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Jeffreys Track Side Diner February 2024 Locked

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Posted by BroadwayLion on Saturday, February 3, 2024 5:07 PM

But there is hope. The LION is at the Top odf the Page with Rare Steaks and Diet Pepsi!

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

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Posted by CNCharlie on Sunday, February 4, 2024 12:04 AM

Good Evening,

Ran the Consolidation today. It is a  B Mann version with factory Tsunami sound. I paid $142 for it in Sept, 2007.  

Nothing new here as usual. Sure miss having a dog. Had one for 46 years, well not the same one but you know what I mean. Can't get another as could outlast me and we don't have anyone to take a dog if we weren't around or had to go into an apartment. Getting old is the pits. I do enjoy hearing about John's and Brent's dogs. 

Time to turn out the light.

CN Charlie 

 

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Posted by wetidlerjr on Sunday, February 4, 2024 4:23 AM

Good morning!

 

FAMILY GUY_DOG.png

 

1707041830698.png

© River Raisin Models

Bill Tidler Jr.

Near a cornfield in Indiana...

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Posted by NorthBrit on Sunday, February 4, 2024 7:18 AM

Good afternoon all.   A cheese toaste and a large coffee please, Janie.

It was a bad night for Dawn.  Awake with pain for most of it.  She has managed to rest in bed this morning and is now downstairs (1.10pm)   Hopefully the afternoon will be better for her.

 

A train I used to travel on during the 1960s  THAMES, CLYDE EXPRESS.


Travelling from Leeds to Glasgow.  A lovely journey over the Settle & Carlisle line then on the old Glasgow & South Western.

 

Thames–Clyde Express - Wikipedia

 

David

To the world you are someone.    To someone you are the world

I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought

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Posted by Water Level Route on Sunday, February 4, 2024 10:18 AM

Howdy diners.  Chloe, a glass of milk and a stack of chocolate chip cookies please.

York1
your daughter's car battery dying is catching

Sorry to do that to you John.  Tongue Tied  That stinks.

NorthBrit
a bad night for Dawn

I'm sorry to hear that David.  I hope tonight is better.

CNCharlie
Can't get another as could outlast me and we don't have anyone to take a dog if we weren't around

My mom and step dad ran into the same sort of thing.  Their dog of 18 years passed away.  They found an adult dog they liked with an animal rescue group who made them apply for acceptance.  They were deemed to old (early-mid 70s) for a daschound that was assumed to be about 10 years old.  They were really disappointed, but eventually tried another group with another small dog.  This group gave them no trouble.  They were happy to see the dog go where it would be loved.

Mike

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Posted by wetidlerjr on Monday, February 5, 2024 3:36 AM

1707125580118.png

Good morning!

Have a great Monday!Smile, Wink & Grin

Bill Tidler Jr.

Near a cornfield in Indiana...

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Posted by NorthBrit on Monday, February 5, 2024 4:30 AM

Good morning Diners.  A full English please, Zoe.  A mug of tea as well.

Thankfully Dawn had a good nights sleep  and feels a lot better.  (A good day. Big Smile)

An early start to the day as deliveries of parcels expected, with no specifc delivery times.

 

Thames Forth Express  -   The Waverley


A train I travelled on once; from Carlisle to Edinburgh.  A wonderful scenic section.  When the line closed, towns on the route were abandoned by the railways.   Scandalous imo.

Waverley (passenger train) - Wikipedia

To the world you are someone.    To someone you are the world

I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought

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Posted by York1 on Monday, February 5, 2024 9:34 AM

Good morning.  Chloe, I'll have bacon, eggs, and coffee, please.

David, that's good news about Dawn.  She certainly has had a rough time -- you're a wonderful husband to take such good care of her.

I was flipping through cable channels on the layout room TV the other day and found a channel I hadn't seen before.  It's almost completely full days of reruns of Perry Mason and Matlock!  I love it.  It's become my favorite channel.  I keep it running while I work on the layout -- it's like having old friends in the rooms while I work.

On the layout, work continues on the streetcar line and road.  I've given up trying to make it look like I wanted, and I am settling on something I can live with.  It doesn't look very realistic, but hopefully when I get buildings, cars, and people into the scene, it will look better.  Today I'm going to try to get some kind of streetcar passenger shelter for this end of the line.

 

 

Since I rode this train as a kid, I probably went on this very route, but I sure don't remember much.  I was probably in the bathroom flushing the toilet to see the tracks when we were at this point.

 

York1 John       

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Posted by Attuvian1 on Monday, February 5, 2024 10:15 AM

York1

Since I rode this train as a kid, I probably went on this very route, but I sure don't remember much.  I was probably in the bathroom flushing the toilet to see the tracks when we were at this point.

 

 
The bridge spanning the Columbia from Cascade Locks, Oregon.  Great vistas anwhere in this location.
 
On the street that runs through the town and parallels the river and the UP line (the BN runs on the Washington side), there's a drive-in known for its burgers and soft serve.  One day when my wife and I were stopping by, the head of a freight drag was idling at the base of the embankment that rises to the drive-in's parking lot.  All of a sudden the engineer or brakeman stepped up the embankment, walked up to the take-out window, picked up a couple of lunches, and returned to his business.
 
An interesting question and possibility for a future Diner subject:  How many drive-ins around the country provide curb service for SD70s?  Laugh
 
Attuvian John
 
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Posted by wetidlerjr on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 3:56 AM

Good morning!

 

Bill Tidler Jr.

Near a cornfield in Indiana...

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Posted by Track fiddler on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 5:16 AM

Good morning

This wicked cold of mine just wont let me go, but I've gotta stroll back down the hall today.  A boat load of the final custom stuff is being delivered, and I'm afraid sometime in March wont wait for me very long.

 

York1

Since I rode this train as a kid, I probably went on this very route, but I sure don't remember much.  I was probably in the bathroom flushing the toilet to see the tracks when we were at this point.

 

 

LaughLaughLaugh  The things Kids doLaugh

Judy showed me pictures of that bridge a couple years ago John.  She said we must go there for a summer road trip.  Can't imagine she'd have to twist my arm very hard, but don't know why we haven't got up and gone yet.  Maybe this year.

 

  Image by Bob on Flickr

  Image courtesy of Cascadelocks.com

Apparently the bridge is known as "The Bridge of the Gods" either by the locals or Oregon Tourism perhaps.  She wants to go on the paddle boat down the Columbia River.

 

  Image courtesy of Cityseeker.com

  Image courtesy of Ronald Santerre

Was taken by the similarity in comparison to the Quebec Bridge.  Wonder if it was the same architect?  Probably not.

 

Have a great day gentlemenSmile

 

TF

 

 

 

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Posted by Water Level Route on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 5:22 AM

Good Morning Diners.  Janie, coffee and a blueberry muffin please.

Looks like the diner had a case of the Mondays yesterday.  Hopefully business will be better today.

Have to go to Dallas for work today.  Not loving that.  I'd rather stay home.  The kicker is that my plant has already sent someone down for this training and they agreed that it isn't something I really need to go to.  However, my boss thinks it will be good exposure for the plant and for me, so off I go.  Bang Head  The only plus out of this is that travel time is considered work time, so I'll end up being able to take Friday off with the hours I'll have in.  Might have to get myself a little something for the railroad as a prize for going. Laugh

The Wolverine was a New York Central (Michigan Central) train that ran through the southern part of Michigan.  Originally it ran from Chicago to New York, but was ultimately retired, I believe as part of the Penn Central merger, but it had been fading prior to this.  Amtrak later revived the name, but on a shortened Chicago to Detroit route.  Here it is in Amtrak years (1975), fittingly in Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan Wolverines.

Mike

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Posted by Track fiddler on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 5:57 AM

Good morning again

Attuvian1
The bridge spanning the Columbia from Cascade Locks, Oregon.  Great vistas anwhere in this location.
 
On the street that runs through the town and parallels the river and the UP line (the BN runs on the Washington side), there's a drive-in known for its burgers and soft serve.  One day when my wife and I were stopping by, the head of a freight drag was idling at the base of the embankment that rises to the drive-in's parking lot.  All of a sudden the engineer or brakeman stepped up the embankment, walked up to the take-out window, picked up a couple of lunches, and returned to his business.
 
 
Attuvian John
 
 

There sure is alot of Johns around hereLaugh...Wink

Enjoyed the railroad lunch story John.  My friend Paul at my old Railroad Club was an engineer for both Burlington Northern and Canadian Pacific, that's another story in itself.  Poor guy, he's retired and has two railroad pensions now.

Coming back from Seattle while working for Burlington Northern, they used to slow the train way down crossing into Minnesota.  They weren't allowed to stop the train completely, not to block the cross streets.

The back of a strip mall boardered the tracks with a Domino's Pizza.  They would call ahead before crossing into Minnesota, and the pizza guy would jog along the train, handing the pizza box through the railing as they would throw the money and tip to him in a brown bagPirate

 

Yes, some fine lunch dining indeed.  Even the freight trains had makeshift dinersLaugh

 

TF

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Posted by NorthBrit on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 6:19 AM

Good afternoon Diners.  A large coffee and a blueberry muffin please, Brunhilda.

John York1   Thank you.   Dawn looks after me as well.  Boy, do I need looking after.  I have come down with a hacking cough.  The damn thing will not go away.

 

The Royal Scot.   Never had the pleasure of travelling on her.  

 

Royal Scot (train) - Wikipedia

 

David

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Posted by gmpullman on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 10:00 AM

Water Level Route
Amtrak later revived the name, but on a shortened Chicago to Detroit route.

My friend lived in Ann Arbor and we would sometimes meet at the Gandy Dancer restaurant in the depot there. He worked for Amtrak and on some occasion we would go to Chicago for a weekend. Fun times!

 AMTK/CR, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1977 by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr

And in the early P-C era:

 

 PC, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1969 by Center for Railroad Photography & Art, on Flickr

 

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 11:07 AM

Good morning and best wishes to all of you who have tat cold.  I had it too.  The GF has had it and is finally getting better.  Around here they're calling it the Hundred Day Cold.  I got rid of it pretty quickly with Delsym and Zyrtec.

Very often, this kind of difficult cough is actually caused by post nasal drip and is not a lung problem at all, although that's how it manifests itself.  A doctor I was seeing decades ago first treated it as a cough, but finally realized what the problem really was.  It was so long ago he had to write me a prescription for Zyrtec.  It wasn't even OTC back then.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by York1 on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 11:49 AM

Good morning, late.  I'll have just coffee today.

For Christmas, 1989, our family took the City of New Orleans from New Orleans to Chicago, and then went west to visit grandparents.

The City of New Orleans didn't have an actual dining car, but had this snack car where you could get drinks, snacks, and I think some kinds of 'airline' food.

This photo is not good, but it's the only one I have of the City of New Orleans.  My wife is talking to the attendant.  She is also cleaning the car.  The attendant wasn't real attentive, and my wife took it on herself to clean the tables, pick up the trash, etc.  If I have time tomorrow, I can write about the second leg of the trip from Chicago to Nebraska.

 

 

Hope everyone has a great day.

York1 John       

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Posted by hon30critter on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 9:54 PM

Here is one of the iconic pre-war named trains that opitimizes the heyday of art deco design. Their 1938 Streamliner shown top right is absolutely stunning. Click onj the picture for a better view:

20th Century Limited

5 languages
 
 
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Twentieth Century Limited)
20th Century Limited
The streamlined 20th Century Limited departing Chicago on a trial run in June 1938
Overview
Status Ceased
First service June 17, 1902
Last service December 2, 1967
Successor Lake Shore Limited
Former operator(s) New York Central Railroad
Route
Termini New York
Chicago
Service frequency Daily
hideRoute map
   
  New York
   
  Harmon
   
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Ohio
   
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  Elkhart
   
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The 20th Century Limited was an express passenger train on the New York Central Railroad (NYC) from 1902 to 1967. The train traveled between Grand Central Terminal in New York City and LaSalle Street Station in ChicagoIllinois, along the railroad's "Water Level Route".

NYC inaugurated the 20th Century Limited as competition to the Pennsylvania Railroad, aimed at upper-class and business travellers. It made few station stops along the way and used track pans to take water at speed. On June 15, 1938, streamlined train sets designed by Henry Dreyfuss were added to the route.[1]

The 20th Century Limited was the flagship train of the New York Central and was advertised as "The Most Famous Train in the World". It was described in The New York Times as having been "[...] known to railroad buffs for 65 years as the world's greatest train",[2] and its style was described as "spectacularly understated". The phrase "red-carpet treatment" is derived from passengers' walking to the train on a specially-designed crimson carpet.[3]

History[edit]

Early history[edit]

 Early 1900s version of the 20th Century Limited  "The Most Famous Train In The World" (1912 NYC ad)

The 20th Century Limited first ran on June 17, 1902. It completed its run from New York to Chicago in 20 hours, four hours less than previous trains, and arrived three minutes ahead of schedule. It offered a barbershop and secretarial services.[1] The New York Times' report [4][5] stressed the routine nature of the trip, with no special procedures being followed and no extra efforts being made to break records. It said that there "was no excitement along the way," and quoted a railroad official's claim: "it is a perfectly practical run and will be continued." Engineer William Gates said, "This schedule can be made without any difficulty. I can do it every time, barring accidents."[1]

The schedule cut two more hours off the run in June 1905, and, on the 21st of that month, the train was intentionally derailed on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway line at Mentor, Ohio, killing 21 passengers.[6] It reverted to 20 hours in 1912 and was unchanged until 1932. In 1935, it dropped to 16 hours, 30 minutes; then to 16 hours on June 15, 1938, when lightweight cars were implemented.

The engine change point was moved to Croton–Harmon station in 1913, when the NYC line was electrified south of that point.

 20th Century Limited pulled by Hudson #5344 Commodore Vanderbilt departing Chicago's LaSalle Street Station, 1935

In the 1920s, the New York-Chicago fare was $32.70 plus the extra fare of $9.60, plus the Pullman charge (e.g. $9 for a lower berth), for a total of $51.30, equal to $856.04 today. This fare entitled a passenger to a bed closed off from the aisle by curtains; a compartment to oneself cost more. In 1928, the peak year, the train earned revenue of $10 million and was believed to be the most profitable train in the world.[7]

The cars of the 20th Century Limited were lit with fluorescent lamps soon after their introduction,Music which coincided with the introduction of the new Art Deco train sets on June 15, 1938.

New train sets[edit]

 Cover carried in the RPO of the first streamlined New York-Chicago run, June 15, 1938  The Tonawanda Valley car, displayed in the 2013 Grand Central Centennial Parade of Trains

In 1938, industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss was commissioned by the New York Central to design streamlined train sets in Art Deco style, with the locomotive and passenger cars rendered in blues and grays (the colors of NYC). The streamlined sets were inaugurated on June 15, 1938. His design was probably the most famous American passenger train.[1] The first new 20th Century Limited train left New York City at 18:00 Eastern Time and arrived at Chicago's La Salle Street Station the following morning at 09:00 Central Time, traveling the 960.7 miles (1,546 km) at an average 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).[9] The eastbound train left La Salle Street Station in Chicago at 15:00 and arrived at Grand Central Terminal the following morning at 08:00.[10] For a few years after World War II, the eastward schedule was shortened to 15½ hours.

In 1945, EMD diesel-electrics replaced steam, and two new diesel-electric-powered trainsets were commissioned. The replacement was inaugurated by General Dwight D. Eisenhower in September, 1948. This set was featured in postwar films such as North by Northwest and The Band Wagon.

Like many express passenger trains through the mid-1960s, the 20th Century Limited carried an East Division (E.D.) Railway Post Office (R.P.O.) car operated by the Railway Mail Service (RMS) of the United States Post Office Department which was staffed by USPOD clerks as a "fast mail" on each of its daily runs.[11] The mails received by, postmarked, processed, sorted and dispatched from the 20th Century Limited's RPOs were either canceled or backstamped (as appropriate) during the trip by hand-applied circular date stamps (CDS) reading "N.Y. & CHI. R.P.O. E.D. 20TH CEN.LTD." and the train's number: "25" (NY–CHI) or "26" (CHI–NY).

For much of its history before 1957, the all-Pullman train made station stops only at Grand Central Terminal and Harmon for New York–area passengers and LaSalle Street Station and Englewood for Chicago-area passengers. These traveled in as many as seven sections (each was a separate, complete train), of which the first was named the Advance 20th Century Limited.[1] In 1957, the 20th Century Limited schedule added more station stops to the original four (two terminals and two suburban stops). In the 1960s, the NYC added slumbercoaches to the roster of sleeping cars.[12]

Demise[edit]

By the late 1960s, the train was in decline. On December 2, 1967 at 18:00, the half-full train left Grand Central Terminal's Track 34 for the last time.[2] As always, carnations were given to men and perfume and flowers to women boarding the train.[2] The next day, it arrived at LaSalle Street Station in Chicago 9 hours 50 minutes late due to a freight derailment near Conneaut, Ohio, which forced a slow rerouting over the parallel Nickel Plate railroad freight line.[13]

Present day[edit]

Amtrak now operates the Lake Shore Limited between New York Penn Station and Chicago Union Station. It follows a route similar to the 20th Century's, except west of Whiting, Indiana (near Chicago), where it switches to the former Pennsylvania Railroad's Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway.

On August 26, 1999, the United States Postal Service issued 33-cent All Aboard! 20th Century American Trains commemorative stamps featuring five celebrated American passenger trains from the 1930s and 1940s. One of the five stamps features an image of a streamlined J-3a steam locomotive leading the 20th Century Limited out of the Chicago railyards on its way to New York, with the Board of Trade Building in the background.

Several 20th Century Limited traincars and its red carpet were included in the Grand Central Centennial Parade of Trains, part of the terminal centennial celebration in 2013.[14]

For 2023, two of the restored traincars, Hickory Creek and Tavern-Lounge No. 43, are being offered for Spring and Fall day trip excursions between New York City and Albany, New York while attached to the rear of an Amtrak Empire Service train.[15][16] In September, a special trip from New York to Chicago and back will be offered.[15] All 2023 tickets were sold, but there is a waiting list.[15]

Sample consists[edit]

Eastbound train #38—Advance 20th Century Limited, on February 7, 1930; Sampled at Chicago.[17]

  • Locomotive: J-1 Class (4-6-4 Hudson) steam locomotive; NYC #5270;
  • Class CS Baggage-club car: NYC EAGLE HEIGHTS;
  • Class PS Sleeper (14-section): STAR VIEW;
  • Class PS Sleeper (8-section 1-drawing room 2-compartment): SPRING GAP;
  • Class PS Sleeper (6-compartment 3-drawing room): GLEN ALICE;
  • Class DA Dining car: NYC 387;
  • Class PS Sleeper (14-section): STAR SPUR;
  • Class PS Sleeper (10-section 2-double drawing rooms): GANNETT PEAK;
  • Class PS Sleeper (8-section 1-drawing room 2-compartments): GLOVER GAP;
  • Class PSO Sleeper-Buffet-Lounge-Observation (1-drawing room 1-single bedroom): MOHAWK VALLEY.

Westbound train #25—20th Century Limited, on March 17, 1938; Sampled at New York City[18]

  • Locomotive: Class T3A Electric Locomotive;
  • Class MP Postal car: NYC #4857;
  • Class CS Baggage-club car: NYC VAN TWILLER;
  • Class PS Sleeper (8-section 1-drawing room 2-compartment): CENTACORRA;
  • Class PS Sleepers (6-section 6-double bedroom): POPLAR PARK;
  • Class PS Sleepers (6-section 6-double bedroom): POPLAR HIGHLANDS;
  • Class PS Sleeper (6-compartment 3-drawing room): GLEN ANNA;
  • Class DA Dining cars: NYC 654;
  • Class DA Dining cars: NYC 655;
  • Class PS Sleeper (6-section 6-double bedroom): POPLAR GROVE;
  • Class PS Sleepers (13-double bedroom): MACOMB HOUSE;
  • Class PS Sleepers (13-double bedroom): PRINGLE HOUSE;
  • Class PSO Sleeper-Buffet-Lounge-Observation (1-drawing room 1-single bedroom): ELKHART VALLEY.

 One of the NYC Hudsons fitted with the streamlined casing designed by Henry Dreyfuss

Eastbound train #26—20th Century Limited, on September 6, 1943; departing Chicago.[19]

  • Class J-3a (4-6-4 Hudson) steam locomotive: NYC 5450;
  • Class MB Baggage-mail car: NYC #5017;
  • Class DDL Dormitory-buffet-lounge car: CENTURY CLUB;
  • Class PS Sleeper (10-roomettes 5-double bedroom): CASCADE WONDER;
  • Class PS Sleeper (17-roomette): CITY OF CLEVELAND;
  • Class PS Sleeper (17-roomette): CITY OF DAYTON;
  • Class PS Sleeper (10-roomette 5-double bedroom): CASCADE GLORY;
  • Class PS Sleeper (10-roomette 5-double bedroom): CASCADE WHIRL;
  • Class PS Sleeper (4-Double Bedroom 4-compartment 2-drawing room): IMPERIAL FOUNTAIN;
  • Class DA Dining car: NYC 680;
  • Class DA Dining car: NYC 684;
  • Class PS Sleeper (4-double bedroom 4 compartment 2-drawing room); IMPERIAL CITY;
  • Class PS Sleeper (4-double bedroom 4 compartment 2-drawing room); IMPERIAL DOME;
  • Class PS Sleeper (13-double bedroom): ONONDAGA COUNTY;
  • Class PS Sleeper (13-double bedroom): HAMPDEN COUNTY;
  • Class PS Sleeper (13-double bedroom): MONTGOMERY COUNTY;
  • Class PS Sleeper (13-double bedroom): ASHTABULA COUNTY;
  • Class PSO Sleeper-Buffet-Lounge-Observation (2-double bedrooms; 1-compartment; 1-drawing room): MAUMEE RIVER.

 20th Century at LaSalle Street Station, Chicago – 1963

Westbound train #25—20th Century Limited, on March 30, 1965, sampled at Cleveland, Ohio[20]

  • E7A diesel locomotive: NYC 4025;
  • E8A diesel locomotive: NYC 4080;
  • E7A diesel locomotive: NYC 4007;
  • Class MB Baggage-mail car: NYC 5018;
  • Class CSB Baggage-dormitory car: NYC 8979;
  • Class PB Coach: NYC 2942;
  • Class DG Grill-diner: NYC 450;
  • Class PAS Sleepercoach (16-Single Room 10-Double Room): NYC 10811;
  • Class PAS Sleepercoach (16-Single Room 10-Double Room): NYC 10817;
  • Class PS Sleeper (22-roomette): NYC 10355 BOSTON HARBOR;
  • Class DKP Kitchen-Lounge Car: NYC 477;
  • Class DE Dining Room Car: NYC 406;
  • Class PS Sleeper (10-roomette 6-double bedroom): NYC 10171 CURRENT RIVER;
  • Class PS Sleeper (12-double bedroom): NYC 10511 PORT OF DETROIT;
  • Class PS Sleeper (12-double bedroom): NYC 10501 PORT BYRON;
  • Class PSO Sleeper-Buffet-Lounge-Observation (5-double bedroom): NYC 10633 HICKORY CREEK.

Legacy[edit]

 A section of one of the famous red carpets, next to the observation car "Hickory Creek" during the 2013 Grand Central Centennial Parade of Trains. The 20th Century Limited originally departed New York City from the right-hand side of this platform.

The 20th Century Limited was advertised as "The Most Famous Train in the World".[21] In the year of its last run, The New York Times said that it "...was known to railroad buffs for 65 years as the world's greatest train".[2] Its style was described as "spectacularly understated ... suggesting exclusivity and sophistication".[3] Passengers walked to the train in New York and Chicago on a specially designed crimson carpet, giving rise to the phrase "the red-carpet treatment".[22] "Transportation historians", said the writers of The Art of the Streamliner, "consistently rate the 1938 edition of the Century to be the world's ultimate passenger conveyance—at least on the ground".[23]

In 1926, Lucille Ball made her first trip to California from New York on the 20th Century Limited.[24]

On 15 October 1942 after a meeting in Chicago on the Manhattan Project General Leslie Groves invited J. Robert Oppenheimer to join himself, James C. Marshall and Kenneth Nichols on their return trip to New York. After dinner on the train they discussed the project while squeezed into Nichol’s one-person roomette (of about 40" by 80" or 1m by 2m). Shortly afterwards Oppenheimer was appointed to head the Los Alamos Laboratory.[25]

Regular passengers included Theodore RooseveltWilliam Jennings BryanLillian Russell"Diamond Jim" BradyJ. P. MorganEnrico Caruso and Nellie Melba.

In fiction[edit]

The 20th Century Limited was the setting for a Broadway musical composed by Cy Coleman and written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green entitled On the Twentieth Century, about the romantic complications of a beautiful actress and an egocentric producer/director. Madeline Kahn and John Cullum starred in the award-winning production (five Tony Awards out of nine nominations), whose spectacular production design featured both the lavish Art Deco details of the time period as well innovative staging to open up what could be cramped quarters inside a train car. The musical was based on the 1932 Ben Hecht-Charles MacArthur stage play of the same subject, which in 1934 they adapted as a film entitled Twentieth Century, directed by Howard Hawks, with Carole Lombard and John Barrymore in the lead roles. The train also figured prominently as a setting for major scenes in both Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest and George Roy Hill's The Sting (which incorrectly had the train arrive in Chicago at night, not in the morning as it did in reality).

While doing research for her novel Atlas ShruggedAyn Rand learned the operation of the train and subsequently devised a fictional company – the "Twentieth Century Motor Company" – which would be important to the novel's plot.

The 20th Century Limited is frequently referenced as a main means of train transportation of the fictional Van Dorn detective Isaac Bell in several Clive Cussler period books featuring the early 1900s detective. The Wrecker (Clive Cussler with Justin Scott) is the second in the long-running series and has Bell with other Van Dorn detectives riding the 20th Century Limited often as they pursue a train-wrecking villain.

Other namesakes[edit]

The 20th Century Limited was also the inspiration for several cultural works. A recipe for the 20th Century cocktail was published in the Cafe Royal Bar Book in 1937.

References[edit]

General
  • Beebe, Lucius (1962). The Twentieth Century Limited. Berkeley, California: Howell-North Publishing. ISBN 978-0831017071.
  • Cook Sr., Richard J. (1993). The Twentieth Century Limited. Lynchburg, Virginia: TLC Publishing. ISBN 9781883089269.
  • Johnston, Bob; Welsh, Joe; Schafer, Mike (2001). The Art of the Streamliner. New York: Metro Books. ISBN 978-1-58663-146-8.
  • McGonigal, Robert S. (2016). Great Trains East. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing.
  • Wayner, Robert J. Passenger Train Consists; 1923–1973. Wayner Publications.
  • Zimmermann, Karl R. (2002). 20th Century Limited. Saint Paul, MN: MBI. ISBN 0760314225OCLC 55042088.
Specific
  1. Jump up to:a b c d e Jackson, Kenneth T., ed. (1995). The Encyclopedia of New York City. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 1207. ISBN 0300055366.
  2. Jump up to:a b c d Browne, Malcolm W. (December 3, 1967). "The 20th Century Makes Final Run" (PDF)The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2009.
  3. Jump up to:a b Johnston, Welsh & Schafer 2001, pp. 48–49
  4. ^ "Twenty-Hour Trains' Trips to Chicago" (PDF)The New York Times. June 17, 1902. p. 2. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  5. ^ "Exit the Twentieth Century Limited". Railway Gazette. May 16, 1958. p. 558.
  6. ^ Matowitz, Thomas (November 20, 2016). "Wreck of the 20th Century Limited"City of Mentor. Mentor, Ohio. Archived from the original on May 10, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  7. ^ Browne, Malcolm W. (December 3, 1967). "The 20th Century Makes Final Run" (PDF)The New York Times. p. 31. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  8. ^ Little, W.F.; Salter, E.H. (May 1959). "Lighting for the Past 25 Years and the Future". Electrical Engineering. IEEE. 78 (5): 519–526. doi:10.1109/EE.1959.6432563.
  9. ^ Official Guide of the Railways. New York: National Railway Publication Co. February 1956. pp. 214–216.
  10. ^ Bowen, Eric H. "The 20th Century Limited – September, 1938"streamlinerschedules.com.
  11. ^ "Riding the Fast Mail". Popular Mechanics: 56 et seq. February 1943.
  12. ^ "New York Central" (PDF). New York Central. April 1961.
  13. ^ "The Twentieth Century retires at 65". Railway Age. December 11, 1967. p. 12.
  14. ^ Cassidy, Martin B. (May 13, 2013). "Grand Central transformed into time capsule". Greenwich Time.
  15. Jump up to:a b c "20th Century Limited"Hudson River Rail ExcursionsUnited Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  16. ^ Feldman, Ella (February 3, 2023). "You Can Travel in a Vintage 1940s Train Along the Hudson River"SmithsonianSmithsonian Institution. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  17. ^ Wayner, p. 14
  18. ^ Wayner, p. 18
  19. ^ Wayner, p. 17
  20. ^ Wayner, p. 86
  21. ^ King, A. Rowden (September 1912). "Making A Train World Famous: How the 20th Century Limited has Become a Business Necessity and its Name an English Idiom by Advertising"Advertising & Selling. New York: The Advertising & Selling Co. 22 (4): 12–16.
  22. ^ Claiborne, Robert (1988). Loose Cannons and Red Herrings. A Book of Lost Metaphors. New York.: Norton. pp. 193ISBN 978-0-393-02578-1.
  23. ^ Johnston, Welsh & Schafer 2001, p. 46
  24. ^ Gilbert T. and Sanders C. S. (1993). Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. New York: Morrow. p. 16. ISBN 9780688112172.
  25. ^ Nichols, Kenneth (1987). The Road to Trinity: A Personal Account of How America’s Nuclear Policies Were Made. New York: William Morrow and Company. p. 73. ISBN 0-688-06910-X.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

  Media related to 20th Century Limited at Wikimedia Commons

  • Greatest Highway in the World Gutenberg.org e-book version of The Greatest Highway in the World: Historical, Industrial and Descriptive Information of the Towns, Cities and Country passed through between New York and Chicago via The New York Central Lines (c. 1921)

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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    March 2005
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Posted by wetidlerjr on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 3:14 AM

Good morning!

FAMILY GUY_DOG.png

1707296979304.png

Trains A. G. Chione photo

Bill Tidler Jr.

Near a cornfield in Indiana...

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Posted by York1 on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 6:51 AM

Good morning, diners.  Another busy day ahead, so just coffee.

In 1989, after getting off the City of New Orleans in Chicago, we got on the California Zephyr to Hastings, Nebraska.  This is the only photo I have of that train.  When we left Chicago, we got to see the fires at the switches to keep them warm.

However, through Iowa, the Zephyr's bathrooms froze and quit working.  By the time we reached Nebraska at dawn, it was minus 35°F.  We were glad to get off the train of very unhappy people.

 

 

Hope everyone has a good day.  The diner is very quiet.  Maybe business will pick up today.

York1 John       

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Posted by BATMAN on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 9:59 AM

Good morning from the sunny West Coast. Of course, it is still dark but it will be sunny.

Thanks for the kind words concerning my wife's health. She has significant neurological issues likely caused by exposure to a very rare bacteria in an animal that was brought into the hospital 15 years ago. I am starting to think about what I may do if I find myself alone at some point. Not a pleasant thought.

I belong to several FB Canadian Pacific sites and reading them is quite enjoyable as there are so many RR employees still working and retired on them just chatting shop talk. A lot of photos are posted by them as well. I have three CP F-units and I am surprised how often the numbers I have show up in the photos.

This coaling tower has been on my workbench forever. The instructions are really bad and so are the photos of it. When I finally get it done it will be an unintentional kitbash.Laugh

Charlie, get another dog, you will live a longer happier life. One of our close friends is about to be moving on from cancer and she has been a lifelong shower and breeder of Golden Retrievers. We have been helping out a lot and people in the Golden Retriever community have all stepped up to make sure her dogs are taken care of when the time comes. She has arranged to get the needle when the time comes and has asked us to be with her at that time. A trip I am not looking forward to.

Here is a pic from about 15 years ago for Charlie. The dog running after my daughter was a real favourite of mine and a top show dog. He died about 5 years ago but my wife froze a lot of his semen and we now have a 5-month-old puppy from that and he sure shows a lot of his Dad's personality traits.Laugh

Well, the Sun is up, time to hit the trail. I am 3 lbs too heavy and need to lose the lard.Laugh Easier to lose 3 lbs than 30.

Great topic this month and I have more to say but I see the word count police on the horizon soooo.

All the best to all.

 

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by Track fiddler on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 10:39 AM

Prayers and best wishes for your wife Brent.  Was thinking the same thought, when they found a significant spot on Judy's lung that concerned the health care professionals enough to schedule more tests.  The thought of being left alone in this world certainly is a bad one.  Waiting is the hardest part sometimes.

Didnt really appreciate your little dig.  While wishing the best for you and yours, the little flippy Emoji could have came in handy today as well.  It was my thoughts, the bad choice of text one day was all cleared up, but perhaps being man enough to apologize wasn't quite good enough. 

Let he who never had a slip of the tongue and regretted saying something, cast the first stone.  Get over it!  Life is too short to hold grudges forever then a day.

 

John

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Posted by BATMAN on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 11:56 AM

Track fiddler
Didnt really appreciate your little dig.

Sorry TF I was not thinking about you when I said that.

I am having a frustrating day, the tax man wants another $200,000.00 out of this Estate I am dealing with over a land sale. They have not taken the land use description into account. The accountant and Lawyer say they don't have a leg to stand on so we should be OK. It just will cost us a bunch more money to deal with it and when the Estate is going to charity it is money they don't get and that tends to put me in a bad mood.Grumpy

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by NorthBrit on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 12:02 PM

Good evening Diners.  A coffee with a shot of rum please,  Zoe.

The cough is easing somewhat.

Not the thread this month.  Just thought I'd share

 

Dawn and I were talking about railway journeys we used to do before health issues put a stop to.
"Remember the overnight train from Calais to the south of France," said Dawn, "The discotheque and small dance floor that was on it?"
"Oh yes! And trying to get the children to return to the sleeping compartment?" said I.
We both laughed now. Not then though. We knew the 'bother' of waking and getting to the Diner in the morning.

"It's not my favourite journey we took," I added.

We had been married just over a year. The journey to Wick is my favourite. Catching the morning train in Newcastle to Edinburgh. Crossing the border into Scotland and Dawn resting her back against my shoulder and chest as she watched the passing scenery.

Edinburgh we had an early lunch in a bar in Rose Street. Dawn loves Edinburgh. A favourite place of hers before we married. No sightseeing though; a train to catch. The train to Inverness was at the platform. I was getting used to Dawn resting her back against me. No, they are the wrong words. I was loving it. The Forth Bridge, Ladybank Junction, Perth behind us. Into the Highlands and down to Inverness.

Dawn's parents had moved to Southern Scotland, so we booked into the Station Hotel for the night. An evening stroll down to the river. Remembering our first meeting. The castle high on the left the River Ness on our right. We came to the little waterfall where I proposed. We kissed.

The following morning we caught the train to Wick. We made sure we were in the Wick portion of the train as it splits at Georgemas Junction. One portion of the train goes to Wick, the other to Thurso. The scenery is better sitting on the right. Dawn settled in her favourite position (as far as I was concerned). I kissed her forehead; well not really, more in her hair. She looked up at me and pouted her lips into a kiss and snuggled in closer.

Yes. My favourite journey with Dawn

 

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

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Posted by York1 on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 12:03 PM

No one has ever accused me of being intelligent, but I am now confused.

York1 John       

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Posted by BATMAN on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 12:26 PM

Ok, there must be a full Moon or something today. A friend just called and said her toilet tank just exploded. She watched a YouTube video that said to clean your toilet tank, put citric acid in really hot water, and pour it into the tank. Of course, it just had really cold water in it before she emptied it. I asked her if she knew what happens to a frosty windshield if you pour hot water on it. She said of course I do it cracks! There was a pause and she goes......oh.Indifferent

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by Track fiddler on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 10:26 PM

Oops - Sign

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Posted by Track fiddler on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 11:08 PM

.

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Posted by gmpullman on Thursday, February 8, 2024 12:21 AM

Some railroads really went out of their way to cater to the whims of the travelling public. I was always impressed with the Empire Builders Ranch cars:

 Builder_Interior by Edmund, on Flickr

 

One of the cars actually wound up in Ohio in sore need of protection:

 Great Northern Ranch Car "Iceberg Lake" Bar View by J.L. Nelson, on Flickr

Iceberg Lake surely living up to its name here:

 Great Northern Ranch Car "Iceberg Lake" by J.L. Nelson, on Flickr

 

Fortunately the Hidden Lake has had a much better outcome:

https://www.ncry.org/about/collection/passenger/gn-ranchcar-hiddenlake1242/

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by Track fiddler on Thursday, February 8, 2024 12:26 AM

Those Sky Blues look nice.

One's going back to Colorado and coming back with a brand new number.

474 D will come back as 276 A

 

TF

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