs Up [tup] Amazing to see all the details of his locomotives.

You may be right about high speed rail in this country, but I think we slowly will see fast/high speed train service start between more and more cities in the future.Smile [:)]

The high speed line between Paris and Lyon was built for TGV only. No freight trains or other slow trains. But I agree, acquisition of private property to build new lines is the big (and very costly) problem. Smile [:)]




Some pictures.

Part of Hamburg Hauptbahnhof 1970. 



Commutertrain leaving Hamburg Hbf. The first car is a cab car.



Swedish State Railways Class F #1200, 4-6-2, 4-cyl. compound.

 

The only pix I could find of the (nose of the) Sunderland at Hendon today.

 

 

Eric

 

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA
  • 7,214 posts
"Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment!
Posted by siberianmo on Saturday, September 8, 2007 5:06 PM

ENCORE! Saturday ‘n Photo Posting Day!

at "Our" Place!

We are CLOSED on SUNDAYs!


Starting Sunday at the Mentor Village Emporium Theatre!

. . . September 9th thru 15th: Flyboys (2006) Starring: James Franco, Scott Hazell, Mac McDonald, Philip WinchesterTodd Boyce - and - The Desert Fox (1951) Starring: James Mason, Cedric Hardwicke, Jessica Tandy, Luther Adler, Everett Sloane. SHORT: The Three Stooges - Matri-Phony (1942).

Flyboys (2006)

PLOT SUMMARY:

World War I aviation action gets an impressive digital upgrade in Flyboys, a welcome addition to the "dogfight" sub-genre that includes such previous war-in-the-air films like Hell's Angels, Wings, and The Blue Max. While those earlier films had the advantage of real and genuinely dangerous flight scenes (resulting, in some cases, in fatal accidents during production), Flyboys takes full (and safe) advantage of the digital revolution, with intensely photo-realistic recreations of WWI aircraft, authentic period structures, and CGI environments requiring a total of 850 digital effects shots, resulting in an abundance of amazing images, many of them virtually indistinguishable from reality. Unfortunately, the film's technical achievement is more impressive than its screenplay, which conventionally and predictably tells the fact-based story, set in France in 1916, of the daring young pilots of the Lafayette Escadrille, a pioneering French air-combat unit that welcomed American enlistees prior to the United States' entry into the war.

<from: amazon.com>

The Desert Fox (1951)

PLOT SUMMARY:

The Desert Fox, released six years after the end of World War II, is a solemnly respectful tribute to Erwin Rommel, Germany's most celebrated military genius. James Mason's portrayal of this gallant warrior became a highlight of his career iconography. The film itself is oddly disjointed: a precredit commando raid to liquidate Rommel is followed by a flashback to the field-marshal's lightning successes commanding the Afrika Korps--a compressed account via documentary footage and copious narration (spoken by Michael Rennie, who also dubs Desmond Young, the Rommel biographer and onetime British POW appearing briefly as himself). The dramatic core is Rommel's growing disenchantment with Hitler (Luther Adler), his involvement in the plot to assassinate der Führer, and his subsequent martyrdom. Mason's Rommel returned two years later for a flamboyant, mostly German-speaking cameo in The Desert Rats, a prequel focusing on the battle for Tobruk. --Richard T. Jameson

<from: amazon.com> 

SHORT: The Three Stooges - What's The Matador? (1942)

PLOT SUMMARY:

Mohicus, Larrycus and Curlyque run "Ye Olde Pottery and Stone Works" ("The Biggest Chislers in Town") in ancient Erysipelas. Emperor Octopus Grabus is seeking all red-haired maidens for his new bride, and when one hides in their shop the Stooges are arrested as girl hoarders! They escape, and Curly disguises as Diana (fortunately the emperor is very near-sighted!)

<from: threestooges.net>

Enjoy - see y'all on Monday! Thumbs Up [tup]

Tom Captain [4:-)] Pirate [oX)]

Happy Railroading! Siberianmo
  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA
  • 7,214 posts
"Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment!
Posted by siberianmo on Saturday, September 8, 2007 2:38 PM

ENCORE! Saturday ‘n Photo Posting Day!

at "Our" Place!

We are CLOSED on SUNDAYs! 

 

G'day Gents!

Some activity here on Saturday - which "historically" has been our slowest day of the week. THAT's the idea behind making it an ENCORE! day, so we don't WASTE original material when business is sloooooooooow.

Anyway, good material provided by Jan - Lars 'n Ron for this rainy day in mid-continent USA! Appreciate the efforts from one 'n all! Acknowledgments on Monday . . .

Now to the ENCORE! Saturday 'n Photo Posting for this day . . .

These from Page 369, Posted on 02 Jul 2006 over on the Original Thread:

 

 

Continuing with some more Pix from our Alaska Rail Adventure!


Click to enlarge


(13) ARR Denali Star southbound track scenes




(14) ARR Denali Star southbound - Nenana River




(15) ARR Denali Star - southbound - Nenana River




(16) AAR Denali Star - southbound - Nenana River




(17) AAR Denali Star - southbound - abandoned RR tunnel




(18) AAR Denali Star - southbound - Nenana River




(19) AAR Denali Star - southbound - Nenana River




(20) AAR Denali Star - southbound - only tunnel on journey




(21) AAR Denali Star - southbound - approaching Denali




(22) ARR Denali Star - southbound - take the left!




(23) ARR Denali Star - southbound - at Denali Park
each structure accommodates passengers for certain cars - this first group will board the rearmost cars for the cruise ships




(24) ARR Denali Star - southbound - at Denali Park Depot
the Depot is actually inside the park boundaries, whereas the hotels and lodges are outside



That's IT for this fine day . . . . a total of 96 Pix over these four Sundays . . . more next Sunday Photo Posting Day!

 

Enjoy! Thumbs Up [tup]

Tom Captain [4:-)] Pirate [oX)]

Happy Railroading! Siberianmo
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 8, 2007 1:50 PM

Good day Tom and to all present. Drinks all around. My mind must be going; thinking Friday and not Wednesday was toy train and model day. That's what happens when you retire.

Jan: You are in fine voice today with the railroad songs. I wonder how they would sound sung in Swedish. Where did you develop a love of rockabilly? There is a class D, 1-C-1 electric that had a wood body. It holds much interest to me and may be my next project. I find building a DD-1 model, full of problems, like applying rivet detail to a wood body. As usual, a fine bunch of pictures. BTW, I found an HO model of a DD-1 on the web selling for $1162.35. GG-1's were selling for less than $400. These were all brass models.

Eric: I wish I had, but those wood locomotives were built by Martin Rindlisbacher of Switzerland. His trains are made entirely of wood, to a scale of 1:11.25, run on 80 mm track, are battery powered and are all hand made by girls. His story is fascinating. You can visit him at. http://4largescale.com/fletch/ The car is a 1931 Duesenberg, same scale. It was this article that got me started on building trains from wood. It seems a natural for me because I have the woodworking skills and I'm cheap. As Tom pointed out, there is more information on those rubber-tired locos. I think high-speed trains are not practical in this country, other than a few places, where track rights are already in place such as in the eastern corridor. Acquisition of private property to build new lines may be what prevents high-speed travel from taking hold. The line from Paris to Lyon, probably existed before air travel, so improvement to the line for TGV's didn't present a great expenditure of money. The airlines have pretty much monopolized travel, both long and medium range trips and unless something drastic happens to change that, like fuel costs out of sight and security problems, I don't see much change in the near future. It seems to me that the pioneering spirit that first settled our country 100+ years ago is dead. Other countries seem to be more advanced in embracing new technology. Maybe their politics has a lot to do with it.

Tom: That picture of the Ford F250 "Super Chief" is a concept car.

DL: Glad to hear from you. Your RR trip turned out well I hope. I have been interested in model building for 60 years. I started with Lionel (naturally), graduated to HO, dabbled with O and N, but after my eyesight started to fail, (cataracts) I switched to large-scale modeling. I had lens implants 15 years ago and have enjoyed near perfect eyesight ever since and without glasses. Age does take a toll on one's ability to work with small and delicate details, so I keep to scales greater than "G".

Lars: I don't see much about the NY Central on the web. I think they didn't have a large variety of rolling stock compared to the Pennsy and others, but I may be wrong. I'll keep looking.

Thanks to all for your sympathy for our loss. It certainly wasn't the first time nor will it be the last. Dogs have always been part of our family. A saying I have is: "the more people I meet, the better I like dogs". Present company excluded of course.

  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: northeast U.S.
  • 1,225 posts
Posted by LoveDomes on Saturday, September 8, 2007 1:32 PM

Ahoy Cap'n Tom ‘n fellow travelers at the bar!

Cindy my sweet, even though MY Ruth is off today, you bring a glow to the bar that keeps the boyz coming back! Wow!! [wow] Just a tankard of Keiths Ale if you please ‘n maybe one of the snack trays too! Yeah!! [yeah] A round for the house ‘n treats for the crittAHs. Boris, let's get a move on - tray of seeds for Awk the Parrot - saucer of brine for Tex the Armadillo - bucket of ice cubes for Frostbite the Penguin - a chew bone for Juneau our Mascot ‘n a field mouse for Artie the Owl <but be sure to take him outback for that!> Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg] Ah yes, the small jar of PPF is YOURS too! Yeah!! [yeah]

I see the baseball world as all "atwitter" with these "revelations" of steroids. The New York Daily News ‘n Sports Illustrated have honed in on two players - one in the Cap'n Tom's neck of the woods ‘n the other up in Toronto (nearby a UTB of ours!). Anyway, from what I'm reading, seems like the guy in St. Louis has things pretty well covered as he was under a licensed doctor's care at the time he was coming off Tommy John surgery. Don't know much about the "how" ‘n "why" of it all, but if a bona fide doctor prescribes something, how is that YOUR fault?? Guess this will just have to play out as another soap opera, huh Question [?] Guy up in Toronto was the MVP of the 2002 World Series with the Anaheim Angels while he supposedly was taking the stuff. That may be a totally different kettle of fish. As the stomach turns . . . Thumbs Down [tdn]

Let me add my condolences to Ron ‘n his Mrs. down in Mississippi on the loss of their dog. Not a happy time, but as Da Bossman has said - the memories will last forever. Thumbs Up [tup]

By the way, Ron - where did you come up with Friday as our toy train day??? Never was! Nope - WEDNESDAY is Toy ‘n Model Train Day! here at the Watering Hole by the Wayside! <grin> Enjoyed your pix though ‘n if you made all of those, all I can say is Wow!! [wow] nice work, for sure! Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup]

Pennsy calendar shot is a winnAH too! Bet Da Bossman loved it - I'm still WAITING for a NYC or three! <grin>

Good to see Eric ‘n Jan (bookend Swedes) at the bar. Good stuff from both ‘n especially enjoyed those steam locos from our man in Glasgow! Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup]

Also noted Jan back in again with a whole lotta RR songs! Seen 'em B4 at the bar, but not in the form or fashion provided by our man in Scotland! <sweet> A mighty fine post with some mighty fine pix to go with the music. 5-Thumbs Up [tup] Salute to Jan!

Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup]

Quiz question for Jan: Why do you suppose Saturday is Encore day Question [?] Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

 

As today is our traditional Encore Saturday - and - Photo Posting Day! I've dug something up from the "old site" for your enjoyment . . .

This from Nov 13, 2005, on page 161 from a guy we used to see ‘round here a lot - barndad Doug, now one of the ‘used to be's' . . .

Good morning all. Sometimes I think Tom looks over the equipment roster at the IRM to choose his fallen flags! I was amazed to learn that as few cars that the Illinois Terminal Railway had, that we have 12 on the property!Here's a quick pic for the mailslot!


Builder: Electro Motive Division GM . Year Built: 1953 . Model: GP-7
Horsepower: 1500 . Length: 55ft 9in . Width: 10ft 3in . Height: 14ft 6in
Weight: 240000 lbs . Brakes: 6BL .Engine: 16-567BC . Motors: 4 EMD D37B
Trucks: Blomberg . Description: Diesel-Electric (Later No. 1505)

and this one from Trainnut484 Russell (another "used to be") back on Nov 15, 2005, page 163:

Good evening Tom et all, and to the new cyber names that have been welcomed here. Miller Lite for me please, and give everyone their choice of poison on me Smile [:)]

This semester is keeping me hoppin', but I've stuck my toe in a few times during the week trying to keep up with what's going on.

I owe a big belated congrats to CM3 for promotion to Permanent Stool
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: GB
  • 376 posts
Posted by JanOlov on Saturday, September 8, 2007 11:36 AM

Greetings Tom and gentlemen, 

May I please have an extra cold Guinness and a top up for the lads? Could you give some cigars as well please?

Puts a few $$$ in the cigar box and Mr Wurlitzer, which start to play some well selected music....   

Wabash Cannonball...

Verse:

From the wide Pacific ocean to the broad Atlantic shore She climbs the flowery mountains, or'er hills and by the shore though she's tall and handsome and she's known quite well by all She's a regular combination,on the Wabash Cannonball.

Verse:

Oh the Eastern states are dandy, so the Western people say From New York to St. Louis and Peoria by the way To the lakes of Minnesota where the rippling waters fall No chances to be taken on the Wabash Cannonball.

Chorus:

Listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar As she glides along the woodland, over hills and by the shore Hear the mighty rush of the engine, hear the crazy hobos yell to though the jungle on the Wabash Cannonball.

Verse:

Oh, here's old daddy Cleaton, let his name forever be And long be remembered in the courts of Tennessee For he is a good old rounder 'til the curtain round him fall He'll be carried back to victory on the Wabash Cannonball.

Verse:

I have rode the I.C. Limited, also the Royal Blue Across the Eastern counties on Elkhorn Number Two I have rode these highball trains from coast to coast that's all But I have found no equal on the Wabash Cannonball.

Chorus:

Oh, listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar As she glides along the woodland, over hills and by the shore She climbs the flowery mountains, hear the merry hobo squall  As she glides along the woodland, on the Wabash Cannonball.

The Cannonball departing Union Station, St. Louis in 1958 or 1959.

City of New Orleans...

        Riding on the City of New Orleans
        Illinois Central Monday morning rail
        Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders
        Three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail
        All along the southbound odyssey
        The train pulls out at Kankakee
        Rolls along past houses, farms and fields
        Passin' towns that have no names
        Freight yards full of old black men
        And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles

Chorus

        Good morning, America, how are you
        Don't you know me, I'm your native son
        I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans
        I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done

        Dealin' cards with the old men in the club car
        Penny a point, ain't no one keepin' score
        Won't you pass the paper bag that holds the bottle
        Feel the wheels rumblin' 'neath the floor
        And the sons of pullman porters
        And the sons of engineers
        Ride their father's magic carpet made of steam
        Mothers with their babes asleep
        Are rockin' to the gentle beat
        And the rhythm of the rails is all they dream

Chorus

       Night time on The City of New Orleans
       Changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee
       Half way home, and we'll be there by morning
       Through the Mississippi darkness
       Rolling down to the sea
       And all the towns and people seem
       To fade into a bad dream
       And the steel rails still ain't heard the news
       The conductor sings his song again
       The passengers will please refrain
       This train's got the disappearing railroad blues

Final Chorus

       Good night, America, how are you
       Don't you know me, I'm your native son
       I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans
       I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done

Repeat First Chorus

       Good morning, America, how are you
       Don't you know me, I'm your native son
       I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans
       I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done

Wreck Of The Old 97...

        On one cloudless morning I stood on the mountain,
        Just watching the smoke from below,
        It was coming from a tall, slim smokestack
        Way down on the Southern railroad.

        It was 97, the fastest train
        Ever ran the Southern line,
        All the freight trains and passengers take the side for 97,
        For she's bound to be at stations on time.

        They gave him his orders at Monroe, Virginia,
        Saying, "Stevie, you're way behind time.
        This is not 38, but it's Old 97,
        You must put her into Spencer on time."

        He looked 'round and said to his black greasy fireman,
        "Just shovel in a little more coal,
        And when I cross that old White Oak Mountain
        You can just watch Old 97 roll."

        It's a mighty rough road from Lynchburg to Danville,
        And the lie was a three-mile grade,
        It was on that grade that he lost his air brakes,
        And you see what a jump that she made.

        He was going down the grade making 90 miles an hour,
        When his whistle began to scream,
        He was found in that wreck with his hand on the throttle,
        He was scalded to death by the steam.

        Did she ever pull in? No, she never pulled in,
        And at 1:45 he was due,
        For hours and hours has the switchman been waiting
        For that fast mail that never pulled through.

        Did she ever pull in? No, she never pulled in,
        And that poor boy must be dead.
        Oh, yonder he lays on the railroad track
        With the cart wheels over his head.

        97, she was the fastest train
        That the South had ever seen,
        But she run so fast on that Sunday morning
        That the death score was numbered 14.

        Now, ladies, you must take warning,
        From this time now and on.
        Never speak harsh words to your true loving husband.
        He may leave you and never return.

The wreck of Old 97 at Stillhouse Trestle near Danville, Virginia, 1903. Photograph is believed to have been taken a few days after the occurrence of the wreck, as the locomotive, which had overturned, has been righted.

The Ballad Of Casey Jones...

        Come all you rounders if you want to hear
        A story 'bout a brave engineer,
        Casey Jones was the rounder's name
        "Twas on the Illinois Central that he won his fame.

        Casey Jones, he loved a locomotive.
        Casey Jones, a mighty man was he.
        Casey Jones run his final locomotive
        With the Cannonball Special on the old I.C.

        Casey pulled into memphis on Number Four,
        The engine foreman met him at the roundhouse door;
        Said, "Joe Lewis won't be able to make his run 
        So you'll have to double out on Number One."

        If I can have Sim Webb, my fireman, my engine 382,
        Although I'm tired and weary, I'll take her through.
        Put on my whistle that come in today
        Cause I mean to keep her wailing as we ride and pray.

        Casey Jones, mounted the cabin,
        Casey Jones, with the orders in his hand.
        Casey Jones, he mounted the cabin,
        Started on his farewell Journey to the promised land.

        They pulled out of Memphis nearly two hours late, 
        Soon they were speeding at a terrible rate.
        And the people knew by the whistle's moan.
        That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones.

        Need more coal there, fireman Sim, 
        Open that door and heave it in.
        Give that shovel all you got
        And we'll reach Canton on the dot

        On April 30, 1900, that rainy morn,
        Down in Mississippi near the town of Vaughan,
        Sped the Cannonball Special only two minutes late
        Traveling 70 miles an hour when they saw a freight.

        The caboose number 83 was on the main line,
        Casey's last words were "Jump, Sim, while you have the time.
        "At 3:52 that morning came the fareful end,
        Casey took his farewell trip to the promised land.

        Casey Jones, he died at the throttle,
        With the whistle in his hand.
        Casey Jones, he died at the throttlle,
        But we'll all see Casey in the promised land.

        His wife and three children were left to mourn
        The tragic death of Casey on that April morn.
        May God through His goodness keep them by His grace
        Till they all meet together in that heavenly place.

        Casey's body lies buried in Jackson, Tennessee
        Close beside the tracks of the old I.C.
        May his spirit live forever throughout the land
        As the greatest of all heroes of a railroad man.

        Casey Jones, he died at the throttle,
        Casey Jones, with the whistle in his hand.
        Casey Jones, he died at the throttle, 
        But we'll all see Casey in the promised land.

Portrait of "The Brave Engineer" himself: John Luther "Casey" Jones, 1863-1900.

 

Credit: Wikipedia, IC and Wabash Historical Societies and Trainweb...

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket All the best! Jan
  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA
  • 7,214 posts
Posted by siberianmo on Saturday, September 8, 2007 8:34 AM

This is ENCORE! Saturday - and - Photo Posting Day!

Remember: "Our" Place is CLOSED on Sundays.

 

 

 

 

Happy B-Day [bday] 2007 BIRTHDAY WATCH LIST Happy B-Day [bday]

(rev. Sep 8th)

Regular Customers at "Our" Place!

 

January 14th (Eric - 64) 

OKRA (Dec 22 - Jan 20) Are tough on the outside but tender on the inside. Okras have tremendous influence. An older Okra can look back over his life and see the seeds of his influence everywhere. You can do something good each day if you try. You go well with most anyone.

 

 

 

 

January 23rd (Jan - 38) (added)

CHITLIN (Jan 21 - Feb 19) Chitlins come from humble backgrounds. A Chitlin, however, will make something of himself if he is motivated and has lots of season-ing. In dealing with Chitlins, be careful they may surprise you. They can erupt like Vesuvius. Chitlins are best with a Moon Pie but Catfish or Okra is O.K. too.

 

 

 

 

March 31st (Lars - 67)

MOON PIE (March 21 - April 20) You're the type that spends a lot of time on the front porch. A cinch to recognize the physical appearance of Moon Pies.  Big and round are the key words here. You should marry anybody who you can get remotely interested in the idea. A Chitlin would be a good mate but it's not going to be easy. You always have a big smile and are happy. This might be the year to think about aerobics. Maybe not.

 

 

 

 

May 18th (Tom - 69)

POSSUM (April 21 - May 21) When confronted with life's difficulties, possums have a marked tendency to withdraw and develop a don't-bother-me-about- it attitude. Sometimes you become so withdrawn, people actually think you're dead. This strategy is probably not psychologically healthy but seems to work for you. You are a rare breed. Most folks love to watch you work and play. You are a night person and mind your own business. You should definitely marry an Armadillo.

 

 

 

 

August 11th (Pete - 56)

August 14th (Allan -  72)

CATFISH (July 24 - Aug 23) Catfish are traditionalists in matters of the heart, although one's whiskers may cause problems for loved ones. You Catfish are never easy people to understand. You run fast. You work and play hard.  Even though you prefer the muddy bottoms to the clear surface of life, you are liked by most. Above all else, Catfish should stay away from Moon Pies.

 

 

 

 

<

Happy Railroading! Siberianmo
  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA
  • 7,214 posts
"Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment!
Posted by siberianmo on Saturday, September 8, 2007 7:59 AM

<personal foto>

 

This is ENCORE! Saturday - and - Photo Posting Day!

Remember: "Our" Place is CLOSED on Sundays.

 

G'day Gents!

Saturday once again - get the chores done day then kick back for the day. Start off right here with a breakfast from our Menu Board along with fresh coffee ‘n pastries from The Mentor Village Bakery. Yeah!! [yeah]

A rainy day predicted for this Saturday in mid-continent USA 'n supposed to be wet through Monday . . . we were down over 4 inches of rainfall for the year, so it's time to replenish . . . Thumbs Up [tup] Good day to get a few things done 'round the house . . . which is what I do for the other 6 days of the week! <uh oh> Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

Comments from the Proprietor:

The Birthday Watch List 2007! Will be run again today. We've had a few changes - one newcomer along with two "restorations." As participation dwindles to inactivity for a month or more, names are dropped. No point in being "festive" for a guy who doesn't give a Rat's Patoot about us, eh Question [?]

For example on this day last year the majority of our patrons extended greetings ‘n graphics to one of our guys and he didn't even show up for "his day"! That was the SECOND time one of our "own" did that in 2006. Fool us once, shame on you - fool us twice, shame on US!

So be it - we try hard to avoid making the same misjudgments in character twice.

So, for anyone who has been "wondering," that's the way it works.

Customer Acknowledgments (since my last narrative)

Dan (DL-UK) at 7:01 AM Friday - Sep 7th: In what perhaps is your finest Post in terms of absolute thoroughness in "reporting," I got "lost" in those links! <grin> I'm a believe that England must be a nation of museums! Wow!! [wow] Outstanding aircraft material - too bad our former regular ‘n now UTB (used to be) up in Ontario isn't around to enjoy ‘n appreciate your efforts! <wow again!!>

Haven't a clue what you do for a living, but your talents surely involve attention to detail. You ‘n Wolfman Pete are the <greatest> fer sure, fer sure! Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Up [tup]

Very happy to know that you've been able to view the fotos at the bar. No point in asking "what happened?" for that's one of the mysteries of life here in Kalmbach's little corner of the Ether! <grin>

I managed to get through those links involving the former Brit railcar ‘n hope CM3 Shane does pick up on them. If anyone at our bar may have some insights regarding the whereabouts of it, he'd be my choice! Thumbs Up [tup]

VIA Rail seemingly runs these kinds of "good deals" pretty much year ‘round, at least according the dearth of Email I receive from them on their ‘specials.' Thanx in large measure to a bitter taste from our Gaspé trip aboard the Chaleur, it just may be a snowy-day-in-that-hot-place before I fly up to Montréal for another "go" at ‘em. Thumbs Down [tdn]

The trip to Churchill is something I've ALWAYS been fascinated with and I'm aware of the use of the Park Car. It isn't the first time they've put one on, at least according to what I recall way back in the recesses of this thing of mine called a memory. But to use ‘em regularly, now that's only because the eastern routes gave up the Budd equipment. <barf. While the trip up to Churchill would be "different," the scenery isn't going to captivate too many from Winnipeg northward. Nothing like what one gets to appreciate between Montreal ‘n Halifax for example. However, sitting in a Park Car dome IS by far the best accommodation I can think of for rail travel with VIA Rail. Yeah!! [yeah]

I had been SERIOUSLY thinking of taking that trip this November - but have been "convinced" to use that time for other things. So WE are going elsewhere around U.S. Thanksgiving time. <grin> Yeah, I'm easy that way . . .

International airfares are keeping me home ‘n thinking less ‘n less of trips to Canada. Just out of my league . . .

You've managed to escape the Wide Page phenom - so keep up the effort, Mate! Thumbs Up [tup]

Drink of choice on me! Yeah!! [yeah]

Lars (LoveDomes) at 8:32 AM Friday - Sep 7th: Surely didn't expect to see you so early, if at all - but there you were! Thumbs Up [tup]

Although you've provided that fine RDC Post before, I'm always eager to go through it again ‘n aga

Happy Railroading! Siberianmo

SUBSCRIBER & MEMBER LOGIN

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Get the Classic Trains twice-monthly newsletter