This is ENCORE! Saturday - and - Photo Posting Day!
Remember: "Our" Place is CLOSED on Sundays.
G'day Gents!
Pix from Day Three: Saturday - May 26th, 2007 - Halifax, Nova Scotia
VIA Rail Station, Halifax, Nova Scotia
VIA Rail Station &"Our" Hotel
The immediate vicinity of the Rail Station & Hotel
"Our" hotel - room faced the park
One of several statues - this one is in tribute to Edward Cornwallis, founder of Halifax
To be continued . . . .
Tom
Good morning Tom and crew. I just had breakfast on the road, so I'll wait until it's OK to buy a beer. Been doing a little more scouring the immediate area earlier today for activities and sights for the 2008 Rendezvous, which took me to East Troy to see the East Troy Electric Railroad Museum.
The sign out front reads:
East Troy Railroad. Wisconsin's last interurban line. The East Troy Railroad is the last vestige of Wisconsin's once broad network of interurban railways. Concentrated in the southeastern quarter of the state, this network once totaled approximately 385 miles of track. Most of the interurban railway mileage in Wisconsin was built between 1890 and 1910; the last interurban passenger in the state was carried in 1963 by The North Shore Line, formerly a part of the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company, carried passengers between East Troy and Milwaukee from 1907 until 1939. Since 1939 the six mile line has existed as a railroad freight connection for the village of East Troy.
Unfortunately for me today, most of the cars owned by the museum are stored indoors and off-site. Here is the little bit that was there early this morning
I happened to run into one of their volunteers, who said that they had recently been experiencing some vandalism. Vandalism makes it necessary to store their stuff, so that even when the museum opens for operation later in the morning, you only get to see the operating equipment. Crummy deal for everyone and I have no other pictures of equipment to share, as I had to get home before the museum even opened. Maybe another day, or maybe we might want to make this a stop for the Rendezvous.
There has actually been some talk about firing-up the electrical generating equipment in this building, as it all is still there, but I guess this brings up noise issues, and the substation itself is located in a residential neighborhood.
The website for this museum is: http://www.easttroyrr.org/
Maybe we have time to visit, and maybe we won't. At least one of our days will be spent in Chicago, and another at the IRM and probably one more local RR place, possibly this one.
Before leaving, (and then returning later with a more inclusive post) here's a picture I took in Springfield Wisconsin, on the way to East Troy that I thought was interesting. This mailbox is at least three feet long and 1 foot tall!
Another Saturday and I have a feeling things are going to be rather QUIET
'round the premises today . . . ACKNOWLEDGMENTS will be provided on Monday as has been the practice - UNLESS things pick up considerably of course! Appreciate the visits by CM3 Shane, Pete, Per 'n Eric - especially the "heads up" on planned absences or late arrivals. That ALWAYS helps in keeping the "flow" somewhat orchestrated . . Shane 'n Wolfman!!
We've been providing MANY, MANY Pix lately at the bar on days OTHER THAN Saturdays - and that practice is going to CHANGE once all of the Rendezvous 'n Canada Rail trip fotos get Posted. The idea is to encourage DIALOGUE AT THE BAR with Pix as SUPPLEMENTAL to the chat. So, let's keep that in mind as we plod along . . . Not to worry though, there are zillions of Rendezvous 'n Canada trip fotos left! <grin>
Going back a bit in time, here's a Post from May 18th, 2005 (my B'day!) on Page 13 of the original Thread . . . Most appropriate for ENCORE! Saturday . . .
Canadian Rail Journey, Part II On Sunday, May 8th, 2005 (Mother's Day and VE Day) I set out on my solo round trip from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Ottawa, Ontario via Montreal, Quebec. Arriving at VIA Rail's Halifax Station in a torrential downpour, the line up for Easterly Class sleepers had just begun. I noticed a rather large group of people all wearing name tags and my first thought was, "Oh no, a tourist group!" Experiences from past journeys have not all been that pleasant when encountering some of these organized rail trips and I hope this would be different. It was. It didn't take long for me to discern the pronunciation of certain words that only people who reside in the St. Louis, MO, USA area can appreciate. The group turned out to be comprised of people from my community and those adjacent to it. The tour director had been my three children's math teacher in high school and before I realized it, it was "old home week" at the Halifax Station. This particular fellow and I have traveled aboard the same trains, but never as part of his group. He does a good job at ensuring that all goes well, without the intrusiveness experienced with other groups. On this day, Train #15, the all BUDD consist of 11 cars (1 baggage car, 2 coaches, one Skyline dome car, one dining car, 5 Chateau series sleepers and the Evangeline Park Car (observation dome with 2 lounges and 4 bedrooms) awaited us. Heading up the train were two F40PH's, numbered 6441 and 6405 respectively. The train was booked full, including the coaches. There was talk of adding another coach at Moncton, NB, however, that didn't occur as one wasn't available. The rain had been falling since Saturday morning and this was monsoon-like. Heading northward towards Truro, the water on either side of the right-of-way was running fast and at times appeared to be very, very close to the roadbed. Sitting in the Park Car dome, the vantage point was sufficient enough to determine the impact of the storm on the country side. Several crossings had police cars blocking them, lights flashing, probably because of roadways under water. By the time the train wound its way through the great scenery between Truro and Amherst (last stop in Nova Scotia) the rain began to let up. Our arrival in Moncton was only long enough for me to dash out into the rain, take some photo's and get back aboard for the continuation of the journey. One of my new-found friends from a community not far from where I live, accompanied me and we got more than a few chuckles from the employees all huddled beneath this or that wondering who these "Yay hoos" were with their cameras! Been there, done that before and will undoubtedly do it again! With a refueled train at the ready, the remainder of the trip was enjoyable - as always. The dining car was jammed for the evening meal - at least a 15 minute wait for a table. Good to see, in that many of my previous trips witnessed near empty situations, even though the trains were rather full. Somehow this all didn't equate - fewer menu selections, higher prices equals greater demand? Huh? Another delightful meal, some great dinner table chit chat over a couple of Keith's Pale Ale, then back to the dome. Ahhhhhhh. Couldn't handle much more beyond Campbellton, so it was time to hit the sack. I had a single (Roomette) on this journey in the Chateau Brule bedroom car adjacent to the Evangeline Park observation dome car. This single was an "upper," in that the step down could be a ‘killer' if one forgot it was there! Happens .... Amazing how every bit of space is wisely planned for ......... a good night's sleep interrupted only by my curiousness to take a look through the wide window now and then. Some snow on the ground between western New Brunswick and eastern Quebec. Morning on the "Ocean" began very early for me. I arose at 4 AM - and decided to sit in the Evangeline Park's dome until our stop at Charny station. While this stop has existed for decades, the feature stop for the "Ocean" was at a place on the south bank of the St. Lawrence Seaway, directly across from Quebec City called Levis. When on the eastbound, the train sat for about 20 minutes, which gave the passengers an incredible view of the ramparts and lights of Quebec City - just wonderful. The westbound got in a bit early (as with Charny), so most times I slept through that ..... About five years ago, the tracks were sold and removed for Condominiums (or so the story goes) and the Levis station faded into history. The ferry connection between Levis and Quebec City lost much of its charm insofar as passenger train travelers were concerned. At Charny on the westbound, the train backs in, whereas it is the opposite heading east. Took a few minutes to breath in the chilly morning air - chat a bit with crew and just enjoy the beginning of yet another great morning with VIA Rail. I must say that those continental breakfasts in the Bullet Lounge of the Park Car was sorely missed on this day. I'm a "pill taker" in my advancing age and without something of substance to go with them, the experience can be rather unpleasant. Fortunately, "Joanne," our attendant, noticed my discomfort and immediately provided me with a few packages of cookies to go with the complimentary juices, coffee, tea and hot chocolate in the Park Car. She's a "sweetheart" for sure - an "old timer" from our traveling days aboard the "Atlantic," which used to run between Montreal and Halifax, but took a more southerly route through Maine. A story for another day ....... Happy Railroading! Siberianmo siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Saturday, June 9, 2007 7:56 AM ENCORE! Saturday ‘n Photo Posting Day!at "Our" Place!We are CLOSED on SUNDAYs!Starting Sunday at the Mentor Village Emporium Theatre! . . . June 10th thru 16th: Beyond The Fringe (1963) Starring: Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett, Jonathan Miller & Peter Cook - and - Windtalkers (2002) Starring: Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach, Peter Stormare, Noah Emmerich & Mark Ruffalo. SHORT: The Three Stooges - All The World's A Stooge (1941). Beyond The Fringe (1963)PLOT SUMMARY: Before The Daily Show, before Saturday Night Live, even before Monty Python, there was Beyond the Fringe-the 1960s West End and Broadway hit revue that reinvented comedy. While another Fab Four was revolutionizing music, Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, and Jonathan Miller were giving birth to the British satire boom. With nothing but their brilliant writing and inspired performances, they created side-splitting comedy that held nothing and no one sacred. In the process, the four performers became international stars. It was long thought that no filmed record of the original cast existed, until this gem was discovered in a producer's vault. A 1964 gala farewell performance in London, it features the troupe's classic sketches, including "Man Bites God," "Aftermyth of War," and "One Leg Too Few." from: amazon.com Windtalkers (2002) Having earned Hollywood's respect with blockbusters like Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2, Hong Kong action master John Woo lends his signature style to serious World War II action in Windtalkers. Recognizing the long-forgotten contribution of Navajo "code talkers," whose use of an unbreakable Navajo-language radio code was instrumental in defeating the Japanese, the film serves as an admirable tribute to those Native American heroes. Unfortunately, it falls short of importance with its standard-issue story about a battle-scarred sergeant (Nicolas Cage) assigned to protect a code-talker (Adam Beach, from Smoke Signals), with unspoken orders to kill him if Japanese capture is imminent. This allows for an involving drama of hard-won friendship, but cardboard supporting characters suffer in the shadow of nonstop action that's as repetitious as it is technically impressive. Windtalkers is best appreciated as a more substantial vehicle for Woo's trademark ballet of bullets. --Jeff Shannon From: amazon.com SHORT: All The World's A Stooge (1941)PLOT SUMMARY: Featuring Moe, Larry & Curly Lotta Bullion distresses her husband Ajax with her new plan to take in war refugees. Ajax, already suffering from a toothache, goes to the dentist and mistakes three brainless janitors as dentists. After a successful (if unusual) tooth-pulling, the Stooges escape and take refuge in Ajax's car, where he immediately disguises them as children and introduces them to his wife as the new refugees. In the end, however, it is Ajax chasing them out again... with a large ax. from: threestooges.net Enjoy! Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo EricX2000 Member sinceDecember 2002 From: Phoenix, AZ 683 posts Posted by EricX2000 on Saturday, June 9, 2007 2:24 AM Good morning Captain Tom and Gentlemen!!Leon, Saturday morning, how about a juicy Filet Mignon with lots of mushroom! Missed last night, so it took some time tonight to catch up. Time well spent, though! Tom – What a dream, dreaming you are awake all night! Sleeping, but still awake! I guess I am lucky, it takes less than one minute for me to fall asleep after I turn off the light. July 4th was a perfect day for my ceremony to become a citizen!! They showed me on the news that evening on our local CBS station! What surprises me is that so many have dual citizenships. That is not right from my point of view. Thanks for the picture of Bedford Basin! I have seen it before but it is always interesting to see all those ships getting ready to sail for a dangerous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.I saw I missed Dave’s birthday May 27. I hope he is okay and back home by now. Do you know?NYC’s King-Size Diner, with a separate kitchen car,would have been nice to try! PRR had a master Dioning Car, but not with a separate kitchen car.More intersting pictures from Halifax! Those locos, 4720, 4721, 4730, and 4774 certainly need a new paint job! They look terrible. Nice to see your pictures from the Rendezvous!! I missed to get a good picture of that streetcar, #10.I also missed those old locomotives behind the Aerotrain! I never saw there was several of them. The Spider Man locomotive obviously took you all the way from Montreal to Halifax!? How far is it? Good to hear that Rob is okay! How did they land that DC47 where it is now? With a high grade of precision!About the 3rd Rendezvous, I’ll be there!Mike – Thanks for the links!! When I saw the picture from Stockholm (The Art and Industrial Fair of 1897) I did not believe it was from Stockholm. But it is. The tall building in the center of the picture was a temporary, wooden structure, was almost 300 feet high. A picture of king Gustav II Adolf of Sweden! He was killed in a battle in Germany November 6, 1632. Sweden was then involved in the 30 year War in Europe. I like those pictures of the Hell Gate Bridge!CM3 – I found some info about ALCO’s Hi-Ad trucks, see link.http://www.greenbayroute.com/hiad.htmInteresting design to eliminate the weight transfer. Thanks for the info!I found this picture I took last December. I think this is a similar design, a FB 3 truck.“Combat Loaded” sounds like an interesting book! I’ll check this weekend if the book store has it so I can have a closer look at it. My brain is obviously dead. First I couldn’t read the Sunshine Special timetable at all, but finally things are getting in place. It took from Sunday evening til Wednesday morning to travel by train from St. Louis to Mexico City. Pete – Thanks for the congratulations! It was kind of strange to switch to right-hand traffic but I got used to it in a very short period of time. I don’t think UK will ever change. Double track rail lines in Sweden are built to handle left-hand and/or right-hand traffic. It doesn’t matter. Usually it is left-hand traffic, but quite often you have two trains running side by side in the same direction or you have trains running right-hand traffic. It is very flexible.I don’t think the US railroads painted the coupling roads silver. As far as I know that paint is just a protection against rust on locomotives on static display.Fergie – Hope to hear from you again soon! Maybe we will be lucky to see some pictures of those models when you get back?! Per – It took me about eleven months from when I applied until I became a citizen. Not too bad. I hope you will have your citizenship soon! Three years is a loooong time!I don’t know if I mentioned that my employer wants me to work part time for another year after my retirement and if we can agree I will work 50 % until the end of 2008. That is when my wife retires. Working 50% will give me much more time than today to do things I really want to do, like chasing gir... hmm, trains. I think there are very few direct cars (if any) to the rest of Europe from Stockholm today. Except for trains to Copenhagen and Oslo. Eric marthastrainyard Member sinceMarch 2006 From: Orange County, CA 98 posts Posted by marthastrainyard on Friday, June 8, 2007 8:09 PM Good Evening everybody present!Leon, Ill have a pint of Holden's, and a round for everybody present. And since I am here in time for pizza, let's have a Hawaiian pizza, please!How ‘bout them dar DUCKS! Tom, you had mentioned renaming the arena to the Aflack Pond. Anything "Pond" would be great right now. Honda took it over and it is the "Honda Arena"; no more "Pond" in there and no more "Mighty" in the team name since Disney sold it all off. Thank you for all the recognition of Svenska Flaggans Dag!I liked your pictures from the St. Louis Museum of Transport. It seems to be a real Transport museum, boats, planes and trains. A couple of them stand out in my mind: The Laclede Christy is such a neat little machine. Almost wish I could have one in my back yard. The Chicago & Illinois Midland #551 is another engine that just shows power and grace in my mind. I have always liked the 2-8-4 (and the 4-8-4) because of that.That rusty ol' Wabash Mogul #573 in the background looks interesting. There seems to be a number of old, rusty engines on that track. Are they waiting for restoration, or are they spare parts?Maybe the C-47 was dropped by parachute? You know, Dumbo drop. The link to the railroad history of the U.S. is really great! Thank you for that little gem! It did mention Ellicott and I thought I had seen and read about it when I visited the B&O museum in Baltimore many years ago. Can you imagine losing $20,000 200 years ago? That Mr. Stevens must have been a man on means b eing able to come back after that. You say a bunk is a bunk, but what I was wondering is if there is a noticeable difference in the size of the beds in the Budd cars and in the Ren cars. It may not be as big of a difference as I read in that other article about the canal boats on rail. A bookcase as a bed, huh? The overhead storage is the same problem Amtrak has. But there it is the Superliner that has the smaller and the Viewliner that has the bigger storage.I tried to learn Morse code once, but I didn't spend enough time with it, so I never got anywhere. I still remember letter "e" though Looking at that picture of the harbor at Halifax and all the merchant ships getting ready for a convoy across the Atlantic, I wonder how nervous many of the sailors were. The German Wolf Packs were waiting for them and I guess the loss rate was pretty high at times. Those sailors were true heroes in my mind! I saw earlier that you had a Southern Horoscope! So I'm a bunch of Grits, huh? I guess I will have to get enough courage to try a serving one of these days. My Father-In-Law grew up on that thing in Florida and he hates it; that's all I have heard about it.You posted ads for both 20th Century Limited and Broadway Limited. What train used the tracks that Amtrak's Lakeshore Limited uses today? The Broadway Limited advertises that the entire diner is reserved for dining, what did it used to be? Do they mean that half of the car was a kitchen and that this train has a separate kitchen car?I like the pictures from your trip. The landscape up there remind me a lot of south-central Sweden in many ways. But I bet it gets colder in Canada than it does in Sweden in the winter. You said the Canadian shippers had complained about the slow freight movement on rail. I think I remember reading in the Trains magazine in the early 80's that a normal transcontinental box car traveled with an average speed of 7 mph. If I remember right, no wonder shippers complain! Doug, I will try to stick around for a while. I think you have made me go to Barnes & Noble again! I think I need to pick up that Horseshoe Curve book; it just sound too interesting to pass up! Eric, I'm glad you got your citizenship 10 years ago. Congratulations! I am still waiting for mine. The process that should have taken 18 months has now taken over 3 years, and there is still no sign of any progress! I guess that birthday of mine 6 years ago "changed everything" or so they want to make us believe. Yes, 1967, that's it. I think September 3rd, or 4th was the big Sunday. I drove the 360 miles up to Stockholm that day and it was an experience! I haven't been on a sleeper train in Sweden for years, so I don't know if there are any direct cars anymore. There used to be a "blue car" the CIWL sleeper from Stockholm to the continent and I was lucky when I could get a bed in that car. I found those beds much more comfortable that the regular beds.Technically I am not retiring, just "pretiring" on 12/31/2007. I get a severance package if I leave, so I will try to live off of that money until it is time to retire. We'll see how it works. But we stop working on the same day, what a coincidence! I didn't realize that all cars had to have magnetic brakes if they go over 160 kmh (100 mph). No wonder it gets expensive and that there aren't any trains going faster than that. I wondered where that speed limit that is painted on the cars came from, now I know. Thank you. Thank you for the Stockholm picture, Mike. That's from the Baltic Exhibition way back when but some of the buildings are still standing to this day. I recognized one little brick building in the far left background. It was built be the Skåne brick industry and it is still there today. All of these buildings were/are on the island of Djurgåden ("Animal Farm") in Stockholm.That Marlyn Rich must have been a gutsy gal. Imagine hanging from a helicopter like that and take a ride! No thanks, not for me! Pete, as I mentioned, it wasn't until last year the June 6 became a holiday. They had to trade another holiday for it, and I heard rumors that "they" regret the trade. The traded a holiday always on a Monday for June 6 which will fall on Saturdays and Sundays, so over a few years they have lost a day off. Home of the Ambroid history page and the up-and-coming City Of Los Angeles from 1950 http://www.trainweb.org/ambroidkits/ My pictures are here http://www.flickr.com/photos/8514678@N08/ pwolfe Member sinceFebruary 2005 From: mid mo 1,054 posts Posted by pwolfe on Friday, June 8, 2007 3:51 PM Hi Tom and all.A pint of Batham's please RUTH.FERGIE Good to hear from you aboard ship. Have a safe voyage and look forward to hearing from you again soon.CM3 Many thanks for the info on switching out and that wonderful MP Sunshine Special schedule from 1932 So many destinations from St Louis on the one train. I guess in 1932 it would be all steam hauled with steam doing the switching moves as well. It would be interesting to see what different types of locos were involved hauling, say the St Louis to Mexico City car. To have traveled in the De-Luxe Parlor Observation car must have been quite an experience. Talking of train splitting reminded of, before the Carstairs to Edinburgh line was electrified there were trains that were diesel hauled from Liverpool and Manchester which were joined at Preston to be electric hauled through Carlisle to Carstairs where the train was split again. The portion from Manchester, that contained the refreshment car, carried on behind the electric loco to Glasgow while a diesel backed on for the Edinburgh portion. In the opposite direction the Edinburgh portion ran through Carstairs station to wait for the Glasgow part to run in, the diesel then reversed the Edinburgh cars onto the rest of the train. It was a pleasure to watch this operation as the shunters who connected the train were very good at the lob and the train was on its way very quickly. Unfortunately not like some specials I have been on where a loco change as taken ages. TOM Yes the storms did not reach here ether and quite a cool down today as well.Glad you have heard from ROB and he is doing well although very busy .It will be great if Rob can call in the bar as he is very much missed.It does seem sad about the freight in Halifax, I guess from what you say, the less there is the more they have to charge on the ones that still run to pay for the track etc. Another thing I suppose is a lot more cargo comes from Asia today and they use the west coast ports. Unfortunately in Britain there would be houses or other buildings on the disused sidings very quickly.Thanks for the PRR Broadway Limited Nostalgia from 1949 indeed a golden age for American rail travel.Enjoyed the photos of our arrival in Halifax, sorry about my arm in the last photo.Great photos at St Louis MOT poor old Wabash #573 lets hope that the 112 year old loco can be restored to her former glory one day, at least she is still in existence.Great spotting the RDC in the undergrowth, an ex CP one at that.Cold beer on the Aerotrain I wonder if the high noise levels, as said in the sign, were the cans rolling about.They have done a great job on that MO-PAC caboose, it looks better than brand new.We shall be out most of the day tomorrow and I am not sure what time I shall be back so I will post some pics.Another Round please RUTH and the Steak later so I have enough energy to stock the bar, (and to lift the bigger dipper)Pete. siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, June 8, 2007 3:07 PM G'day Gents! Continuing with MORE Pix from the 2nd Annual "Our" Place Classic Trains Rendezvous in St. Louis:Saturday - May 19, 2007 The St. Louis Museum of Transportation (Kirkwood, MO)(more detailed descriptions <for many> previously provided by Eric ‘n Doug) Wabash S Mogul 2-6-0 #573. Built in Rhode Island (1889). Eric checking out #573 Hey Pete! This is where they keep the cold beer! <grin> What's a railway museum without at least ONE RDC, eh Massachusetts Bay Area Transportation Authority #54 - RDC1; originally built for Canadian Pacific Railway by the Budd Company. MoPac Caboose #13889. Built by MoPac (1980). More later . . . Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, June 8, 2007 11:01 AM G'day Gents! The final Pix from Day Two: Friday - May 25th, 2007 - VIA Rail to Halifax, NS from Montreal, QC . . . Arrival Halifax! VIA Rail's Ocean w/Renaissance consist arrives Halifax We made it! Tom & "Our" Renaissance bedroom car VIA Rail's F40PHs get an inspection at Halifax Spiderman has a dirty face! See ya tomorrow for the return trip! Halifax station from trackside Interior of Halifax VIA Rail station Tribute to VIA Rail Remembrance Train of 2005 - "The Year of the Veteran" To be continued . . . Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, June 8, 2007 9:06 AM G'day Gents!Continuing on with a bit of "normalcy" - here's another Nostalgia piece from awhile ago! PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #39 Initially Posted on Page 184 of the original Thread . . . Here's something to enjoy regarding the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) in a 1949 advertisement from my private collection: The New BROADWAY LIMITED NEW YORK - CHICAGONow in Service THE NEWLY-EQUIPPED Broadway Limited presents completely new conception of travel . . . with new styling, appointments, riding ease and beauty . . . more comforts and conveniences than ever before, representing the finest that modern design and engineering can offer. Beautiful new Lounge and Observation Cars . . . attractive new Dining Cars . . . distinctively new, all-room sleeping cars . . . plus the Broadway Limited's traditional hospitality - all for your personal travel pleasure! WE invite you to make a reservation for your next trip. NEW MID-TRAIN LOUNGE AND OBSERVATION LOUNGE CAR - Richly appointed for leisure. Magazines, buffets. NEW MASTER DINING CAR - Attractively furnished and decorated. Enjoy delicious food . . . meticulous service. Entire car reserved for dining. ROOMETTES for one. Full-length bed, wardrobe, complete toilet facilities. DUPLEX ROOMS for one person. Full length bed becomes comfortable divan during day. Toilet facilities. COMPARTMENTS for two. Sofa-seat and lounge chair. Lower and upper beds. Wardrobe, enclosed toilet annex. BEDROOMS - for one or two - in three new styles. Lower and upper beds, wardrobe, enclosed toilet annex. DRAWING ROOMS for three. Sofa-seat and lounge chairs . . . three beds. Wardrobe, enclosed toilet annex. PENNSYLVANIA RAILROADEnjoy! Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo coalminer3 Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: WV 1,251 posts Posted by coalminer3 on Friday, June 8, 2007 8:01 AM Good Morning Barkeep and all Present; coffee, please; round for the house, and $ for the jukebox.Sox win! Old Shill took a no hitter into the bottom of the 9th b4 it got broken up on what was, at least, a clean base hit. Ortiz's HR in the early innings held up. I'm the kind of fan that likes low scoring games, but 1-0 is cutting it a bit too thin. The Bostons go to Arizona this weekend for interleague activities against the Diamondbacks. Real baseball - pitchers hit.I watched the Cards and Reds on TV last night. Also, I am sure they removed all sharp objects from the Dodgers clubhouse as well - what a meltdown that was (sorry Cap!) Fergie stopped by. I had a similar question re those GP38s. My first thought was that there had been a fire, but then seeing so many of them...deferred maintenance is the enemy. Pete - Many trains here used to switch cars in an out en route; especially sleepers. Check out the end of this post for an example.The NY setouts were, IIRC, the last ones operating here. They were usually 10/6 cars. My favorite ATK runs before they changed everything around used to be 66 and 67 ("Night Owl,") and 48-448/449-49 ("Lake Shore") because of the work they did en route. The last time I rode the "Lake Shore" was on a Chicago-Boston-Chicago turn. Did Business Class between Boston and Albany and rode sleeper on the Chicago-Albany leg. It worked out o.k., but it was not the same as a through sleeper. At least they still had the diner, which is more than I can say for 50/51. OSP - I understand what you mean about decline in harbors. Boston and New York are two more that come to mind, the latter especially. I am sure Lars will back us up on our musings here. More pictures. The StL IM&S brought to mind that the most recent Classic Trains had a fine piece on MP 4-6-0s, many of which had strange ancestries and histories.So let's put some MP material up for your consideration. This is from 1932. Yes, Boris, it was in the east wing and thank you for holding the lantern so I could find the folder.ST. LOUIS TO SOUTHWEST"SUNSHINE SPECIAL" 1"Sunshine Special"6:30 p.m. (St. Louis) (SU)3:15 a.m. Little Rock (MO)7:00 a.m. Texarkana9:15 a.m. (Longview Jct.)9:00 p.m. (Big Spring)8:55 a.m. (El Paso) (TU) 9:25 a.m. (Longview Jct.)12:01 p.m. (Palestine) 12:05 p.m. (Palestine) 10:00 p.m. (San Antonio) 1:15p.m. (Ft. Worth) 7:50 a.m. (Los Angeles) (WE) - via SP 11:45 a.m. (Palestine)4:00 p.m. (Houston)5:45 p.m. (Galveston)4:20 a.m. (Corpus Christi) (TU)7:55 a.m. (Brownsville) (TU)7:50 p.m. (San Antonio)2:00 a.m. (Laredo) (TU)8:30 a.m. (Monterrey) (TU) - via NdeM8:45 a.m. (Mexico City) (WE) - via NdeM8:45 a.m. (Mission) (TU)St. Louis - Los Angeles Sleeping Car: 10 sections/2 compartments/ drawing room to SP Train 1 @ El PasoSt. Louis - El Paso Sleeping Car: 12 sections/ drawing room/ compartmentSt. Louis -San Antonio and Mission Sleeping Car: 12 sections/ drawing room/ compartment; SAU&G Train 215 San Antonio - Odem; then to GC&L Train 15-13St. Louis - New Orleans Sleeping Car: 12 sections/drawing room; from Little Rock in Train 101St. Louis - Shreveport Sleeping Car: 12 sections/drawing room via L&A from HopeSt. Louis - Mexico City Sleeping Car: 10 sections/2 compartments/drawing roomSt. Louis - Houston and Galveston Sleeping Car: 10 sections/2 compartments/ drawing roomLittle Rock - Shreveport Sleeping Car: 12 sections/drawing room/compartmentvia L&A from HopeSan Antonio - Laredo Sleeping Car: 12 sections/drawing roomHouston - Corpus Christi Sleeping Car: 12 sections/drawing roomSan Antonio - Corpus Christi Sleeping Car: 12 sections/drawing room via SP, November - December; via MP, January - MarchSan Antonio - Brownsville Sleeping Car: 12 sections/drawing roomSan Antonio - Mexico City Sleeping Car: 10 sections/observationHouston - Brownsville Sleeping Car: 10 sections/observationDe Luxe Parlor Observation (Shower, valet, fountain, lounge, radio): Sr. Louis - El Paso - Los AngelesCafé Lounge Observation: Longview Jct. - San AntonioCafé Lounge Observation: Palestine - Houston Dining CarDining Car: Hope - Shreveport Reclining Seat Chair Cars and coachesI amy be running a bit late on Monday, ues and Friday of next week; but will do my best to make an appearance.work safe siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Friday, June 8, 2007 7:32 AM <w/permission: http://www.scenic-railroads.com/> G'day Gents! Friday has arrived, signaling the final work day (for many) with the promise of a great weekend looming. Why not begin your day with a hot mugga freshly ground ‘n brewed coffee along with pastries from The Mentor Village Bakery??? Consider a selection from our Menu Board for a <light> or <traditional> breakfast while you're at it! Severe weather predicted for the night didn't materialize - HOO-RAY, YAA-HOO! It's overcast ‘n raining lightly with temps expected to drop throughout the morning and then some lovely weather predicted for the weekend. Spent nearly 2 hours speaking with trolleyMAN Rob yesterday by fone . . . he called me! He's alive, working 6 days, promoted to store assistant manager, and sounding like the man we all have come to know and miss ‘round here. He passed his regards to one ‘n all and hopes to get back to a degree of regularity by the FALL!! Then of course that won't last long as the Christmas season will jump up to bite him in the caboose and the cycle begins again. Anyway, I hope we'll see him stop by now ‘n then (I've encouraged him to at least "pop" in once ‘n awhile) - but I'm afraid we've lost him as a "regular." I've given him an "Indefinite Leave of Absence," so we'll see what develops . . . So, we now are in the "hunt" for a Chief Chef (again!) or perhaps an Assistant . . . Customer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (since my last narrative): Mike at 8:27 AM Thursday - June 7th: URLs from Silent Mike - and a round! CM3 Shane at 12:56 PM Thursday - June 7th: "Say the magic woid and the duck will come down . . . ." <Groucho> Good to see ya again and as always, a witticism here ‘n there interspersed with some fine "stuff" to enlighten, ed-u-mah-kate and enjoy! Didn't know about Yogi's pop . . . books look mighty tempting, however, I'm sooooooo far behind in my reading that the more I take on, the behinder I get! <groan> <grin>I'm not so sure the condition of those CN locos can all be attributed to the environment. Fergie has been keeping an eye out for these kinds of things from both sides of the harbor (harboUr) and has told me CN has cut back on "routine" maintenance over the years, so much so that paint jobs are now at the bottom of the list, if on it at all. <grim>With two major rivers within a few miles of "anything" ‘round these parts, that river boat could have easily been transported from downtown by rail or on a flatbed truck . . . The question I have is how in the world did "they" land that DC47A where it is now?? <grin>Thanx for the quarters, round ‘n conversation! Pete at 6:06 PM Thursday - June 7th: As it turned out, YOURS was the FINAL Post for the day! Feast or Famine Bar ‘n Grill, eh Nevertheless, good to see ya and appreciate the time ‘n effort to keep up with the dialogue and so forth! I wouldn't get TOO encouraged regarding the attendees at the 3rd Annual "Our" Place Classic Trains Rendezvous in Chicago 2008 ‘til it gets down to "weeks" rather than months. Been there, done that before and all it gets is disappointment at this early stage. HOWEVER, it is good to see the INTEREST emerging for our get together . . . If what West Coast S Dave provided some weeks back holds true, my guess is he's back Stateside by now and reacquainting himself with loved ones ‘n friends. May be awhile before he finds the time to twiddle away the hours in the Ether. I have hope that he'll return, when the timing is right! Regarding those empty sidings in the CN yard in Halifax: I recall when there was nothing but freight cars on those tracks - so much that you couldn't see the scenery beyond them. As Fergie told us, there appears to be "something" going on with CN and a cut back on the numbers of freights being assembled in Halifax. Even those we know in Bedford have told us that the numbers of passing trains has great diminished which is a mixed blessing. For the area it's a loss of revenue, for the residents it's peace ‘n quiet without the rude awakening of the horns that blare in the night!The port has lost shipping which in turn creates the situation faced by CN to cut back. The other side of that coin is the shipping industry has been complaining about how long it takes to get their containerized freight from the port to locations throughout North America by way of Halifax and CN. Watchcagonnado, eh Now, now - let's not get too DOWN about a pay raise! After all, how long has it been since you became a "staff" member?? Hmmmmm - perhaps I'll let you have Rob's "scooper" for the upstairs tub. It IS a tad larger . . . <grin> Fergie at 7:04 AM today - June 8th: Hey, Mate - what a treat! A message from far away at sea!! Good of you to swing by and appreciate your thinking of us . . . .Gardens, model trains, riding real train, cold beer (sorry, Brits!), puppy dogs 'n pretty gals! That's what this life is all about, eh Nooooooooo, say some. <grin>Yeah, I knew about the CN "stuff" from our conversation a few years back when you provided that great tour of the Terry Fox (Canadian Coast Guard vessel) . . . those locos are a blemish on the landscape, fer sure, fer sure! Next time in, have "one" on me! Happy Railroading! Siberianmo Fergmiester Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Out on the Briny Ocean Tossed 4,240 posts Posted by Fergmiester on Friday, June 8, 2007 7:04 AM Good Morning Tom and Company!Well not much on the go. I got the garden planted. the place cleaned up and we finally set sail yesterday. Tom: Those GP38's have been in dire need of paint for the last five or six years. Makes you wonder what's under the hood?We'll be out until July 4th when we will be back in Halifax. I have about four or five MR kit's to build including a Erie Steam Shovel so at least I will be busy in my off time.Later GentsFergie 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 pwolfe Member sinceFebruary 2005 From: mid mo 1,054 posts Posted by pwolfe on Thursday, June 7, 2007 6:06 PM Hi Tom and all.A pint of Holden's please RUTH and of course it is Fish ‘N' Chip nite.DOUG Great to see you in. I must admit that is the first I had heard of the plot to sabotage the Horseshoe Curve. That does indeed sound like an interesting Book.Sounds like the Horsemanship training is going well.ERIC Congratulations on your 10th year of American citizenship next month.It must have seemed strange when Sweden changed from left-hand running to right-hand running over night. I wonder if the UK will ever change, to be the same as Europe, it is a wonder Brussels as not tried to force the Brits to do so.When they build any new rail lines in Sweden are they set up for left or right hand running do you know.That is a great photo of C&IM # 551.I wonder if it was just the railroads of North America that painted the coupling rods silver. I don't know if other countries painted the rods on main line locomotives or why British Railways did not paint theirs.I shall very much look forward to the discs with your photos, many thanks.MIKE Many thanks for the links. That is a very Young Roddy McDowell in ‘Lassie Vender Hjem' and rather Marlyn Rich than me.That is a marvelous photo of LMS No 6204 Princess Louise with the horse and rider how both are moving and in such sharp focus is amazing. I wonder where the photo was taken it looks like the part of England I came from. There is an ex LMS Princess class in the LMS livery at work on the main line of BR today.http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12183999&method=full&siteid=50061CM3 Many thanks for a great post. Thanks for the info on the cutting of those trains. I believe the Scotrail Sleeper in the UK still splits and joins into 3 portions at Edinburgh Scotland. 1 for Inverness 1 for Aberdeen and the other for Fort William.I must to you for having that knowledge that Yogi Berra's father worked for the same company as the Leclade-Christy locomotive in the museum.Talking of paint, on the tender of one ex Southern Railway locomotive that was in Barry Docks Scrapyard in South Wales the paint had worn off and it was possible to see several layers and the original ‘SOUTHERN' lettering on the tender from about 30 years before.I had better let Tom answer the question on the boat.TOM DL may be coming to the Chicago Rendezvous, could you cope with 2 Brits.That is a really interesting link to the early railways in the U.S. That $20,000 must have been a great deal of money John Stevens lost in 1812 .I do like the idea of a tavern every mile on the early roads thoughThat was an ingenious idea to move the canal boats in sections over hilly terrain. I dare say the American Notes by Charles Dickens is a good read, I have read that Dickens did not like railways; this may have been a premonition, as he never recovered from a railway wreck in Southern England in later years.That is a startling fact that the Pennsy rolling stock, if joined together, would stretch for 2,500 miles (I guess that this would have been in 1935). Thanks for sharing.As you say a visit to Cape Breton is a must if visiting the area for a reasonable amount of time. There is a great link from the Wikipedia site to the Cabot trail and the Virtual tour on that site is well worth looking at it is indeed a beautiful place so different in winter as well. What a shame the Bras d'Or no longer runs.I see we have a bit of a gap in the birthdays for a while, hopefully we should hear from DAVE soon.Many thanks for the NYC Nostalgia and the photos from Halifax and the Museum of Transportation. Poor old GP38 #4774 does look as though she could do with some TLC on the bodywork, and it was sad to see so many empty sidings in Halifax. The photos of the museum show they have some really great locomotives there.The only staff member and no pay rise, I know the feeling well, still as they say "donkeys go best loaded" siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Thursday, June 7, 2007 4:24 PM G'day Gents!MORE Pix from the 2nd Annual "Our" Place Classic Trains Rendezvous in St. Louis:Saturday - May 19, 2007 The St. Louis Museum of Transportation (Kirkwood, MO)(more detailed descriptions <for many> previously provided by Eric ‘n Doug) MoPac Alco RS-3 #4502 St. Louis Waterworks Railway Interurban Car #10. Built by St. Louis Car Co. (1914). St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Baldwin Class Tn-61 4-6-0. Built by Baldwin (1889). Erie-Lackawanna SD45. Built by EMD (1967). Duluth, Missabe &U Iron Range 2-10-2. Built by Baldwin (1916). Norfolk & Western2-8-8-2 Mallet Class Y6a #2156. Built by N&W (1942). Rock Island AeroTrain #3. Built by EMD (1955). More later . . . Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo coalminer3 Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: WV 1,251 posts Posted by coalminer3 on Thursday, June 7, 2007 12:56 PM Good Morning Barkeep and all Present; coffee, please; round for the house and $ for the jukebox. Today we touch on hockey, holidays, passenger operations, C&IM, Yogi Berra's father, diesel locomotive trucks, spies, naval history, and climatological aspects of locomotive paint. IOW. Something for everybodyDucks win - they deserved it. I know, Frostbite's upset because he is, after all, a Penguins fan - well, we've got to put the Zamboni up on blocks and get it ready for next season. Per stopped by with comments and information on a most interesting celebration - we'll do anything for a party. Pete sent comments. 66 and 67 used to be "rock and roll" sometimes on trips between Boston and Washington. Locomotives were, of course, changed at New Haven. Then, there was a set out sleeper added or cut out at New York which involved all sorts of cuts and pulls. Sometimes it went really well, other times, it wasn't exactly smooth. The C&O used to split the "George Washington" at Charlottesville. I liked to get out and watch that - they were very careful handling the train, as was the N&W when they did their switching. Again, something that many folks don't remember.Eric - The C&IM was a coal hauler for the most part. Thanks for the picture of their 551. They had, IIRC, several of these 2-8-2s purchased from different railroads. Boris, get the cap lights - we'll head to east wing and see what we can dig out of the files!Geez, did I messed up on the trucks. So here goes. ALCO had what they called Hi-Ad trucks which were available. The PRR, right before the end, ordered a bunch of C636s. They were delivered as PC units and were equipped with Hi-Ad trucks; this should help your quest for photos. Adirondack trucks were used on GE engines. PRRs U30Cs are an example of this application. Now, as Hemingway would say, the truck issue is "well and truly settled." My apologies!Barndad stopped by - the Horseshoe Curve book looks interesting. OSP sent a lot of stuff. Thanks for sharing the pictures. The little Sabine River and Northern switcher jumped right out at me. The Laclede-Christy engine belonged, IIRC, to a brick company in St. Louis. Yogi Berra's father worked for them. How's that for useful knowledge? The following was inspired by OSPs pictures around Halifax. The two best books on the Battle of the Atlantic are vols. 1 and 10 of S.E. Morison's History of Naval Operations in World War II. I have the entire Morison set, but those are the best books in the set, IMHO. I just finished reading an excellent new book titled Combat Loaded. It covers the career of the U.S.S. Tate, an attack cargo ship which was heavily involved in operations around Okinawa. An older book which is available on the o/p market is titled Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil. This deals with logistics, etc. Sorry if I added to the "gotta read" stack.The DC47 was surely in Normandy colors. Also thanks for the NYC ad.The last question before the house is how did you folks manage get that boat so far inland? I bet it's tied back to consumption of mass quantities and somebody thinking that they ‘knew the river." I know, the Ticonderoga is inland at the Shelburne Musemu in Vermont, but that was hauled into place by the Rutland RR.There sure were some ratty looking CN engines along the waterfront. It's amazing what climate will do to paint. The engines that ran down in Florida in Bone Valley (phosphate service), if they stayed long enough faded to an near pink color - almost looked like the old Lionel Girl's train from days gone by.Work safeP.S. Note to OSP - I'm old and have been able to remember names. As Groucho once said, "I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception." siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts Posted by siberianmo on Thursday, June 7, 2007 11:25 AM G'day Gents!What else MORE Pix from Day Two: Friday - May 25th, 2007 - VIA Rail to Halifax, NS from Montreal, QC . . . Approaching the Halifax VIA Rail station through the yards . . . Container ship being unloaded in HalifaxCN GP-38s in need of a face lift in HalifaxContainer ship & freight in Halifax IC hoppers at CNs coal facility in Halifax More CN Geeps in Halifax CN GP38 in Halifax needs a new paint job More CN freight & shore side facilities in Halifax To be continued . . . Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Thursday, June 7, 2007 9:53 AM G'day Gents!A return to a bit of "normalcy" 'round here . . . something from the past to enjoy! PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #38 Initially Posted on Page 183 of the original Thread . . . Here's something to enjoy regarding the New York Central (NYC) in a 1948 advertisement from my private collection: World Premiere! the New 20th Century Limited First of New York Central's new Dreamliner Fleet NEW Lookout Lounge - Modern setting for the club-like availability that's long been a Century tradition. New - from its streamlined Diesel to its raised "Lookout Lounge" . . . New King-Size Diner - So spacious it needs a separate kitchen car! Smart designing gives each table privacy plus a perfect outlook. There's a festive feel about the Century's dinner lounge and a sense of being served with distinction. New 1948 Century Rooms - Whether you travel in a roomette, a bedroom or with a party in a suite, you can work, or relax in air-conditioned privacy by day - then sleep the miles away by night on Central's smooth Water Level Route. NEW NEW YORK CENTRAL BETWEEN THE HEART OF CHICAGO AND THE HEART OF NEW YORK Vacation overnight aboard the new Century. Arrive refreshed - with no business time lost. Enjoy! Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Thursday, June 7, 2007 9:19 AM 2007 BIRTHDAY WATCH LIST (rev. June 7th)January 14th (Eric - 64) OKRA (Dec 22 - Jan 20) Are tough on the outside but tender on the inside. Okras have tremendous influence. An older Okra can look back over his life and see the seeds of his influence everywhere. You can do something good each day if you try. You go well with most anyone. March 13th (Doug - 51)BOLL WEEVIL (Feb 20 - March 20) You have an overwhelming curiosity. You're unsatisfied with the surface of things, and you feel the need to bore deep into the interior of everything. Needless to say, you are very intense and driven as if you had some inner hunger. You love to stay busy and tend to work too much. Nobody in their right mind is going to marry you, so don't worry about it. March 31st (Lars - 67)MOON PIE (March 21 - April 20) You're the type that spends a lot of time on the front porch. A cinch to recognize the physical appearance of Moon Pies. Big and round are the key words here. You should marry anybody who you can get remotely interested in the idea. A Chitlin would be a good mate but it's not going to be easy. You always have a big smile and are happy. This might be the year to think about aerobics. Maybe not. May 18th (Tom - 69) POSSUM (April 21 - May 21) When confronted with life's difficulties, possums have a marked tendency to withdraw and develop a don't-bother-me-about- it attitude. Sometimes you become so withdrawn, people actually think you're dead. This strategy is probably not psychologically healthy but seems to work for you. You are a rare breed. Most folks love to watch you work and play. You are a night person and mind your own business. You should definitely marry an Armadillo. May 27th (Dave - 48) <Leave of absence - Iraq>CRAWFISH (May 22 - June 21) Crawfish is a water sign. If you work in an office, you're hanging around the water cooler. Crawfish prefer the beach to the mountains, the pool to the golf course, and the bathtub to the living room. You tend not to be particularly attractive physically but have a good heart. August 11th (Pete - 56)CATFISH (July 24 - Aug 23) Catfish are traditionalists in matters of the heart, although one's whiskers may cause problems for loved ones. You Catfish are never easy people to understand. You run fast. You work and play hard. Even though you prefer the muddy bottoms to the clear surface of life, you are liked by most. Above all else, Catfish should stay away from Moon Pies. September 8th (Rob - 36) September 11th (Per - 62) GRITS (Aug 24 - Sept 23) Your highest aim is to be with others like yourself. You like to huddle together with a big crowd of other Grits. You love to travel though, so maybe you should think about joining a club. Where do you like to go? Anywhere they have cheese, gravy, bacon, butter, or eggs and a good time. If you can go somewhere where they have all these things, that serves you well. You are pure in heart. September 29th (James - 19)October 18th (BK - 67)BOILED PEANUTS (Sept 24 - Oct 23) You have a passionate desire to help your fellow man. Unfortunately, those who know you best, your friends and loved ones, may find that your personality is much too salty, and their criticism will affect you deeply because you are really much softer than you appear. You should go right ahead and marry anybody you want to because in a certain way, yours is a charmed life. On the road of life, you can be sure that people will always pull over and stop for you. December 29th (CM3 - 61)OKRA (Dec 22 - Jan 20) Are tough on the outside but tender on the inside. Okras have tremendous influence. An older Okra can look back over his life and see the seeds of his influence everywhere. You can do something good each day if you try. You go well with most anyone. Not on the list Send me an Email with your birth date (month-day-year) Corrections too! Tom (Siberianmo) Proprietor of "Our" Place, an adult eating & drinking establishment! Happy Railroading! Siberianmo wanswheel Member sinceNovember 2005 4,190 posts Posted by wanswheel on Thursday, June 7, 2007 8:27 AM Hi Tom and everyone, a round for the houseHere's a pretty old picture of Stockholm for Swedish D-Day http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/ppmsc/06200/06231v.jpgGustav too http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3b40000/3b40000/3b40100/3b40127r.jpgRedningsbaaden http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3g10000/3g12000/3g12600/3g12634v.jpgJazzkongenhttp://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3g10000/3g12000/3g12600/3g12642v.jpg3 Piger Paa Viftenhttp://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3g10000/3g12000/3g12600/3g12639v.jpgLassie Vender Hjemhttp://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3g10000/3g12000/3g12600/3g12633v.jpgGustav Lilenthal also had a beard, won the Battle of Hell Gatehttp://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/ggbain/20000/20015v.jpghttp://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3b20000/3b24000/3b24200/3b24235v.jpgMarlyn Rich loves to fly and it showshttp://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c30000/3c33000/3c33300/3c33383v.jpghttp://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c30000/3c33000/3c33300/3c33387v.jpgMike siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Thursday, June 7, 2007 7:27 AM <w/permission: http://www.scenic-railroads.com/>G'day Gents! Thursday! Time for a hot mugga freshly ground ‘n brewed coffee along with pastries from The Mentor Village Bakery??? Consider a selection from our Menu Board for a <light> or <traditional> breakfast while you're at it! Hail to the Ducks of Anaheim! - the newly crowned Stanley Cup Champions of the NHL for the 2006-2007 season! I think they should change the name of their arena to the Aflack Pond <quack - quack> Received an Email request from DL to put him on our "list" for information regarding the 3rd Annual "Our" Place Classic Trains Rendezvous in Chicago 2008! That makes 6 of us interested . . . . Weather forecast holds for a stormy ride as the temps are to hit the high 90s (F) - winds strong and a front coming in with all kinds of dire predictions for tonight. Batten down the hatches, Boris - keep the critters inside. <uh oh>I see there's been sufficient activity to justify one of these compilations - youse guyz just don't want me to take "off" on Tuesday ‘n Thursday,eh <grin>Customer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (since my last narrative): CM3 Shane at 8:18 AM Wednesday - June 6th: Ah, Antigonish, Nova Scotia - a place I've not visited, but one whose name I have heard many times. ‘Tis indeed a challenge to pronounce it in "Nova Scotian" tongue! <grin> Towns along the Northumberland Shore are sights to see ‘n places to go. Maybe one day . . . You are oh-so-correct when it comes to the hearty souls who reside in that part of the world - "they" don't make ‘em like that anymore, at least where I'm residing! Another "Ah" in reference to the guy who took the 3rd strike LOOKING from the Yankees Don Larsen in his perfect game #5 of the 1956 World Series between the Yanks ‘n Dodgers. That at bat put Dale Mitchell into baseball history! WHERE do you come up with these names?? <grin>Much appreciation for the quarters, round ‘n discussion! Per at 12:19 PM Wednesday - June 6th: I found a link that address pretty much everything one may want to know about the FIRST RRs in the U.S. - check out: http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r013.htmlFor "stuff" found in the Ether, this IS a good "read" and well worth the time to learn something new or simply refresh one's memory . . . I seriously doubt VIA Rail had any idea what the TRUE costs were to be regarding the purchase of those "Chunnel Chugger" Euro cars. Much of that $137m (CDN) was unanticipated expense - so I've been told - and there's more on the way. Keep in mind that the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled those Renaissance cars MUST fully accommodate the handicapped. So this saga will continue . . . I'd bet the "ranch" that those Renaissance cars will never attain the in-service years of the Budds . . . For me, bunks are bunks whether aboard ships or trains. Tight accommodations are just that and I didn't notice any particular disturbing difference between Renaissance bedrooms and those doubles in the Budd stainless steel cars. However, the newness of Renaissance makes ‘em more pleasing to the eye and the separate toilet chamber with sink makes it a better arrangement than the Budds where the sink is located in the sleeping area. However, storage space for luggage is pretty much out of the picture - zilch, zip, zero. One case in the bathroom the other on the bedroom floor. At least in the Budd cars there's overhead storage for two average-size cases. Also found the temp control and lighting options far better in the Budds.In the early times when I visited St. John's, Newfoundland, I was a radio operator (Morse code) so Marconi had special meaning for me. In later years, my career path took me out of the radio shack and up to the bridge. Still, being a radioman was indeed one of those skill levels most essential for ships and voyages of the times. We had a minimum number of operators required for each deployment - fall below that level and the ship had to remain in port. No more - it's all a different telecommunications world now - and I'd say the "fun" is long gone from it. <sad>Many thanx for the fine inclusive, informative ‘n interesting Post! Pete at 4:55 PM Wednesday - June 6th: Like a clock in good order, our Bar Chandler is keeping to the mid to late afternoon "time slot" in fine fashion! The way things are shaping up ‘round here, looks as if YOU will be the ONLY staff member still standing as we've pretty much lost Rob <May 12th was last visit> - and Lars still has a week or two left before coming back. <geesh> Perhaps had you placed a cold beer into that carry-on "thing" of yours instead of soda pop, your camera wouldn't have taken such a "hit"! <grin>Appears that you ‘n I have experienced the SAME situation regarding digital fotos - for I've had the identical anomaly occur as well. <arrrggghhh>Should you ever have the opportunity to visit Nova Scotia again, you MUST travel up to Cape Breton. Check out a map and you'll see that the Cape is actually an island, but all part of Nova Scotia. If you want to view Scotland, North American version, this is a MUST trip. Outstanding scenery - far better than anything we saw from the train and so much of it. We took VIA Rail up to Sydney - rented a car - toured the area and drove back down to Bedford (Halifax). Only regret is that we didn't take the Cabot Trail - time was Happy Railroading! Siberianmo EricX2000 Member sinceDecember 2002 From: Phoenix, AZ 683 posts Posted by EricX2000 on Thursday, June 7, 2007 2:17 AM Good morning Captain Tom and Gentlemen!!Just a cup of coffee, Leon! No, no Danish, thank you! I know, five bucks. That's fine. Found some nice pictures and interesting information here tonight! Tom – The Class C3 cars were built in the very beginning of the 1900’s and one can say the era had a lot to do with it. But many of them remained in service until the end of the 40’s or early 50’s. Per remember them and so do I since I was a kid. They were used in local trains.I am an expert on the five Mondays week! I have lived through way too many of them.Somewhere I have a picture of a TWA Constellation. I’ll see if I can find it and scan it.You better tell me about those "secret stashes of beer" at the next Rendezvous if you want to keep it out of the Ether. I had the feeling that Truro might be a single track station when I saw the missing track. Maintenance costs!The Longest Day is a great war movie. I have it on tape. Some time in the early 90’s I got a letter from I don’t remember what organisation, where they offered to add my name to a memorial in Normandie. This because they had the information I participated in the invasion!! I was only a year and a half at that time so I didn’t qualify. Thanks for the pictures from your trip! I have seen the name Bedford Basin on the maps and now I have a pretty good idea about what it looks like!! Is it Halifax that is barely visible on the other side in one of the pictures?Thank you for Happy National Day wishes! I will celebrate my 10th Anniversary as an American 4th of July this year! Very nice pictures from the St. Louis Museum of Transportation!! It was a very interesting morning we spent there. I was a little bit disappointed about the Museum store. Most of what they had for sale was for small kids, not kids my age. I just wish they have had some more books to choose from for myself. But that is just a very minor thing. CM3 – I’ll check those Alco IIRC trucks as soon as I get a chance. I am always looking at details. Per – I forgot all about this day in the old country! Thanks for reminding me! I don’t know if and how they celebrate it nowadays? The switch-over to right hand traffic in Sweden took place in early September 1967. I don’t remember if it was September 3. I worked as a bus driver then and it was kind of strange to start driving the usual route on “the wrong side” all of a sudden. But it worked out very well.The buses you mentioned were built by Büssing in Germany and Leyland in UK. You are right, those buses were something else. I never had to drive them. The Swedish profile is wider than the European. Very few Swedish passenger cars are allowed to go down to Germany and other countries. The Swedish State Railways bought German made cars for their night train from Stockholm to Berlin. I don’t know if there is any direct cars today from Sweden to the European continent. Rub it in?? Mississippi? You more or less asked for it! Leon is a very nice man. He keeps the door unlocked until I get to “Our” Place every evening/morning. I have always been a night owl, since I was a kid. Like to do things in the middle of the night and hate early mornings. Early morning is every morning before 10 AM. You are retiring in January? I’ll do the same thing by the end of this year, 197 days from today! The conductor did not mind the bicycle in the luggage rack. The guy locked it to the rack so it could not fall down. I would say the main reason there are no real fast regular trains in Sweden is that all cars have to be equipped with magnetic track brakes at speeds above 100 mph. That is very costly to install after the cars have been built. So the two Rc7, that were geared for 112 mph had no cars to run at that speed. X2 was equipped with magnetic track brakes from the very beginning. Rc 5 became Rc 6 when they were regeared for 100 mph. Nothing else was changed. I remember Class Rb1, Rb2 and Rb3. Two locomotives of each class. They were kind of experimental. They were still in service when I started as an engineer, but I never operated one. ASEA built many locomotives for other Europena countries based on Class Rb. You can still find them in service in southeast Europe.Pete – I have the discs with my Rendezvous pictures ready to be shipped on Saturday! I will send three discs to all three of you. I hope you will be able to save some of your pictures from the Rendezvous. Doug – One day you have to tell me more about that horseman training! I have a few pictures of myself on the back of a horse, but I was never big on that. I like horses but have never been interested in horseback riding. That book looks very interesting. I am going to the book store this weekend and I will check to see if they have it. Chicago & Illinois Midland #551. A 2-84 built by Lima 1928. St. Louis Mus Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 5:24 PM Good evening Tom and friends! I'll have a bottomless draught and buy a round for the loyal patrons of Our Place, and to celebrate Sweden's birthday of course! Sorry for being so scarce these days, and didn't want to let another day go without checking in. I extended my horsemanship training another few days rather than return to work. Work is easier on me though, I can tell you.Great war film at the Emporium guys, as Tom has said. Ironically, My Fast Mail publication this month has a related book review on The Horseshoe Curve: Sabotage and Subversion in the Railroad City by Dennis McIlnay; 456 pages; Seven Oaks Press; $36.99 (includes shipping and sales tax). In this riveting book, Dennis McIlnay brings hostory alive with the stunning tale of three interconnected - but little-known - events in American history:The NAzi plot during World War II to destroy the Horseshoe Curve, the Mecca of American railroading near Altoona, Pa.The FBI's search of the homes of 225 Altoonians on July 1942, as "alien enemies" - suspected Nazi sympathizers - and the internment by the United States of 15,000 Germain and Italian Americans during World War II.The personal and organizational drama of founding the Pennsylvania Railroad and building the Horseshoe Curve.The Nazi plot to destroy the Horshoe Curve - a mission that Hitler himself conceived - was one of the world's deadliest terrorist acts. Had the Nazi's succeeded in demolishing the Horseshoe Curve, they could have crippled the American war machine and changed the course of history.Founding of the Pennsylvania Railroad nd building the Horseshoe Curve are two the America's greatest transportation acheivements. But before the Pennsy was completed, bitter persoanl, political and organizational battles threatened to destroy the railroad and halt the westward march of the U.S.Part spy story and part historical epic, this book seamlessly blends information from 300 sources, including diaries, biographys, military records, histories, engineering studies, court briefs and FBI files acquired through the Freedom of Information Act to tell the thrilling story of these three interconnected but little-known events."Captures the reader's attention in the best tradition of spy novels ... A must-read for history enthusiasts ..." David Seidel, Horseshoe Curve Ch./NRHS SO that's my little contribution for tonight! Keep the Rendezvous and Halifax pix coming, and great to see Per is still with us! Edit pwolfe Member sinceFebruary 2005 From: mid mo 1,054 posts Posted by pwolfe on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 4:55 PM Hi Tom and allA pint of Holden's Golden Glow for PER and I, please RUTH, and a round to celebrate Sweden's National Day today.ERIC Thanks for the build date of # 811. The locos of that class seem to have had a good long life.This time I kept the brides digital camera well away from any soda pop. I am lucky that there are the great photos from Tom Doug and yourself of the rendezvous. I'm still hoping to save at least a few of my film. The guy who does cameras in town is away at the moment.We were lucky we were able to travel in the Sightseer Lounge..I agree locomotives and units look far better without adverts on them.PER Thanks for the round. It is good Sweden is recognizing the National day with a Holiday it is a pity England does not have a national day holiday.You are so right about buying quality products first time. I wonder who built those cheap busses for Sweden.The New Belgian Brewery's Fat Tire is available in certain bars in this and the Kansas City area. The nearest brewpub is Flat Branch in Columbia about thirty miles away; they have a good range of beers. We are supposed to be getting a brewpub here in town opening in the fall.It seems the switchers take delight in waking up the sleeping car passengers, although in Canada it seem quite smooth when they were switching at Matapedia. I remember on a sleeper going from London to Inverness on BR at one point there was a change of locomotive and for some reason the new loco was not ready and with no train heat it was getting cold in the sleeper.I had not seen that photo of the Titanic at sea before but I knew is must have been a unique photo.TOM Good choice of film for this day certainly put me down for a ticket.Liked the Special for PER.Yes it was a week ago today I arrived back home from Canada. I heard the Amtrak train hooting this morning (about 20 mins late) while out with the dog and thought of it.Some of my pix are not too bad but what is puzzling is that two shots taken from roughly the same place one is Ok and the other blurred.I wonder why they had a small rudder on the Titanic, perhaps it was to make the ship faster do you think.Enjoying the talk of the days of the old airliners between CM3 and yourself.That is a great photo of Halifax and thanks for the interesting link to the gas exploration it is something not often thought about when we turn on the gas fire.That is interesting if sad story of Jimmy Piersall thanks for sharing.I guess if there is another ‘Nessie' Nova Scotia' is the place it should be. I guess ‘Nova Scotia is Latin for New Scotland.Your photos from the Ocean have turned out great, many thanks for sharing. I see the pic of the murals and that building at Truro could not have come out better. The ones of Halifax harbor are great too.Thanks for the photos from the Museum Of Transportation in St Louis, didn't we have some glorious weather for the Rendezvous. The photo of the DC-47A is particularly apt, as the aircraft is believed to have taken part in D-Day.It always pays to keep the Mascots happy; it is no fun getting nipped on the ankle by TEX when re stocking the bar late at night.Well RUTH another round please.Pete siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 2:43 PM G'day Gents!Continuing on with some Pix from the 2nd Annual "Our" Place Classic Trains Rendezvous in St. Louis:Saturday - May 19, 2007 - continued from Page 62: The St. Louis Museum of Transportation (Kirkwood, MO)(descriptions previously provided by Eric ‘n Doug) Riverboat (tow boat) H. T. Pott Laclede Christy #2 S9T 0-4-0T 30" gauge tramway loco. Built in Davenport, IA (1907) Military DC-47A Transport (DC3 for commercial air) This aircraft is believed to have been used in the Normandy invasion on June 6th, 1944 (D-Day) More later . . . Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 1:13 PM SPECIAL RECOGNITION! June 6 A Happy National Day of Sweden and the Swedish Flag Day (Swedish: Sveriges nationaldag och svenska flaggans dag) to our Resident Desert Swede ‘n our Resident Cowboy Swede! Tom and the Gang from "Our" Place! Happy Railroading! Siberianmo marthastrainyard Member sinceMarch 2006 From: Orange County, CA 98 posts Posted by marthastrainyard on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 12:19 PM June 6 Good Morning everybody present!Ruth, Ill have a pint of that Holden's Pete is talking about, and a round for everybody present. I'll post this inclusive report today since it is such an important day in Sweden. Today is the "4th of July" of Sweden, the National Holiday. It is in memory of the King Gustav Wasa (the same guy who has his name of that old warship in Stockholm), who had liberated Sweden and been elected king on this day in 1523. It's also the day King Gustav IV Adolf signed the new government reform in 1809. Double celebration! But the day is a very recent holiday, only last year was it declared a holiday so there isn't much tradition around the celebrations yet. And with that, back to our regular programming: (a new installment of the travel report will follow in the next posting)Tom: How does the first train in Ontario on May 16th, 1853 compare to the first trains in the U.S.? Was it the line through Endicott that was the first here?So VIA bought cars for $125M and upgraded them for another $135M? It sounds a lot but compared to the $5M a piece from the Bomb I can see why they went that route. It's like when the bus operator in Stockholm bought new buses for the switch-over to right-hand side traffic in 196<something> (Eric - HELP! Was it 69?). They decided to go for some cheap import instead of the Volvo or Scania buses. A reporter asked a representative for one of the Swedish bus makers if he was disappointed. "Not at all" he said, "in the long run this is the best commercial we can get", and sure enough, it didn't take many years before all of those buses were replaced! Who knows, maybe the Ren cars will go the same way? If the Ren cars are that much narrower than the Budd cars, how are the sleeping accommodations? Cramped, I would guess! I noticed a significant difference between the CIWL cars and the Swedish cars in length of the beds, the CIWL were (or seemed) longer, which doesn't go well with Eric's statement that the Swedish profile in wider than the European.Thank you for the Marconi link. It will take me a while to go through all of them, but so far it has been some very interesting reading. Thanks again! I can very well believe a sailor would do some sightseeing. Especially to something that has had such an importance to the sea faring population as the Marconi invention.That sunrise photo came out pretty well. I wonder how much the tinted window had to do with it. It wasn't until I posted it here that I realized what it was. I had previously called in "Missouri Sunrise" but the date and time of the picture didn't fit in the sequence. Aha, another senior moment was explained when I realized my mistake.I have finally seen one of the movies! I saw The Longest Day when it came out. Great move, I thought! Pete, yes there are small, local breweries popping up all over the place and many of them have some really good brews. I went to Fort Collins, CO, for a skating competition of my daughter's. I found the New Belgium Brewery there. It isn't directly small but it has some interesting brews. I came to like the "Fat Tire" best. It's a strange name, but every employee is given a bicycle when they start so they don't have to use a car; it's a very "green" company.I have a feeling we will go back to Dodge one of these years. Now that my daughter has been so close, she's not going to give up until she gets there. Hopefully she will invite her old dad to join her. [wink]Yes, I think you would have had fun with the Diner "boss" (what ARE they called: Stewarts?). She was a riot. The last evening she announced that the diner would open already at 5:30AM the next morning so everybody could have breakfast before Los Angeles. When one of the regular groups were ready to leave, she said she'll see them at 6 the next morning. "I thought you said you open at 5:50?" "Yes, but I don't expect you to be up that early!" was her immediate come-back. Eric, yeah rub it in! The "Lake Mississippi" wasn't that long, at least not the part we saw, only some 10-15 miles, or so. It does remind me of an old FinnAir joke, though. The DC-10 came in for landing at an airport the pilots hadn't used before. After they sat the plane down and stopped it, the pilot said to the 2nd pilot: "That was the shortest runway I've seen!" "Yes, but did you see how wide it is?"Aren't you glad Leon keeps the kitchen open for you at those ungodly hours? How do you do it? Around 10:30 or 11 I'm out!Imagine that the C3 was just a bit longer than a contemporary box car over here! I have a picture of a similar car from Madrid for those who want to see what it was like:Interior of wooden car from RENFEYes, I will be moving back out west when I pretire in January. Enough of this hot, humid weather and being 1,600 miles away from the family. After a too long a time I will finally have a chance to go back home.I must say most engineers were very good at driving smoothly with a sleeping car in tow. The switching crews, however, did a really good job at waking everybody up when they moved the sleeper from one train to another. It didn't matter where I was going, I always had to be on two trains, wether it was Stockholm - Krisitanstad (home) or Stockholm - Karlskrona (military service), they had to switch my sleeper, and I always woke up. I'm glad they have the safety net in the upper beds, otherwise I would have been on the floor!Yes, the Southwest Chief stopped in Trinidad as well. I may have omitted that stop but it wasn't a very long stop. I think the reason Raton looks bigger from the highway is just that the railroad is closer to the edge of town than the highway; and I didn't take a picture towards the other direction with more population.It was an interesting picture of the bike in the luggage rack! When I checked about carry-on luggage I was told that Amtrak is very strict on enforcing the dimensions of the carry-on luggage. Yeah right!I didn't know there are no more Rc5 and Rc7 in Sweden. Did the expansion of the X2 service minimize the need for faster regular trains? Or were there problems with the higher gears that made them change back to lower speeds? I still remember the predecessors: the Rb classes. I never did get a picture of any of them, although I saw all 6 locomotives over their life span. It was such a unique locomotive, considering the boxy, brown locos we had before. Here was this bright orange loco with rounded corners; it just looked "modern" all over!That ATSF 811 steamer looks like a classic! Thanks for that picture. Mike, thank you for the picture of the old Swedish steamer. I don't recognize it, more than it is probably one of the private roads, judging from the color of the coach in the background. Until I get my hands on my book (which is in California right now) I can just hope that Eric has some more information. And as always, a wealth of information in all the links you provided!The la Home of the Ambroid history page and the up-and-coming City Of Los Angeles from 1950 http://www.trainweb.org/ambroidkits/ My pictures are here http://www.flickr.com/photos/8514678@N08/ siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 11:00 AM G'day Gents!MORE Pix from Day Two: Friday - May 25th, 2007 - VIA Rail to Halifax, NS from Montreal, QC . . . Bedford Basin & Halifax, Nova Scotia Homes at water's edge - Bedford Basin, Halifax, NS A view of Bedford Basin looking toward Halifax & Dartmouth A lobster ‘n fish "collection" barge in Bedford Basin Freight in Halifax CN yards To be continued . . . Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo siberianmo Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Chesterfield, Missouri, USA 7,214 posts "Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment! Posted by siberianmo on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 8:38 AM Today's Matinee at the Mentor Village EMPORIUM Theatre The Longest Day (1962) Featuring 42 international stars! The Longest Day is a vivid, hour-by-hour recreation of this historic event. Featuring a stellar international cast, and told from the perspectives of both sides, it is a fascinating look at the massive preparations, mistakes, and random events that determined the outcome of one of the biggest battles in history. Winner of two 1962 Oscars® (Special Effects and Cinematography), The Longest Day ranks as one of Hollywood's truly great war films. This special collector's commemorative edition has been issued in honor of the June 6, 1944 Allied invasion of France, which marked the beginning of the end of Nazi domination over Europe. The attack involved 3,000,000 men, 11,000 planes and 4,000 ships, comprising the largest armada the world has ever seen. from: amazon.comGet your Tix NOW! Tom Happy Railroading! Siberianmo coalminer3 Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: WV 1,251 posts Posted by coalminer3 on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 8:18 AM Good Morning Barkeep and all Present; coffee, please; round for the house and $ for the jukebox. It's a nice day here; gas is at $3.04 although the cyclone in the Persian Gulf will probably cause another price spike.Barkeep - a round of the good stuff for all and a toast to what happened 63 yrs. ago today. Eric sent commentsd and pictures. Thanks for the additional information on the ATSF 2-8-0. The picture of the "Silver Charger's" truck has all sorts of interesting detail re brake systems, bearings, IIRC, speed recorder on the middle axle (I could be wrong about this as I don't have book with me), etc. BTW, you want to see a truly beastial locomotive truck, check out the late Alco units. IIRC, it was called an Adirondack truck.OSP sent more pictures. Many of my wife's people come from Nova Scotia (Antagonish area). Tough folks from that part of the world. One of our neighbors at home was from the Truro area. She's put on a thin sweater when the rest of us were layered up and complain abt. how warm it was. "Nan" kept an immaculate house, shoveled snow, cooked, etc. and passed on at the age of 102. She was "with it" right up to the end. As she said the very last time I talked to her, "I'm just wearing out." I knew that you'd remember all of that World Series stuff. Wher are you now, Dale Mitchell? For those who are interested, X2200 South , as Lucius used to say, "Devotional reading for the faithful," has been running a multi-issue ATSF diesel roster. The most recent magazine showed up Saturday, and it is devoted to ATSF passenger diesels. Much truly rare color photography, EMDs, Alcos, and FMs, oh, my! and an excellent article about "the twins." I recommend this one.Work safe « First«87888990919293»Last » SUBSCRIBER & MEMBER LOGIN Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more! Login Register FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP Get the Classic Trains twice-monthly newsletter Submit More great sites from Kalmbach Media Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy
ENCORE! Saturday ‘n Photo Posting Day!
at "Our" Place!
We are CLOSED on SUNDAYs!Starting Sunday at the Mentor Village Emporium Theatre!
. . . June 10th thru 16th: Beyond The Fringe (1963) Starring: Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett, Jonathan Miller & Peter Cook - and - Windtalkers (2002) Starring: Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach, Peter Stormare, Noah Emmerich & Mark Ruffalo. SHORT: The Three Stooges - All The World's A Stooge (1941).
Beyond The Fringe (1963)
PLOT SUMMARY:
Before The Daily Show, before Saturday Night Live, even before Monty Python, there was Beyond the Fringe-the 1960s West End and Broadway hit revue that reinvented comedy. While another Fab Four was revolutionizing music, Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, and Jonathan Miller were giving birth to the British satire boom. With nothing but their brilliant writing and inspired performances, they created side-splitting comedy that held nothing and no one sacred. In the process, the four performers became international stars. It was long thought that no filmed record of the original cast existed, until this gem was discovered in a producer's vault. A 1964 gala farewell performance in London, it features the troupe's classic sketches, including "Man Bites God," "Aftermyth of War," and "One Leg Too Few."
from: amazon.com
Windtalkers (2002)
Having earned Hollywood's respect with blockbusters like Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2, Hong Kong action master John Woo lends his signature style to serious World War II action in Windtalkers. Recognizing the long-forgotten contribution of Navajo "code talkers," whose use of an unbreakable Navajo-language radio code was instrumental in defeating the Japanese, the film serves as an admirable tribute to those Native American heroes. Unfortunately, it falls short of importance with its standard-issue story about a battle-scarred sergeant (Nicolas Cage) assigned to protect a code-talker (Adam Beach, from Smoke Signals), with unspoken orders to kill him if Japanese capture is imminent. This allows for an involving drama of hard-won friendship, but cardboard supporting characters suffer in the shadow of nonstop action that's as repetitious as it is technically impressive. Windtalkers is best appreciated as a more substantial vehicle for Woo's trademark ballet of bullets. --Jeff Shannon
From: amazon.com
SHORT: All The World's A Stooge (1941)PLOT SUMMARY: Featuring Moe, Larry & Curly
Lotta Bullion distresses her husband Ajax with her new plan to take in war refugees. Ajax, already suffering from a toothache, goes to the dentist and mistakes three brainless janitors as dentists. After a successful (if unusual) tooth-pulling, the Stooges escape and take refuge in Ajax's car, where he immediately disguises them as children and introduces them to his wife as the new refugees. In the end, however, it is Ajax chasing them out again... with a large ax.
from: threestooges.net
Enjoy! Tom
Good morning Captain Tom and Gentlemen!!
Leon, Saturday morning, how about a juicy Filet Mignon with lots of mushroom!
Missed last night, so it took some time tonight to catch up. Time well spent, though!
Tom – What a dream, dreaming you are awake all night! Sleeping, but still awake! I guess I am lucky, it takes less than one minute for me to fall asleep after I turn off the light. July 4th was a perfect day for my ceremony to become a citizen!! They showed me on the news that evening on our local CBS station! What surprises me is that so many have dual citizenships. That is not right from my point of view. Thanks for the picture of Bedford Basin! I have seen it before but it is always interesting to see all those ships getting ready to sail for a dangerous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.
I saw I missed Dave’s birthday May 27. I hope he is okay and back home by now. Do you know?NYC’s King-Size Diner, with a separate kitchen car,would have been nice to try! PRR had a master Dioning Car, but not with a separate kitchen car.More intersting pictures from Halifax! Those locos, 4720, 4721, 4730, and 4774 certainly need a new paint job! They look terrible. Nice to see your pictures from the Rendezvous!! I missed to get a good picture of that streetcar, #10.I also missed those old locomotives behind the Aerotrain! I never saw there was several of them. The Spider Man locomotive obviously took you all the way from Montreal to Halifax!? How far is it? Good to hear that Rob is okay! How did they land that DC47 where it is now? With a high grade of precision!About the 3rd Rendezvous, I’ll be there!Mike – Thanks for the links!! When I saw the picture from Stockholm (The Art and Industrial Fair of 1897) I did not believe it was from Stockholm. But it is. The tall building in the center of the picture was a temporary, wooden structure, was almost 300 feet high. A picture of king Gustav II Adolf of Sweden! He was killed in a battle in Germany November 6, 1632. Sweden was then involved in the 30 year War in Europe. I like those pictures of the Hell Gate Bridge!CM3 – I found some info about ALCO’s Hi-Ad trucks, see link.http://www.greenbayroute.com/hiad.htmInteresting design to eliminate the weight transfer. Thanks for the info!I found this picture I took last December. I think this is a similar design, a FB 3 truck.
“Combat Loaded” sounds like an interesting book! I’ll check this weekend if the book store has it so I can have a closer look at it. My brain is obviously dead. First I couldn’t read the Sunshine Special timetable at all, but finally things are getting in place. It took from Sunday evening til Wednesday morning to travel by train from St. Louis to Mexico City. Pete – Thanks for the congratulations!
It was kind of strange to switch to right-hand traffic but I got used to it in a very short period of time. I don’t think UK will ever change. Double track rail lines in Sweden are built to handle left-hand and/or right-hand traffic. It doesn’t matter. Usually it is left-hand traffic, but quite often you have two trains running side by side in the same direction or you have trains running right-hand traffic. It is very flexible.I don’t think the US railroads painted the coupling roads silver. As far as I know that paint is just a protection against rust on locomotives on static display.Fergie – Hope to hear from you again soon! Maybe we will be lucky to see some pictures of those models when you get back?! Per – It took me about eleven months from when I applied until I became a citizen. Not too bad. I hope you will have your citizenship soon! Three years is a loooong time!
I don’t know if I mentioned that my employer wants me to work part time for another year after my retirement and if we can agree I will work 50 % until the end of 2008. That is when my wife retires. Working 50% will give me much more time than today to do things I really want to do, like chasing gir... hmm, trains. I think there are very few direct cars (if any) to the rest of Europe from Stockholm today. Except for trains to Copenhagen and Oslo.
Eric
Good Evening everybody present!
Leon, Ill have a pint of Holden's, and a round for everybody present. And since I am here in time for pizza, let's have a Hawaiian pizza, please!
How ‘bout them dar DUCKS!
Tom, you had mentioned renaming the arena to the Aflack Pond. Anything "Pond" would be great right now. Honda took it over and it is the "Honda Arena"; no more "Pond" in there and no more "Mighty" in the team name since Disney sold it all off.
Thank you for all the recognition of Svenska Flaggans Dag!
I liked your pictures from the St. Louis Museum of Transport. It seems to be a real Transport museum, boats, planes and trains. A couple of them stand out in my mind: The Laclede Christy is such a neat little machine. Almost wish I could have one in my back yard. The Chicago & Illinois Midland #551 is another engine that just shows power and grace in my mind. I have always liked the 2-8-4 (and the 4-8-4) because of that.
That rusty ol' Wabash Mogul #573 in the background looks interesting. There seems to be a number of old, rusty engines on that track. Are they waiting for restoration, or are they spare parts?
Maybe the C-47 was dropped by parachute? You know, Dumbo drop.
The link to the railroad history of the U.S. is really great! Thank you for that little gem! It did mention Ellicott and I thought I had seen and read about it when I visited the B&O museum in Baltimore many years ago. Can you imagine losing $20,000 200 years ago? That Mr. Stevens must have been a man on means b eing able to come back after that.
You say a bunk is a bunk, but what I was wondering is if there is a noticeable difference in the size of the beds in the Budd cars and in the Ren cars. It may not be as big of a difference as I read in that other article about the canal boats on rail. A bookcase as a bed, huh? The overhead storage is the same problem Amtrak has. But there it is the Superliner that has the smaller and the Viewliner that has the bigger storage.
I tried to learn Morse code once, but I didn't spend enough time with it, so I never got anywhere. I still remember letter "e" though
Looking at that picture of the harbor at Halifax and all the merchant ships getting ready for a convoy across the Atlantic, I wonder how nervous many of the sailors were. The German Wolf Packs were waiting for them and I guess the loss rate was pretty high at times. Those sailors were true heroes in my mind!
I saw earlier that you had a Southern Horoscope! So I'm a bunch of Grits, huh? I guess I will have to get enough courage to try a serving one of these days. My Father-In-Law grew up on that thing in Florida and he hates it; that's all I have heard about it.
You posted ads for both 20th Century Limited and Broadway Limited. What train used the tracks that Amtrak's Lakeshore Limited uses today? The Broadway Limited advertises that the entire diner is reserved for dining, what did it used to be? Do they mean that half of the car was a kitchen and that this train has a separate kitchen car?
I like the pictures from your trip. The landscape up there remind me a lot of south-central Sweden in many ways. But I bet it gets colder in Canada than it does in Sweden in the winter. You said the Canadian shippers had complained about the slow freight movement on rail. I think I remember reading in the Trains magazine in the early 80's that a normal transcontinental box car traveled with an average speed of 7 mph. If I remember right, no wonder shippers complain!
Doug, I will try to stick around for a while. I think you have made me go to Barnes & Noble again! I think I need to pick up that Horseshoe Curve book; it just sound too interesting to pass up!
Eric, I'm glad you got your citizenship 10 years ago. Congratulations! I am still waiting for mine. The process that should have taken 18 months has now taken over 3 years, and there is still no sign of any progress! I guess that birthday of mine 6 years ago "changed everything" or so they want to make us believe.
Yes, 1967, that's it. I think September 3rd, or 4th was the big Sunday. I drove the 360 miles up to Stockholm that day and it was an experience!
I haven't been on a sleeper train in Sweden for years, so I don't know if there are any direct cars anymore. There used to be a "blue car" the CIWL sleeper from Stockholm to the continent and I was lucky when I could get a bed in that car. I found those beds much more comfortable that the regular beds.
Technically I am not retiring, just "pretiring" on 12/31/2007. I get a severance package if I leave, so I will try to live off of that money until it is time to retire. We'll see how it works. But we stop working on the same day, what a coincidence!
I didn't realize that all cars had to have magnetic brakes if they go over 160 kmh (100 mph). No wonder it gets expensive and that there aren't any trains going faster than that. I wondered where that speed limit that is painted on the cars came from, now I know. Thank you.
Thank you for the Stockholm picture, Mike. That's from the Baltic Exhibition way back when but some of the buildings are still standing to this day. I recognized one little brick building in the far left background. It was built be the Skåne brick industry and it is still there today. All of these buildings were/are on the island of Djurgåden ("Animal Farm") in Stockholm.
That Marlyn Rich must have been a gutsy gal. Imagine hanging from a helicopter like that and take a ride! No thanks, not for me!
Pete, as I mentioned, it wasn't until last year the June 6 became a holiday. They had to trade another holiday for it, and I heard rumors that "they" regret the trade. The traded a holiday always on a Monday for June 6 which will fall on Saturdays and Sundays, so over a few years they have lost a day off.
Hi Tom and all.
A pint of Batham's please RUTH.
FERGIE Good to hear from you aboard ship. Have a safe voyage and look forward to hearing from you again soon.
CM3 Many thanks for the info on switching out and that wonderful MP Sunshine Special schedule from 1932 So many destinations from St Louis on the one train. I guess in 1932 it would be all steam hauled with steam doing the switching moves as well. It would be interesting to see what different types of locos were involved hauling, say the St Louis to Mexico City car. To have traveled in the De-Luxe Parlor Observation car must have been quite an experience.
Talking of train splitting reminded of, before the Carstairs to Edinburgh line was electrified there were trains that were diesel hauled from Liverpool and Manchester which were joined at Preston to be electric hauled through Carlisle to Carstairs where the train was split again. The portion from Manchester, that contained the refreshment car, carried on behind the electric loco to Glasgow while a diesel backed on for the Edinburgh portion. In the opposite direction the Edinburgh portion ran through Carstairs station to wait for the Glasgow part to run in, the diesel then reversed the Edinburgh cars onto the rest of the train. It was a pleasure to watch this operation as the shunters who connected the train were very good at the lob and the train was on its way very quickly. Unfortunately not like some specials I have been on where a loco change as taken ages.
TOM Yes the storms did not reach here ether and quite a cool down today as well.
Glad you have heard from ROB and he is doing well although very busy .It will be great if Rob can call in the bar as he is very much missed.
It does seem sad about the freight in Halifax, I guess from what you say, the less there is the more they have to charge on the ones that still run to pay for the track etc. Another thing I suppose is a lot more cargo comes from Asia today and they use the west coast ports. Unfortunately in Britain there would be houses or other buildings on the disused sidings very quickly.
Thanks for the PRR Broadway Limited Nostalgia from 1949 indeed a golden age for American rail travel.
Enjoyed the photos of our arrival in Halifax, sorry about my arm in the last photo.
Great photos at St Louis MOT poor old Wabash #573 lets hope that the 112 year old loco can be restored to her former glory one day, at least she is still in existence.
Great spotting the RDC in the undergrowth, an ex CP one at that.
Cold beer on the Aerotrain I wonder if the high noise levels, as said in the sign, were the cans rolling about.
They have done a great job on that MO-PAC caboose, it looks better than brand new.
We shall be out most of the day tomorrow and I am not sure what time I shall be back so I will post some pics.
Another Round please RUTH and the Steak later so I have enough energy to stock the bar, (and to lift the bigger dipper)
Pete.
Continuing with MORE Pix from the 2nd Annual "Our" Place Classic Trains Rendezvous in St. Louis:
Saturday - May 19, 2007
The St. Louis Museum of Transportation (Kirkwood, MO)
(more detailed descriptions <for many> previously provided by Eric ‘n Doug)
Wabash S Mogul 2-6-0 #573. Built in Rhode Island (1889).
Eric checking out #573
Hey Pete! This is where they keep the cold beer! <grin>
What's a railway museum without at least ONE RDC, eh
Massachusetts Bay Area Transportation Authority #54 - RDC1; originally built for Canadian Pacific Railway by the Budd Company.
MoPac Caboose #13889. Built by MoPac (1980).
More later . . .
The final Pix from Day Two: Friday - May 25th, 2007 - VIA Rail to Halifax, NS from Montreal, QC . . .
Arrival Halifax!
VIA Rail's Ocean w/Renaissance consist arrives Halifax
We made it!
Tom & "Our" Renaissance bedroom car
VIA Rail's F40PHs get an inspection at Halifax
Spiderman has a dirty face!
See ya tomorrow for the return trip!
Halifax station from trackside
Interior of Halifax VIA Rail station
Tribute to VIA Rail Remembrance Train of 2005 - "The Year of the Veteran"
To be continued . . .
Continuing on with a bit of "normalcy" - here's another Nostalgia piece from awhile ago!
PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #39
Initially Posted on Page 184 of the original Thread . . .
Here's something to enjoy regarding the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) in a 1949 advertisement from my private collection:
The New BROADWAY LIMITED
NEW YORK - CHICAGONow in Service
THE NEWLY-EQUIPPED Broadway Limited presents completely new conception of travel . . . with new styling, appointments, riding ease and beauty . . . more comforts and conveniences than ever before, representing the finest that modern design and engineering can offer.
Beautiful new Lounge and Observation Cars . . . attractive new Dining Cars . . . distinctively new, all-room sleeping cars . . . plus the Broadway Limited's traditional hospitality - all for your personal travel pleasure! WE invite you to make a reservation for your next trip.
NEW MID-TRAIN LOUNGE AND OBSERVATION LOUNGE CAR - Richly appointed for leisure. Magazines, buffets.
NEW MASTER DINING CAR - Attractively furnished and decorated. Enjoy delicious food . . . meticulous service. Entire car reserved for dining.
ROOMETTES for one. Full-length bed, wardrobe, complete toilet facilities.
DUPLEX ROOMS for one person. Full length bed becomes comfortable divan during day. Toilet facilities.
COMPARTMENTS for two. Sofa-seat and lounge chair. Lower and upper beds. Wardrobe, enclosed toilet annex.
BEDROOMS - for one or two - in three new styles. Lower and upper beds, wardrobe, enclosed toilet annex.
DRAWING ROOMS for three. Sofa-seat and lounge chairs . . . three beds. Wardrobe, enclosed toilet annex.
PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD
Good Morning Barkeep and all Present; coffee, please; round for the house, and $ for the jukebox.
Sox win! Old Shill took a no hitter into the bottom of the 9th b4 it got broken up on what was, at least, a clean base hit. Ortiz's HR in the early innings held up. I'm the kind of fan that likes low scoring games, but 1-0 is cutting it a bit too thin. The Bostons go to Arizona this weekend for interleague activities against the Diamondbacks. Real baseball - pitchers hit.
I watched the Cards and Reds on TV last night. Also, I am sure they removed all sharp objects from the Dodgers clubhouse as well - what a meltdown that was (sorry Cap!)
Fergie stopped by. I had a similar question re those GP38s. My first thought was that there had been a fire, but then seeing so many of them...deferred maintenance is the enemy.
Pete - Many trains here used to switch cars in an out en route; especially sleepers. Check out the end of this post for an example.
The NY setouts were, IIRC, the last ones operating here. They were usually 10/6 cars.
My favorite ATK runs before they changed everything around used to be 66 and 67 ("Night Owl,") and 48-448/449-49 ("Lake Shore") because of the work they did en route. The last time I rode the "Lake Shore" was on a Chicago-Boston-Chicago turn. Did Business Class between Boston and Albany and rode sleeper on the Chicago-Albany leg. It worked out o.k., but it was not the same as a through sleeper. At least they still had the diner, which is more than I can say for 50/51.
OSP - I understand what you mean about decline in harbors. Boston and New York are two more that come to mind, the latter especially. I am sure Lars will back us up on our musings here.
More pictures. The StL IM&S brought to mind that the most recent Classic Trains had a fine piece on MP 4-6-0s, many of which had strange ancestries and histories.
So let's put some MP material up for your consideration. This is from 1932. Yes, Boris, it was in the east wing and thank you for holding the lantern so I could find the folder.
ST. LOUIS TO SOUTHWEST
"SUNSHINE SPECIAL"
1
"Sunshine Special"
6:30 p.m. (St. Louis) (SU)
3:15 a.m. Little Rock (MO)
7:00 a.m. Texarkana
9:15 a.m. (Longview Jct.)
9:00 p.m. (Big Spring)
8:55 a.m. (El Paso) (TU)
9:25 a.m. (Longview Jct.)
12:01 p.m. (Palestine)
12:05 p.m. (Palestine)
10:00 p.m. (San Antonio)
1:15p.m. (Ft. Worth)
7:50 a.m. (Los Angeles) (WE) - via SP
11:45 a.m. (Palestine)
4:00 p.m. (Houston)
5:45 p.m. (Galveston)
4:20 a.m. (Corpus Christi) (TU)
7:55 a.m. (Brownsville) (TU)
7:50 p.m. (San Antonio)
2:00 a.m. (Laredo) (TU)
8:30 a.m. (Monterrey) (TU) - via NdeM
8:45 a.m. (Mexico City) (WE) - via NdeM
8:45 a.m. (Mission) (TU)
St. Louis - Los Angeles Sleeping Car: 10 sections/2 compartments/ drawing room to SP Train 1 @ El Paso
St. Louis - El Paso Sleeping Car: 12 sections/ drawing room/ compartment
St. Louis -San Antonio and Mission Sleeping Car: 12 sections/ drawing room/ compartment; SAU&G Train 215 San Antonio - Odem; then to GC&L Train 15-13
St. Louis - New Orleans Sleeping Car: 12 sections/drawing room; from Little Rock in Train 101
St. Louis - Shreveport Sleeping Car: 12 sections/drawing room via L&A from Hope
St. Louis - Mexico City Sleeping Car: 10 sections/2 compartments/drawing room
St. Louis - Houston and Galveston Sleeping Car: 10 sections/2 compartments/ drawing room
Little Rock - Shreveport Sleeping Car: 12 sections/drawing room/compartment
via L&A from Hope
San Antonio - Laredo Sleeping Car: 12 sections/drawing room
Houston - Corpus Christi Sleeping Car: 12 sections/drawing room
San Antonio - Corpus Christi Sleeping Car: 12 sections/drawing room via SP, November - December; via MP, January - March
San Antonio - Brownsville Sleeping Car: 12 sections/drawing room
San Antonio - Mexico City Sleeping Car: 10 sections/observation
Houston - Brownsville Sleeping Car: 10 sections/observation
De Luxe Parlor Observation (Shower, valet, fountain, lounge, radio): Sr. Louis - El Paso - Los Angeles
Café Lounge Observation: Longview Jct. - San Antonio
Café Lounge Observation: Palestine - Houston
Dining Car
Dining Car: Hope - Shreveport
Reclining Seat Chair Cars and coaches
I amy be running a bit late on Monday, ues and Friday of next week; but will do my best to make an appearance.
work safe
<w/permission: http://www.scenic-railroads.com/>
Friday has arrived, signaling the final work day (for many) with the promise of a great weekend looming. Why not begin your day with a hot mugga freshly ground ‘n brewed coffee along with pastries from The Mentor Village Bakery??? Consider a selection from our Menu Board for a <light> or <traditional> breakfast while you're at it!
Severe weather predicted for the night didn't materialize - HOO-RAY, YAA-HOO! It's overcast ‘n raining lightly with temps expected to drop throughout the morning and then some lovely weather predicted for the weekend.
Spent nearly 2 hours speaking with trolleyMAN Rob yesterday by fone . . . he called me! He's alive, working 6 days, promoted to store assistant manager, and sounding like the man we all have come to know and miss ‘round here. He passed his regards to one ‘n all and hopes to get back to a degree of regularity by the FALL!! Then of course that won't last long as the Christmas season will jump up to bite him in the caboose and the cycle begins again. Anyway, I hope we'll see him stop by now ‘n then (I've encouraged him to at least "pop" in once ‘n awhile) - but I'm afraid we've lost him as a "regular." I've given him an "Indefinite Leave of Absence," so we'll see what develops . . .
So, we now are in the "hunt" for a Chief Chef (again!) or perhaps an Assistant . . .
Customer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (since my last narrative):
Mike at 8:27 AM Thursday - June 7th: URLs from Silent Mike - and a round!
CM3 Shane at 12:56 PM Thursday - June 7th: "Say the magic woid and the duck will come down . . . ." <Groucho> Good to see ya again and as always, a witticism here ‘n there interspersed with some fine "stuff" to enlighten, ed-u-mah-kate and enjoy!
Didn't know about Yogi's pop . . . books look mighty tempting, however, I'm sooooooo far behind in my reading that the more I take on, the behinder I get! <groan> <grin>
I'm not so sure the condition of those CN locos can all be attributed to the environment. Fergie has been keeping an eye out for these kinds of things from both sides of the harbor (harboUr) and has told me CN has cut back on "routine" maintenance over the years, so much so that paint jobs are now at the bottom of the list, if on it at all. <grim>
With two major rivers within a few miles of "anything" ‘round these parts, that river boat could have easily been transported from downtown by rail or on a flatbed truck . . . The question I have is how in the world did "they" land that DC47A where it is now?? <grin>
Thanx for the quarters, round ‘n conversation!
Pete at 6:06 PM Thursday - June 7th: As it turned out, YOURS was the FINAL Post for the day! Feast or Famine Bar ‘n Grill, eh Nevertheless, good to see ya and appreciate the time ‘n effort to keep up with the dialogue and so forth!
I wouldn't get TOO encouraged regarding the attendees at the 3rd Annual "Our" Place Classic Trains Rendezvous in Chicago 2008 ‘til it gets down to "weeks" rather than months. Been there, done that before and all it gets is disappointment at this early stage. HOWEVER, it is good to see the INTEREST emerging for our get together . . .
If what West Coast S Dave provided some weeks back holds true, my guess is he's back Stateside by now and reacquainting himself with loved ones ‘n friends. May be awhile before he finds the time to twiddle away the hours in the Ether. I have hope that he'll return, when the timing is right!
Regarding those empty sidings in the CN yard in Halifax: I recall when there was nothing but freight cars on those tracks - so much that you couldn't see the scenery beyond them. As Fergie told us, there appears to be "something" going on with CN and a cut back on the numbers of freights being assembled in Halifax. Even those we know in Bedford have told us that the numbers of passing trains has great diminished which is a mixed blessing. For the area it's a loss of revenue, for the residents it's peace ‘n quiet without the rude awakening of the horns that blare in the night!
The port has lost shipping which in turn creates the situation faced by CN to cut back. The other side of that coin is the shipping industry has been complaining about how long it takes to get their containerized freight from the port to locations throughout North America by way of Halifax and CN. Watchcagonnado, eh
Now, now - let's not get too DOWN about a pay raise! After all, how long has it been since you became a "staff" member?? Hmmmmm - perhaps I'll let you have Rob's "scooper" for the upstairs tub. It IS a tad larger . . . <grin>
Fergie at 7:04 AM today - June 8th: Hey, Mate - what a treat! A message from far away at sea!! Good of you to swing by and appreciate your thinking of us . . . .
Gardens, model trains, riding real train, cold beer (sorry, Brits!), puppy dogs 'n pretty gals! That's what this life is all about, eh Nooooooooo, say some. <grin>
Yeah, I knew about the CN "stuff" from our conversation a few years back when you provided that great tour of the Terry Fox (Canadian Coast Guard vessel) . . . those locos are a blemish on the landscape, fer sure, fer sure!
Next time in, have "one" on me!
Good Morning Tom and Company!
Well not much on the go. I got the garden planted. the place cleaned up and we finally set sail yesterday.
Tom: Those GP38's have been in dire need of paint for the last five or six years. Makes you wonder what's under the hood?
We'll be out until July 4th when we will be back in Halifax. I have about four or five MR kit's to build including a Erie Steam Shovel so at least I will be busy in my off time.
Later Gents
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
A pint of Holden's please RUTH and of course it is Fish ‘N' Chip nite.
DOUG Great to see you in. I must admit that is the first I had heard of the plot to sabotage the Horseshoe Curve. That does indeed sound like an interesting Book.
Sounds like the Horsemanship training is going well.
ERIC Congratulations on your 10th year of American citizenship next month.
It must have seemed strange when Sweden changed from left-hand running to right-hand running over night. I wonder if the UK will ever change, to be the same as Europe, it is a wonder Brussels as not tried to force the Brits to do so.
When they build any new rail lines in Sweden are they set up for left or right hand running do you know.
That is a great photo of C&IM # 551.I wonder if it was just the railroads of North America that painted the coupling rods silver. I don't know if other countries painted the rods on main line locomotives or why British Railways did not paint theirs.
I shall very much look forward to the discs with your photos, many thanks.
MIKE Many thanks for the links. That is a very Young Roddy McDowell in ‘Lassie Vender Hjem' and rather Marlyn Rich than me.
That is a marvelous photo of LMS No 6204 Princess Louise with the horse and rider how both are moving and in such sharp focus is amazing. I wonder where the photo was taken it looks like the part of England I came from. There is an ex LMS Princess class in the LMS livery at work on the main line of BR today.
http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?objectid=12183999&method=full&siteid=50061
CM3 Many thanks for a great post. Thanks for the info on the cutting of those trains. I believe the Scotrail Sleeper in the UK still splits and joins into 3 portions at Edinburgh Scotland. 1 for Inverness 1 for Aberdeen and the other for Fort William.
I must to you for having that knowledge that Yogi Berra's father worked for the same company as the Leclade-Christy locomotive in the museum.
Talking of paint, on the tender of one ex Southern Railway locomotive that was in Barry Docks Scrapyard in South Wales the paint had worn off and it was possible to see several layers and the original ‘SOUTHERN' lettering on the tender from about 30 years before.
I had better let Tom answer the question on the boat.
TOM DL may be coming to the Chicago Rendezvous, could you cope with 2 Brits.
That is a really interesting link to the early railways in the U.S. That $20,000 must have been a great deal of money John Stevens lost in 1812 .I do like the idea of a tavern every mile on the early roads thoughThat was an ingenious idea to move the canal boats in sections over hilly terrain. I dare say the American Notes by Charles Dickens is a good read, I have read that Dickens did not like railways; this may have been a premonition, as he never recovered from a railway wreck in Southern England in later years.
That is a startling fact that the Pennsy rolling stock, if joined together, would stretch for 2,500 miles (I guess that this would have been in 1935). Thanks for sharing.
As you say a visit to Cape Breton is a must if visiting the area for a reasonable amount of time. There is a great link from the Wikipedia site to the Cabot trail and the Virtual tour on that site is well worth looking at it is indeed a beautiful place so different in winter as well. What a shame the Bras d'Or no longer runs.
I see we have a bit of a gap in the birthdays for a while, hopefully we should hear from DAVE soon.
Many thanks for the NYC Nostalgia and the photos from Halifax and the Museum of Transportation. Poor old GP38 #4774 does look as though she could do with some TLC on the bodywork, and it was sad to see so many empty sidings in Halifax. The photos of the museum show they have some really great locomotives there.
The only staff member and no pay rise, I know the feeling well, still as they say "donkeys go best loaded"
MORE Pix from the 2nd Annual "Our" Place Classic Trains Rendezvous in St. Louis:
MoPac Alco RS-3 #4502
St. Louis Waterworks Railway Interurban Car #10. Built by St. Louis Car Co. (1914).
St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Baldwin Class Tn-61 4-6-0. Built by Baldwin (1889).
Erie-Lackawanna SD45. Built by EMD (1967).
Duluth, Missabe &U Iron Range 2-10-2. Built by Baldwin (1916).
Norfolk & Western2-8-8-2 Mallet Class Y6a #2156. Built by N&W (1942).
Rock Island AeroTrain #3. Built by EMD (1955).
Good Morning Barkeep and all Present; coffee, please; round for the house and $ for the jukebox.
Today we touch on hockey, holidays, passenger operations, C&IM, Yogi Berra's father, diesel locomotive trucks, spies, naval history, and climatological aspects of locomotive paint. IOW. Something for everybody
Ducks win - they deserved it. I know, Frostbite's upset because he is, after all, a Penguins fan - well, we've got to put the Zamboni up on blocks and get it ready for next season.
Per stopped by with comments and information on a most interesting celebration - we'll do anything for a party.
Pete sent comments. 66 and 67 used to be "rock and roll" sometimes on trips between Boston and Washington. Locomotives were, of course, changed at New Haven. Then, there was a set out sleeper added or cut out at New York which involved all sorts of cuts and pulls. Sometimes it went really well, other times, it wasn't exactly smooth. The C&O used to split the "George Washington" at Charlottesville. I liked to get out and watch that - they were very careful handling the train, as was the N&W when they did their switching. Again, something that many folks don't remember.
Eric - The C&IM was a coal hauler for the most part. Thanks for the picture of their 551. They had, IIRC, several of these 2-8-2s purchased from different railroads. Boris, get the cap lights - we'll head to east wing and see what we can dig out of the files!
Geez, did I messed up on the trucks. So here goes.
ALCO had what they called Hi-Ad trucks which were available. The PRR, right before the end, ordered a bunch of C636s. They were delivered as PC units and were equipped with Hi-Ad trucks; this should help your quest for photos.
Adirondack trucks were used on GE engines. PRRs U30Cs are an example of this application.
Now, as Hemingway would say, the truck issue is "well and truly settled." My apologies!
Barndad stopped by - the Horseshoe Curve book looks interesting.
OSP sent a lot of stuff. Thanks for sharing the pictures. The little Sabine River and Northern switcher jumped right out at me.
The Laclede-Christy engine belonged, IIRC, to a brick company in St. Louis. Yogi Berra's father worked for them. How's that for useful knowledge?
The following was inspired by OSPs pictures around Halifax. The two best books on the Battle of the Atlantic are vols. 1 and 10 of S.E. Morison's History of Naval Operations in World War II. I have the entire Morison set, but those are the best books in the set, IMHO.
I just finished reading an excellent new book titled Combat Loaded. It covers the career of the U.S.S. Tate, an attack cargo ship which was heavily involved in operations around Okinawa.
An older book which is available on the o/p market is titled Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil. This deals with logistics, etc. Sorry if I added to the "gotta read" stack.
The DC47 was surely in Normandy colors. Also thanks for the NYC ad.
The last question before the house is how did you folks manage get that boat so far inland? I bet it's tied back to consumption of mass quantities and somebody thinking that they ‘knew the river." I know, the Ticonderoga is inland at the Shelburne Musemu in Vermont, but that was hauled into place by the Rutland RR.
There sure were some ratty looking CN engines along the waterfront. It's amazing what climate will do to paint. The engines that ran down in Florida in Bone Valley (phosphate service), if they stayed long enough faded to an near pink color - almost looked like the old Lionel Girl's train from days gone by.
Work safe
P.S. Note to OSP - I'm old and have been able to remember names. As Groucho once said, "I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception."
What else MORE Pix from Day Two: Friday - May 25th, 2007 - VIA Rail to Halifax, NS from Montreal, QC . . .
Approaching the Halifax VIA Rail station through the yards . . .
Container ship being unloaded in Halifax
CN GP-38s in need of a face lift in Halifax
Container ship & freight in Halifax
IC hoppers at CNs coal facility in Halifax
More CN Geeps in Halifax
CN GP38 in Halifax needs a new paint job
More CN freight & shore side facilities in Halifax
A return to a bit of "normalcy" 'round here . . . something from the past to enjoy!
PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #38
Initially Posted on Page 183 of the original Thread . . .
Here's something to enjoy regarding the New York Central (NYC) in a 1948 advertisement from my private collection:
World Premiere! the New 20th Century Limited
First of New York Central's new Dreamliner Fleet
NEW Lookout Lounge - Modern setting for the club-like availability that's long been a Century tradition. New - from its streamlined Diesel to its raised "Lookout Lounge" . . . New King-Size Diner - So spacious it needs a separate kitchen car! Smart designing gives each table privacy plus a perfect outlook. There's a festive feel about the Century's dinner lounge and a sense of being served with distinction. New 1948 Century Rooms - Whether you travel in a roomette, a bedroom or with a party in a suite, you can work, or relax in air-conditioned privacy by day - then sleep the miles away by night on Central's smooth Water Level Route. NEW NEW YORK CENTRAL BETWEEN THE HEART OF CHICAGO AND THE HEART OF NEW YORK Vacation overnight aboard the new Century. Arrive refreshed - with no business time lost. Enjoy! Tom
2007 BIRTHDAY WATCH LIST
(rev. June 7th)
January 14th (Eric - 64)
OKRA (Dec 22 - Jan 20) Are tough on the outside but tender on the inside. Okras have tremendous influence. An older Okra can look back over his life and see the seeds of his influence everywhere. You can do something good each day if you try. You go well with most anyone.
March 13th (Doug - 51)
BOLL WEEVIL (Feb 20 - March 20) You have an overwhelming curiosity. You're unsatisfied with the surface of things, and you feel the need to bore deep into the interior of everything. Needless to say, you are very intense and driven as if you had some inner hunger. You love to stay busy and tend to work too much. Nobody in their right mind is going to marry you, so don't worry about it.
March 31st (Lars - 67)
MOON PIE (March 21 - April 20) You're the type that spends a lot of time on the front porch. A cinch to recognize the physical appearance of Moon Pies. Big and round are the key words here. You should marry anybody who you can get remotely interested in the idea. A Chitlin would be a good mate but it's not going to be easy. You always have a big smile and are happy. This might be the year to think about aerobics. Maybe not.
May 18th (Tom - 69)
POSSUM (April 21 - May 21) When confronted with life's difficulties, possums have a marked tendency to withdraw and develop a don't-bother-me-about- it attitude. Sometimes you become so withdrawn, people actually think you're dead. This strategy is probably not psychologically healthy but seems to work for you. You are a rare breed. Most folks love to watch you work and play. You are a night person and mind your own business. You should definitely marry an Armadillo.
May 27th (Dave - 48) <Leave of absence - Iraq>
CRAWFISH (May 22 - June 21) Crawfish is a water sign. If you work in an office, you're hanging around the water cooler. Crawfish prefer the beach to the mountains, the pool to the golf course, and the bathtub to the living room. You tend not to be particularly attractive physically but have a good heart.
August 11th (Pete - 56)
CATFISH (July 24 - Aug 23) Catfish are traditionalists in matters of the heart, although one's whiskers may cause problems for loved ones. You Catfish are never easy people to understand. You run fast. You work and play hard. Even though you prefer the muddy bottoms to the clear surface of life, you are liked by most. Above all else, Catfish should stay away from Moon Pies.
September 8th (Rob - 36)
September 11th (Per - 62)
GRITS (Aug 24 - Sept 23) Your highest aim is to be with others like yourself. You like to huddle together with a big crowd of other Grits. You love to travel though, so maybe you should think about joining a club. Where do you like to go? Anywhere they have cheese, gravy, bacon, butter, or eggs and a good time. If you can go somewhere where they have all these things, that serves you well. You are pure in heart.
September 29th (James - 19)
October 18th (BK - 67)
BOILED PEANUTS (Sept 24 - Oct 23) You have a passionate desire to help your fellow man. Unfortunately, those who know you best, your friends and loved ones, may find that your personality is much too salty, and their criticism will affect you deeply because you are really much softer than you appear. You should go right ahead and marry anybody you want to because in a certain way, yours is a charmed life. On the road of life, you can be sure that people will always pull over and stop for you.
December 29th (CM3 - 61)
Not on the list Send me an Email with your birth date (month-day-year) Corrections too!
Tom (Siberianmo)
Proprietor of "Our" Place, an adult eating & drinking establishment!
Hi Tom and everyone, a round for the house
Here's a pretty old picture of Stockholm for Swedish D-Day
http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/ppmsc/06200/06231v.jpg
Gustav too
http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3b40000/3b40000/3b40100/3b40127r.jpg
Redningsbaaden
http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3g10000/3g12000/3g12600/3g12634v.jpg
Jazzkongen
http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3g10000/3g12000/3g12600/3g12642v.jpg
3 Piger Paa Viften
http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3g10000/3g12000/3g12600/3g12639v.jpg
Lassie Vender Hjem
http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3g10000/3g12000/3g12600/3g12633v.jpg
Gustav Lilenthal also had a beard, won the Battle of Hell Gate
http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/ggbain/20000/20015v.jpg
http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3b20000/3b24000/3b24200/3b24235v.jpg
Marlyn Rich loves to fly and it shows
http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c30000/3c33000/3c33300/3c33383v.jpg
http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c30000/3c33000/3c33300/3c33387v.jpg
Mike
Thursday! Time for a hot mugga freshly ground ‘n brewed coffee along with pastries from The Mentor Village Bakery??? Consider a selection from our Menu Board for a <light> or <traditional> breakfast while you're at it!
Hail to the Ducks of Anaheim! - the newly crowned Stanley Cup Champions of the NHL for the 2006-2007 season! I think they should change the name of their arena to the Aflack Pond <quack - quack>
Received an Email request from DL to put him on our "list" for information regarding the 3rd Annual "Our" Place Classic Trains Rendezvous in Chicago 2008! That makes 6 of us interested . . . .
Weather forecast holds for a stormy ride as the temps are to hit the high 90s (F) - winds strong and a front coming in with all kinds of dire predictions for tonight. Batten down the hatches, Boris - keep the critters inside. <uh oh>
I see there's been sufficient activity to justify one of these compilations - youse guyz just don't want me to take "off" on Tuesday ‘n Thursday,eh <grin>
CM3 Shane at 8:18 AM Wednesday - June 6th: Ah, Antigonish, Nova Scotia - a place I've not visited, but one whose name I have heard many times. ‘Tis indeed a challenge to pronounce it in "Nova Scotian" tongue! <grin> Towns along the Northumberland Shore are sights to see ‘n places to go. Maybe one day . . .
You are oh-so-correct when it comes to the hearty souls who reside in that part of the world - "they" don't make ‘em like that anymore, at least where I'm residing!
Another "Ah" in reference to the guy who took the 3rd strike LOOKING from the Yankees Don Larsen in his perfect game #5 of the 1956 World Series between the Yanks ‘n Dodgers. That at bat put Dale Mitchell into baseball history!
WHERE do you come up with these names?? <grin>
Much appreciation for the quarters, round ‘n discussion!
Per at 12:19 PM Wednesday - June 6th: I found a link that address pretty much everything one may want to know about the FIRST RRs in the U.S. - check out: http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r013.html
For "stuff" found in the Ether, this IS a good "read" and well worth the time to learn something new or simply refresh one's memory . . .
I seriously doubt VIA Rail had any idea what the TRUE costs were to be regarding the purchase of those "Chunnel Chugger" Euro cars. Much of that $137m (CDN) was unanticipated expense - so I've been told - and there's more on the way. Keep in mind that the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled those Renaissance cars MUST fully accommodate the handicapped. So this saga will continue . . . I'd bet the "ranch" that those Renaissance cars will never attain the in-service years of the Budds . . .
For me, bunks are bunks whether aboard ships or trains. Tight accommodations are just that and I didn't notice any particular disturbing difference between Renaissance bedrooms and those doubles in the Budd stainless steel cars. However, the newness of Renaissance makes ‘em more pleasing to the eye and the separate toilet chamber with sink makes it a better arrangement than the Budds where the sink is located in the sleeping area. However, storage space for luggage is pretty much out of the picture - zilch, zip, zero. One case in the bathroom the other on the bedroom floor. At least in the Budd cars there's overhead storage for two average-size cases. Also found the temp control and lighting options far better in the Budds.
In the early times when I visited St. John's, Newfoundland, I was a radio operator (Morse code) so Marconi had special meaning for me. In later years, my career path took me out of the radio shack and up to the bridge. Still, being a radioman was indeed one of those skill levels most essential for ships and voyages of the times. We had a minimum number of operators required for each deployment - fall below that level and the ship had to remain in port. No more - it's all a different telecommunications world now - and I'd say the "fun" is long gone from it. <sad>
Many thanx for the fine inclusive, informative ‘n interesting Post!
Pete at 4:55 PM Wednesday - June 6th: Like a clock in good order, our Bar Chandler is keeping to the mid to late afternoon "time slot" in fine fashion! The way things are shaping up ‘round here, looks as if YOU will be the ONLY staff member still standing as we've pretty much lost Rob <May 12th was last visit> - and Lars still has a week or two left before coming back. <geesh>
Perhaps had you placed a cold beer into that carry-on "thing" of yours instead of soda pop, your camera wouldn't have taken such a "hit"! <grin>
Appears that you ‘n I have experienced the SAME situation regarding digital fotos - for I've had the identical anomaly occur as well. <arrrggghhh>
Should you ever have the opportunity to visit Nova Scotia again, you MUST travel up to Cape Breton. Check out a map and you'll see that the Cape is actually an island, but all part of Nova Scotia. If you want to view Scotland, North American version, this is a MUST trip. Outstanding scenery - far better than anything we saw from the train and so much of it. We took VIA Rail up to Sydney - rented a car - toured the area and drove back down to Bedford (Halifax). Only regret is that we didn't take the Cabot Trail - time was
Just a cup of coffee, Leon! No, no Danish, thank you! I know, five bucks. That's fine.
Found some nice pictures and interesting information here tonight!
Tom – The Class C3 cars were built in the very beginning of the 1900’s and one can say the era had a lot to do with it. But many of them remained in service until the end of the 40’s or early 50’s. Per remember them and so do I since I was a kid. They were used in local trains.I am an expert on the five Mondays week! I have lived through way too many of them.Somewhere I have a picture of a TWA Constellation. I’ll see if I can find it and scan it.
You better tell me about those "secret stashes of beer" at the next Rendezvous if you want to keep it out of the Ether. I had the feeling that Truro might be a single track station when I saw the missing track. Maintenance costs!The Longest Day is a great war movie. I have it on tape. Some time in the early 90’s I got a letter from I don’t remember what organisation, where they offered to add my name to a memorial in Normandie. This because they had the information I participated in the invasion!! I was only a year and a half at that time so I didn’t qualify. Thanks for the pictures from your trip! I have seen the name Bedford Basin on the maps and now I have a pretty good idea about what it looks like!! Is it Halifax that is barely visible on the other side in one of the pictures?Thank you for Happy National Day wishes! I will celebrate my 10th Anniversary as an American 4th of July this year! Very nice pictures from the St. Louis Museum of Transportation!! It was a very interesting morning we spent there. I was a little bit disappointed about the Museum store. Most of what they had for sale was for small kids, not kids my age. I just wish they have had some more books to choose from for myself. But that is just a very minor thing. CM3 – I’ll check those Alco IIRC trucks as soon as I get a chance. I am always looking at details. Per – I forgot all about this day in the old country! Thanks for reminding me! I don’t know if and how they celebrate it nowadays? The switch-over to right hand traffic in Sweden took place in early September 1967. I don’t remember if it was September 3. I worked as a bus driver then and it was kind of strange to start driving the usual route on “the wrong side” all of a sudden. But it worked out very well.The buses you mentioned were built by Büssing in Germany and Leyland in UK. You are right, those buses were something else. I never had to drive them. The Swedish profile is wider than the European. Very few Swedish passenger cars are allowed to go down to Germany and other countries. The Swedish State Railways bought German made cars for their night train from Stockholm to Berlin. I don’t know if there is any direct cars today from Sweden to the European continent. Rub it in?? Mississippi? You more or less asked for it! Leon is a very nice man. He keeps the door unlocked until I get to “Our” Place every evening/morning. I have always been a night owl, since I was a kid. Like to do things in the middle of the night and hate early mornings. Early morning is every morning before 10 AM. You are retiring in January? I’ll do the same thing by the end of this year, 197 days from today! The conductor did not mind the bicycle in the luggage rack. The guy locked it to the rack so it could not fall down. I would say the main reason there are no real fast regular trains in Sweden is that all cars have to be equipped with magnetic track brakes at speeds above 100 mph. That is very costly to install after the cars have been built. So the two Rc7, that were geared for 112 mph had no cars to run at that speed. X2 was equipped with magnetic track brakes from the very beginning. Rc 5 became Rc 6 when they were regeared for 100 mph. Nothing else was changed. I remember Class Rb1, Rb2 and Rb3. Two locomotives of each class. They were kind of experimental. They were still in service when I started as an engineer, but I never operated one. ASEA built many locomotives for other Europena countries based on Class Rb. You can still find them in service in southeast Europe.Pete – I have the discs with my Rendezvous pictures ready to be shipped on Saturday! I will send three discs to all three of you. I hope you will be able to save some of your pictures from the Rendezvous. Doug – One day you have to tell me more about that horseman training! I have a few pictures of myself on the back of a horse, but I was never big on that. I like horses but have never been interested in horseback riding. That book looks very interesting. I am going to the book store this weekend and I will check to see if they have it.
Chicago & Illinois Midland #551. A 2-84 built by Lima 1928. St. Louis Mus
Good evening Tom and friends! I'll have a bottomless draught and buy a round for the loyal patrons of Our Place, and to celebrate Sweden's birthday of course! Sorry for being so scarce these days, and didn't want to let another day go without checking in. I extended my horsemanship training another few days rather than return to work. Work is easier on me though, I can tell you.
Great war film at the Emporium guys, as Tom has said. Ironically, My Fast Mail publication this month has a related book review on The Horseshoe Curve: Sabotage and Subversion in the Railroad City by Dennis McIlnay; 456 pages; Seven Oaks Press; $36.99 (includes shipping and sales tax).
In this riveting book, Dennis McIlnay brings hostory alive with the stunning tale of three interconnected - but little-known - events in American history:
The NAzi plot during World War II to destroy the Horseshoe Curve, the Mecca of American railroading near Altoona, Pa.
The FBI's search of the homes of 225 Altoonians on July 1942, as "alien enemies" - suspected Nazi sympathizers - and the internment by the United States of 15,000 Germain and Italian Americans during World War II.
The personal and organizational drama of founding the Pennsylvania Railroad and building the Horseshoe Curve.
The Nazi plot to destroy the Horshoe Curve - a mission that Hitler himself conceived - was one of the world's deadliest terrorist acts. Had the Nazi's succeeded in demolishing the Horseshoe Curve, they could have crippled the American war machine and changed the course of history.
Founding of the Pennsylvania Railroad nd building the Horseshoe Curve are two the America's greatest transportation acheivements. But before the Pennsy was completed, bitter persoanl, political and organizational battles threatened to destroy the railroad and halt the westward march of the U.S.
Part spy story and part historical epic, this book seamlessly blends information from 300 sources, including diaries, biographys, military records, histories, engineering studies, court briefs and FBI files acquired through the Freedom of Information Act to tell the thrilling story of these three interconnected but little-known events.
"Captures the reader's attention in the best tradition of spy novels ... A must-read for history enthusiasts ..." David Seidel, Horseshoe Curve Ch./NRHS
SO that's my little contribution for tonight! Keep the Rendezvous and Halifax pix coming, and great to see Per is still with us!
Hi Tom and all
A pint of Holden's Golden Glow for PER and I, please RUTH, and a round to celebrate Sweden's National Day today.
ERIC Thanks for the build date of # 811. The locos of that class seem to have had a good long life.
This time I kept the brides digital camera well away from any soda pop. I am lucky that there are the great photos from Tom Doug and yourself of the rendezvous. I'm still hoping to save at least a few of my film. The guy who does cameras in town is away at the moment.
We were lucky we were able to travel in the Sightseer Lounge..
I agree locomotives and units look far better without adverts on them.
PER Thanks for the round. It is good Sweden is recognizing the National day with a Holiday it is a pity England does not have a national day holiday.
You are so right about buying quality products first time. I wonder who built those cheap busses for Sweden.
The New Belgian Brewery's Fat Tire is available in certain bars in this and the Kansas City area. The nearest brewpub is Flat Branch in Columbia about thirty miles away; they have a good range of beers. We are supposed to be getting a brewpub here in town opening in the fall.
It seems the switchers take delight in waking up the sleeping car passengers, although in Canada it seem quite smooth when they were switching at Matapedia. I remember on a sleeper going from London to Inverness on BR at one point there was a change of locomotive and for some reason the new loco was not ready and with no train heat it was getting cold in the sleeper.
I had not seen that photo of the Titanic at sea before but I knew is must have been a unique photo.
TOM Good choice of film for this day certainly put me down for a ticket.
Liked the Special for PER.
Yes it was a week ago today I arrived back home from Canada. I heard the Amtrak train hooting this morning (about 20 mins late) while out with the dog and thought of it.
Some of my pix are not too bad but what is puzzling is that two shots taken from roughly the same place one is Ok and the other blurred.
I wonder why they had a small rudder on the Titanic, perhaps it was to make the ship faster do you think.Enjoying the talk of the days of the old airliners between CM3 and yourself.
That is a great photo of Halifax and thanks for the interesting link to the gas exploration it is something not often thought about when we turn on the gas fire.
That is interesting if sad story of Jimmy Piersall thanks for sharing.
I guess if there is another ‘Nessie' Nova Scotia' is the place it should be. I guess ‘Nova Scotia is Latin for New Scotland.
Your photos from the Ocean have turned out great, many thanks for sharing. I see the pic of the murals and that building at Truro could not have come out better. The ones of Halifax harbor are great too.
Thanks for the photos from the Museum Of Transportation in St Louis, didn't we have some glorious weather for the Rendezvous. The photo of the DC-47A is particularly apt, as the aircraft is believed to have taken part in D-Day.
It always pays to keep the Mascots happy; it is no fun getting nipped on the ankle by TEX when re stocking the bar late at night.
Well RUTH another round please.
Pete
Continuing on with some Pix from the 2nd Annual "Our" Place Classic Trains Rendezvous in St. Louis:
Saturday - May 19, 2007 - continued from Page 62:
(descriptions previously provided by Eric ‘n Doug)
Riverboat (tow boat) H. T. Pott
Laclede Christy #2 S9T 0-4-0T 30" gauge tramway loco. Built in Davenport, IA (1907)
Military DC-47A Transport (DC3 for commercial air)
This aircraft is believed to have been used in the Normandy invasion on June 6th, 1944 (D-Day)
SPECIAL RECOGNITION!
June 6
A Happy National Day of Sweden and the Swedish Flag Day (Swedish: Sveriges nationaldag och svenska flaggans dag) to our Resident Desert Swede ‘n our Resident Cowboy Swede!
Tom and the Gang from "Our" Place!
Good Morning everybody present!
Ruth, Ill have a pint of that Holden's Pete is talking about, and a round for everybody present.
I'll post this inclusive report today since it is such an important day in Sweden.
Today is the "4th of July" of Sweden, the National Holiday. It is in memory of the King Gustav Wasa (the same guy who has his name of that old warship in Stockholm), who had liberated Sweden and been elected king on this day in 1523. It's also the day King Gustav IV Adolf signed the new government reform in 1809. Double celebration! But the day is a very recent holiday, only last year was it declared a holiday so there isn't much tradition around the celebrations yet.
And with that, back to our regular programming: (a new installment of the travel report will follow in the next posting)
Tom: How does the first train in Ontario on May 16th, 1853 compare to the first trains in the U.S.? Was it the line through Endicott that was the first here?
So VIA bought cars for $125M and upgraded them for another $135M? It sounds a lot but compared to the $5M a piece from the Bomb I can see why they went that route. It's like when the bus operator in Stockholm bought new buses for the switch-over to right-hand side traffic in 196<something> (Eric - HELP! Was it 69?). They decided to go for some cheap import instead of the Volvo or Scania buses. A reporter asked a representative for one of the Swedish bus makers if he was disappointed. "Not at all" he said, "in the long run this is the best commercial we can get", and sure enough, it didn't take many years before all of those buses were replaced!
Who knows, maybe the Ren cars will go the same way? If the Ren cars are that much narrower than the Budd cars, how are the sleeping accommodations? Cramped, I would guess! I noticed a significant difference between the CIWL cars and the Swedish cars in length of the beds, the CIWL were (or seemed) longer, which doesn't go well with Eric's statement that the Swedish profile in wider than the European.
Thank you for the Marconi link. It will take me a while to go through all of them, but so far it has been some very interesting reading. Thanks again! I can very well believe a sailor would do some sightseeing. Especially to something that has had such an importance to the sea faring population as the Marconi invention.
That sunrise photo came out pretty well. I wonder how much the tinted window had to do with it. It wasn't until I posted it here that I realized what it was. I had previously called in "Missouri Sunrise" but the date and time of the picture didn't fit in the sequence. Aha, another senior moment was explained when I realized my mistake.
I have finally seen one of the movies! I saw The Longest Day when it came out. Great move, I thought!
Pete, yes there are small, local breweries popping up all over the place and many of them have some really good brews. I went to Fort Collins, CO, for a skating competition of my daughter's. I found the New Belgium Brewery there. It isn't directly small but it has some interesting brews. I came to like the "Fat Tire" best. It's a strange name, but every employee is given a bicycle when they start so they don't have to use a car; it's a very "green" company.
I have a feeling we will go back to Dodge one of these years. Now that my daughter has been so close, she's not going to give up until she gets there. Hopefully she will invite her old dad to join her. [wink]
Yes, I think you would have had fun with the Diner "boss" (what ARE they called: Stewarts?). She was a riot. The last evening she announced that the diner would open already at 5:30AM the next morning so everybody could have breakfast before Los Angeles. When one of the regular groups were ready to leave, she said she'll see them at 6 the next morning. "I thought you said you open at 5:50?" "Yes, but I don't expect you to be up that early!" was her immediate come-back.
Eric, yeah rub it in! The "Lake Mississippi" wasn't that long, at least not the part we saw, only some 10-15 miles, or so. It does remind me of an old FinnAir joke, though. The DC-10 came in for landing at an airport the pilots hadn't used before. After they sat the plane down and stopped it, the pilot said to the 2nd pilot: "That was the shortest runway I've seen!" "Yes, but did you see how wide it is?"
Aren't you glad Leon keeps the kitchen open for you at those ungodly hours? How do you do it? Around 10:30 or 11 I'm out!
Imagine that the C3 was just a bit longer than a contemporary box car over here! I have a picture of a similar car from Madrid for those who want to see what it was like:
Interior of wooden car from RENFE
Yes, I will be moving back out west when I pretire in January. Enough of this hot, humid weather and being 1,600 miles away from the family. After a too long a time I will finally have a chance to go back home.
I must say most engineers were very good at driving smoothly with a sleeping car in tow. The switching crews, however, did a really good job at waking everybody up when they moved the sleeper from one train to another. It didn't matter where I was going, I always had to be on two trains, wether it was Stockholm - Krisitanstad (home) or Stockholm - Karlskrona (military service), they had to switch my sleeper, and I always woke up. I'm glad they have the safety net in the upper beds, otherwise I would have been on the floor!
Yes, the Southwest Chief stopped in Trinidad as well. I may have omitted that stop but it wasn't a very long stop. I think the reason Raton looks bigger from the highway is just that the railroad is closer to the edge of town than the highway; and I didn't take a picture towards the other direction with more population.
It was an interesting picture of the bike in the luggage rack! When I checked about carry-on luggage I was told that Amtrak is very strict on enforcing the dimensions of the carry-on luggage. Yeah right!
I didn't know there are no more Rc5 and Rc7 in Sweden. Did the expansion of the X2 service minimize the need for faster regular trains? Or were there problems with the higher gears that made them change back to lower speeds? I still remember the predecessors: the Rb classes. I never did get a picture of any of them, although I saw all 6 locomotives over their life span. It was such a unique locomotive, considering the boxy, brown locos we had before. Here was this bright orange loco with rounded corners; it just looked "modern" all over!
That ATSF 811 steamer looks like a classic! Thanks for that picture.
Mike, thank you for the picture of the old Swedish steamer. I don't recognize it, more than it is probably one of the private roads, judging from the color of the coach in the background. Until I get my hands on my book (which is in California right now) I can just hope that Eric has some more information. And as always, a wealth of information in all the links you provided!
The la
MORE Pix from Day Two: Friday - May 25th, 2007 - VIA Rail to Halifax, NS from Montreal, QC . . .
Bedford Basin & Halifax, Nova Scotia
Homes at water's edge - Bedford Basin, Halifax, NS
A view of Bedford Basin looking toward Halifax & Dartmouth
A lobster ‘n fish "collection" barge in Bedford Basin
Freight in Halifax CN yards
Today's Matinee at the
Mentor Village EMPORIUM Theatre
The Longest Day (1962) Featuring 42 international stars!
The Longest Day is a vivid, hour-by-hour recreation of this historic event. Featuring a stellar international cast, and told from the perspectives of both sides, it is a fascinating look at the massive preparations, mistakes, and random events that determined the outcome of one of the biggest battles in history. Winner of two 1962 Oscars® (Special Effects and Cinematography), The Longest Day ranks as one of Hollywood's truly great war films.
This special collector's commemorative edition has been issued in honor of the June 6, 1944 Allied invasion of France, which marked the beginning of the end of Nazi domination over Europe. The attack involved 3,000,000 men, 11,000 planes and 4,000 ships, comprising the largest armada the world has ever seen.
Get your Tix NOW!
Good Morning Barkeep and all Present; coffee, please; round for the house and $ for the jukebox. It's a nice day here; gas is at $3.04 although the cyclone in the Persian Gulf will probably cause another price spike.
Barkeep - a round of the good stuff for all and a toast to what happened 63 yrs. ago today.
Eric sent commentsd and pictures. Thanks for the additional information on the ATSF 2-8-0.
The picture of the "Silver Charger's" truck has all sorts of interesting detail re brake systems, bearings, IIRC, speed recorder on the middle axle (I could be wrong about this as I don't have book with me), etc. BTW, you want to see a truly beastial locomotive truck, check out the late Alco units. IIRC, it was called an Adirondack truck.
OSP sent more pictures. Many of my wife's people come from Nova Scotia (Antagonish area).
Tough folks from that part of the world. One of our neighbors at home was from the Truro area. She's put on a thin sweater when the rest of us were layered up and complain abt. how warm it was. "Nan" kept an immaculate house, shoveled snow, cooked, etc. and passed on at the age of 102. She was "with it" right up to the end. As she said the very last time I talked to her, "I'm just wearing out."
I knew that you'd remember all of that World Series stuff. Wher are you now, Dale Mitchell?
For those who are interested, X2200 South , as Lucius used to say, "Devotional reading for the faithful," has been running a multi-issue ATSF diesel roster. The most recent magazine showed up Saturday, and it is devoted to ATSF passenger diesels. Much truly rare color photography, EMDs, Alcos, and FMs, oh, my! and an excellent article about "the twins." I recommend this one.
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