I'm not sure what we're exactly looking for in the designation of the GE 44 tonner. One reason it is "44 ton" is that there was the 1937 "90,000 pound rule" that stated the weight of a locomotive 45 tons or over required a fireman on the crew.
The 44 tonner skirted this by reducing the weight on axles, much the way the drawbar between the FT-A and FT-B made it one locomotive only requiring one crew.
Diner_Erie8 by Edmund, on Flickr
Dining on the Erie Limited
Cheers, Ed
NorthBrit Five years ago Dawn was in intensive care for a month and a further four months in hospital. Some Doctors said she would never walk again. Eighteen steps she can do now. (Twenty on a good day.) The bad days she is knocked sideways (never back). The good days are really good.
Hi David,
I can only imagine how hard Dawn is working to try to recover. You are a truly dedicated husband and deserve to be recognized for how hard you must be working to take care of her and help her recover. You are a good person!
My wife Dianne has helped me through three medical crisis. I would have been lost without her. In fact right now she has had to take on all of the household chores because of my broken Achilles tendon. We have a very comfortable lifestyle thanks to the pension that she earned through many years of hard work. I am truly grateful.
Best wishes for Dawn's continued recovery!
Cheers!!
Dave
By the way, cherry pie is my favourite!
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Good morning
A high of 48° yesterday was nice. I got done with my woodworking in the Boiler Room early enough in the day so I could go out in the afternoon to enjoy it. Mid to upper 40's for the rest of the week with a high of 55 on Sunday I hope it rains good once inbetween, so I can Fire Up the Stang and go out for a good romp
Looks like it may be an early spring up here after all. I won't be holding my breath though. There's always that one last surprise show storm in April up here in Minnesota.
Thanks for all your continued efforts of being such a great host Dave! Enjoyed
howmus
Good morning all. A cold day with snow forecast later.
Garry. Thanks for your concern. Five years ago Dawn was in intensive care for a month and a further four months in hospital. Some Doctors said she would never walk again. Eighteen steps she can do now. (Twenty on a good day.) The bad days she is knocked sideways (never back). The good days are really good.
Coffee time.
Baking a Cherry Pie this afternoon.
Thoughts & Peace to All who Require.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
gmpullmanThose are EMC EA units: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMC_EA/EB
Hi Ed,
Thanks for clarifying that. I think that the sloped noses are absolutely beautiful! Have there been any accurate models made of them that a normal person might be able to afford? Edit: BLI made a Paragon EA.
howmusLet's see how many of you know the difference between the 44 tonner and a 45 Tonner.... ...I'll buy virtual dinner in the dining car of your choice to the first person who knows the difference...
1 ton!
Cheers the Bear.
Edit. Was the 45 tonner designed specifically as an industrial switcher?
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Heartland Division CB&QThe CB&Q had several, unique, one-of-a-kind, small switching locomotives with center cabs in the late 1930's.
Garry, Thank you for the information on the CB&Q switchers.
howmusLet's see how many of you know the difference between the 44 tonner and a 45 Tonner.
I would say the difference is 2,000 pounds.
There is a great clip that shows up on discussion boards from time to time where a news crew thought they were interviewing the director of the animated movie 102 Dalmations. The man they were interviewing had the same name, but was not the director. They asked what was the difference between the movie 101 Dalmations, and the sequel 102 Dalmations. The man look right into the camera and very seriously replies "umm... one dalmation". It is completely hilarious.
Seriously, I believe the 45 ton locomotive had slopier hoods and siderods.
The World Is A Beautiful Place.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Since we are in Chicago, how about some pictures of the place.
Here is an excellent transition era photo:
Downtown circa 1950:
Lake Michigan in the background. Freight terminal on the right:
End of the line on the 'L':
Elevated tracks:
An icon:
Englewood Station:
The Chicago stockyards. Ah, the smell of money!!:
Not sure of the date. Things seem to have gotten a bit warm:
PRR:
More soon.
Hi, Dave
Good question worthy of discussion.
Those are EMC EA units: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMC_EA/EB
Essentially the first in the legion of E units.
Sitting Pretty by The Mastadon, on Flickr
Neat Stuff!
Ed
gmpullmanI like this video. It shows how a berth is made up and a few other highlights of a vintage B&O ride.
The video was very interesting. Nice shiny new engines. Pardon my lack of knowledge, but was that an E6 A&B?
Thanks,
Good Evening,
Nice job on the March Diner Dave.
If I had the space I would have a layout with predominately passenger trains. I like large driver steam engines.
I have riden on passenger trains a few times. In 1960 I travelled on CN's Continental from Winnipeg to Vancouver and back. Then in 1971 I went from Winnipeg to Toronto. I remember a wonderful roast beef dinner in the dining car. In March of 1977 I went to Toronto again to pick up a new car, a Buick Skylark S/R . The drive home started out wih a blizzard from Toronto to London. It was dark and I got behind a truck as visibility was terrible. In fact it was better with just parking lights on. Cars passed but usually I wound up later passing them in the ditch. I was on the 401. I stayed in London for 3 days waiting for them to dig out the highways.
My most memorable passenger train ride was from Pretoria to Cape Town on Rovos Rail in 2015.
Tea time,
CN Charlie
What could be more fun than a Bobcat bucket full of Bob Cats?
Bob-Cats by Edmund, on Flickr
My son takes care of these strays at his w**k. His wife is a vet tech and they all have been spayed and vaccinated.
I had some visitors yesterday:
Doe-a-deer by Edmund, on Flickr
I like this video. It shows how a berth is made up and a few other highlights of a vintage B&O ride.
I like the attendant in the EA unit. Even through the later cab-unit years, EMD was still putting an attendant call button on the engineer's controls.
Engineer Schroder sure is tired! Ran that train from Washington DC to Lamy, New Mexico without a wink of sleep!
Thanks again for hosting this months' great Diner episode, Dave
Regards, Ed
Went to Home Depot today to find a piece of plywood to use as gussets. I found a 1 x 6 x3/8" in the cut wood cart, with a 70% off sign.
They had 6 self service registers and the Pro register. The girl at self service could only tell me it was 70% off but didn't know what to do. I was behind a guy who was maybe 4' 6" with two carts of lumber and one of cement blocks.
Another employee opened up a register but she was clueless too. She called someone who didn't answer, then called another guy who had to come to the register and go back and get a number. The number didn't work. We repeated the process and the number still didn't work. i got the piece for free.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Heartland Division CB&QEventually, General Electric produced its 44 ton center cab switcher, and Burlington acquired a few of them.
Evenin'!
Let's see how many of you know the difference between the 44 tonner and a 45 Tonner. Below is GE 45 Tonner Beebee Station which we have at the R&GV RR Museum in Rush, NY. I'll buy virtual dinner in the dining car of your choice to the first person who knows the difference...
You know, I haven't seen our 45 tonner up and running in quite a while. Hope she gets some use this summer and fall!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
York1 Garry, that is one of the most realistic scenes. It's difficult to tell if it's a model or an actual train.
Garry, that is one of the most realistic scenes. It's difficult to tell if it's a model or an actual train.
John York 1 .... Thank you.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
York1 John
Howdy.
David North Brit ...... Sorry to hear about Dawn. Hope she recovers soon. Praying for her.
Kevin ..... Regarding your thread about a brass locomotive. The CB&Q had several, unique, one-of-a-kind, small switching locomotives with center cabs in the late 1930's. Eventually, General Electric produced its 44 ton center cab switcher, and Burlington acquired a few of them.
Below is a photo of my DIner/Parlor/Obsevation car which I kitbashed from a Walthers Budd observation car.
Everybody: .... Have a good afternoon.
PM RailfanKevin) So you decided on a lil Histler instead of the Brass bummer? Or are you still teetering on the decision?
I am absolutely not buying the brass model. Unless someone makes one, I will never have the Cummins Diesel Locomotive.
I have enough material for three or four center cab diesel projects that will exist in the SGAU.
York1Dave, I am loving all the passenger train stuff.
I know very little about real trains, and almost nothing about passenger cars. Thanks to Dave, my knowledge of passenger cars has probably doubled in just a couple of days.
Water Level RouteAgreed. I'll forever be jealous of those who got to ride at least one of them.
I have never had any desire to ride a passenger train. I have ridden a few excursion and tourist trains, and they don't do much for me.
My middle daughter has ridden a passenger train all the way across Canada and loved it. She has also taken rail tours of Japan and France/Germany. She loves passenger trains, but hates Amtrak.
My oldest daughter has taken one Amtrak trip from Chicago to New York City, and said it was the best way to do that journey.
York1If I had to pick a time to live besides the present, I think I would go back as a rich man to the 1940s-1950s and ride all of the name trains we rode the past two months.
Mike
Good evening all. Back from the Hospice. Dawn is progressing well with her walking. Still a long way to go, but much better than five years ago when Doctors' said she would never walk again.
Chermoula Prawns with Spiced Giant Couscous is on the menu.
A Fruit Salad with a Banana Sauce to follow.
Stay Safe Everyone
Good morning, diners! I hope the regular waitresses are enjoying their month off as our food is served by dining car waiters. I'll have my regular -- bacon, eggs, and black coffee.
Herrinchoker, that's a hilarious story of your puppy. Good luck looking at piles of **** on the lawn looking for train parts. Hope your body recovers through all of this.
Dave, I am loving all the passenger train stuff. Passenger trains are my favorite on layouts. If I had to pick a time to live besides the present, I think I would go back as a rich man to the 1940s-1950s and ride all of the name trains we rode the past two months.
I have to go to a funeral this morning, so that's all from the Great Plains.
I'll have the waffles with extra Pelican brand butter and syrup in the Pullman dining car please.
Happy Taco Tuesday! Hopefully tacos are on the menu in the dining car this evening
Crazy Minnesota again. It was almost 50° on Saturday, hovering near 20° Sunday and Monday. Today it will be near or exceed 50° again. I'll take it Finally spring is on its way in the Klondike
NorthBrit Cats and dogs. Some days he would lift the lid off the fish tank and started 'plodging up and down'. He never tried to catch any fish. Just loved the water.
Cats and dogs.
Some days he would lift the lid off the fish tank and started 'plodging up and down'. He never tried to catch any fish. Just loved the water.
Nellie was our favorite dog that had characteristics of a cat. We had a pond in the backyard. In the fall we would take the koi and put them in a hog feeding bin in the basement for the winter. Nellie loved the water as well and would paw her foot in the water. Both her and Magnum would get all the way into the pond in the summer to cool off. I don't think the koi minded but I never asked them She would sit and watch the fish in the basement just as she did in the backyard.
One day she came upstairs whimpering nervously and repeatedly doing an about-face towards the stairs. It was almost like one of those Lassie movies where she tried to get us to follow her right away. The one yellow koi that liked to jump was out of the hog bin flopping on the floor. Nellie had saved the fish. I think she liked fish just like she liked frogs but that is another story.
Thanks for all the pictures, history and information you have provided on the thread so far this month Dave. Great job Thank you as well Ed, for your contributions and the welcome back
My contribution to the Pullmans.
A little contribution as they come in small Micro-Trains boxes. Interesting How Great Northern called thier color Pullman green. I see Pullman green as almost black unless it's right next to black. It shows a greenish but almost a more brown Hue in certain lighting. It's a tricky color and almost impossible to duplicate. A lot of the MR manufacturer's screw it up. These cars certainly look great behind my Northern Pacific Challenger, .....Well, It could have happened!
Have a great day gentleman
TF
Good Morning. Tuesday already!
Thanks for heading up this months Diner activities, Dave Great job!!!
I think the first 5 (?) are Pullman Gallery Cars built for commuter service, Dave.
The C & NW did add an extended-height roof to two of its smooth-side diners so they would "blend-in" with the Pullman gallery cars. Tough to find photos of them.
http://skytopmodels.com/bileveldiner.html
I rode those cars several times in Chicago and when Kato made them in HO I picked up a few:
IMG_5641 by Edmund, on Flickr
OK, no crabbing about the NYC Mohawk One of the "Show Me Something requests was for a steam powered bi-level train and this is what I made up. I usually have an E7 on there. I added sound to the cab car so when in the "push" mode I have a horn and bell on the forward cab car
Here's a look at "wrapping" the roof panels:
Trains_BuildingCar002 by Edmund, on Flickr
The 1880s Pullman Administration building suffered a huge fire in december 1998.
Pullman_Admin-Ill by Edmund, on Flickr
It was gutted. Through great effort much of the building has been somewhat restored:
A little something to go with your coffee this morning:
Good morning all.
Cats and dogs. We had cats most of our married life. One of them was tough. Boy was he tough. Dog walkers would make a wide detour rather than pass him as he glared at them.
He would often stop car drivers from going down the street. His arched back on defiance because he had been disturbed.
Taking Dawn to the Hospice for treatment, so that is the day taken care of.
Early coffee time with biscuit
Thoughts & Peace to All who Require
I think the first 5 (?) are Pullman Gallery Cars built for commuter service,
Hi Bear,
Okay, your explanation makes sense. When I first looked at them I didn't see the upper row of windows. Obviously they are a bi-level car.
hon30critterIs that a diner car in the front?
Hello Railfans!
I was starting to wind down for the day thought Id stop by an raid the fridge before i go a few rounds with the sandman.
Critter Dave) Awesome shots of Pullman. Better pass Ed a mop. Love the 'inside factory' shots!
HerrinChoker) I forsee a username change in your future from Herrin to Dog. Very sorry to hear that bit of news.
Kevin) So you decided on a lil Histler instead of the Brass bummer? Or are you still teetering on the decision?
Have a good night all! See yall tomarow prolly.
Yard Limit!
Douglas
Here is a history of the Pullman Standard Company:
The Pullman Company, from its humble beginnings in the late 1860s by George Pullman, became the face of the passenger train industry during the Golden Age of rail travel through the first half of the 20th century. The company became famous for its passenger train cars, especially its sleeping cars, although during the peak of rail travel during the streamliner era of the 1930s several railroads chose Pullman to equip their entire trains (and many railroads were proud of this fact by stating that their trains were "All Pullman" equipped). Pullman began facing stiff competition in the market when the Budd Company and their famed stainless-steel streamlined equipment hit the rails, most notably on the Santa Fe's Super Chief and El Capitan trains.
As is perhaps to be expected, the Pullman Company died with the privately operated passenger trains and mostly ceased to exist by the late 1960s (although the company attempted to entire the freight car market it was only marginally successful). As far fetched as it seems you can again experience classic Pullman services thanks to Pullman Rail Journeys.
The Pullman Company has its beginnings in February of 1867 (originally known as the Pullman Palace Car Company) by George Pullman who was tired of riding on long train journeys with nothing but an uncomfortable bench seat to ride on the entire way and no type of sleeping arrangements. Pullman essentially created the market of sleeping arrangements aboard passenger trains when set up his company a few miles outside of Chicago, Illinois in a newly incorporated town (created in 1880) known as Pullman (everything in the town, including the homes, were all company owned).
Head-End Equipment
Coach Cars
Dining Cars
Lounge Cars
Dome Cars
Sleeping/Bedroom Cars
Observation Cars
Pullman's original sleeping cars were not the well remembered full/half bedroom arrangements that would come later in the 1930s and onwards, they were simple multipurpose "berths" whereby the seats could be laid out into a bed during the night. These types of early sleeping car arrangements were quite common for years although Pullman's early cars became just as famous for their luxurious interior decor as for the bedding they provided. In 1900 the Pullman Palace Car Company was renamed simply the The Pullman Company to oversee the corporation's numerous acquisitions it had gained over through the latter 1800s. The Pullman Company would eventually become the parent corporation to several subsidiaries (all owned by the parent), such as the Pullman Car & Manufacturing Company which actually built the passenger cars.
Throughout the company's existence building wooden cars of the 19th century to the steel heavyweights of the early 20th century Pullmans were always painted a dark, forest green (there is actually a color called Pullman green, and is still used today by model railroaders), unless specified by a railroad. However, that changed in the 1930s when Pullman broke into the lightweight, streamliner era. The company built its last heavyweight in 1931 and following the debuting of several streamliners in 1934 and beyond Pullman built and painted their cars to match the train's colorful livery. The year of the streamliner in 1934 also saw the Pullman Company's manufacturing division change its name to the Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Company when it merged the Standard Steel Car Company into its operation that year. Eight years later, in 1944, Pullman saw significant changes to its operations. It was forced to sell off its passenger car operating division as the US Department of Justice claimed anti-trust violations were occurring by the company having both operating and manufacturing operations.
Pullman eventually sold its operating division to 57 Class I railroads but continued to manufacture passenger cars under its Pullman-Standard division (the parent company remained Pullman, Inc.). The Pullman Company operating division had been a trademark aspect of the company. Since Pullman owned its entire fleet of cars, and thus leased them to the railroads to operate within their trains, it also provided full staff and porter services. After selling its fleet to the railroads they had no use for Pullman's personnel and subsequently dropped them from the payroll providing their own on board staffs. And thus, after the breakup of Pullman the company solely built cars no longer providing services aboard them.
While increased sleeping services began to take hold in the first part of the 20th century, new innovative designs and layouts during the streamliner era meant passengers had a wide range of options to choose from regarding their sleeping arrangements. Instead of simply the option of a berth most Pullman-built sleeping cars on board famous trains like the 20th Century Limited, Super Chief, and Empire Builder carried the choice of a berth, roomette (somewhat like a berth but it also was a small enclosed room with more privacy), or a full bedroom (which featured, among other things, a full private bath).
The 1950s were truly the last profitable times for the Pullman Company. Already receiving stiff competition from Budd since the mid-1930s, during the '50s most railroads ordered their final car fleets as the writing was on the wall that passengers were ditching trains for automobiles. With few orders during the 1960s its not surprising that the railroad aspect of the company ended operations at the end of December, 1968 with all assets dissolved the next day, January 1, 1969. While aspects of Pullman continued on through the 1980s, and some of which remain even today, as a builder of passenger train cars and part of the railroad industry, this all ceased by the beginning of 1969.
Following the end of Pullman service it was presumed we would never get to experience the days of friendly porters, elegant full-course dining, full bedrooms, observations, and domes again. Incredibly, however, it was announced in 2012 that a new company known as Pullman Rail Journeys owned by short line conglomerate Iowa Pacific Holdings would be bringing back and has now been established. As of now the company has a select fleet of restored equipment which it plans to run on just a few Amtrak trains. If the traveling public shows growing interest in the return of Pullman services expect the company to grow its fleet and add cars to additional Amtrak trains.
This will give you an idea of how large the Pullman factory was:
War time production at the factory:
Inside the Pullman factory:
Is that a diner car in the front?
The Pullman offices:
More war production:
Heavy machinery:
I'll try to find more pictures of the inside of the factory. Stay tuned.
herrinchokerThe list grows, two pair of sneakers, one pair of boots, pair of ski mobile boots, (wife's), corner of coffee table, jacket sleeve, towels, face cloths, bed covers, (assorted).
My youngest daughter's cat destroyed this door trim. She never damaged anything else, just this one door, and just in one spot.