blhanel wrote:Oops, the Harahan Bridge is actually UP. The next one down is also in Memphis- the Frisco Bridge, now used by BNSF.
Correct so we've got Thebes and the two at Memphis pinned down. RWM identified the one at Vicksburg but not the user. Also how about the others further south.
Mark
The Vicksburg bridge was built by the Vicksburg Bridge & Terminal Co., a private toll-bridge company, and remains non-railroad owned.
Original user was the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad Co. (part of the Illinois Central System)., then Illinois Central, Illinois Central Gulf, Mid-South, then Kansas City Southern Railway.
Then Baton Rouge (Louisiana & Arkansas, T&P trackage rights, now L&A (KCS System) with UP rights), then New Orleans (T&NO, then SP, then UP, then BNSF with UP rights). If I recall correctly -- this is from memory instead of looking at Dale's Excellent Page.
RWM
Vicksburg is used by KCS. Before that MidSouth, ICG, GM&O(?, or was it IC?), and before that the original railroad was... Vicksburg & Meridian?
Also, I believe there is a GM&O or KCS bridge in Baton Rouge. I seem to recall another (besides Thebes) near Cairo, Illinois owned by C&EI.
KCSfan wrote: Since this particular game is over and I've been declared the winner I'll name the two interurabans that I found by searching google. First was the Joliet Plainfield and Aurora. Following a bankruptcy it was reorganized into two distinct roads, the Joliet and Eastern and the Aurora Plainfield and Joliet.
Since this particular game is over and I've been declared the winner I'll name the two interurabans that I found by searching google. First was the Joliet Plainfield and Aurora. Following a bankruptcy it was reorganized into two distinct roads, the Joliet and Eastern and the Aurora Plainfield and Joliet.
You really know your interurbans, Mark. THe Trainwatchers Guide to Chicago shows 4 of them in Aurora. The CA&E from Chicago, and the AP&J from Joliet are two. You mentioned the Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric, which ran beside the River. The 4th was the Chicago, Aurora and De Kalb, which went west to De Kalb, parallel to the CMSP&P.
nanaimo73 wrote: KCSfan wrote: Since this particular game is over and I've been declared the winner I'll name the two interurabans that I found by searching google. First was the Joliet Plainfield and Aurora. Following a bankruptcy it was reorganized into two distinct roads, the Joliet and Eastern and the Aurora Plainfield and Joliet. You really know your interurbans, Mark. THe Trainwatchers Guide to Chicago shows 4 of them in Aurora. The CA&E from Chicago, and the AP&J from Joliet are two. You mentioned the Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric, which ran beside the River. The 4th was the Chicago, Aurora and De Kalb, which went west to De Kalb, parallel to the CMSP&P.
Mark, Dale, whoever, I took the liberty of adding boldface and underlining a phrase that makes me ask a question: Is a portion of that former (interurban?) (traction?) company the site of the Fox River Valley Electric Trolley Museum today? (Despite the initial caps, I'm quite sure I didn't get the name exactly right, but it's fine if you want to correct me....)
Also, and I speak now to everyone who's ever been to the museum, not just to traction and interurban mavens [I myself don't much care for the slang "wirehead"], is it a good museum to visit and how many hours at minimum do you think should be budgeted? I'm ashamed to say that it's one of the "round tuit" places I haven't visited yet in my 20+ years in Chi, but in partial defense, when we've budgeted a good whole daylight day, Union calls! -- al
Between Brian, Murphy, RWM and Snaggletooth you have named all six bridges. RWM gets an A+ (as usual) for correctly naming the railroads, past and present, that run over the bridges at Vicksburg and Baton Rouge. The roads that originally used the bridge at Thebes were the MoPac, SSW (Cotton Belt) and C&EI which of course today are all part of the UP. IIRC the Harahan Bridge at Memphis was originally used by both the MoPac and the Rock Island (Choctaw Route) while the SL-SF was the sole user of the Frisco Bridge. The Vicksburg Bridge is owned by Warren County Mississippi and, in addition to the railroad, carried US Hwy 80 across the River until shortly after the Interstate 20 bridge was built when it was closed to highway traffic. The bridges at Baton Rouge and New Orleans are both named the Huey P. Long Bridge (they were built when he was governor), are both owned by the State of Louisiana and are both rail and highway bridges. The HPL at New Orleans was used by the T&P and T&NO (subsidiary of the SP) which are both UP today. I'm not 100% sure but it may also be used by the New Orleans Public Belt. Snaggletooth, there is no other bridge between Thebes and Memphis. I believe you were thinking of the C&EI line that ended at Joppa on the Ohio River but did not cross it.
I think Brian should be declared the winner since he was the first responder and correctly identified three of the six bridges. Also he hasn't had an opportunity to ask a question recently so fire away Brian, let's hear your question.
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
Thanks Brian,
Murphy, RWM and Snaggletooth, do you guys have a question ?
Nananimo, I have an e-mail stating your question about the major advance in steam locomotives in 1905 but when I return to the forums I don't see the message. Did you delete it? In any event I'll take a guess as to the answer and say superheating.
OK here's a question that should be pretty easy to answer. Lets say it's 1946 and you are traveling from Minneapolis to Cincinnatti via the Burlington and New York Central. You have a ticket that has coupons for passage over each of the two railroads. In addition your interline ticket includes a coupon for passage on another transportation company. What is the name of that other company and between what two points will it transport you?
Not the CTA but you're warm Snaggletooth.
snagletooth wrote:RTA?
Sorry but wrong again. The CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) which you mentioned in a prior reply operates the bus, subway and El lines in Chicago. By RTA I think you are referring to METRA which is a public entity that operates the commuter services in Chicagoland over present day routes of the BNSF, UP, CN/IC, and NS.
Yea, I know. Kinda a half joke answer. BTW RTA also runs Pace buses in the suburbs. Or at least they used to.
Anyway, final guess would be a voucher of some kind for either the Checker or Yellow cab co.'s. Not sure which was predominent in Chicago in the 40's. If that isn't it, I'll let everyone else guess.
espeefoamer wrote:The company was Parmalee(sp?) which ran a bus connection between the various railroad terminals in Chicago.You would have taken it from Union Station(CB&Q) to La Salle St.Station(NYC).
Not quite right but close enough Espee to declare you the winner. The Parmalee Co. contracted with all railroads to transfer through passengers (and their luggage) who had to change from one to another of the seven downtown stations in Chicago. Our hypothetical passenger would have to go from Union Station to Central Station (not LaSalle) to catch his train to Cincinnati. While NYC trains such as the 20th Century from Cleveland, New York City and other mainline points used LaSalle St. Station, NYC trains that operated over the former Big Four and Michigan Central lines departed from and arrived at the Illinois Central's Central Station which faced onto Michigan Ave.
Your turn to ask a question.
esspeefoamer answered the last question so it's his turn.
KCSfan wrote:OK here's a question that should be pretty easy to answer. Lets say it's 1946 and you are traveling from Minneapolis to Cincinnatti via the Burlington and New York Central. You have a ticket that has coupons for passage over each of the two railroads. In addition your interline ticket includes a coupon for passage on another transportation company. What is the name of that other company and between what two points will it transport you?Mark
That would be for the Parmalee Transfer (bus) between Union Station and Central Station in Chicago.
This question is about the AT&SF Death Valley Scotty special.At the end of each division,Scotty gave each engineer that pulled his train a gift.What was it? My grandfather worked in the La Junta shops in the late teens and early 20s,and he knew an engineer who pulled this special and he told my this information.
espeefoamer wrote:This question is about the AT&SF Death Valley Scotty special.At the end of each division,Scotty gave each engineer that pulled his train a gift.What was it? My grandfather worked in the La Junta shops in the late teens and early 20s,and he knew an engineer who pulled this special and he told my this information.
Actually I never heard of this train. When someone finally guesses it, can you enlighten those of us "not in the know" with some more info, please?
snagletooth wrote: espeefoamer wrote: This question is about the AT&SF Death Valley Scotty special.At the end of each division,Scotty gave each engineer that pulled his train a gift.What was it? My grandfather worked in the La Junta shops in the late teens and early 20s,and he knew an engineer who pulled this special and he told my this information.A picture of Lt. Ahura in a bathing suit! Sorry. Actually I never heard of this train. When someone finally guesses it, can you enlighten those of us "not in the know" with some more info, please?
espeefoamer wrote: This question is about the AT&SF Death Valley Scotty special.At the end of each division,Scotty gave each engineer that pulled his train a gift.What was it? My grandfather worked in the La Junta shops in the late teens and early 20s,and he knew an engineer who pulled this special and he told my this information.
********************
Yes, please do enlighten us. I'm flying blind. Was Scotty the nickname for the engine, the train, the passenger agent, and if it was an ATSF train pre-Amtrak, a rough idea of the decade would help? Or is that too much??
Would you please beam me up, "Scotty," there's intelligent life here but I cannot find a way to address them intelligently. - a. s.
Death Valley Scotty was a flashy, cowboy/showman, from about 100 years ago. He was famous for walking into the ATSF in Los Angelos(?), and asking how much it would cost to get to Chicago in record time-something like under 48 hours. They quoted him a huge price, and off they went! I think they set records for speed all the way accross the line.
Being the guy was a showman, who also liked to show off money, I wonder if the gift to each of the couple dozen engineers was cash? perhaps $100 bill, or something?
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics
The Scott Special left La Grande station in Los Angeles at 1:00 PM on July 9,1905 and arrived at Dearborn station in Chicago 44 hours and 54 minutes later. Distance was 2265 miles.
Walter Scott paid Santa Fe $5500 cash to take him to Chicago in 46 hours which was 11 hours and 56 minutes faster than the eastward run had ever been made. And so the line was cleared so no other trains were on the track as the Special went through. Engines were changed at Barstow, Needles, Seligman, Williams, Winslow, Gallup. Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Raton, La Junta, Syracuse, Dodge City , Kent, Newton, Emporia, Argentine, Marceline and Shopton to Chicago used one engine. At each engine change point the replacement engine was spotted just beyond the clear point of a crossover. The engine to be replaced was unhooked and quickly ran through the crossover and the new engine would back in, be connected and and air tested and then be away.
The story I have heard was that Mr. Scott gave $20 gold pieces to each of the crewmen at the end of their run. If true it would have had to be done through an intermediary as time would not permit personal visits.
From a book I have, that doesn't mention gifts to engineers, the train cost $5500.00. It departed Los Angeles at 1 pm on Sunday July 9, 1905 and arrived in Chicago at 11:54 am on July 11th. 2265 miles in 44 hours and 54 minutes.
The train came to be known as the Death Valley Coyote or the Scott Special.
Maybe there's a hint in the name? Coyote tails?
Jeff
I vaguely remember reading that Scotty gave them each a coin. It could have been a silver dollar but I'm more inclined to think it was a gold double eagle.
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