Railroad History Quiz Game (Come on in and play)

[KCSfan]

Was it the James Whitcomb Riley running on the P&E that joins the IC near Kankakee?

Yes, the train was the James Whitcomb Riley. Can you answer the parts of the question about the train's engine and route? Incidentally the Riley ran on the Big Four not the P&E.

Mark

Mike,

Since you've correctly named the train and almost completely answered that part of the question with regard to its route I think you should be declared the winner. Nathaniel has the numbers of the engines right but didn't specify their wheel arrangement. 

Here's a bit more information. The Riley was placed in service in 1941 and was the pride of the NYC's (Big Four) Indiana Division making a daily round trip between Chicago and Cincinatti via Indianapolis. Like the other five daily passenger trains on this route, the 54 miles of its run between Central Station in Chicago and Kankakee were over the ICRR. Two streamlined NYC K-5b Pacifics were assigned to the train, and IIRC one ran between Chicago and Indianapolis and the other headed the train between Indy and Cincy. Streamling consisted of an "inverted bathtub" shroud painted gray with maroon striping and lettering and white painted drivers. A rather grainy picture of the 4917 in this livery can be found on George Elwood's Fallen Flags web site. The streamlined shroud came off these engines sometime during WW2 and they ran over the IC only during the time they were streamlined. Other than those few years all other Big Four trains on this route were headed by IC locomotives north of Kankakee (steam originally then E's and GP's in the diesel era). Engines were changed at Kankakee and NYC power held down the assignments between there and Cincy. 

Mike, it's your turn to ask a question.

Mark

[Murphy Siding]

     Picking up, where things left off.....and pitching a softball:

     Northeast verses Northwest:  What were the names of the premiere passenger trains on The Pennsylvania, and The Great Northern railroads?

[Railway Man]

The PRR had a premier passenger train?   Who knew!

(Ducking now to avoid the bricks thrown by the Brunswick Green hordes) 

[Murphy Siding]

The PRR had a premier passenger train?   Who knew!

(Ducking now to avoid the bricks thrown by the Brunswick Green hordes) 

I mean, I've *heard* they did.  And, I guess, it got a little bit of press over time.

[Anonymous]

The PRR train was the Keystone and the GN was the Empire Builder.

[nanaimo73]

The PRR train was the Keystone 

It wasn't the Broadway Limited ?

[Anonymous]

I think that was the NYC train... I could be wrong though.

EDIT: Just realized you were right! Can I change my guess to the Broadway Limited and the Empire Builder?

[Murphy Siding]

I think that was the NYC train... I could be wrong though.

EDIT: Just realized you were right! Can I change my guess to the Broadway Limited and the Empire Builder?

   I'll take that as the right answer.  To be honest, I had the Twentieth Century Limited and The Broadway Limited confused in my mind, and had to go look up the answer after I posted it. Sort of like lobbing softballs with my eyes closed?

     Can you give us a question?

    

[Anonymous]

Ok. I'll think of one.....

[Anonymous]

All right, I can't think of any good questions, but here's one.

What were the build dates for EMD's SD45T-2? 

[KingConrail76]

All right, I can't think of any good questions, but here's one.

What were the build dates for EMD's SD45T-2? 

2-72 to 6-75

[Anonymous]

All right, I can't think of any good questions, but here's one.

What were the build dates for EMD's SD45T-2? 

2-72 to 6-75

BINGO! You're up! 

[emmar]

Rats I was just going to say that. Oh, well too slow. KingConrail76  you wouldn't happen to know what the difference between the SD 45T-2 and the SD45T-2R. I know it is some sort of rebuild or modification of the 45T-2 but I don't know what the change was. 

emmar

 

[KingConrail76]

Along the same lines...

Some of the SD45T-2's were rebuilt and Designated SD45T-2R.

1. How many of the original 247 SD45T-2's were rebuild as -2R's and when?

2. What (3) other Designations did some rebuilt SD45T-2's get?

[emmar]

1) 126 were rebuilt from April 1986 to December 1989.

2)I think the other designations were SD45T-3, SD40T-3 and SD40-2. Not sure if I am confusing the 45's with some other EMDs though.

[KingConrail76]

1) 126 were rebuilt from April 1986 to December 1989.

2)I think the other designations were SD45T-3, SD40T-3 and SD40-2. Not sure if I am confusing the 45's with some other EMDs though.

99.6% correct. Good enough for me. You're up Emmar.

BTW...SD40-2T

[emmar]

Ok here goes. Decided to go with GE locos for my question.

1) What was the road number of the first GE Evolution Series ES44DC prototype locomotive? 

For extra credit. 

2) An international version of the ES44DC was produced (the ES44DCi) for use in what country? and if anyone knows what the difference was between the ES44DC and the ES44DCi I will bake them a cake!  (well a "virtual" one anyway)

Good luck.

emmar 

[Anonymous]

2006.

No idea on the extra credit though... 

[emmar]

Close but not quite. Keep tryin.

[Anonymous]

Got it! 2005! I know because it's the year they came out...

[emmar]

Congrats, you got it.

The international versions were built for Australia and were longer to accomidate bigger cooling systems to deal with the high temperatures.

Your turn to ask a question

[Anonymous]

Okay. On the topic of locomotives exported overseas, what was the type of locomotive exported to BHP Billiton?

[emmar]

Darn that's a hard one, I don't have a clue.Guess I'll have to wait till some other folks get in here and give it a try.

emmar 

[arkansasrailfan]

AC6000CWs? AC44S?

[nordique72]

Okay. On the topic of locomotives exported overseas, what was the type of locomotive exported to BHP Billiton?

 SD70ACes- photographed them here in Houston on their way to the port (under shipping tarps of course!)

[arkansasrailfan]

Oh wait, can I change my answer to ES44s?

SD70aces(meter gauge) were shipped to Brazil.

[al-in-chgo]

Oh wait, can I change my answer to ES44s?

SD70aces(meter gauge) were shipped to Brazil.

 

It seems to me that nordique 72 above answered the question; and that wyomingrailfan added information to seal the deal  -  that the SD70Mac's were meter gauge and bound for Brazil. 

Forty-eight hours is a long time for this thread to go unposted.  Would somebody declare a winner?  If it were left to me, I would say nordique, but wyomingrailfan should also have a chance to post a new question if he likes.  - a. s.

 

[nordique72]

Al,

 I agree with you- I was hoping to get the confirmation sometime ago but since there wasn't any and the fact that I've gotten a previous question right and asked a question before- I'll defer this one to Wyomingrailfan and let him ask a question this round.

[arkansasrailfan]

Thanks for letting me have a shot.
Heres a question. What railroad abandoned in 1946 was the largest abandonment in the U.S. at the time? Mind that two stretches of track lived to haul more freight, but were abandoned in the 60s and 70s, and a tourist line on one of the branches.(however short) Only a combine exists, in very bad condition and without trucks. It ran through Arkansas and another state.
You really need to know your railroads on this one!

[Anonymous]

Okay. On the topic of locomotives exported overseas, what was the type of locomotive exported to BHP Billiton?

 SD70ACes- photographed them here in Houston on their way to the port (under shipping tarps of course!)

Thanks for helping guys, I haven't had any time to check this lately. You're right, it's your turn to ask a question, or you can let WyomingRailfan if you want.