Trains.com

THE HISTORY QUIZ CONTINUES . . . newcomers welcome!

40996 views
422 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 10:14 PM

The Orange Blossom Special on the Seaboard line. I don't think the questions has to do with railroad songs or jingles howerver. I'm gonna guess the answer is National Parks served. The Santa Fe advertised itself as the Grand Canyon line.

Mark

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • 8,156 posts
Posted by henry6 on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 10:08 PM

The Chattanoga Choo Choo left Pennsylvania Station about a quarter to four...You read a magazine and you're in Baltimore.  DInner in the diner, nothing could be finer....

RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Chicago, Ill.
  • 2,843 posts
Posted by al-in-chgo on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 8:16 PM

PS:  I don't think the Pennsy ever had its own song (at least not a popular song), but Glen Miller's hit "Pennsylvania Six Five Thousand" refers to the Commodore, at that time a RR-owned hotel.  I think there was a tunnel directly from Penn Station to the hotel but if not, the Commodore is just across the street.  Last time I checked (about a year ago), the Commodore was still there and had the same phone number!  It has just been numericized with the area code first (212) 736-5000.  -  al 

 

 

al-in-chgo
  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Chicago, Ill.
  • 2,843 posts
Posted by al-in-chgo on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 8:12 PM

Train songs:  "On the Achison, Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF), which won the 1947 Academy Award for best song and originally was written for the movie THE HARVEY GIRLS.  It was the musical centerpiece and like many musicals, strains of the music found itself in other songs and background music.  The production number featuring the song was amazing, even going by Golden Age studio standards.  I've you've seen the clip from it in THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT,  you've actually seen only about a third of the footage of just that number.  And;

                     and "The Wabash Cannon-Ball"?  I believe the latter was not a train with a heritage that dates back to the 19th Century, but instead a day run that dates from the late 1940s wihen Wabash management gave it the name "Wabash Cannon Ball" because people knew the folk song and some of the glamour might attach.  I recall the irony in the late Sixties when the Norfolk & Western filed with the ICC to discontinue the train and there was a lot if ignorant journalism to the extent that the mean ol'RR wanted to discontinue a living American legend, 

I can't think of a second song written in praise of the ATSF (as opposed to the one about working in the Harvey House restaurant) but the RR did a lot of advertising, even into the early sixties, so it's entirely possible there is a jingle praising some passenger train or the RR itself. 

 

OK, I can be wrong, but even if I'm totally wrong haven't I bumped into an alternate possiblity?  -  al

 

al-in-chgo
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • 8,156 posts
Posted by henry6 on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 7:32 PM

Mascot?  Or Stewardesses?

RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • 4,190 posts
Posted by wanswheel on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 6:23 PM

1912 to 1956. The railroad was leased in 1900 but remained famous.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Chicago, Ill.
  • 2,843 posts
Posted by al-in-chgo on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 4:34 PM
wanswheel

Not a locomotive. In fact not even railroad property, except as in a trademark.

In what year(s) did this situation exist?  Can you give us a clue?  -  a.s. 

al-in-chgo
  • Member since
    November 2005
  • 4,190 posts
Posted by wanswheel on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 4:19 PM

Not a locomotive. In fact not even railroad property, except as in a trademark.

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: Atlanta
  • 11,971 posts
Posted by oltmannd on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 7:15 AM

How about Alco HH660s?  The other road - D&H?

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

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • 4,190 posts
Posted by wanswheel on Monday, March 2, 2009 11:08 PM

They're relatively rare. UP and PRR and most railroads didn't have them. The few that did typically had fewer than two.

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: Atlanta
  • 11,971 posts
Posted by oltmannd on Monday, March 2, 2009 8:58 PM

How about F units?  The other road - PRR?

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

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Monday, March 2, 2009 8:40 PM
I suspect that we're talking about a specific locomotive model or wheel arrangement. I haven't a clue.

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)

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Chicago, Ill.
  • 2,843 posts
Posted by al-in-chgo on Monday, March 2, 2009 7:15 PM

I don't know how far back in time the question applies, but I'll just guess:  UP and division points.  -  a.s.

 

al-in-chgo
  • Member since
    November 2005
  • 4,190 posts
Posted by wanswheel on Monday, March 2, 2009 6:42 PM

I took an interest because my mother was from Ware, as was my grandfather who graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester in 1906. Probably he rode that railroad in the reservoir. 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/1888_Central_Mass.gif

What did the Santa Fe have twice as many of as the D&RGW, the Milwaukee Road, the New Haven, the B&M, the L&N and the Monon? And what railroad had exactly as many of these as the Santa Fe?

Mike

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 2, 2009 2:34 PM

We have a winner! Yes, Route 70 was converted to buses, and may still be one. I haven't seen the buses in a couple years though.

Thank you for the great links! I've saved most of the photos for future reference.

Your turn to ask a question!

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • 4,190 posts
Posted by wanswheel on Saturday, February 28, 2009 5:46 PM

Worcester Consolidated Street Railway Co. Route 70 probably became a bus route in the 1920s. I don't know whether the bus in the picture went there.  Also pictures of Massachusetts Central Railroad trestles in the reservoir and book pages referring to the Worcester & Clinton.  On the last link, scroll down a notch to page 107 for a map of the consolidated system.

http://www.autopaper.com/Ebay1/atlas/39742.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Wachusett_Res_2005.jpg

http://dlib.cwmars.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/w_boylston&CISOPTR=2&REC=16

http://dlib.cwmars.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/w_boylston&CISOPTR=11&REC=5

http://books.google.com/books?id=P8JIAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA75&dq=%22Worcester+%26+Clinton%22

http://books.google.com/books?id=S3wpAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA106&dq=%22Worcester+%26+Clinton%22

Mike

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, February 26, 2009 4:49 PM

It's taken a while to come up with a question that I actually know something about that isn't way too obvious or impossibly hard... I still don't know if this one is easy enough for some of you to get. I've researched it and am writing an article for the local newspaper, and there's a complete lack of information on the subject, or even on it's successor! So it'll be more of a geography question;hopefully some of you with knowledge of local geography will be able to get it.

The mainline of the Worcester & Clinton Street Railway Company ran down this Massachusetts state road much or all of the way on it's route from Worcester Union Station and through Morningdale (a suburb of Boylston), Boylston Center, Clinton, Leominster, and Fitchburg.

Bonus if you can name what company absorbed the company in 1901 or when the route was converted to buses.

I don't know if this question is too hard, but I don't know of any other areas of knowledge I have than can produce and interesting and unique question... If no one gets it for a while I'll start giving hints...
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, February 26, 2009 3:59 PM

Wow...that was just a wild guess... Now I have to think of a question...

I'll check back when I've got one...

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, February 26, 2009 3:33 PM
TrainManTy

Expansion dome?

See what I mean by obvious?

The 103-class cars have (had) a dome on top (or one for each compartment); the 111-class cars do not. Expansion is the reason usually given for the domes on older tank cars, but given the fact that we've now gotten along for decades without them (insulation is not the issue), I question that.

Tyler, you're up!

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)

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: Atlanta
  • 11,971 posts
Posted by oltmannd on Thursday, February 26, 2009 3:27 PM

It has to do with difference between welded and rivetted and pressurization due to thermal exapansion.  I imagine that a rivetted car would not withstand much pressure, but a welded one could.  Even for a commodity that didn't need pressurization, I imagine there could be quite a bit of thermal exansion of product, and on a full car, that could mean quite a bit of pressure.  Both were probably vented, but if the vent got plugged, you'd have to relieve the pressure on the welded car to prevent catastrophic failure.  The rivetted car would probably just partially bust a seam, popping  a few rivets.

And, now I'm stuck...

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

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Chicago, Ill.
  • 2,843 posts
Posted by al-in-chgo on Thursday, February 26, 2009 10:37 AM

--The little fencelike apparatus surrounding the dome?  -  al

 

al-in-chgo
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, February 26, 2009 5:51 AM

Expansion dome?

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, February 26, 2009 5:37 AM
Much more obvious, folks!

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)

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Chicago, Ill.
  • 2,843 posts
Posted by al-in-chgo on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 10:12 PM

oltmannd

OK.  SWAG number 3 for me.  An overflow?

 

Some sort of gas bleeding or pressure equalization valve?  -  a.s.

oltmannd

OK.  SWAG number 3 for me.  An overflow?

al-in-chgo
  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 7:07 PM
Be more specific, if possible, Don.

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)

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: Atlanta
  • 11,971 posts
Posted by oltmannd on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 7:05 PM

OK.  SWAG number 3 for me.  An overflow?

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

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 4:04 PM
Everyone's given up? Okay, that part about a "hat" was a valid hint, and Mark almost had it.

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)

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 2:10 PM
KCSfan

The tanks on the older cars were cylindrical in cross section. I see many cars thse days that are not true cylinders but have flattened vertical sides. Could that be the difference?

Nope

KCSfan

Your "hat on your head" comment leads me to believe it may have something to do with the tank domes but I have no idea what it is so I'll have to stick with my guess above.

Mark, you should know by now that I try very hard to choose my words well! Wink

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)

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,535 posts
Posted by KCSfan on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 1:46 PM

Carl,

I'm out of my league when it comes to the construction details of these cars so I'm just guessing. The tanks on the older cars were cylindrical in cross section. I see many cars thse days that are not true cylinders but have flattened vertical sides. Could that be the difference?

Your "hat on your head" comment leads me to believe it may have something to do with the tank domes but I have no idea what it is so I'll have to stick with my guess above.

Mark

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 1:17 PM

Hey, no prob! Most 103s did have walkways and handrails around the tank to hold onto, but there were plenty of 111s with those features as well (they're disappearing fast, though!).

The difference is as obvious as the nose on your face--or the hat on your head!

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)

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy