Good day Tom and all in attendance. Drinks for all and because it's still breakfast time around here, Guinness for me. More calendar art from 1957:
Tom: Allie Reynolds the Super Chief? What an appropiate name for a railroad forum. Those models from Trix and Brawa are beautiful. If I was into collecting (no money), I would have all the models available. Marklin has some nice ones also.
Bieber is close to where I used to live in Burney, Ca, 15 years ago. I believe there was a connection with the McCloud River RR at one time, but no longer.
I am a contributor to the "overweight" image of Mississippi sorry to say.
I assume you are also a loyal shellback. I became one when crossing the equator at the 180° meridian while aboard the U.S.S. Midway way back. It was the first crossing for the Captain and had his head shaved, from front to back. He wasn't too happy about that. I looked for my certificate, but couldn't find it.
Pete: Would you say the bacon in England is similar to Canadian bacon?
Allan: Yes I found the NZ site. Thanks. I notice you refer to "Pullman" cars on British rails. Is that the same Pullman Car Division of the U.S? or is it a generic term.
Eric: An interesting pic of those loco drivers. Would they be from an older engine with Stephenson valve gear?
Jan: I like those MR electrics. Not so much the Little Joes, Too modern for me. Those pictures must have been taken late before their demise as the color scheme has changed from a picture taken in 1947.
BTW, If anyone is interested in beer, check out the following link. It's unbelievable how many breweries there are in the U.S. and in the rest of the world. Interestingly, The Philippines has only one brewery.
http://www.beerdetails.com/brewery.asp?brewery=Altoona%20Brewing%20Co.
G'day Gents!
Somewhat of a quiet day thus far with only CM3 Shane 'n Ron to keep us awake! <grin>
Swtiching subjects: At a time we had THREE Swedes on board - Eric (EricX2000) - Per (marthastrainyard) 'n Jan (JanOlov) . . . sad to say we've lost track of Per . . .
HOWEVER, here's a BLAST from the PAST for all, especially our guys from that wonderful part of the world called Sweden!
RAILWAYS of EUROPE #6 - X2000 of Sweden Swedish Railways, Statens Järnvägar (SJ)
<A form of this was initially Posted on Page 322 of the Original Thread>
Used with permission from: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Formatting differences made necessary due to Forums requirements. Some heralds from other sources. X2000 X 2000 is the brand name of Sweden's tilting 200 km/h high-speed train class X2, which is operated by SJ. It was launched in 1990 as a first-class only train with a meal included in the ticket price, and free use of the train's fax machine. It was then the only train in Sweden to have airconditioning and audio sockets. There is a bistro on board that serves snack bar-style dishes. The trains were initially used sparingly to avoid breakdowns. Starting 1995, the trains were used more intensively and second class was introduced. X2000 train used by SJ AB of Sweden (Wikimedia Commons) Though the top speed of 200 km/h is unremarkable internationally, X 2000 deserves the reputation as a high-speed train since it cut journey times by about a quarter, enough to be competitive with airlines on many major routes. It typically averages about 150 km/h. In 2000-2004, seven trains were operated by Linx on the lines Oslo-Göteborg-Malmö-København and Oslo-Stockholm. Linx was a joint venture between SJ and its Norwegian counterpart NSB. It was wound up when SJ wanted to move the trains to more profitable lines in Sweden. Low-fares airlines also played a part in siphoning off passengers from the comparatively slow Linx services, the main ones taking well in excess of three hours. All trains are being equipped with w-lan wireless internet and repainted grey as of 2005. Trains are also being fitted with repeaters to improve mobile phone reception. Impact on the Railway The train has had a major impact on SJ and the country's railway. More passengers, together with the lower operating costs associated with operating trains faster and more efficiently, helped SJ become profitable. It also proved that rail is a viable solution not just in exotic foreign countries, but also at home in Sweden. In 1991, the government started a massive investment program, spending 5-10 billion crowns annually on improvements to the rail network. The program continues today and is being accelerated. A milestone was reached in the late nineties when the number of trips taken by train in Sweden exceeded the 1940s level for the first time. New links built since 1990 include the Øresund bridge, the Arlanda Airport link, and the 80 km long Svealand line (Stockholm)-Södertälje-Eskilstuna. The X 2000 train undoubtedly contributed to building public support for these large projects. X 2000 Routes The X 2000 network radiates out from Stockholm, with the exception of the Göteborg-Malmö route. The other endpoints of the network are:
SJ AB Type: Goverment enterprise Founded: 2001 (1856) Location: Sweden Website: www.sj.se SJ AB (Swedish Railways, Statens Järnvägar, commonly known as SJ) is a Swedish government owned public transport on railway operator. SJ was created in 2001, out of the public transport division of Statens Järnvägar, literally the Swedish "State Railways", when the former Government agency was divided into six separate government owned limited companies. SJ operates a number of different train systems such as the high speed train X2000 and Regina, although most of the trains are still drawn by the 1960s RC-locomotive to serve its customers. X2000 train (GNU Free Documentation) One of SJs' regional double deckers (Wikimedia Commons) Used with permission from: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Formatting differences made necessary due to Forums requirements. Some heralds from other sources. ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Additional information from other sources: Th
Hi Tom and all.
A pint of Bathams please RUTH.
ALLAN Thanks for the round. I will post the name locos of the LNER later today.
I bet traveling on the Tees-Tyne Pullman must have been a wonderful experience, I guess it must have been those older Pullmans that were so elegant. I suppose an A4 or a Peppercorn A1 hauled the train, oh for a time machine. The line through my hometown, Rugby, did not have Pullmans until the line was electrified in the mid 1960s when we had the Manchester and Liverpool Pullmans.
It is 40 years ago on September 9th 1967 that the last BR steam ran in the North East of England. For the last trip up the Silksworth branch J27 No 65894 ran with a large Blue Star, as seen on the Newcastle Brown bottles, on the smokebox. Steam Railway magazine has replicated the star on the happily preserved 65894 for the cover of its current issue, which has some articles on the end of steam in the North East, including an article about preserving part of Robert Stephenson's South Street locomotive works in Newcastle.
Are you able to get many railway magazines in New Zealand.
When I was old enough to legally drink Newcastle Brown Ale was hard to get in Rugby, the was a local Rugby Football club that sold it in the clubhouse, as you say, it was a very distinctive ale, it certainly let you know if you had too much of it. I see it is on sale in my local Irish pub here in mid Missouri I will have to have a bottle to celebrate the end of North East steam.
ERIC Thanks for the link to the UP cars in my photos, there is a lot of information. It is good of UP to post the details of the cars. I would have been great if the preserved DD40X if not the E-9 units had hauled the train.
Good photo. Is it the driving wheels of an inside-cylinder 0-8-0 locomotive
JAN Thanks for the round, and those great Milwaukee electrics, the lighting in the last photo is wonderful, and you can almost feel those locomotives as they reach the top of the 2% grade.
CM3 Looking forward to the ‘Rawhide' stories at the rendezvous.
It should be a good fold out in the next Trains showing all the UP heritage diesels.
I would certainly add some color to the railroads if the other class 1s would follow UP's lead. I guess BNSF could have some colorful locos from the lines that have formed BNSF.
Thanks for the info and link to the SP&S locomotives. There as been lot of research in the section on SP&S diesel paint schemes.
DD1 Many thanks for another great calendar picture.
Canadian bacon is the nearest I have had here to English bacon, although it not very often I see Canadian bacon around here.
That is a great list of the breweries in that link. I had a bit of a shock when I looked the UK and there was only 2 listed until I found the ones under England.
TOM It was great to talk to you again today.
Thanks for the link to the Canadian Museum, unless I am reading it wrong, what that woman historian is saying as made me very. Glad the sign is being changed.
The UP diesel in Heritage livery is the only one of the six I have seen. I believe there is one in KATY colors, which I hoped might work regularly through here. I guess the locos work fairly close to lines they are painted in, but I might be wrong and they work all over the UP system.
Many thanks for the models encore from BK; as you say he is very much missed at the bar. They are great models of some stylish locomotives and the colors on the 216 loco seem to really suit the loco. The CFL class 3600 has a touch of the Pennsy colors about her.
Great post on the Swedish Railways, featuring the X2000
Back again Ruth so another Bathams please.
NAMED LOCOMOTIVES OF THE BIG 4. Part 4
LONDON & NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY (LNER)
A4 Mallard at the NRM York
The LNER, to my mind had the most varied and some of the best names on British Railways.
Of the 5 largest companies that formed the LNER,three,the Great Northern, North Eastern and Great Eastern Railways did not, as a rule, named their engines, whereas the Great Central and the North British did.
I will use the BR number for the locos, as the LNER numbering/re-numbering, would give even Einstein a hard time figuring it out.
THE PACIFICS.
The A4s Silver Link was the first of the class, which have been called Sir Nigel Gresley's masterpiece. This loco went sent into service working the Silver Jubilee from London to Newcastle in 1935. There were 3 other A4s with the ‘silver' theme. The class also carried names of 4 Commonwealth countries including the preserved ‘Dominion of Canada'. The majority of the rest of the class was named after British wild birds, including the world steam speed record holder ‘Mallard'. Although the 100th Gresley pacific built carried the name of the designer. Later some of the A4s were re-named for officials of the LNER and Eastern Region, another A4 to receive a new name was Dwight D. Eisenhower, this engine is now preserved in Green Bay WIS.
The A3s. The first loco was named Great Northern; the second was the famous Flying Scotsman. The rest of the class, apart from a few exceptions, were named after successful flat racing ‘classic', e.g. Derby, St Ledger etc, racehorses. One A3 was named for the 100th year of Donacaster Works where the locos were built, but it was not 60048 Doncaster, which was a horse, but 60056 Centenary.
Out of a class of 78 locos only one is saved, and but for Mr. Alan Peglar, who bought the loco from BR, the most famous of all British locomotives Flying Scotsman, could well have gone to the scrapheap.
P2. A2/2 These were the original Gresley 2-8-2s, as Allan mentioned, which were converted by E. Thompson into Pacifics, they kept their original names, all with a Scottish theme, like Mon's Meg (anyone know what the name commemorates) and Wolf Of Badenoch.
The A2s proper were named after more successful racehorses, including Bachelor's Button and the preserved Blue Peter.
The A1s had 6'8"driving wheels as compared to the 6'2" of the A2s. These locos had a mixed bag of names some ‘bird' names and some characters from the novels of Sir Walter Scott. No 60143 was named after the great author. No A1s were preserved but volunteers, the money mainly raised by railfans, are building a brand new A1. The loco will have the next number in the A1 series 60163 and is to be named Tornado. It is hoped it will be finished late this year or early next.
2-6-2s
The LNER introduced a fast freight service between London and Edinburgh the name given to this service was Green Arrow and the first of a new class of V2s introduced in 1936 was given this name. Only 6 other V2s out of a class of 184 locos were named. I guess to make up for the lack of other engines being named, one V2, No 60835, had a name of no less than 58 letters it was (Deep breath) The Green Howard, Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment. In 1955 the loco was shedded at Heaton in Newcastle on Tyne and I bet the cleaners just loved polishing that name plate.
The V2s came known as "The Engines that won the War" due to the heavy trains (by British standards) they hauled in WWII.
Green Arrow is preserved and impressed the ex LMS crews when it was returned to the main line in the 1970s especially on the Settle & Carlisle line.
Another 2-6-2 to be named was Gresley'sV4 No 61700 Bantam **** there was just two in the class and it was rumored that Bantam Hen plates were cast for the second loco but I don't believe they were fitted, if they were indeed cast.
4-6-0s
Some of Thompson's successful mixed traffic class of 409 locos, the B1s, were named after, mainly Scottish, railway officials although the first 40 of the class were named after, well can you guess, from these examples, Puku, Sassaby, and Madoqua. (Didn't the spell-checker love those!) Answer at the end.
Gresley introduced some 3-cylinder 4-6-0s the B17s or ‘Sandringhams' the first engines were named after stately homes in the LNER area with the latter engines of the class being named after football (soccer) clubs. These were most attractive nameplates with a brass football above the name and the lower half of the plate was in the team's colours. They are highly collectable today. I believe after the locos ended service one nameplate off the locos was given to the clubs named.
2-6-0s
A small class of 6 locos built for the West Highland line, the K4s, were given names linked to the area, one 61994 The Great Marquess has been preserved.
4-4-0s
For use on lines with a lighter loading gauge, Gresley introduced the D49s they were named after Counties and after Fox Hunts.
Just getting into LNER days was a development of the Great Central Director class D11 which were built for the Scottish loading gauge, these locos carried on from an earlier North British design of 4-4-0s and had names from the Scott novels, to me they are some wonderful names, like Wizard Of The Moor, Laird of Balmawhapple, The Lady Of The Lake, Bailie MacWheeble and Luckie Mucklebackit.
These locos did not have a nameplate; the name was painted on as in N.B. tradition.
Unfortunately the LNER engines have not fared well as regards preservation compared to the other big four engines. One main reason being that only one ex LNER engine made it to the famed Barry Scrapyard that was B1 No 61264, now running main line tours.
The answer to the B1 question was that they were named after antelopes. No doubt they officials were hoping that they would be known as 'Antelopes', or after the first B1, No 61000 Springbok but the engine crews took the cue from 61005 and the class was known as ‘Bongo's'. One of the named B1s has a U.S. connection, 61379 was named Mayflower, sadly this engine was not saved, but the name is carried on the other B1 to be Preserved 61306, which was the last B1 in service, it is in LNER apple green livery.
From what I believe is the longest name on the Big Four with that V2 name the LNER also had the shortest with B1 61018 'Gnu'.
A4 Union of South Africa at Bridgnorth Severn Valley Railway.
Enjoy.
Pete.
G-day Tom and all present!!
Leon- set me up with something special. Whatever you like to make... and a coffee along with that. Thanks my fine fellow. And keep the change. Also I feel the guys need a round. I have been gone for awhile and feel I have a debt to repay. So anything on me guys.
Now I hope you haven't put me on the list of those who have not returned. Because I am back and I am ready for another great winter of trains!!! (did I say winter?) I only have a few more days of work and then the bids change and I should be on a much easier job than what I was on.... (yike) But boy, does it feel good to be back after all of this time not being here..
So, Tom, I see you are still keeping this place going. And it has lasted to over page 100. Now I thought I heard something about this not being around for another year... well, since I am back I think it might just have to stay.
I see we also have some new people... Now I don't remember if I have met DD1.. But If I haven't, Hello! And Jan, who seems to have a thing for the Milwaukee road..... That doesn't sound like my thing at all. (grin) The Milwaukee Road is my all time favorite. A railroad that lives on in modeling, especially for me. Nice to meet you.
I see Pete and Eric are still on track. Nice to see you guys. I will be looking over the pages I missed here this next week and will be checking out your pieces fer sure, fer sure!
Lars is still hanging in there with his great posts. I'm glad to see everyone having fun. Lars, as mentioned I will be going over the posts so I certainly won't forget you. Some great stuff to be looking forward too.
I saw Dave was on also this past week when my friend logged in. I will have to get to his posts and give them a look. Nothing can go missed.
Before leaving, I have a little something to drop off.
The Milwaukee Road Depot, Downtown Minneapolis, MN
The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Depot Freight House and Train Shed (commonly referred to as the Milwaukee Road Depot), now officially named The Depot, is a historic railroad depot in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad had a long history in the Minneapolis area, beginning in 1865 when a predecessor railroad, the Minnesota Central, built a line from Mendota to Minneapolis. The Minnesota Central also built a line from Mendota to St. Paul in that early era. Eventually, rail lines connected Minneapolis and St. Paul with Milwaukee, Wisconsin via Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.
The freight house and the first depot were built in 1879 with an Italianate architectural style. The first depot was razed after a new facility, with Renaissance Revival architecture, was built in 1899. Originally, the facility's most distinguishing feature, the clock tower, was pinnacled and modeled after the Giralda in Seville, Spain; high winds destroyed the pinnacle in 1941 and the tower has since had a flat top.
The freight house served a large percentage of less-than-carload freight arriving and departing from the Minneapolis area. Passenger traffic was also significant. In 1916, 15 passenger trains per day used the depot, including the flagship Hiawatha. Rail yard facilities just south of downtown, on Hiawatha Avenue north of Lake Street, serviced the trains. By 1920, the peak of activity, 29 trains per day used the depot.
As passenger rail traffic decreased across the nation and freight facilities were consolidated elsewhere, the Minneapolis depot steadily lost traffic. The depot was closed in 1971 and stood vacant for many years as various redevelopment and reuse plans fizzled. In 1978, the depot and freight house were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1998, CSM Corporation began a project to reuse the depot, including a Renaissance Hotel and Residence Inn by Marriott hotels, an indoor water park, and an enclosed outdoor ice skating rink located in the former trainshed. The project was completed in 2001.
The Milwaukee Depot as seen from Washington street, Downtown Minneapolis, MN.
Good morning Captain Tom and Gentlemen!!
Leon, Rumpsteak Café de Paris, please! I'll have fries and a cold Keith's!
A busy day here in Phoenix and some things happened at the bar as well! We had 113° today and the 29th day of 110° or warmer this year. That is a new record!
JanOlov – Very nice pictures of those electrics, E-50, E47, Little Joe’s and others! I agree with Ron, there is a raw power in an electric locomotive. You can temporarily take out much more power than what it is rated for, but you can’t do that with a diesel. Tom – I know, you are right, those drumheads would not work on an Amtrak train today. Sad but true. Very nice model pictures! I have a picture of a German Class 218, very similar to the Class 216. Took the picture in Hamburg- Altoona 1976. Class 216 had a less powerful diesel engine, 1,770 hp while 218 had a 2,457 hp engine, later increased to 2,762 hp. All locomotives were diesel-hydraulic.
Class 218.
The X2000 ranks as the sixth fastest train in the world. Not a high top speed, but a high average speed since the train doesn’t have to slow down very much for curves. X2000! What else could I ask for? Sorry to say, Wikipedia is not quite correct. It says that the trains were initially used sparingly to avoid breakdowns. Not true at all. They were used extensively from the day train set 2 was recieved. One main reason the Swedish State Railways (SJ) allowed Amtrak to lease a train set for one year was because the availability of each train set was 99.8% or higher. Amtrak leased the spare train set 1992-93. SJ then had 12 train sets in service.
I remember the first run in revenue service at September 4 1990. It is correct as it says that the train left Stockholm at 6.33 AM and arrived in Gothenburg at 10.07 AM. I was operating the train the second half of that run and no one told med that we were not allowed to arrive early to Gothenburg. We were supposed to be there just on time, not late and not early. I got the message when we were about five minutes from Gothenburg and we were 5 minutes early. It was kind of embarrasing to be forced to slow down the last few miles and move at a speed of about 20 mph. The streetcars passed the train! I was not a happy guy then. But at least we arrived exactly on time. The tilting eliminates about 70 % of the lateral acceleration. If it eliminates more a lot of people get sick. The remaining grade crossings are the main reason the X2000 doesn’t run faster than 200 km/h. For higher speeds no grade crossings are allowed. CM3 – Did you see the moon eclipse yesterday morning? Ron – I am afraid I don’t know what kind of valve gear the locomotive had who was running on those wheels. I know it was a Class E, built 1907-1917. See picture below.Class E, 1907.
Pete – I agree, UP should have used E9s to pull the train with those nice looking cars! Yes, those driving wheels are from a Class E, see picture above. Thanks for part 4 of Named Locomotives of the Big 4!I am glad that Mr. Alan Peglar saved the Flying Scotsman! So BR just dumped the rest of them? I am afraid I got lost, what class is locomotive 60009 (on the lower picture)?James – Big suprise to see you again! Welcome back! Thanks for the info on the Milwaukee Road Depot! Too sad it isn’t used for what is was built for nowaday.
Eric
<courtesy: www.viarail.ca>
PLEASE READ THESE MORNING ACKNOWLEDGMENTS!!
Awwwwwwright, Thursday has rolled ‘round which means the end of the work week <for many> is in sight!
Begin the day right here with a mugga Joe, pastries from The Mentor Village Bakery ‘n a <light> or <traditional> breakfast from our Menu Board.
Comments from the Proprietor:
Even a day without the Larsman seems long, but two . . . <ugh>
Wonder when we'll see the return of Dan (DL) from his trip to Canada Should be heading back to Merry Olde by now, methinks. Having his return will perhaps take the "strain" off when Pete departs for his left coast adventure.
RR BOOK RELAY 2007 had the first mailing: Book is en route the Lars family hut!
West Coast S (Dave) alert: Observed logged in on Wednesday - but no appearance at the bar! [confused]
The way it "works" here is if one wants to be a "regular" at the bar, then you visit here FIRST before going elsewhere. No visit can be construed as no interest . . . sorry!
HELP WANTED! Hey guys, the ONLY success we've had at getting new customers ‘round here has been to seek ‘em out. So how about making an appearance now ‘n then over on "my other Thread"! Just drop off a foto and/or respond when new guys stop by - which is very, very rare. Thanx!
Customer Acknowledgments (since my last narrative)
CM3 Shane (coalminer3) at 8:13 AM Wednesday - Aug 29th: Yeah Labor Day is looming on the horizon - which means you "feds" will be scarce in these parts, eh Four day work weeks aren't the greatest, for some strange reason . . . always seemed longer to me "back in the day"! <grin>
Nice selection of songs from Herr Wurlitzer, keeps the critters "in the mood," as they are definitely "tuned in"!
IF my Aunt had whiskers, she'd be my Uncle, or something like that. Just imagine what the baseball lore would've turned out to be had the Babe remained in Beantown - had Joe D gone there ‘n Jim Lonborg not gone skiing on Christmas Eve of 1967.
When siberianmo rules the world, ALL passenger trains will carry drumheads, have domes, provide competent on board staff along with superb service AND be the envy of the transportation world with their on-time-performance! Hey, I can dream can't I
Liked the SP&S info - link is a "keeper" too!
Many thanx for the quarters, round, visit ‘n chat!
Ron (DD1) at 12:34 PM Wednesday - Aug 29th: Can't lay claim to a title never earned - nope, never crossed the Equator by ship. Have done so several times by air - but that's not the point, eh However, I can claim some other sea going titles - how about this one: Blue Nose - Crossing of the Arctic Circle (66-32 North latitude). Also known as "Northern Domain of the Polar Bear." How about Order of the Ditch - Transiting the Panama Canal. And Spanish Main - Cruising the Caribbean. But alas, Pollywog I are! <grin>
Yeah, Allie Reynolds was a native American from Oklahoma who was a fine pitcher "back in the day"! Also known as "Wahoo." He pitched two no-hitters for the Yanks:
7/12/1951: For NY (A) vs. CLE (A), 1-0 at NYY. 9 innings pitched.9/28/1951: For NY (A) vs. BOS (A), 8-0 at NYY. 9 innings pitched.
Nice calendar shot . . . Wonder what the "story" is behind the Pix
Appreciate the beer link - pretty impressive!
Thanx for the inclusive Post, round ‘n chat!
Pete (pwolfe) at 3:37 PM ‘n 4:29 PM We
Good Morning All and a Word of Thanks
Just a word of thanks for prayers and well wishes provided. All is well now as I will start on the road once again. A bit lonelier and a bit empty for awhile but at least I have something to keep me going as the memories of and direction provided from Dad will be with me for years to come.
I'm also the benifactor of a large number of Dad's books on Railways and Ships so his legacy will continue.
Kindest Regards
Fergie
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=5959
If one could roll back the hands of time... They would be waiting for the next train into the future. A. H. Francey 1921-2007
Greetings Tom and fellow railroad worshipers.....
siberianmo, great stuff on SJ and the X2000 . As always and as everybody else a most informative and entertaining post.
The Fish n Chips is already in the making and will be ready to serve soon. I'm already working on tomorrows Pizza ‘n Steaks with fries.
pwolfe, always enjoy those british railroad posts, rather partial to LMS I have to say...
CMSTPP, great stuff! I hope to see more Milwaukee Road related posts from you young man!
EricX2000, I agree with you completely. The early electrics (and some later) had a sharm that you don't have today with these modern contraption.... I'll give the modern electrics a
And some more Milwaukee Road lovelies....
The Traveler, train 24 behind Hudson #141 chrges through the reverse curve at Florida Street on Milwaukee's south side.
Olympian Hiawatha behind what many consider to be Milwaukee Roads best looking diesels.
Good Morning Barkeep and all Present; coffee, please (New England Breakfast Blend), round for the house and $ for the jukebox. Gas is at $2.89 today, weather clear, track fast, although they are forecasting possible thunderstorms this p.m.
Pete stopped by. There is a KATY heritage unit (mostly red - Texas Special heritage, I guess). Thanks for the LNER information. Why, oh why, do they always put the interesting equipment either three deep in the consist or skin to skin with the fence?
James - Is that you, son?
Eric - Your fair city made the lead story on TWC this a.m. They always told me when stomping around the deserts of Nevada that the, "Heat's dry - it won't bother you." Right - that's why we keep hydrated. Thanks for the reminiscences. We are too far east so we saw nothing of the eclipse. February, 2008, IIRC, is the date for the next one which will be visible throughout the U.S. Good stuff to watch when you can see it.
Fergie - welcome back.
Jan sent MILW pictures. FM diesels in as-delivered color scheme. Nice touch, sir!
OSP - Encore on Swedish railroads is a good pick. I hear your comments loud and clear. I know, things will be different after the revolution. I did see an interesting bumper sticker while getting the vehicle refueled at ye olde local truck stop this a.m. It said, "Too Much Law; Not Enough Order." Revisionist historians? I'll save that rant for the rendezvous lest Boris drag me into the rat room. However, there is a book titled The Killing of History which came out a few years ago - you might be interested in browsing through it sometime. I know, Awk, we read a whole lot of stuff.
DD1 sent a nice calendar shot of a PRR coal pier. Here's a bit of PRR ad copy from 1950.
On the Pennsylvania - every Kind of Coal For Every Kind of Need!
The supply is plentiful and so are the facilities to handle it!
Along the Pennsylvania Railroad are America's most important coal deposits. The coal is here, unlimited in variety, waiting industry's call...high, medium, and low volatile bituminous, and anthracite - every type of coal for every purpose.
The reputation of the Pennsylvania as the country's No. 1 coal carrier stems from this almost inexhaustible supply on its lines; and from the constant expansion of facilities and services to answer the needs of coal producers and consumers alike.
For the record, PRR had coal dock along the Great Lakes and the Atlantic shore. Four of their lake facilities were on Lake Erie. Three were in Ohio: Sandusky, Cleveland, and Ashtabula. There was also a coal pier at Erie. They had a pier on Lake Ontario at Sodus Point, NY.
Coal docks on the Atlantic side were at South Amboy, NJ; Philadelphia (Greenwich), and Baltimore (Canton).
Awhile back we had a picture of Conway Yard. The following website has a ton on PRR documents; among the goodies is an advertising book about Conway produced by the P Company. There's also lots of other material. I apologize in advance because this site has items. Heads-up to OSP - there are several pieces about PRR trains operating into and out of St. Louis. This'll take care of your weekend - enjoy!
http://prr.railfan.net/documents/
work safe
Ruth- Make it an Oj with a roll. Thanks!Well, I'm back for the second time in a row, and it's not about to stop there. I am slowly going over all of the posts.... But it may take me awhile so be patient.
Yes, Tom, I know it's been awhile. But I plan on coming back better, with new train knowledge in mind..Especailly passenger trains.Btu believe me, I have been wanting to come back for the last 2 months. But time was a crunch and I couldn't spend time here. But everything is cool and things are much better. Good to know there are people who care here.
Eric- Thanks for the welcome back. Glad you liked the Depot. As one of my favorite Depots the railroad had, it holds a special place in history. It's amazing to see the Depot still stand after over a 100 years of use. It certainly has seen a lot of change over the last 50 years. Now the Depot is the only portion you can tell the railroad was there. I have seen pictures of it in use and it was a surprise to go and see how much has changed.
Jan- I am glad to be talking with you. As you may know the Milwaukee Road is my favorite railroad and I always enjoy talking about the trains, especially when it comes to passenger trains. And I will start with your two pics. The first pic has a steamer in there. The 141 was a Northern type locomotive. I never saw many of these locomotives in passenger service. Most of the time it was the hudsons and the Atlantics. But it's good to see something different.The second picture was very cool. The Fairbanks Morse Erie Built locomotive was the pride to the Olympian Hiawatha. Probably the most stylish of the diesel locomotives was the Olympian Eries.The Olympian Hiawatha ran from Chicago to Seattle and was even seen in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Some cool stuff indeed. Again, nice to meet you.
CM3- Yes sir, it's me. I am back for the Winter. (did I say winter) I hope to look over all of your fine posts here in the next couple of weeks.And now another small piece of railroad history.
The Olympian Hiawatha!
The Olympian and the successor Olympian Hiawatha was a named passenger train operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (The Milwaukee Road) as train Nos. 15 and 16 from 1911 to 1961. Its route traversed the Milwaukee Road main line from Chicago, Illinois west to Seattle/Tacoma, Washington.
The streamlined Olympian Hiawatha replaced the Milwaukee's heavyweight Olympian train in 1947. The train was designed by industrial designer Brooks Stevens and included the destinctive glassed-in "Skytop" observation-sleeping cars. In 1952 the Milwaukee Road added full-length "Super Dome" cars to the train.
State-of-the-art Heavyweight Olympian
With the completion of the Milwaukee Road's "Puget Sound extension," a new 2300-mile mainline from South Dakota to Seattle and Tacoma in 1909 that made that railroad the last entry into the transcontinental trade, the Milwaukee ordered two state-of-the-art steel luxury train-sets for Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul-Seattle-Tacoma service on the line. Following a public contest the Milwaukee Road chose the name Olympian for the flagship train and Columbian for its slower running mate which traversed the same route. Both trains were inaugurated on May 28, 1911.
In 1916 the Milwaukee completed its initial 209 miles of electrification of rail line from Tacoma and Seattle and over the Cascades, a feat that was advertised to maximum advantage to passengers since it eliminated the soot normally associated with steam-powered rail travel prior to the era of air-conditioning. By 1920 electrification was also completed over 440 miles of the Milwaukee's Idaho and Montana mountain right-of way, making a combined 649 miles of direct-current electrification on the two segments of main line. The 440 miles of electrified line between Harlowton, Montana and Avery, Idaho was the longest continuous electrified rail line in the world. Besides being cleaner, electrification allowed the road to pull both freight and passenger loads faster, more reliably and more efficiently regardless of season.
In 1926 Milwaukee contracted with Pullman-Standard to replace the original Olympian with new train-sets and the train was was again completely re-equipped, the new trains making their first run on August 1, 1927. The plushly appointed steel equipment was painted orange and maroon and was among the first trains to be radio-equipped. Capitalizing on its soot-free electrification, open observation gondola cars were operated during the summer months. In an effort to increase ridership on the Olympian the Milwaukee Road also opened its first railroad-owned hotel near Yellowstone National Park, the Gallatin Gateway Inn. Gallatin Gateway was reached from a spur line that connected to the main line at Three Forks, Montana.
Both the Olympian and Columbian operated into 1930. However, as ridership fell during the onset of the great depression, the Columbian was dropped from the schedule and all transcontinental services consolidated into the Olympian.
More to co
Ahoy Cap'n Tom ‘n fellow travelers at the bar!
Yes Ruth, ‘tis the Larsman, back from "upstate" ‘n ready for refreshments ‘n to be refreshed! Ah, but the latter comes later . . . <blush> Now to the urgency at hand - a tall stein of Rheingold if you please, treats for the crittAHs ‘n the small jar of PPF for Boris, once he finishes feeding the gang! A round for the house - Boris ring the ding!
A long day's drive that pretty much took "it" outta me ‘n the Mrs. Hate the highways these days. Anyway, we're back in our abode on "the island" ‘n took yesterday "off." Just got things back in order, caught up on the bills ‘n domestic chores. Today the Mrs. has a visit with her mom, so I'm FREE!
Looks like my Mets wound up making the NL east a worthy cause for those in the hunt. And to think that not long ago, it appeared they would wrap it up before September. Ha - not to be. Well, what's September without some hot races for the division championships, eh We used to call ‘em Pennant Races, but that was then! Now the Pennant only comes into play after the playoff rounds are concluded. Tinker was a ballplayer, not something to do! <arrrrrrggggggghhhhhh>
Won't even try to address each ‘n every slice of material posted since my last, but I've gone thru ‘em and offer up these comments (in no particular order)!
For Ron: What's this about people in Mississippi being grossly overweight?!?! Since when did preparing food in grease (called deep frying I believe) become hazardous to one's waistline
That is indeed the Super Chief, Allie Reynolds, in the photo you put up. Da Boss hit it on the noggin! I think he was called Wahoo as nother nickname. Probably would be "offensive" in the PR world some live in these days.
Appears you've got quite a project going which makes me envious, for I have a shop in the basement that is the envy of my friends. I'm a machinist and love metal work. But, that was then . . .
For Pete: I see things were maintained in good order during my absence, so I suppose this means you'll be bugging me again about that bar tab! Nice try, no cigar!! <grin>
For YOU!
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/hagar.asp
By the way, should I not get back to you beforehand, have a great trip to the Left Coast and hope you get to see those museums we mentioned. The model RR building in San Diego's Balboa Park is a MUST as is the museum up in Sacramento. Gotta "do" both! Then there's the trip back by train. That, hopefully, will be a pleasure. Just kinda bite your tongue with the disappointments from Amtrak, for they will occur. Stay in the sightseer lounge car - drink some brew, and all will be well with the world! <grin>
Not sure about my time, but I'll do my best to fill in for you during the PM slot . . .
For Fergie: Great to see ya back at the bar ‘n hope we get to enjoy the pix from your model RR on Wednesdays! Have one on me, mate 'n enjoy the interaction in this fine establishment of ours!
For Eric: With that kinda heat you're having in the desert, why oh why would anyone want to exert themselves Why not just kick back, catch up on those "things" you've been putting off round the house ‘n before you know it, you'll be up ‘n runnin' once again.
Looks like the reptiles are in trouble, eh
For CM3 I'm NOT Shane! Some fine material these past few posts - really enjoyed the coal pier info, as I know Da Boss must have!
Revisionist historians should be weighted down ‘n tossed over board. But WAIT, that would contribute to further polluting the seas! ‘Nuf said, huh
All this talk of the PRR makes for some covers to display!
Ruth, it's time to attack that <ahem> admin business piling up . . . ready <grin>
Another round on me - Boris, ring it!
Until the next time!
Lars
Good day Tom and all present. Drinks all around and a hair-of-the-dog for me please. Here is today's calendar:
I've placed my collection of recordings on CD, so I thought I would bring in some old vinyl and shellacs for the juke box. All have a railroad theme. Some, I'm sure you are familiar with, but some, maybe not, especially the younger members (those under 50).
Maybe some can add to this list of railroad inspired songs. Wouldn't it be neat if we could upload the sound?
I have been getting lots of railroad information from a contact in Chile and he sent me the following link. It's in Spanish, but there are some interesting pictures.
http://www.amigosdeltren.cl/ferrochile/caminando/trasandino/camina_trasandino_es.php
Tom and Eric: The information on the X2 high speed train was outstanding. Living down here in the boonies, doesn't give me much opportunity to check out the new trains on the scene. I assume you (Tom) saw the X2 when it visited your location?
James: Nice to hear from you and thanks for the drink. Make it a double Glen Livet. I too like the MR. I haven't seen much of it except when I was traveling along I-90 toward Seattle and Tacoma in 1964. I saw the bi polar's and other heavy electrics, which I am very partial to. Little Joe's are OK, but I like the older electrics. There's a story about a bi-polar having a tug-of-war with a 2-6-6-2 and a 2-8-0 and having no trouble pulling the two steamers backwards while they were in full ahead travel. Now that's some awesome power.
Eric: After looking at the picture of the class "E", I have to agree with Pete that it is an inside cylinder engine and could have Stephenson's valve gear, but can't tell for sure.
CM3: Thanks for the Pennsy link. I took a quick look, but found there is too much to absorb at one time. I will save it in my favorites file. Did you know about all the underground coal mine fires in the state of Pennsylvania. Some have been burning for more than 50 years. I heard of one burning in China for over 6000 years???? And another that was finally extinguished after about 140 years. Seems most fires are in China and India. It seems to me, that fire could be harnessed to generate steam to drive electric generators. BTW, I noted that the PRR didn't have any E-6's on their roster??? Could they have had a different designation for the 4-4-2 Atlantic? The LIRR used E-6's and I guessed they got them from the PRR?
A nice morning, somewhat back to what we had become accustomed to! Great to see Fergie - CM3 Shane - Lars ‘n someone called James . . .
Also noted that Ron had a "wide page" Post - send me an Email 'n I'll explain what to do to avoid that problem. Makes for very difficult reading . . . BUT, thanx for stopping by!
Now it's time for the 2nd installment in my new "series" - Back in the Day!
Now Arriving on Track #1
Back in the Day - Number Two
The Singing Brakeman - Jimmie Rodgers
Back in the day, songs of the railroads were commonplace while tuning in the radio. One troubadour in particular was a fellow named Jimmie Rodgers (1897 - 1933). He was known and referred to as "The Father of Country Music." His dad was a Maintenance of Way Foreman on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, which undoubtedly inspired his love for trains.
"His is the music of America. He sang the songs of the people he loved, of a young nation growing strong. His was an America of glistening rails, thundering boxcars, and rain-swept night, of lonesome prairies, great mountains and a high blue sky. He sang of the bayous and the cornfields, the wheated plains, of the little towns, the cities, and of the winding rivers of America." -- inscribed on Jimmie Rodgers' statue in Meridian, Mississippi.
Two of Jimmie's classic tunes are:
WAITING FOR A TRAIN
Jimmie Rodgers (words & music)
All around the water tanks, waitin' for a train,
A thousand miles away from home, sleeping in the rain,
I walked up to a brakeman, to give him a line of talk,
He says if you've got money, I'll see that you don't walk.
I haven't got a nickel, not a penny can I show,
Get off, get off, you railroad bum, he slammed the boxcar door.
<yodel>
He put me off in Texas, a state I surely love,
Wide open spaces 'round me, the moon and stars above.
Nobody seems to want me, or lend me a helping hand,
I'm on my way from 'Frisco, goin' back to Dixieland;
Though my pocketbook is empty, and my heart is full of pain,
I'm a thousand miles away from home, just waiting for a train.
- AND -
TRAIN WHISTLE BLUES
When a woman gets the blues she hangs her little head and criesWhen a woman gets the blues she hangs her little head and criesBut when a man gets the blues he grabs a train and rides
Every time I see that lonesome railroad trainEvery time I see that lonesome railroad trainIt makes me wish I was going home again
Looky yonder coming coming down that railroad trackLooky yonder coming coming down that railroad trackWith the black smoke rolling rolling from that old smoke stack
I got the blues so bad till the whole round world looks blueI got the blues so bad till the whole round world looks blueI ain't got a dime I don't know what to do
I'm weary now I want to leave this townI'm weary now and I want to leave this townI can't find a job I'm tired of hanging around
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Want to hear these tunes Drop a quarter in Herr Wurlitzer, press E14 ‘n E15. Oh
Greetings Headmaster Tom and gentlemen....
May I have an extra cold Guinness for me and a round plus a Cuban around the house...
Tom, great read my good man!
Hiram "Hank" King Williams (September 17, 1923 - January 1, 1953) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter who has also become an icon of country music and rock 'n' roll, and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. A leading exponent of the honky tonk style, he had numerous hit records, and his charismatic performances and succinct compositions increased his fame. His songbook is one of the backbones of country music, and several are pop standards as well. He has been covered in a range of pop, gospel, blues and rock styles. His premature death at the age of 29 helped fuel his legend. His son Hank Williams Jr., his daughter Jett Williams, and his grandchildren Hank Williams III, Holly Williams, and Hilary Williams are also professional singers.
Birth
Hiram King Williams was born in 1923, in the small unincorporated town of Mount Olive, about eight miles southwest of Georgiana, Alabama. He was named after Hiram I of Tyre, but his name was misspelled as "Hiriam" on his birth certificate.[1] He was born with a mild undiagnosed case of spina bifida occulta, a disorder of the spinal column, which gave him life-long pain-a factor in his later abuse of alcohol and drugs. His parents were Elonzo Huble Williams, known as "Lon," or "Lonnie", a train conductor for a regional lumber company and World War I veteran, and Jessie Lillybelle Williams, known as "Lillie". He had an older sister named Irene. He also had a still-born brother.
Early childhood
During his early childhood, the Williams family moved frequently throughout southern Alabama as his father's job required. In 1930, when Williams was seven years old, his father began suffering from face paralysis. At a VA clinic in Pensacola, Florida, doctors determined that the cause was a brain aneurysm, so they sent Elonzo Williams to the VA Medical Center in Alexandria, Louisiana. Lonnie remained hospitalized for eight years and was therefore mostly absent throughout Hank's childhood.
In 1931, Lillie Williams settled her family in Georgiana, Alabama, where she worked as the manager of a boarding house. She managed to find several side jobs to support her children, despite the bleak economic climate of the Great Depression. She worked in a cannery and served as a night-shift nurse in the local hospital. Hiram and Irene also helped out by selling peanuts, shining shoes, delivering newspapers, and doing other simple jobs. With the help of U.S. Representative J. Lister Hill, the family began collecting Lon's military disability pension. Despite Lon's medical condition, the Williams family managed fairly well financially throughout the Depression.
Preteen years
In 1933, Hank Williams moved to Fountain, Alabama, to live with his uncle and aunt, Walter and Alice McNeil. Meanwhile, his cousin Opal McNeil moved in with the Williams family in Georgiana to attend the high school there. In Fountain, ten-year-old Williams became close friends with his cousin J.C. McNeil, who was 6 years olde
Hank's successful radio show fueled his entrance to a music career. His generous salary was enough for him to start his own band, which he dubbed the Drifting Cowboys. The original members of the band were guitarist Braxton Schuffert, fiddler Freddie Beach, and comic Smith "Hezzy" Adair. The Drifting Cowboys travelled throughout central and southern Alabama, performing in clubs and at private parties. Hank dropped out of school in October, 1939, so that the Drifting Cowboys could work full time.
Lillie Williams stepped up to be the Drifting Cowboys' manager. She began booking show dates, negotiating prices, and driving them to some of their shows. Now free to travel without Hank's school schedule taking precedence, the band was able to tour as far away as western Georgia, and the Florida panhandle. Meanwhile, Hank returned to Montgomery every weekday to host his radio show.
The nation's entrance into World War II in 1941 marked the beginning of hard times for Hank Williams. All his band members were drafted to serve in the military, and many of their replacements refused to continue playing in the band because of Hank's worsening alcoholism. His idol, Grand Ol Opry star Roy Acuff warned him of the dangers of alcohol, saying "You've got a million-dollar voice[,] son, but a ten-cent brain." Despite Acuff's advice, Williams continued to show up for his radio show intoxicated, so in August, 1942, WSFA fired him due to "habitual drunkenness."
Later career
Williams had 11 number 1 hits in his short career - "Lovesick Blues", "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", "Why Don't You Love Me?", "Moanin' the Blues", "Cold, Cold Heart", "Hey Good Lookin'", "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)", "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive", "Kaw-Liga", "Your Cheatin' Heart", "Take These Chains From My Heart" - and also had many other top 10 hits.
In 1943, Williams met Audrey Shepard, and the couple was married a year later. Audrey also became his manager as Williams' career was rising and he became a local celebrity. In 1946, Williams recorded two singles for Ste3rling Records, "Never Again" (1946) and "Honky Tonkin'" (1947), both of which were successful. Williams soon signed with MGM Records, and released "Move It On Over", a massive country hit. In August of 1948, Williams joined The Louisiana hayride, broadcasting from Shreveport Louisiana, propelling him into living rooms all over the southeast. After a few more moderate hits, Williams released his version of Rex Griffin's "Lovesick Blues" in 1949, which became a huge country hit and crossed over to mainstream audiences. That year, Williams sang the song at the Grand Ole Opry, where he became the first performer to receive six encores. In addition, Hank brought together Bob McNett (guitar), Hillous Butrum (bass), Jerry Rivers (fiddle) and Don Helms (steel guitar) to form the most famous version of the Drifting Cowboys; also that year, Audrey Williams gave birth to Randall Hank Williams (Hank Williams, Jr.). 1949 also saw Williams release seven hit songs after "Lovesick Blues", including "Wedding Bells", "Mind Your Own Business", "You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)" and "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It".
In 1950, Williams began recording as Luke the Drifter, an appellation given to Williams for use in identifying his more moralistic and religious-themed recordings, many of which are recitations rather than his usual crooning. Fearful that disc jockeys and jukebox operators would become hesitant to accept these non-traditional Williams recordings, thereby hurting the marketability of Williams's name, the name "Luke the Drifter" was employed to cloak the identity of the artist - though the source of the recordings was quite evident. Around this time, Williams released more hit songs, such as "My Son Calls Another Man Daddy", "They'll Never Take Her Love from Me", "Why Should We Try Anymore?", "Nobody's Lonesome for Me", "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", "Why Don't You Love Me?", "Moanin' the Blues" and "I Just Don't Like This Kind of Livin'". In 1951, "Dear John" became a hit but the B-side, "Cold, Cold Heart", has endured as one of his most famous songs, aided by the #1 pop version by Tony Bennett in 1951 being the first of many recordings of Williams' songs in a non-country genre. ("Cold, Cold Heart" has subsequently been covered by Guy Mitchell, Teresa Brewer, Dinah Washington, Lucinda Williams, Cowboy Junkies, Frankie Laine, Jo Stafford, and Norah Jones, among others). That same year, Williams released other hits, including the enduring classic "Crazy Heart".
Despite Hank's numerous country hits, the legend of Hank Williams seems to rest in the duality of his writings. On one hand, Hank would sing about having a rowdy time ("Honky Tonkin'") or drifting aimlessly ("Lost Highway"), but would then sing religious songs of remorse, most particularly, the title track to the album "I Saw The Light."
However, Williams' life would become unmanageable due to his success. His marriage, always turbulent, was rapidly disintegrating, and he developed a serious problem with alcohol, morphine and other painkillers. Much of this abuse came from attempts to ease his severe back pain. In 1952, Hank and Audrey separated and he moved in with his mother, even as he released numerous hit songs, such as "Half as Much", "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)", "Settin' the Woods on Fire", "You Win Again" and "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive". Williams' drug problems continued to spiral out of control as he moved to Nashville and officially divorced his wife. A relationship with Bobby Jett during this period resulted in a daughter, Jett, who would be born just after his death.
In October 1952, Williams was fired from the Grand Ole Opry. Told not to return until he was sober, he instead rejoined the Louisiana Hayride. On October 18, 1952, he married Billie Jean Jones Eshliman. A ceremony was held at the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium and 14,000 people bought tickets to attend. Soon after, the Drifting Cowboys decided to part ways with Williams. Their departure was due to Hank drinking more than a show would pay.
Death
On January 1, 1953, Williams was due to play in Canton, Ohio, but he was unable to fly due to weather problems. He hired a chauffeur and, before leaving the old Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee, injected himself with B12 and morphine. He then left in a Cadillac, though contrary to popular belief, he did not have a bottle of whiskey with him. He was trying to get his career back on track by proving to promoters that he could be sober and reliable. The only items found in the backseat of Hank's car were a few cans of beer and the hand-written lyrics to an unrecorded song, "Then Came That Fateful Day."
When the seventeen year-old chauffeur Charles Carr pulled over at an all-night service station in Oak Hill, West Virginia, he discovered that Williams was unresponsive and becoming rigid[3] Upon closer examination, it was discovered that Hank Williams was dead at age 29. Controversy has since surrounded Williams' death with some claiming Williams was dead before leaving Knoxville.[4] Approximate estimation of Hank's death is around 3:00 AM.
Williams' final single was ominously titled "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive". Five days after his death, his illegitimate daughter by Bobbie Jett (Jett Williams) was born. His widow, Billie Jean, married country singer Johnny Horton in September of that year (1953).
Legacy and influence
His son Hank Williams, Jr., daughter Jett Williams, grandson Hank Williams III, and granddaughters Hilary Williams and Holly Williams are also country musicians.
Hank Williams' remains are interred at the Oakwood Annex in Montgomery, Alabama. His funeral was said to have been far larger than any ever held for a citizen of Alabama and is still, as of 2005, the largest such event ever held in Montgomery. As of 2005, more than fifty years after Williams' death, members of his Drifting Cowboys continue to tour and bring his music to generations of fans.
In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #74 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[5] The website "Acclaimedmusic" collates recommendations of albums and recording artists. There is a year-by-year recommendation for top artists. For the period 1900 - 1949, Hank Williams is ranked as number 1.
In February 2005 the Tennessee Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling stating that Hank Williams' heirs - son Hank Williams Jr. and daughter Jett Williams - have the sole rights to sell his old recordings made for a Nashville, Tennessee radio station in the early '50s. The court rejected claims made by Polygram Records and Legacy Entertainment in releasing recordings Williams made for the "Mother's Best Flour Show", a program that originally aired on WSM-AM. The recordings, which Legacy Entertainment acquired in 1997, include live versions of Williams' hits and his cover version of other songs. Polygram contended that Williams' contract with MGM Records, which Polygram now owns, gave them rights to release the radio recordings.
First of all I'd like to apologise Tom and all for the slightly long post about Hank Williams from Wiki. Because of that I'll offer you all something as a bribe to sweep this under the carpet, while listening to Williams and his fellow musicians playing some good ol' country and railroad music.
Soooo, Friday's menu is slightly different from usual as I'll throw you gents a large BBQ with everything included. First a Limousine will pick you up and take you to secret spot, so that you don't have to worry about transportation there and back for you and your family.
There we'll enjoy some good food, music and heavy railroad talk.
And of course some Milwaukee Road pics....
Eastbound Columbian, train 18, along St Joe River in 1929.
A Westinghouse "Quill" leads another Olympian through 16 Mile Canyon in the early 1920's.
Looks like there's been a flurry of activity, so perhaps it's time to catch up . . .
Fergie (Fergmiester) at 7:18 AM Thursday - Aug 30th: Good to see ya, Mate - now let's belly up to the bar, order something ‘n PARTICPATE! Otherwise, it's the <tweeter> for ye!
Jan (JanOlov) at 7:19 AM Thursday - Aug 30th: Wondered if you'd acknowledge the X2000 material - glad you enjoyed it!
For the guys who've been ‘round this joint for the long term, they know I make the pizza - roll the dough, set out the ‘secret' ingredients, ‘n all the kitchen staff needs to do is pop ‘em in the oven at 500 degrees (F) . . . . nothing to it. NY Style Pizza is our speciality. However, variations are up the interim-Chief Chef, just as long as the Proprietor's Pie isn't sacrificed! <groan>
Appears you'll have a "partner" with the Milwaukee Road interest . . . two nice fotos by the by!
I didn't notice a drink order or food - sooooooooo, <tweeeeeeeeeet> <tweeeeeeeeeeet> Rules Violation! Rules Violation! Failure to order a drink and/or food - Rule #2. Penalty: clean the brass rails at the base of the bar! <gotcha!>
CM3 Shane (coalminer3) at 9:08 AM Thursday - Aug 30th: The last first - that's a great Pennsy link, ‘n methinks I will be spending some time this holiday weekend checking out the sights! Thanx fer sure, fer sure.
Very familiar with the Amboys - Perth in particular. While my growing up days were across from the Bayonne Bridge between Staten Island ‘n Bayonne, NJ, we had family in Tottenville, directly across from Perth Amboy, NJ. Used to "run" amok over there as a teenager from time to time . . . great Drive-In Theatre if I recall. But that's a long, long time ago when my '53 Studebaker Champion coupe was primary mode of transportation! <grin>
Killing of History is on my "list" - if Keith Windschuttle is the author, then I've located it on amazon.com. Reviews are rather revealing - recommend you take a look. I'm going to order it - nothing like something ELSE to screw me into the "overhead"!!! <grin> Thanx, I think!
If our Chicago Rendezvous holds together, looks like we'll have quit a "rant" session - perhaps we should put ‘em on the agenda! <grin>
Many thanx for the fine Post, round ‘n quarters!
James (CMSTPP) at 11:13 AM Thursday - Aug 30th: It's admirable that you want to rejoin us, but you do have an uphill climb. We've seen guys drop off the Earth for months at a time, some never have returned, others did so for a Post or three, but hardly can recall any who have picked up where they left off. Too many Pages, new customers, ‘n so forth. We'll see how things develop . . .
Undoubtedly the Milwaukee Road "stuff" will keep you ‘n our newfound friend in Scotland, quite content.
Round, visit ‘n chat appreciated!
Lars (LoveDomes) at 11:34 AM Thursday - Aug 30th: The Larsman returneth! Now we can "right the ship" ‘n get back on course - steady as she does, Mate!
Doesn't appear that any division in the NL is secure, eh I too figured the Mets were a "shoe in" - but doesn't appear to be so. Cardinals have turned me off all year ‘n I refuse to get excited about repeating their "miracle" from last year. They really don't have the "horses," but I'm surprised that they have made a comeback . . .
Love the Pennsy covers - books ‘n video - all look terrific!
Don't worry about Pete's "slot" while he's gone - do what you can. If you are able to take some of the slack out of the mid-late afternoons, I'll stick to mornings. No one else has offered . . . either means not reading, or just not willing. Oh well . . . .
Two rounds, visit, chat ‘n covers most appreciated!
Ron (DD1) at 1:27 PM Thursday - Aug 30th: Our Southern Gentleman from Mississippi (aka: New YAWK transplant!) arrived with a nice Post, but unfortunately it was a WIDE PAGE phenom . . .
Greetings Tom and gents,
An extra cold Guinness for me and a DOUBLE top up plus Cuban for the lads please....puts some $$$ in the tip jar and jukebox.
Tom, Just tell me when to show up for my "service" and I'll be there with bucket, rugs and toothbrush, to work my shameful misbehavior off...
I'll put things back to normal tomorrow or Saturday, since I travel back from Sweden to Glasgow all day...
Milwaukee Road class EP-2
The Milwaukee Road's class EP-2 comprised five electric locomotives built by General Electric in 1919. They were often known as Bi-Polars, which referred to the bi-polar electric motors they used. Among the most distinctive and powerful electric locomotives of their time, they epitomized the modernization of the Milwaukee Road. They came to symbolize the railroad during their nearly 40 years of use and remain an enduring image of mainline electrification.
Design
In 1917, following the tremendous success of the 1915 electrification of the Mountain Division, the Milwaukee Road decided to proceed with electrifying the Coast Division. As part of this project it ordered five new electric locomotives from General Electric for $200,000 apiece. Their design was radically different from the boxcab locomotives provided by GE for the initial electrification of the Mountain Division two years earlier.
The most remarkable mechanical improvement was arguably the electric motors used on the new locomotives. They were known as bi-polar motors because each of the locomotive's 12 traction motors had only two field poles, mounted directly to the locomotive frame beside the axle. The motor armature was mounted directly on the axle providing an entirely gearless design. This design was almost entirely noiseless as it eliminated not only gear tooth growl but also the whine of higher-RPM electric motors typically used in standard nose-mounted applications. The EP-2s were not the first electric locomotives to use bi-polar motors, which had first been designed by Asa F. Batchelder for the New York Central S-motors over a decade earlier, but at the time they were the largest.
The layout of the bi-polars was unusual as well. The locomotive body was in three sections. A small center section contained the boiler for generating heat for the train, while the much larger end sections contained the locomotive's electrical equipment in distinctive round-topped compartments. The locomotive's frame was in four pieces, hinged at the joints, with the two middle sections attached to the end sections of the locomotive body. There were twelve sets of drivers plus a single-axle idler at each end, for a 1B-D+D-B1 wheel arrangement. All buffering forces were transmitted through the locomotive frame.
The bi-polars were designed to be able to pull any Milwaukee Road passenger train singly, and were delivered without multiple unit controls. GE claimed a top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h) for the locomotives but the Milwaukee Road performance charts rated them at 70 mph (115 km/h). They were rated at 3,180 continuous horsepower (2.37 MW) with a continuous tractive effort of 42,000 lbf and a starting tractive effort of 116,000 lbf.
Service history
When the bi-polars were introduced, their modernity and distinctive design made them the most famous of the Milwaukee Road's electric locomotives. They came to symbolize the Olympian, the railroad's premier train from Chicago to Seattle. Their unique appearance and power made them ideal for publicity purposes, and there was a series of demonstrations in which a bi-polar was able to out-pull contemporary steam locomotives. During a short period of testing on the Mountain Division, the EP-2s were shown to be less expensive to operate than the GE and Westinghouse electric locomotives then in use.
Milwaukee Road EP-2 "Bi-Polar" leaving Seattle, 1925
The five EP-2s, numbered 10250-10254, were placed into regular service in 1919 on the Coast Division. The Milwaukee Road saw immediate cost savings over the steam locomotives previously in use, as the bi-polars could run from Tacoma to Othello without stopping for servicing and could haul trains up grades that had required double-heading steam engines.
The bi-polars operated on the Coast Division from 1919 to 1957, for most of that period without any serious rebuilding. In 1939 they were renumbered E1-E5. In 1953 all five of the EP-2s, which were 35 years old and worn out from heavy wartime service, were heavily rebuilt by the Milwaukee Road at a cost of about $40,000 per locomotive. The rebuild included additional traction motor shunts for increased speed, roller bearings, multiple unit capability, flash boilers, and streamlining. Unfortunately the Milwaukee Shop forces, unaccustomed to working on electric locomotives, did a "poor job" in the opinion of Electrification Department Head Laurence Wylie. Afterwards the bi-polars were prone to electrical fires and failures.
Between 1954 and 1957 the bi-polars saw decreased use, and in mid-1957 were transferred off the Coast Division to the Mountain Division. Their problems persisted, and between 1958 and 1960 all five were gradually retired. In 1962 all except for E2 were towed to Seattle and scrapped. Locomotive E2 was donated to the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri in 1962 and moved there that year. It has remained on static display ever since, and has been fully restored to its appearance immediately after its 1953 rebuilding.
Sorry but I need to go and get some sleep, early start tomorrow...
JAMES Good to see you back. There is a lot of great posts to catch up on and some great photos on the Milwaukee Road from Jan.
That is a fine building, the Milwaukee Depot in Minneapolis, thanks for the history of the depot and the ‘State of the art' Olympian.
ERIC Thanks for the first hand information on the X2000, it must have been an honor to be picked to drive on the first revenue run.
It really is a shame that the info in Wikipedia is wrong in regards to the X2000 .99.8% is a very good availability figure for the class.
Are there any plans to remove the grade crossings, on the Swedish Railways to allow the X2000 to run faster and reduce traveling times do you know. They are spending a lot of money on the West Coast Main Line in England to remove the crossings.
I see the class E locos was built for 10 years; they must have been a successful class.
Glad you liked Part 4 of the named locos. There were a great number of steam locomotives scrapped on BR in the 1960s and they were scrapped in a very short time. But for the wonder of Dai Woodham's scrapyard in Barry, South Wales, where over 200 locos were saved from, the British preservation scene would be a lot poorer Unfortunately only one ex LNER loco made it to Barry. The second photo is of an A4, one of 6 that were saved. 2 of the A4s are in North America now.
FERGIE. Many thanks for your post; I am sure those books will give you great memories every time you read them.
JAN YES I would have to say I am an LMS man as that was the main line through my home town of Rugby, we did have the LNER through Rugby on the old Great Central line but it was always quiet compared to the LMS, The GC did have A3 Pacifics on the line but it was just before my time
Thanks for the Milwaukee photos. That is an impressive looking diesel.
That is a rather sad story of Hank Williams, with him being in a lot of pain and with his death at the young age of 29. His music lives on though.
Great post on the Milwaukee Bi- Polars.
CM3 Got the new Trains mag today in the post and the photo of the 6 UP heritage units is good. I think the two I like best are the Southern Pacific and the Rio Grande.
Thanks for the Pennsy coal details; the amount of work there must have been put into the Pennsy site in the link is amazing. One to return to indeed.
LARS The Managers back Enjoyed the cartoon, I can't see Hagar running up a six month bar tab with LEON about.
Yes the bar has done well with the takings up and the damage down, I think the hot weather has had a effect on the track gang. Apart from the pickled pigs feet giving BORIS a touch of Flatulence every thing is fine at the bar, even the ‘Admin Duties' have been left untouched.
Thanks for the wishes on our vacation, we have got Balboa Park and the museum in Sacramento on the itinerary, and we have found a museum railroad in Poway
Great set of Pennsy book and video covers.
RON Those railroad tunes will sound great on the Herr Wurlitzer, indeed some I have not heard before. Perhaps we can have a railroad themed musical night at the Emporium.
TOM Time does fly by when we are having a talk; it seems to go by even faster when we are in the TrainWreck saloon.
It is good to hear at least one of the heritage painted diesel has been through here, I bet when I do see one I won't have the camera with me. I agree I think UP deserves praise for painting the new locomotives in heritage liveries and adding a bit of color to the scene
Hi Tom and all,
Leon, a round of Tui for all the crew please.
Tom. The Bluebell railway in the "OLD" country runs some restored Pullman coaches as a dining trip, they look realy great in their "Chocolate and Cream" livery that Pullman used in Britain, you will find them at;
http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk
You will find them on the "Golden Arrow" part of the site, their is also some info about the Brit Pullmans at;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pullman_train_(UK)
Really enjoyed your very informative posts and pics, great pics and info on the Swedish railways, still a lot to catch up on at the moment!
Pete. Many thanks for the LNER loco write up, great reading, I am saving the page in my folders. What was truly unique about the Gresley Pacifics was the corridor tenders to allow for footplate crew changes on the Edinburgh non-stop runs, at 400 miles I think it was, and still is, the longest non stop run for a steam loco! I manage to get some of the main UK and US rail magazines at the main centre of Hastings which is 30mls north us here, I just buy them on availability, mostly MRR, Classic Trains and sometimes The Railway Magazine when it`s on the shelf, most of them are 3 times the stated price. MRR is NZ$15 a copy over here! Mon`s Meg was named after a big cannon used in the battle of Mon`s way back when, as an ex Artilleryman the name stuck in the old memory banks I think it is on display at Edinburgh Castle or on the Front Parade at Woolwich Barracks in SE London? Really enjoyed all you`re pics and posts.
Ron. You will find the info on the Brit Pullmans on the sites I gave to Tom, Pullman in the UK were`nt affected by the anti-trust laws you have over there. Enjoyed all you`re posts and pics.
Lars. Good to see you back on board with you`re usual interesting pics and info!
Eric. Good to see you are getting back to normal now, take it easy going back to work mate! Enjoyed reading all you`re posts, great pics.
Jan. Tomorrow, Saturday is my usual Full English Breakfast day, eggs over easy please. Great selection of pics and info on you`re posts.
James. Good to see you on board, very interested in you`re Milwaukee posts.
Fergie. Great to see you back again mate.
Dan. Looking forward to the news of you`re trip, safe journey home.
Mike. Hope it`s cooled down a bit at Bootcamp over there!
CM3. Enjoyed you`re post about the coal loaders.
PS Tom will send you an e-mail re Pete`s book circulation.
See ya, Allan
Greetings young Master Tom and fellow youths.....
I think that I'll have a cup of tea this morning with some honey in it please. Give the boys a top up as well if you don't mind.
Puts some $$$ in the tip jar and juke box.
I see that Tom isn't in yet to show me my duties, gives me a chance for a quick nap, goody...
Milwaukee Road class EP-1, EF-1, EF-2, EF-3, and EF-5.The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) classes EP-1 and EF-1 comprised 84 boxcab electric locomotives built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1915. Electrical components were from General Electric. The locomotives were semi-permanently coupled back-to-back in pairs, and numbered as a pair with 'A' and 'B' suffixes. As built, 30 pairs were assigned to freight service, classified as EF-1. The remaining twelve pairs were assigned to passenger service as class EP-1, with higher-speed passenger gearing. The design was highly successful, replacing a much larger number of steam locomotives, cutting costs and improving schedules.
In 1919, with the arrival of a newer generation of passenger power, the EP-1 locomotives were converted to EF-1 freight locomotives. In this role, they served until the 1950s, when the arrival of the Little Joe locomotives began to replace them in freight service.
Milwaukee Road 2-unit boxcab electric locomotive #E50, class EF-1.
Technical information
They were fitted with multiple-unit train control systems, and could thus be joined together into larger sets and operated from a single control station.
The two powered trucks were connected together with a ball-and-socket joint, and the couplers were also attached to the trucks. The bodywork, therefore, did not take the load of the train. Each truck had outside bar frames, allowing more room for the traction motors and equipment. The front powered truck's frames extended forward and carried an outrigger truck and the heavy snowplows the units bore.
Each driven axle was powered by two motors geared to it, in similar manner to successful later designs such as the PRR GG1.
EF-1 #10203, as new.
EF-2, EF-3 and EF-5
In the 1930s, with train tonnage increasing, the Milwaukee began to create three-unit locomotives out of the boxcab units. A simple combination of three was classified EF-2. Twenty-four such combinations were assembled. On these, the cab on the center unit was unnecessary and just added weight and length. Twelve more units were therefore shortened by removing the cab, the pilot truck and the frame extension; these were nicknamed "bobtails". These were assembled in between two standard units to create twelve EF-3 sets.
Later, some four-unit locomotives were created; these were classified EF-5 and could have any combination of regular or bobtail units in the center two positions.
EF-1 side-view drawing.
EP-1AIn 1950, two EF-1 locomotives, E22A/B and E23A/B were converted back into passenger service as class EP-1A to help the aging Bi-Polars on the Puget Sound Extension. E22 received some smoothing of its appearance, including somewhat "streamlined" cab fronts. They were repainted into the Union Pacific Railroad scheme of Armor Yellow with Harbor Mist Gray roofs, and red dividing lines. These two locomotives served until the 1960s in this role; at some point, the units of E23 became center units of a 4-unit E22.
Milwaukee Road class EP-3
The Milwaukee Road's class EP-3 comprised ten electric locomotives built in 1919 by Baldwin and Westinghouse. They were nicknamed Quills because of their use of a quill drive. Although they were good haulers and well liked by engineers, poor design and constant mechanical problems plagued them for their entire lives and they were the first of the Milwaukee Road's electric locomotives to be retired.
DesignWhen the Milwaukee Road decided to electrify the Coast Division in 1917, it attempted to re-equip with equipment bought from General Electric. The United States Railroad Administration, however, dictated that the order for electrical equipment be split between GE and Westinghouse. This meant that of the 15 electric locomotives needed, five (the EP-2s, or bi-polars) came from GE and 10 - the EP-3s - came from Westinghouse.
The EP-3s, while designed to meet the same specifications as the bi-polars, were a completely different design from their GE counterparts. Their appearance was sleeker, ableit less distinctive, with a single long boxcab-style carbody containing all of the electric equipment. Their wheel arrangement was the same as a back-to-back pair of 4-6-2 "Pacific" steam engines, complete with high 68" drivers. They were double-ended and designed for high-speed passenger service.
General arrangement drawing.
The most noteworthy aspect of their design was the motor mounting system. The locomotive's six 566hp traction motors were mounted directly to the frame, one above each driving axle. They were geared to a "quill," a steel tube 15 inches in diameter that was mounted around the axle. At each end of the quill, seven-armed "spiders" stuck out between the spokes of the driving wheels, and were connected to the drivers by coil springs. This system, which was later used very effectively on the famous GG1 locomotive, minimized weight suspended directly from the axles, as the traction motors were bolted directly to the locomotive frame.
One of the Quill's two frame and motor assemblies.
Design flaws and rebuilding
The "Quills" entered service between late 1919 and early 1921 and assigned numbers 10300-10309. Assigned mainly to the Mountain Division, they were immediately popular with crews. They could easily pull trains exceeding design specifications at 70-80mph. They didn't slip like the GE boxcabs and they were much smoother-riding than the bi-polars.
Within a year of entering service, however, severe design flaws began to become apparent. The EP-3s were virtually identical to the New Haven's class EP-2 locomotives, but were heavier in weight and had a much more lightly-built frame. The Milwaukee Road's new EP-3s, unlike the trouble-free New Haven boxcabs of similar design, immediately started experiencing broken axles and frame members, cracked wheels and spokes, and deformed suspension springs.
It was an embarrassment for Westinghouse, which had designed the locomotives far too lightly and rigidly. There was too little lateral play in the drivers, causing excessive wheel wear, and the frames were breaking under the stress of high-speed operation through twisting mountain rights-of-way. During 1922 a series of meetings was held to work on design changes for the locomotives.
Baldwin, which had built the locomotiv
Leon, my friend. I think it is time for an early breakfast, you know, a huge Cheese Danish and a black cup of coffee! Thank you!
This was kind of a busy place today. JanOlov must have spent most of the day here!
Tom – X2000 always flick my switch! You should know how much misinformation that is out there. Frequently I have to post in that Swedish train forum to correct misunderstandings and lies. Gosh, now you made me feel bad, I never submitted the correction to Wikipedia about Stockholm Central Station. I started on it (there is a file in a folder somewhere) but never finished beacause I needed some updated information to get everything correct about how it is today. I think it is important to always remember that Wikipedia is not necesserily always correct. There is an awful lot of correct info there but you have to check as much as possible. Railroad songs! Don’t forget Boxcar Willie! I have a longplaying record with him I haven’t played for years. I'll try to put together a list of the RR songs I have. Snakes were doing pretty good tonight (I thought), being ahead 8-0 against the Padres. All of the sudden it was 8-7! They managed to win though. Barely. I know how you feel about the 15-game loser! Snakes did a very strange thing this summer, they got Kim (pitcher) back and no one could understand why they wanted him back. He pitched a number of innings in two or three games and screwed up completely. He was let go again. Fergie – Good to see you back again, Sir! Glad to hear you will contiue your dad’s legacy! The right thing to do! Hope to see you soon again! JanOlov – Nice pictures of Hudson #141 and the Fairbanks-Morse’s “Erie”, a 2,000 hp locomotive!Thanks for the info on Hank Williams, a very classy country singer who died way too soon! Nice Milwaukee pix from the line. The top one (train 18) is kind of rigged. The train is not moving (check the steam from the car heating, it goes stright up) and at least one person is standing outside.The Bi-Polar is an interesting locomotive. Here is a picture of the one inSt. Louis.Interesting info on Milwaukee’s electrics! Especially the part about the EP-3s! Light frame and heavy running gear. And a lot of problems came along!
You have been very busy today!
CM3 – You are right, it is a dry heat so don’t worry! Hmmm, did I forget something? Dry or not, it is hot and when it gets over 115° it is hot like hell! So there is another eclipse coming up in February? I missed this last one, but my wife saw it. Interesting info on PRR’s coal docks! I’ve been to Sandusky and Cleveland but missed to look for them. I guess they are long gone now?Thanks for the link to the PRR Documents! I already downloaded a number of documents! Very interesting place! I bookmarked that site.James – Thank you for the info on the Olympian Hiawatha!! Perfect timing with JanOlov’s picture! Looking forward to the next part!Lars – This is going to be declared the hottest summer in Phoenix on record in a few days I’ve been told. I believe them. But, you know, when it is this hot I am just thinking about things I don’t have to do in six months. Like shoveling snow, freezing, trying to start a dead car when it is 20 below and all those “nice” wintry things. Nice book covers of those PRR books (and one DVD)! There is so much to read. I should have started years ago. Thanks!!Ron – You have collected some nice songs! I think you should add The City of New Orleans with Willie Nelson! I like his version the best! There are quite a few RR songs out there. I have some of the same ones you have and I have some other ones as well. I don’t understand Spanish but I think it says that the railroad line is abandoned east of Rio Blanco. Is that correct? Sad pictures to look at. Mother nature is slowly taking everything back. Thanks for the link! Your state was one of few we never visited on our tours around the country with X2. Class E could very likely have had Stephenson’s Valve Gear. I checked some of my books last night but could not find the info. Pete – They are removing grade crossings in Sweden every year, but it is a slow process. There are so many of them and it costs a lot of money. But they are working on it. I don’t recall the exact number of Class E being built, but it was 130+ locomotives. They were built for the cold climate in northern Sweden and had a completley covered cab.
Good Morning All
I'll have a XXL Cafe with the works please.
Not too much on the go here except a heavy rain fall warning in effect, which translates to a "Train Day". Thinking of expanding the MESS empire, We'll keep ya posted.
As always love the pics!
What's to say other than HOORAY it's FRIDAY! <awwwwwright!> A double whammy - it's the END of August! <yeeeeeeeehawwwwwww>
The Mentor Village Bakery case is chock full o' good stuff, the coffee's ready, ‘n our Menu Board has some fine <light> ‘n <traditional> breakfast selections! So, whattyawaitfor
As the month of August fades into memory, so has the oppressive heat. I believe there's been a record set for the hottest August in these parts, and supposedly the average temp has been in the mid-90s (F). Now that's HOT in my "book"! <ugh> First few days in September are forecast to be in the lo-90s, but there's "talk" of a coming change. Can't get here quick enough for Juneau ‘n Moi! <grin>
Petrol still holding rather low at $2. 65 (rounded) up at "Collusion Corner," where they've been reconstructing two of the three stations to include car washes ‘n food service. Apparently there's far too much money in their game, eh Wonder where it came from <arrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhh>
OFF THE WIRE:
http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2007/08/30/brazil-train.html
STILL WAITING: No help forthcoming for "my other Thread"
Jan (JanOlov) at 4:27 PM Thursday - Aug 30th: Wrapping up a mega-day of Posting with a Milwaukee Road epistle on the Bi-Polar EP2 (what else, eh ??)
<tweeting> violations are generally "worked off" on Saturdays . . . <uh oh>
Safe trip home - ‘n thanx for the round ‘n cigars!
Pete (pwolfe) at 5:54 PM Thursday - Aug 30th: Another fine inclusive, informative ‘n interesting Post from our Mid-MO Connection, the Wolfman!
Dropping off that overly misinformed revisionist historian at the height of the London Blitz would be poetic justice given the remarks attributed to her! Grand idea.
So THAT's why "War & Peace" is behind the bar! <ohhhhhhhhhh>
I see you too are a "lyric listener" - or in this case "reader." Some mighty poignant phrases have come from the Troubadours of the Rails!
Mention of the TrainWreck Saloon brings to mind that we've got something to look forward to once you return from the Left Coast! Perhaps we can also begin some planning for a return trip to Chicago by Amtrak. Fall is a nice time to ride the rails!
That Hagar the Horrible cartoon is YOU!!
Appreciate the visit, as always, ‘n of course the round!
Allan (Gunneral) at 8:31 PM ‘n 8:39 PM Thursday - Aug 30th: A "double dip" from our Resident Down Under NZ Connection! Won't even question how you managed to do that, Mate! <grin>
BlueBill link came up quite well - enjoyed checking it out! Wikipedia Pullman (UK) was a "blank" <uh oh>
Good news regarding your planned participation in our RR BOOK RELAY 2007! You'll be added to the list!
$15NZ a copy for MRR I had to do a "double take" on that one! <arrrrrrgggggghhhh> Exchange rates can't be that far off - or are they!?!?!?!
A fine inclusive, informative ‘n interesting Post from ya, Mate! Thanx for the rounds - plural - since you Posted TWICE! <grin>
Jan (JanOlov) at 12:09 AM today - Aug 31st: What ANOTHER Milwaukee Road epistle from the man who apparently never sleeps (or strays very far from the keyboard!)
A wee bit early for heavy reading - so I'll put your latest on "the stack of stuff" . . .
Good Morning Barkeep and all Present; coffee, please (New England Four Seasons Blend today); round for the house and $ for the jukebox. I notice we have all sorts of music-related posts today, so I'll let the rest of the barflies (oops, patrons) pick what they want to hear. Heavy low clouds here today as a cool front (relatively speaking) is just to our north. It is supposed to clear a bit later and be decent for the weekend. Gas is at $2.89 and football has begun.
James took us for a ride on the Olympian.
Lars stopped by - glad you made it back in one piece. Also appreciated the PRR material on the bookmobile. If you have not seen it, the Broadway Limited book is first-rate.
DD1 paid us a visit with machine shop information and some questions. I have a good friend who worked on the Centralia Mine Fire years ago when he was with the Bureau of Mines. There is a NEW book out titled The Day the Earth Caved In which deals with the fire - check it out.
The PRR classed their 4-4-2s in the "E" series. The subclass numbers ran from E1 to E28 to allow for mechanical variations, etc. There was one E6 on the roster, the most famous class was the E6s. Hope this clears things up a little. Now, Boris, you know that there was hardly any rhyme or reason to their numbering - that's why we have to search by class.
The calendar picture was a good one - Aerotrain and Truc Train in a generic middle division scene. See if you can find "Main Lines of Commerce." I have that one hanging in my office. It's one of may all-time PRR picture favorites. PRR for years was extremely conservative in their practices, then they took a flyer with all sorts of oddball designs, some of which may have worked if they had been tried earlier. Diesel technology, of course, made it a moot point.
Jan - I mentioned music postings above. Hank did, indeed, pass away in Oak Hill, although there is still a fair amount of controversy over the facts. The gas station is still there, although very much the worse for wear. Oak Hill was also famous for being the home of the plug-in Trainmaster (No, Frostbite, the locomotive, not the official).
Good summary of MILW electrics - thanks.
I like the idea of you Labor Day barbeque.
The 16 Mile Canyon shot is a keeper. Poor old Harding - we can discuss that at the rendezvous sometimes. BTW, what ever happened to Nan Britton? Anyway, the locomotive in which he rode had a commemorative plate affixed to the cab side after he made his trip. IIRC, and I am really reaching way back, there are some pictures around of Babe Ruth on several different MILW trains.
Fergie stopped by. Time to start working on the railroad - the weather must be getting cooler.
Eric - Kim? Yikes - he never met a hanging slider he didn't like to throw, especially with men on.
Allan visited - thanks for the words. A lot of the facilities mentiioned are around in one form or another. The one at Sodus Point burned back in the early 70s and there's only a few vestiges of what PRR once had there.
OSP stopped by as well with comments and summaries. The Killing of History citation you mentioned is the right one! Don't mean to screw you into the overhead, but the author does make some interesting arguments. All part of the plan to dumb folks down - that's all we'll say about that today.
I'll try and stop by later today if I can. If not, be careful and be safe and see you next week.
Work safe
Ruth my deAH what a treat for these old eyes to feast upon your radiance! <blush> It's the noon hour ‘round here, so time for a Larsman Special hero of ham ‘n Swiss with mustAHd ‘n buttAH along with two large ‘n extra crunchy pickles from the barrel! A stein of Piels will go well with it, if you please!
Boris, round up the crittAHs ‘n get ‘em fed. Surprised they're not lined up. A saucer of brine for Tex the Armadillo, tray of seeds for Awk the Parrott, 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 out back for THAT! <groan> Yes, yes, of course the small jar of pickled pigs feet (PPF) is for you. What's this about flatulence <fooooooo>
Now to the matters at hand.
For Da Boss: Great idea to come up with the new series! Liked the Jimmie Rodgers feature on train songs. Used to listen to all kinds of C&W aboard ship, but his songs were right up there with the best of the bunch! Sure, the ‘standards' from Hank ‘n Hank, Jr. were favorites, along with so many others. Can't leave out Willie, Waylon ‘n Johnny! Don't know what it is about sailors ‘n C&W music!
NOT happy about the Mets appearing to fold the tent with the Phillies. However, it ain't over ‘til it's over AND we're still on top in the east. <phew>
I'll be looking for the RR Book Relay to arrive. Mail has been kinda screwy, sometimes around noon, other times late afternoon. Thanx for putting me "in" as first!
For Jan: I see a pile of material that I'll most probably never get through. Too much, too fast for me . . . . I'll just have to take it on a slower bell. Overwhelmed is a good description. <phew>
Sure don't want to make it appear that you're being singled out, but Da Boss is RIGHT about quality over quantity. We've had periods of time where some guys just "got off" on dumping material at the bar. It would take forever to get through it all, only to find that when comments or questions were posted, the very same dumpers nevAH took the time to read the responses!!! Now that's BS, plain ‘n simple where I come from. NOT saying you're like that - just recounting some episodes from the past that come to mind.
As you've undoubtedly picked up on, I'm a supporter of the way Da Boss runs this joint. That's why I'm here. I enjoy the banter, the classic trains stuff ‘n "things" that go on. I don't frequent any other thread on the forums other than this one and Tom's other site. That's it. Why Because I have zero tolerance for most of the crap coming from sources without so much as an identity. Not for me.
Safe trip "home" to Scotland . . .
For Ron: Mighty fine calendar pix of those PRR trains. Aero train looks great as does that trailer train!
Oh yes - I crossed the Equator back in my USN days . . . fun initiation. Some guys just couldn't hack it. Officers were into it, big time, they seemed to really enjoy the event! Haven't thoguht about that in many years!
Sorry your post came out with that wide page crap, for it screwed things up for me to get through it all. Gotta watch out for the Urls, mate - that's where the problem is. Let Da Boss explain it, but he's RIGHT!
Do you have a machine shop nearby? If so, why not just explore the costs directly?? But it is more FUN to do these kinds of things yourself, huh Appears you've got some equipment and know how, for sure!
I've not machined anything for hobbies, mostly "things" for cars, around the house projects ‘n favors for friends. Probably spent more money making a part than what it would've cost to buy it. BUT I had fun along the way. Guess at one time it was a hobby of mine. Have kinda drifted away over the years since I've retired . . .
Found this link you may find interesting. Stick with it, there's lotsastuffinit! <grin>
http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/29/how-to-build-your-own-cnc-machine-part-1/
Appears that you ‘n I are "big boys" ‘n I'm not talking about locomotives! I've been referred to as "Mr. Clean" for most of my adult life ‘n there's a REASON! Got the waistline trimmed back though, but I'm "up there" nonetheless - 235 at last weigh in. <grin> Just a big square head with an appetite! <geesh>
For Pete: So THAT was the smell! <ugh> Thought Boris needed mouthwash!! Wrong end. <grin>
Read that Url from Da Boss on the war museum in Canada ‘n recall the conversations we had back a few months. Sounds like the changes are to be made, but not without the whimpering from the wrist-wringers, huh Agree with your "plan," dumping her off in the middle of London during Hitler's indiscriminate bombings might just wake her up to reality. <barf>
For Allan: Double the pleasure, huh Interesting how you got a "double take" so far apart. Usually they post within the same minute or maybe on
Hi Tom and all in
Back in the UK today - and missing those Canadian breakfasts! So I'll have a cooked breakfast - French Toast please, bacon, eggs, homefries, coffee and juice. Thanks a lot.
Anyway - my call in was the only chance I got to get near a ‘puter (and no bad thing I feel) - so I'll have some catching up to do - but if there are any specific questions for me do give me a nudge and I'll do my best to answer them. At least when I've had a read I'll be able to get the acknowledgements in - so apols there are none here today yet.
I'll try and get some report backs together but things of interest from my expeditions should include:
My disappointments included failing to get to Halton County street car museum (Rob will be rightly disappointed in me) and failure to get time to ride on any GO trains.
Hope everyone is well - more posting in due course.
DL
Good to see the boyz help keep things active at the bar . . . Fergie, CM3 Shane 'n Lars - and the return of DL to the bar! Good to see y'all!
Time again for a Blast from the Past!
Passenger Railroad Nostalgia #54
Here's something to enjoy regarding the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) from a 1946 advertisement in my personal collection.
<Initially Posted on Page 211 of the Original Thread>
Your Holiday begins with "all aboard"
* When your Diesel-Electric Baltimore & Ohio luxury train glides smoothly from the station, you'll know your holiday has really started. Mile after mile, you'll enjoy the thrill of modern rail travel . . . the extra measure of pleasure for which B&O is so well-known.
* Outstanding with "holidayers" is the friendly courtesy of B&O people. In big and little services, alike, you'll constantly enjoy this warm hospitality . . . for courtesy is traditional on the B&O.
* And, when you visit B&O diners, you're in for a real "holiday treat." For, B&O is famous for its good food . . . prepared just the way you like it . . . at prices that are reasonable.
* Then, there's B&O's record for "on-time" dependability. Not only does B&O strive to make your travel time thoroughly enjoyable but it also makes a special point of seeing that you arrive at your destination on schedule!
* Yes, when you start your holiday with Baltimore & Ohio, the extra measure of pleasure given by such features as friendly courtesy, good food and "on-time" dependability will be proof why more and more travelers say:
NOW . . . AS ALWAYS - The B&O is the Way to Go! BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD
Enjoy! Tom
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