Mark, Even the Santa Fe had Jim Crow (segregated) coaches that operated in the Texas Chiefs and passengers of color travelling south of Kansas were separated at Chicago. It was the same for the PRR Southwind and FEC Dixie Flagler. The same would have been true for IC passengers originating in St. Louis travelling south of the Ohio River. Even the SP Sunset operated with Jim Crow coaches and the seating was enforced east of El Paso.
Al - in - Stockton
Dakguy201 wrote: From the hints, the duty was sorting the passengers out by race, but I don't have an idea precisely how that was done -- were there seperate seating areas within each car or seperate cars altogether? If more than one race was included in the same car, was there a "hard" divider or sort of an adjustable border line depending on the mix of passengers boarding?I think I need help from someone who actually rode trains in the South back in those days.
From the hints, the duty was sorting the passengers out by race, but I don't have an idea precisely how that was done -- were there seperate seating areas within each car or seperate cars altogether? If more than one race was included in the same car, was there a "hard" divider or sort of an adjustable border line depending on the mix of passengers boarding?
I think I need help from someone who actually rode trains in the South back in those days.
Bingo we have a winner. Up until de jure segregation ended in the 1960's coach passengers on the IC trains that were headed to points below the Mason Dixon line were segregated by race at Central Station in Chicago. Prior to boarding they would be asked what their destination was and if it was south of Cairo, IL black passengers would be directed by the Passenger Service Reps to the coaches designated for their use at the front end of the train and non-blacks to the coaches further to the rear that would become strictly for whites only once the train crossed the Ohio River and entered Kentucky. Blacks could legally sit in any of the coaches they wanted to while the train was still in Illinois but nontheless were "encouraged" to ride in the front coaches. IC trains were the only ones that were segregated by race upon leaving Chicago and it was this added duty that distinguished the IC reps from their counterparts on the other roads serving the Windy City.
Mark
Looks like another hint is in order. Think of the region of the country that the IC mainline trains ran to from Chicago and the events of the early to mid 1960's.
passengerfan wrote: Mark, I remember that at King St. Station Seattle when boarding the Empire Builder the Pullman Conductor checked all passengers with Pullman space in while the Passenger Service Representative did the same for Coach passengers although he did not collect the actual tickets as the Pullman Conductor did this once the train was underway. The Conductor on the train actually collected the coach passenger tickets and he was usually accompanied by the Passenger Service Representative. The first coach in each Empire Builder was designated for short haul passengers and the others were for those traveling greater distances. This did not seem to matter with the Pullman space as all Pullmans either went through to Chicago or some to St. Paul in later years. The Station agent at Seattle was the one who closed the gates and turned out the lights as the train left. I am assuming that these duties were performed by the IC Passenger Service Representative who performed more of a Station Agent function. Al - in - Stockton
Mark,
I remember that at King St. Station Seattle when boarding the Empire Builder the Pullman Conductor checked all passengers with Pullman space in while the Passenger Service Representative did the same for Coach passengers although he did not collect the actual tickets as the Pullman Conductor did this once the train was underway. The Conductor on the train actually collected the coach passenger tickets and he was usually accompanied by the Passenger Service Representative. The first coach in each Empire Builder was designated for short haul passengers and the others were for those traveling greater distances. This did not seem to matter with the Pullman space as all Pullmans either went through to Chicago or some to St. Paul in later years. The Station agent at Seattle was the one who closed the gates and turned out the lights as the train left. I am assuming that these duties were performed by the IC Passenger Service Representative who performed more of a Station Agent function.
Sorry Al but you're just barely lukewarm. One final hint before I go to bed. It was a regional thing based on de jure.
passengerfan wrote: Mark ,You posted at 3:24AM and there has been no response yet. I for one give up I have scratched my head all day and haven't been able to come up with anything. Having never been fortunate enough to ride the IC I can't imagine what would make there Passenger Agents different.Al - in - Stockton
Mark ,
You posted at 3:24AM and there has been no response yet. I for one give up I have scratched my head all day and haven't been able to come up with anything. Having never been fortunate enough to ride the IC I can't imagine what would make there Passenger Agents different.
Well I guess it's time for a hint then. In order to perform the duty that set them apart from other passenger representatives the IC's reps had to ask passengers what their destination was.
Al-in-Stockton & Al-in-Chicago,
Sorry guys but no cigars for either of you yet. I do know that a number of railroads had on-board reps on their premier trains to tend to passenger needs and answer their questions as you have pointed out. These guys and gals were "charm school grads" compared to the conductors, brakemen and flagmen who had risen from freight service and were often a "crusty" lot and were more interested in train operations than the niceties of dealing with the traveling public. The Pullman Company recognized this and employed "conductors" who, unlike their railroad counterparts, had no role in the actual operation of the train but were more of a passenger service rep and were skilled in meeting the needs of (and sometimes just mollifying) the most demanding first class passengers.
The IC passenger service reps that I asked about did not travel on the trains and had a unique function that set them apart from those of the other roads that you have mentioned and described. I should have phrased my original question more clearly to emphasize this uniqueness. Keep trying.
Railroads that did not join Amtrak, Denver & Rio Grande, Rock Island, Southern Railways, Georgia Railroad.
Rgds IGN
The merged company was Penn Central(wreck that it became)
The year was 1968
I'd like to apologize for the superfluous posting before this. I encountered something called an "n server exception" four times and assumed I hadn't posted the thing.
Then the delete-post feature tells me there's no such thing as the object I am trying to delete!?
Kalmbach needs faster hamsters on the night shift, I think. lol.
al smalling
Does that answer your question adequately. There were many RRs that had Passenger Service Representatives.
The Seaboard Air Line did, at least from the beginning of Silver Service after WWII to the SCL merger in 1967.
So did the Atlantic Coast Line, even before the U.S. entered WWII. Here's a quotation from Larry Goosby's Atlantic Coast Line Passenger Service: The Postwar Years, (1999), p. 33, photo caption:
"Just before the Champion's maiden departure from New York City on December 1, 1939, . . . around them [woman who named the train in a contest, plus ACL brass] are the train's ten smartly uniformed passenger representatives. "
All ten were male! - al
Sorry to disapoint you but many RRs had Passenger Service Representatives. Among those I am most familiar with were those of the Great Northern Empire Builder and Western Star. Not only did they greet passengers at boarding in Chicago but traveled to Seattle and back to Minneapolis before starting out for another trip from Minneapolis to Seattle. The Santa Fe also had Passenger Service Representatives that traveled with the trains as well. North of the border both CN and CP had traveling passenger representatives. Even Amtrak had them not to long ago called Chiefs of Onboard Services.
There duties were to make the passengers travels as comfortable and relaxed as possible. If passengers were worried about a connection with another train due to tardiness they notified the connecting RR how many passengers would be connecting and if they would hold the other train. They were able to assist passengers with schedules of all connecting trains and in some cases buses along the route of their train. I know in later years the passengers of the WB Empire Builder that were going to Vancouver Canada were transported right into King St. Station Seattle but if the EB was running late they transferred at Everett. I remember on one occasion where passengers from the Western Star were transferred from the train along Seattles waterfront to the waiting CPR steamship for Victoria. This was complete with Seattles finest holding up traffic as the passengers crossed the busy waterfront street to the steamship pier.
For years the Illinois Central employed "Passenger Service Reprentatives" who would be found on the platforms at Central Station in Chicago during the time trains were boarding their passengers. To the best of my knowledge no other railroad had simialr employees at the other Chicago stations. What were the duties of these Reps and why did the IC employ them while others roads didn't.
I believe it is Marks turn. He answered the last question.
So is there a new question out there somewhere?
Mark you were correct on all counts except when you mentioned it was all stainless steel . Actually only a single car was stainless steel one of the two observations. Those two cars were American Milemaster and Muskingum River, the latter was the all stainless steel car, and both went to Southern Pacific as replacements for the two original Lark sleeper lounge observations when they were wrecked. The two Baggage -Dormitory cars and the two dining cars were provided by the RI and were old Pullman cars with the round roof but were painted to match the sleeping cars. RI provided diesels for the two seaons the trains operated between Chicago and Tucumcari and SP provided Steam either Mountains or Northerns.
CRI&P-SP-PULLMAN
ARIZONA LIMITED
Chicago - Tucson - Phoenix
(December 15, 1940 - April 15, 1941)
(December 15, 1941 - April 3, 1942)
1900 miles
The ARIZONA LIMITED was an all Pullman All Room winter only operation between Chicago and Tucson-Phoenix. The ARIZONA LIMITED provided a deluxe service for wealthy Midwesterners and other people of means who preferred to spend part of their winters in the warm desert climate of southern Arizona. The ARIZONA LIMITED was a truly first class pair of trains for the only two seasons they ever operated. They were finally canceled due to the outbreak of WW II but even then they just about completed their entire second season. The Rock Island assigned diesel power to the ARIZONA LIMITED trains between Chicago and Tucumcari, New Mexico. The Southern Pacific assigned mostly Mountain's to the ARIZONA LIMITED between Tucumcari and Phoenix. The Rock Island assigned two of their ALCO 2,000 HP prewar diesel passenger units the first season and two EMD 2,000 HP diesel passenger units the second and final season the ARIZONA LIMITEDS operated. The Rock Island also modernized two Baggage 15 Crew Dormitory Cars and two 36 seat Dining Cars for both consists of the ARIZONA LIMITEDS. Both of these cars in each train set were painted two tone gray to match the paint scheme of the Pullman owned Sleeping cars of the ARIZONA LIMITED trains. With two consists the ARIZONA LIMITED was able to provide every other day service between Chicago and Phoenix in both directions. From the ARIZONA LIMITED the Rock Island got the idea for the postwar GOLDEN ROCKET a premier train for service to Los Angeles from Chicago. More on this train later. Both seasons of the ARIZONA LIMITED consists are listed below on the Rock Island.
1940-41 SEASON
FIRST CONSIST
624 ALCO DL Class 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit
6014 Modernized Heavyweight Baggage 15 Crew Dormitory Car (CRI&P)
8028 Modernized Heavyweight 36 seat Dining Car (CRI&P)
IMPERIAL GUARD 4 Compartment 2 Drawing Room 4 Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
IMPERIAL CLIPPER 4 Compartment 2 Drawing Room 4 Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
CASCADE GUARD 10 Roomette 5 Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
CASCADE MILLS 10 Roomette 5 Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
AMERICAN MILEMASTER 2 Double Bedroom 1 Compartment 1 Drawing Room Buffet 27 seat Lounge Observation
SECOND CONSIST
623 ALCO DL Class 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit
6015 Modernized Heavyweight Baggage 15 Crew Dormitory Car (CRI&P)
8031 Modernized Heavyweight 36 seat Dining Car (CRI&P)
IMPERIAL THRONE 4 Compartment 2 Drawing Room 4 Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
IMPERIAL BANNER 4 Compartment 2 Drawing Room 4 Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
CASCADE CLIPPER 10 Roomette 5 Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
CASCADE SHOAL 10 Roomette 5 Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
MUSKINGUM RIVER 2 Double Bedroom 1 Compartment 1 Drawing Room Buffet 27 seat Lounge Observation
1941-42 SEASON
630 EMD E6A 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit
CASCADE BANKS 10 Roomette 5 Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
ROARING CAMP 17 Roomette Sleeping Car
631 EMD E6A 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit
CASCADE BASIN 10 Roomette 5 Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
BEAR FLAG Articulated 14 Duplex Single Room 2 Double Bedroom Sleeping Car
CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC Articulated 4 Double Bedroom Buffet 27 seat Lounge Observation
passengerfan wrote: Mark,My next question is name the secondary Southern Pacific train on the Sunset route between Los Angeles and New Orleans and the secondary SP/RI train between Chicago and Los Angeles. The next part of the question is name the all Pullman Streamliner that operated for two winters only between Chicago and Phoenix?Al - in - Stockton
My next question is name the secondary Southern Pacific train on the Sunset route between Los Angeles and New Orleans and the secondary SP/RI train between Chicago and Los Angeles. The next part of the question is name the all Pullman Streamliner that operated for two winters only between Chicago and Phoenix?
The secondary trains were the Argonaut (LA-NO) and the Imperial (Chi-LA). The Arizona Limited was the all Pullman train that ran between Chi and Phoenix in the winters of 1940-41 and 1941-42. It was a stainless steel streamliner that was steam powered at least over the RI portion of its route but I'm not sure what power the SP assigned to the train.
I have hundreds of pieces of information I have been collecting on the streamlined passenger trains for fifty years, including every book I can lay my hands on and more recently dvds.
passengerfan wrote: McGeheeAl - in - Stockton
McGehee
Correct again Al. I'm obviously going to have to ask harder questions and will be working to have one available when it's my turn again.
passengerfan wrote: Oh I almost forgot it ran between Tallulah and Memphis round trip daily.Al - in - Stockton
Oh I almost forgot it ran between Tallulah and Memphis round trip daily.
Dang it Al you're a hard one to stump. You're right on all counts but before you ask the next question let me throw one more at you. The route of the Delta Eagle was shortened in, IIRC, 1952 and it no longer ran as far as Tallulah, Louisiana. What was the southern end of its run after that time?
It was the Missouri Pacific Delta Eagle and the two passenger cars were built by St. Louis Car and the 1/2 EMD E6A with baggage Compartment was known as an AA model by EMD.
OK here's the next question.
What train was reputed to be the shortest streamliner in the US at the time it went into service in 1941? Name the train, the railroad on which it ran, and the two end points of its route. Its consist was all unique, one of a kind equipment; an EMD A unit containing a baggage/express section behind the engine compartment, followed by a combination coach/RPO, and a coach with a small grill area bringing up the rear.
Mark your question it was the Atlantic Limited.
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