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Railroad History Quiz Game (Come on in and play) Locked

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Posted by passengerfan on Thursday, March 20, 2008 12:31 PM
Could it be Montana Rail Link and was it Cleveland Union Terminal.
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Thursday, March 20, 2008 12:19 PM
 nanaimo73 wrote:

Another short question,
What is/was the longest (route miles) American railroad which existed or still exists, which Amtrak has not operated on on a scheduled route?

Would that be a trick question?  How about the Alaska Railroad?

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by nanaimo73 on Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:40 AM

 CShaveRR wrote:
I've got something, but it will have to wait until after work.  Please bear with me (I say that a lot at work, too--not!).

Sounds good Carl. I hope you don't mind if I ask a filler question until yours is ready.

When Amtrak began in 1971, they used a number of large older stations in major cities, which they pulled out of later for various reasons. This question deals with 5 stations which were abandoned before 1980. Which station did Amtrak leave first out of these 5?

St. Louis Union Station
Houston Union Station
Chicago Central Terminal
Cleveland Union Terminal
Buffalo Central Terminal

Another short question,
What is/was the longest (route miles) American railroad which existed or still exists, which Amtrak has not operated on on a scheduled route?

 

Dale
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Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, March 20, 2008 5:37 AM
I've got something, but it will have to wait until after work.  Please bear with me (I say that a lot at work, too--not!).

Carl

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Posted by oltmannd on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 9:23 PM
 CShaveRR wrote:

Was it a bird (no, that's CNW).

Was it a train?

Was it Supervan?

We have a winner!

All the premium TV trains were resymbolled SV for about half a year. Ultimately, it was more confusing than helpful and it was dropped.

The NYC Supervan trains were trains carrying Flexivans (and some TOFC, too).

 You're up, Carl!

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 7:34 PM

Was it a bird (no, that's CNW).

Was it a train?

Was it Supervan?

Carl

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Posted by oltmannd on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 7:30 PM

 nanaimo73 wrote:
Didn't they bring back the Flexi name, taken from the NYC Flexi Van?

...no, but warmer!

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by nanaimo73 on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 4:11 PM
Didn't they bring back the Flexi name, taken from the NYC Flexi Van?
Dale
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Posted by oltmannd on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 3:54 PM

 rrnut282 wrote:
Is that when trains like Mail 8 came into being?

Nope.  The mail train names were hold-overs from another era that lasted into and through the whole Conrail era.

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by rrnut282 on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 2:57 PM
Is that when trains like Mail 8 came into being?
Mike (2-8-2)
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Posted by oltmannd on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 9:12 AM
 nanaimo73 wrote:
 oltmannd wrote:

 CopCarSS wrote:
I seem to recall that Conrail symbolled some intermodal stuff with "TV" and that it stood for "Trailer Van," but that's coming out of one of the darkest, most cob-webbed corners of my mind.

TV did = "Trail Van".  That was the standard and normal symbolling convention - a carryover from PC days.

Did TV start with PC, or did the PRR start that?

The PRR intermodal trains were TT for "Trailer Train". 

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by nanaimo73 on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 9:08 AM
 oltmannd wrote:

 CopCarSS wrote:
I seem to recall that Conrail symbolled some intermodal stuff with "TV" and that it stood for "Trailer Van," but that's coming out of one of the darkest, most cob-webbed corners of my mind.

TV did = "Trail Van".  That was the standard and normal symbolling convention - a carryover from PC days.

Did TV start with PC, or did the PRR start that?

Dale
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Posted by oltmannd on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 9:02 AM

 CopCarSS wrote:
I seem to recall that Conrail symbolled some intermodal stuff with "TV" and that it stood for "Trailer Van," but that's coming out of one of the darkest, most cob-webbed corners of my mind.

TV did = "Trail Van".  That was the standard and normal symbolling convention - a carryover from PC days.

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by CopCarSS on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 8:54 AM
I seem to recall that Conrail symbolled some intermodal stuff with "TV" and that it stood for "Trailer Van," but that's coming out of one of the darkest, most cob-webbed corners of my mind.

-Chris
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Posted by oltmannd on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 7:59 AM

 rrnut282 wrote:
Is that when they started painting "Conrail Quality" on the side of the locomotives?

No, it came after the "Conrail Quality" paint scheme.

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by rrnut282 on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 7:34 AM
Is that when they started painting "Conrail Quality" on the side of the locomotives?
Mike (2-8-2)
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Posted by oltmannd on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 6:41 AM

Conrail divided their intermodal trains by type.  There were premium trains, regular intermodal trains and stack trains.  In the mid-1990's train performance started to suffer as the size of the trains grew.  The premium trains were all resymbolled for a short period of time in an attempt to focus some attention on their timely operation.

How were they resymbolled?  What did it stand for?  And, what was the hertiage of the nomeclature?  (hint:  what was Conrail's standard nomeclature for an intermodal train?)

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by al-in-chgo on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 1:15 AM
 oltmannd wrote:

It's been a few years since I read "Atlas Shrugged!" so here goes:

The RR, Taggart Transcontinental< was being run by Dagny's idiot brother.   He was more concerned with social "fairness" than actually having the railroad operate in a safe an efficient manner.  He was more concerned with dividing the ever shrinking pie equally without regard to who was contributing how much in making the pie.  The result was lack of motivation and a general downward spiral of the maintenance and efficiency of the whole operation.  Those who "could" stopped caring and the hangers-on "couldn't".  (Dagny's brother was definitely a "hanger-on").  As things spiralled down hill, Dangy's brother got more desperate and made more and more ill-advised snap decisions.

The transcon train was supposed to run with a diesel, but the whole RR was being run into the ground and the diesel died en route. Desperate to get the train through, they pinch hit a steam locomotive despite dire warning of not running it through the tunnel.  While operating through the tunnel, the smoke from the locomotive asphixiated everyone on the train.  They ran the Army train in on top of it, expecting the other train to have already cleared.

Clearly, Aynn Rand had no clue about how RRs really operate, tunnel ventilation, signal systems or any thing else (Reardon steel?).  But she did clearly make a point about the main failing of socialism and that removing the connection between effort and reward results in lack of effort.  That we're probably better served by trying to make bigger and better pies that worry too much about how the get cut and who gets to cut them.

Who is John Gault? 

Does he know Roark?

 

That was a great treatment!  Another aspect that interests me is that there were three Washington bureaucrats who forced the RR to haul them through the tunnel -- they weren't worried about the means.  Also that the engineer who led that fated train showed up at work drunk, which, Rand says, would have called for an immediate firing on Taggart Transcontinental in its earlier days. 

Congratulations!  Go to the head of your class, and the next question is yours . . .  a.s.

 

al-in-chgo
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Posted by oltmannd on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 12:55 PM

It's been a few years since I read "Atlas Shrugged!" so here goes:

The RR, Taggart Transcontinental< was being run by Dagny's idiot brother.   He was more concerned with social "fairness" than actually having the railroad operate in a safe an efficient manner.  He was more concerned with dividing the ever shrinking pie equally without regard to who was contributing how much in making the pie.  The result was lack of motivation and a general downward spiral of the maintenance and efficiency of the whole operation.  Those who "could" stopped caring and the hangers-on "couldn't".  (Dagny's brother was definitely a "hanger-on").  As things spiralled down hill, Dangy's brother got more desperate and made more and more ill-advised snap decisions.

The transcon train was supposed to run with a diesel, but the whole RR was being run into the ground and the diesel died en route. Desperate to get the train through, they pinch hit a steam locomotive despite dire warning of not running it through the tunnel.  While operating through the tunnel, the smoke from the locomotive asphixiated everyone on the train.  They ran the Army train in on top of it, expecting the other train to have already cleared.

Clearly, Aynn Rand had no clue about how RRs really operate, tunnel ventilation, signal systems or any thing else (Reardon steel?).  But she did clearly make a point about the main failing of socialism and that removing the connection between effort and reward results in lack of effort.  That we're probably better served by trying to make bigger and better pies that worry too much about how the get cut and who gets to cut them.

Who is John Gault? 

Does he know Roark?

 

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by al-in-chgo on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 12:16 AM

 

Wow!  Looks like a full day went by, and then some.  Wearin' o'the green, and all that? 

Here's a question that has nothing to do with statistics or trial-and-error; IOW a change for me.

Briefly, in your own words, sketch how the westbound Taggart Comet stalled out inside the Taggart Tunnel, and the catastrope that took place when an off-schedule Army freight train plowed into it. 

You could discuss the "why" of this from the viewpoint of politics (socialism) or the "how" of it from the viewpoint of operations (railroading).  Or both, for extra credit.

Try to do two, maybe three short paragraphs max, maybe 100 - 150 words.  Less than a full page in business-letter format. 

Hint no. 1:  This is from fiction, a novel that was first published in 1957.

Hint no. 2:  This is the longest novel the author ever wrote in terms of pages; but the novel that has sold the most continues to be the one she wrote and had published in 1943, about a very gifted and idealistic architect. 

Should be a piece o' green coconut cake!  Bow [bow]  

al-in-chgo
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Posted by CShaveRR on Sunday, March 16, 2008 4:41 PM
Give 'em a tie-breaker, Dale--how about "Serving Southern Forests"?

Carl

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Posted by nanaimo73 on Sunday, March 16, 2008 4:35 PM

Corn Belt Route--CGW (Murphy)

Delta Route- Columbus and Greenville (Ishmael)

Peoria Gateway- M&St.L (Snaggle)

Only Way--Alton (nobody)

Follow the Flag--Wabash (Murphy)

Old Reliable--L&N (Jim)

Yellowstone Park Line--NP (Snaggle)

(Through the) Heart of the South--Seaboard Air Line (Jim)

Murphy, Snaggle and Jim, you guys got two each.

Does one of you have a question to ask?

Dale
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Posted by ShopsYardMaster on Sunday, March 16, 2008 2:43 PM

Corn Belt Route--CGW

Delta Route- Columbus and Greenville

Peoria Gateway- M&St.L

Only Way--Onieda and Western(?)

Follow the Flag--Wabash

Old Reliable--L&N

Yellowstone Park Line--NP

Heart of the South--Seaboard Air Line

Jim North Fond du Lac WI Home of the late, great Wisconsin Central
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Posted by Ishmael on Sunday, March 16, 2008 2:03 PM
 snagletooth wrote:
 nanaimo73 wrote:
 Murphy Siding wrote:
 nanaimo73 wrote:

Can anyone name these railroads?

The Corn belt route>>CGW? Yes
The Delta route>>GM&O? no
The Peoria gateway>>TP&W? no
The only way>>Western Airlines? no
Follow the flag>>Wabash? Yes
The old reliable>>Erie? no
The Yellowstone Park line>>GN? no
Through the heart of the south>>L&N?no


Murph has two. Has spring sprung in SESD yet?

Lets see...

Delta Route- Kansas City Southern

Peoria Gateway- Minneapolis & St. Louis

The Only Way- Union Pacific?

Old Reliable- Frisco?

Yellowstone Park Line- Northern Pacific

Heart of the South- Georgia Central 

   

The Delta Route-Columbus and Greenville

The Old Reliable-Nashville, Chatanooga and St. Louis

Heart of the South-Southern

That's all I can come up with

Baltimore and Ohio-America's First Railroad
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Posted by nanaimo73 on Sunday, March 16, 2008 1:27 PM

Snaggle, you got two more-

Peoria Gateway- Minneapolis & St. Louis, and
Yellowstone Park Line- Northern Pacific

Dale
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Posted by snagletooth on Sunday, March 16, 2008 12:42 PM
 nanaimo73 wrote:
 Murphy Siding wrote:
 nanaimo73 wrote:

Can anyone name these railroads?

The Corn belt route>>CGW? Yes
The Delta route>>GM&O? no
The Peoria gateway>>TP&W? no
The only way>>Western Airlines? no
Follow the flag>>Wabash? Yes
The old reliable>>Erie? no
The Yellowstone Park line>>GN? no
Through the heart of the south>>L&N?no


Murph has two. Has spring sprung in SESD yet?

Lets see...

Delta Route- Kansas City Southern

Peoria Gateway- Minneapolis & St. Louis

The Only Way- Union Pacific?

Old Reliable- Frisco?

Yellowstone Park Line- Northern Pacific

Heart of the South- Georgia Central 

   

Snagletooth
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Sunday, March 16, 2008 12:37 PM
 nanaimo73 wrote:
 Murphy Siding wrote:
 nanaimo73 wrote:

Can anyone name these railroads?

The Corn belt route>>CGW? Yes
The Delta route>>GM&O? no
The Peoria gateway>>TP&W? no
The only way>>Western Airlines? no
Follow the flag>>Wabash? Yes
The old reliable>>Erie? no
The Yellowstone Park line>>GN? no
Through the heart of the south>>L&N?no

Murph has two. Has spring sprung in SESD yet?

Spring fever-yes.  Spring itself-getting close.

What do you mean Western Airlines no?  Don't you remember the TV commercials?  "Western-The oooooonly way to fly"Tongue [:P]

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by nanaimo73 on Sunday, March 16, 2008 12:30 PM
 Murphy Siding wrote:
 nanaimo73 wrote:

Can anyone name these railroads?

The Corn belt route>>CGW? Yes
The Delta route>>GM&O? no
The Peoria gateway>>TP&W? no
The only way>>Western Airlines? no
Follow the flag>>Wabash? Yes
The old reliable>>Erie? no
The Yellowstone Park line>>GN? no
Through the heart of the south>>L&N?no

Murph has two. Has spring sprung in SESD yet?

Dale
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Sunday, March 16, 2008 11:52 AM
 nanaimo73 wrote:

Thanks Brian.

Can anyone name these railroads?

The Corn belt route>>CGW?
The Delta route>>GM&O?
The Peoria gateway>>TP&W?
The only way>>Western Airlines?
Follow the flag>>Wabash?
The old reliable>>Erie?
The Yellowstone Park line>>GN?
Through the heart of the south>>L&N?

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by nanaimo73 on Sunday, March 16, 2008 11:37 AM

Thanks Brian.

Can anyone name these railroads?

The Corn belt route
The Delta route
The Peoria gateway
The only way
Follow the flag
The old reliable
The Yellowstone Park line
Through the heart of the south

Dale

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