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

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Posted by jeffhergert on Sunday, March 2, 2008 12:51 PM
 Murphy Siding wrote:
 jeffhergert wrote:

A slip of the mind, I was thinking of one of the trains, ADVGFR.

I'd ask what that symbol means, but I think I'll throw out one dealing with a Rock Island passenger train.

In early 1945 the RI inaugurated a new passenger train between Minneapolis/St Paul and Houston.  What was it's name and what did the name signify.  

Jeff 

A hint, if needed, for the significance, think about the end points.

 

Was it the Twins/Lone Star Rocket?

Murphy wins it.  The train was actually called the Twin Star Rocket.  The twin stars are derived from connecting Minnesota, the North Star state, with Texas, the Lone Star state.

Jeff 

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Posted by blhanel on Saturday, March 1, 2008 11:00 PM
 Murphy Siding wrote:
 blhanel wrote:

I don't have a clue on that one...

BTW, the source for my question was here:

http://www.utahrails.net/all-time/all-time-index.php 

Brian- it looks like someone bested my 4-1/2 out of 6.  What were the correct answers?

Carl had them in his post:

1950- F3s

1960- GP9s

1970- GP9s again

1980- SD40-2s

1990- SD40-2s again

2000- C44-9Ws

He also indicated that most of the SD70s didn't get delivered until after 2000, although I was ready to accept your answer for 2000 as correct, as UtahRails shows them to have 1000 SD70s in service starting in the year 2000.  So, based on his logic, which made sense to me as well, I gave him a score of 6/6.  Who am I to argue with a UP employee?

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Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, March 1, 2008 9:52 PM

Close on the name, and half of what it signifies.

Jeff 

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Saturday, March 1, 2008 9:24 PM
 jeffhergert wrote:

A slip of the mind, I was thinking of one of the trains, ADVGFR.

I'd ask what that symbol means, but I think I'll throw out one dealing with a Rock Island passenger train.

In early 1945 the RI inaugurated a new passenger train between Minneapolis/St Paul and Houston.  What was it's name and what did the name signify.  

Jeff 

A hint, if needed, for the significance, think about the end points.

 

Was it the Twins/Lone Star Rocket?

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Saturday, March 1, 2008 9:17 PM
 blhanel wrote:

I don't have a clue on that one...

BTW, the source for my question was here:

http://www.utahrails.net/all-time/all-time-index.php 

Brian- it looks like someone bested my 4-1/2 out of 6.  What were the correct answers?

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, March 1, 2008 9:12 PM

A slip of the mind, I was thinking of one of the trains, ADVGFR.

I'd ask what that symbol means, but I think I'll throw out one dealing with a Rock Island passenger train.

In early 1945 the RI inaugurated a new passenger train between Minneapolis/St Paul and Houston.  What was it's name and what did the name signify.  

Jeff 

A hint, if needed, for the significance, think about the end points.

 

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Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, March 1, 2008 6:56 PM

How'd you do that, Jeff--changed "GF" to "GR" and still got it right!  GF is Griffith, GB is Gibson, and EL is Elkhart--all three UP destinations in Indiana, a state not served by UP's own tracks.

Jeff wins!

Carl

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Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, March 1, 2008 5:31 PM

Both GB and GR aren't on-line UP stations.  They are however, both in Indiana.  (So is EL.)

 GB is Gibson on the IHB

 GR is Griffith on the CN

 EL is Elkhart on the NS, if i remember right.

UP trains to or from any of these places are run-throughs.

Any of this what you're looking for, Carl? 

Jeff

PS I've had my share of these trains and Brian has probably seen some of them without knowing it. 

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Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, March 1, 2008 5:14 PM

Tyler, no Green involved except the kind that pays dividends!  (No, UP no longer goes to Green Bay.)

Dale, that's possible, but I'm not sure that these trains are limited to GM products--in fact, I doubt it.

Another hint:  Another destination that shares the common trait with GB and GF:  EL.  For that one, you have to forget about the "A" prefix.

Carl

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Posted by nanaimo73 on Saturday, March 1, 2008 5:07 PM
 CShaveRR wrote:

Thanks, Brian!

Here's a quick one:  What might UP destination symbols GB and GF have in common (besides the letter G)?

Hint:  trains whose symbol ends with either of these quite often begin with the letter A.

Would GB and GF carry autos for General Motors?

Dale
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 1, 2008 10:25 AM

They're both green? Green Bay, Green something?

Just a wild guess, dunno if UP even goes to Green Bay...Whistling [:-^]

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Posted by blhanel on Saturday, March 1, 2008 10:00 AM

I don't have a clue on that one...

BTW, the source for my question was here:

http://www.utahrails.net/all-time/all-time-index.php 

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Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, March 1, 2008 5:53 AM

Thanks, Brian!

Here's a quick one:  What might UP destination symbols GB and GF have in common (besides the letter G)?

Hint:  trains whose symbol ends with either of these quite often begin with the letter A.

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

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Posted by rrnut282 on Friday, February 29, 2008 10:27 PM
 Murphy Siding wrote:
 rrnut282 wrote:

Al,

I was making fun of no-one.  I was just desparately trying to come up with something railroad related for ERA, and that was the only thing that worked for me.

Maybe I should have said it was a typo.

I hope you can see that Al was just razzing you.Laugh [(-D]

sssshhhhh, Murph.  The moderators may lock this thread if we don't play nice.Tongue [:P]

Mike (2-8-2)
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Posted by inch53 on Friday, February 29, 2008 9:21 PM
 rrnut282 wrote:

Since my kids went to one, the first thing I thought of was, Metropolitan School District.

 

 Careful there with MSD, cause we live in the Martinsville School District and are 6 mile from the Marshall School District. Would those count ??

inch

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/4309

DISCLAIMER-- This post does not clam anything posted here as fact or truth, but it may be just plain funny
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Posted by blhanel on Friday, February 29, 2008 9:21 PM

Nope, but it does indicate that all 1000 SD70M's started service in 2000, which I find hard to believe.

EDIT: based on that, I think I'll give you this one, Carl.  I have to believe that the C44 combo outnumbered the SD70 in 2000. 

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Posted by CShaveRR on Friday, February 29, 2008 9:08 PM

I wasn't, but I guess there were probably more ACs than DCs by then--just didn't expect them to be the most plentiful units.

Did your source lump them together to make them most numerous?

Carl

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Posted by blhanel on Friday, February 29, 2008 8:56 PM
Are you lumping together both AC and DC units on that last one, Carl?
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Posted by CShaveRR on Friday, February 29, 2008 8:40 PM

I'll try, Brian.

1950:  F3s

1960:  GP9s

1970:  GP9 still

1980:  SD40-2s

1990:  SD40-2s still

2000:  CW44-9s (too early for most of the SD70Ms)

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Friday, February 29, 2008 8:38 PM
  4.5 out of 6 Laugh [(-D]

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Posted by blhanel on Friday, February 29, 2008 8:24 PM
Not bad, Murph- again, based on my interpretation of the data, you've got 4.5 out of 6.  I'll wait awhile to see if others want to take a stab at it...
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Friday, February 29, 2008 8:14 PM
 
 blhanel wrote:

OK, after browsing through a website I normally visit to verify UP engine models, here's my question:

What model diesel locomotives did Union Pacific have the most of on its roster in each of the following years- 

1950  F Units

1960 GP 7/9's

1970  GP 28

1980 SD40

1990 SD40-2

2000 SD70

It will be interesting to see if I'm interpreting the data correctly once the answers come in, as the roster is somewhat generalized! 

Above are my guesses- purely guesses.Tongue [:P]

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by blhanel on Friday, February 29, 2008 8:00 PM

OK, after browsing through a website I normally visit to verify UP engine models, here's my question:

What model diesel locomotives did Union Pacific have the most of on its roster in each of the following years- 

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

It will be interesting to see if I'm interpreting the data correctly once the answers come in, as the roster is somewhat generalized! 

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Posted by arkansasrailfan on Friday, February 29, 2008 7:36 PM
Who is Dog? Surely not "Dog the Bounty Hunter"(uh-oh)
-Michael It's baaaacccckkkk!!!!!! www.youtube.com/user/wyomingrailfan
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Friday, February 29, 2008 7:36 PM
 rrnut282 wrote:

Al,

I was making fun of no-one.  I was just desparately trying to come up with something railroad related for ERA, and that was the only thing that worked for me.

Maybe I should have said it was a typo.

I hope you can see that Al was just razzing you.Laugh [(-D]

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by rrnut282 on Friday, February 29, 2008 7:17 PM

Al,

I was making fun of no-one.  I was just desparately trying to come up with something railroad related for ERA, and that was the only thing that worked for me.

Maybe I should have said it was a typo.

Mike (2-8-2)
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Posted by al-in-chgo on Friday, February 29, 2008 5:33 PM
 rrnut282 wrote:
 

Al, 

[text edited for relevance of response - a.s.]  .   .   . 

I kept thinking you were dyslexic and was going for Railway Express Agency, not ERA.

 

Dude, don't make fun of the dyslexic.  I'm having a spiritual crisis and was up all night worrying about the existence of Dog.  - a.s.  

 

al-in-chgo
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Posted by rrnut282 on Friday, February 29, 2008 4:16 PM

Since my kids went to one, the first thing I thought of was, Metropolitan School District.

 

Al,

I kept thinking you were dyslexic and was going for Railway Express Agency, not ERA.

Mike (2-8-2)
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Posted by Ishmael on Friday, February 29, 2008 1:56 PM

Actually, Al, I thought having a few non-railroad subjects in the mix made the contest more interesting. Due to the nature of the forum, the RR's should be in the majority, but a meat packer or a brewery slipped in there would make it more tricky.

Of course, you'd want something of general knowledge. How many people would know that MSD stands for St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District?

Good job.

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Posted by KCSfan on Friday, February 29, 2008 9:31 AM

 blhanel wrote:
Alrighty then... hmmm, gots to come up with a good question.  If everyone can wait 'til this evening, I could do some research, otherwise KCSfan and/or Dale can feel free to jump in.

Brian,

I can certainly wait and am looking forward to your question.

Mark

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