Railroad History Quiz Game (Come on in and play)

[KCSfan]

My question is what was the name of the Santa Fe train that competed with the UP Challenger in the late 1930's?

Was it the El Capitan? I don't recall whether it ran prior to WW-II or if it was a post-war train.

Mark

[passengerfan]

Sorry Mark not the El Capitan. The prewar Challenger was for the most part a heavyweight train that operated on a slower schedule than the City of Los Angeles or City of San Francisco both of which carried coaches. The Santa Fe train I am looking for was for the most part heavyweight and like the Challenger to Los Angeles operated on a much slower schedule. Like the Challenger it provided AC equipped cars throughout and was made up of coaches economy diners, lounges and Tourist sleeping cars.

[arkansasrailfan]

Chief? Or was it the Santa Fe to the Grand Canyon?

[passengerfan]

Sorry Wyomingrailfan still no cigar. It was not the Chief or the Grand Canyon.

[rrnut282]

Scout?

[passengerfan]

Scout?

 You guessed it so I guess the next quetion is yours.

[rrnut282]

Nuts, I'm only good at guessing, not making up questions.

[rrnut282]

At one time or other, there were at least 11 rail mainlines that ran the width of Indiana (from Ohio to Illinois).  Name the RR/lines.

[arkansasrailfan]

NW. PRR. NYC. NKP. C&O. B&O. MAUMEE. South Shore. Monon. WLE. Wabash.
There.
Today it's, wellllll, NS and CSX(like there is ANY Other Class I in the east)

[rrnut282]

I'm not sure the W&LE went through Indiana and the Monon didn't go into Ohio and neither did the South Shore, it stops in South Bend over 100 miles short of Ohio.  You've still got the individual lines to identify.

[KCSfan]

C&O

B&O

NYC

PRR

NYC&STL

CCC&STL (Big Four)

Wabash

N&W (after it acquired the Wabash)

PennCentral

Conrail

NS

CSX

And going back further in time:

LS&MS

PCC&STL

Mark

 

[rrnut282]

Close, LS&MS came into Indiana from Michigan, specifically somewhere west of Sturgis, Mi. 

 

Hint: some had two lines, that is why I asked you to identify the line.

[KCSfan]

Supplementing my prior reply:

B&O - 2 mainlines - NY(Jersey City) to Chicago and  NY to St. Louis

PRR -3 mainlines - NY to Chicago, NY to Chicago via Columbus and NY to St. Louis (I wouldn't consier the line to Effner as a mainline)

NYC - 2 mainlines - NY to Chicago and NY to St.Louis (I wouldn't consider former P&E line west of Indianapolis to Peoria a mainline)

Erie - NY to Chicago (I overlooked this road in my earlier list)

NYC&STL - 2 mainlines - Buffalo to Chicago and Buffalo to St. Louis (I wouldn't consider the line to Peoria a mainline)

CCC&STL (Big Four/NYC System) - 2 mainlines - Cleveland to St. Louis and Cincinnatti to Chicago

Wabash - 2 mainlines - Buffalo to Chicago and Buffalo to St. Louis (and KC Omaha and Des Moines as well)

Plus the others I listed in my prior reply

Mark

 

 

 

[rrnut282]

Much better Mark.  I'll give it to you.

[KCSfan]

I'll repeat a question I had posted previously when it was not actually my turn. Here's the question.

In the 1930's or possibly early 40's the Atlantic Coast Line bought several locomotives from another railroad specifically to head the Tampa/St. Pete to Chicago Southland. These engines headed this train over the Perry Cutoff to Albany, GA. North of Albany the Southland operated over the Central of Georgia, L&N and Pennsy. What was the wheel arrangement of these engines and what railroad did the ACL buy them from?

Mark

[Murphy Siding]

I'll repeat a question I had posted previously when it was not actually my turn. Here's the question.

In the 1930's or possibly early 40's the Atlantic Coast Line bought several locomotives from another railroad specifically to head the Tampa/St. Pete to Chicago Southland. These engines headed this train over the Perry Cutoff to Albany, GA. North of Albany the Southland operated over the Central of Georgia, L&N and Pennsy. What was the wheel arrangement of these engines and what railroad did the ACL buy them from?

Mark

Were they Baldwin Centipedes?  From either PRR, or Central of New Jersey?

[al-in-chgo]

Since there's no penalty for guessing egregiously wrong, I'll play odds and guess the engines were some sort of Pacifics, 4-6-2, since probably at that time (looking at the whole USA), they were the biggest class of steam engine out there.   Thanks to prior posts on CLASSIC TRAINS' board, I do know that ACL (SAL too) rented passenger equipment from lines in the north and west (primarily west) on which summer was the peak of travel, as opposed to ACL, where the classic Florida high season was [is?] winter. 

But you're talking about an outright purchase.  In a time of generally improving economy and growing war preparations (late 1930's-early 1940s), who would be wanting to get rid of their Pacifics?  As to number of Pacifics, PRR excelled but I doubt they kept enough spare power around to sell some used.

Then it occurred to me what kind of line might want to get rid of a few steam engines:  one undergoing dieselization.  All I know about Santa Fe [and even that's IIRC] is that they used eight-wheelers as supplemental power on Tehachapi[sp?] pass; and IIRC even more dimly that Hudsons were used on the Texas route. 

I have the benefit of blind ignorance:  I'll guess the locomotives were 4-6-2's and the railroad that sold them was, nonetheless, ATSF. 

Now if you like, you can tell the people how far off I am!    

(PS: re:  "Much better Mark.  I'll give it to you."  Dude, he earned it!  - a. s.) 

 

[KCSfan]

Murphy,

Not Baldwin centipedes they were steam locomotives.

Al,

Sorry, not Pacifics and not the Santa Fe. The road that orginally owned the engines didn't even have a thought of dieselizing at the time it sold these engines. They had been ordered and built in anticipation of continued increases in passenger traffic which, of course instead of increasing, declined dramatically in the Depression years. The ACL got some modern motive power at a bargain price and the financially stressed seller got some much needed cash from the sale.

Mark 

[KCSfan]

Here's a hint. The original owner decided that the Pacifics these engines were intended to replace were entirely adequate to handle its pre-WW-II passenger traffic.

Mark

[KCSfan]

Time for another hint that will narrow down the number of railroads that might have originally owned these locomotives.

They were designed and built to burn anthracite coal. The ACL had to make some firebox and/or grate modifications to burn bituminous.

Mark

[KCSfan]

It seems that this bit of trivia may be just too obscure for any of our regular players to know about or even know where to find the answer. The few replies seems to indicate that is the case. 

Rather than let the thread die I'll supply the answer so we can move on. The engines originally belonged to the Lackawanna and were 4-8-2's. IIRC the ACL bought five of them.

I flipped a coin to see which of the two who took a stab at it should be up next and Al-in-Chgo won. You're up Al so post a question.

Mark 

[al-in-chgo]

It seems that this bit of trivia may be just too obscure for any of our regular players to know about or even know where to find the answer. The few replies seems to indicate that is the case. 

Rather than let the thread die I'll supply the answer so we can move on. The engines originally belonged to the Lackawanna and were 4-8-2's. IIRC the ACL bought five of them.

I flipped a coin to see which of the two who took a stab at it should be up next and Al-in-Chgo won. You're up Al so post a question.

Mark 

 

Thanks, Mark!  I'll reword a question I had thought of earlier:

Please list the total number of days the Penn Central existed without being in bankruptcy.

1)  Just the total days, please; not years-months-days or other such formula.

2)  The day PC came into being as a RR-operating entity counts, AS DOES the day the corporation filed for bankruptcy (as it was in operation during the day prior to that.)

3) Closest firstest wins, BUT

4) If you go over by even one day, you will not win! 

Easy with research, but without . . .    (?)

Buena suerte, al s.

 

 

[Anonymous]

None? Was it created with no money? I have no idea actually.

[nanaimo73]

Al, I'll guess 1260, which is 3 and a half years.

Easy with research, but without . . .    (?)

I thought we were not supposed to look things up...

[al-in-chgo]

Al, I'll guess 1260, which is 3 and a half years.

Easy with research, but without . . .    (?)

I thought we were not supposed to look things up...

 

Right, that's the point; IIRC none of the answers on this thread are supposed to be researched, this one included.

You are over limit.

Thanks for trying!

al

[CShaveRR]

I can't remember the precise bankruptcy date, but I'll go with 865.

[Murphy Siding]

     The figure 1000 days sticks in my mind for some reason.

[jeffhergert]

I'll guess 650.  Kind of like the Price is Right.  Now, off to look it up...

Jeff

[blhanel]

I'll guess 650.  Kind of like the Price is Right.  Now, off to look it up...

Jeff

 

699!

[al-in-chgo]

I can't remember the precise bankruptcy date, but I'll go with 865.

Keep trying!  - a.s.