Who Sang the Central Fan ?

[daveklepper]

I left out heretofore many NY - Detroit trips on the Empire State Express when the Budd coaches had the paintings on each bulkhead and the food in the diner was excellent and the train usually close to on time even in the middle of WWII. I always wanted to ride the London and Port Stanley interurban which I saw from the coach window (at St, Thomas?) but never had the opportunity. The observation car, however, was restricted to 1st Class passengers and I always rode coach as a youngster. If I went overnight, it was either the Wolverine by coach or PRR's Red Arrow, which although a more round-about route, was approximately the same running time. The 44-seat coaches on the PRR were more comfortable with very generous sized restrooms. Of course, during the war, one occasionally had to sit in a modernized P-70, not nearly as comfortable, but the same kind of thing could happen on the NYC's Wolverine too.

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

QUOTE: Originally posted by gabe

QUOTE: Originally posted by tomtrain

er... what's a Wolverine?

It is a fierce carnivorous animal closely related to the weasel that is usually black with a brown band on each side of its body. They are indigenous to Michigan and other areas where there is tundra.

Gabe

But that's not important right now........

Shirley, you can't be serious!

[gabe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp

QUOTE: Originally posted by dharmon

QUOTE: Originally posted by gabe

QUOTE: Originally posted by tomtrain

er... what's a Wolverine?

It is a fierce carnivorous animal closely related to the weasel that is usually black with a brown band on each side of its body. They are indigenous to Michigan and other areas where there is tundra.

Gabe

But that's not important right now........

Shirley, you can't be serious!

Yes I am, and don't call me Shirley.

Gabe

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper

I left out heretofore many NY - Detroit trips on the Empire State Express when the Budd coaches had the paintings on each bulkhead and the food in the diner was excellent and the train usually close to on time even in the middle of WWII. I always wanted to ride the London and Port Stanley interurban which I saw from the coach window (at St, Thomas?) but never had the opportunity. The observation car, however, was restricted to 1st Class passengers and I always rode coach as a youngster. If I went overnight, it was either the Wolverine by coach or PRR's Red Arrow, which although a more round-about route, was approximately the same running time. The 44-seat coaches on the PRR were more comfortable with very generous sized restrooms. Of course, during the war, one occasionally had to sit in a modernized P-70, not nearly as comfortable, but the same kind of thing could happen on the NYC's Wolverine too.

Dave,
I don't mean to start a thing but your parents must have told you the obs on The Empire State was restricted to keep you out of there.

On the Empire State Express the baggage-club car was for the parlor passengers. The parlors were on the head end of the consist. The obs car was all lounge and for the coach folk. On later NYC daytime trains, the Chicago-Detroit service specificly, it was reversed. Coaches, full lounge, diner, sleeper as parlor,parlor obs car.

Mitch

[daveklepper]

Mitch, I traveled mostly by myself. Maybe the conductor wanted to keep passengers who would not spend money on drinks out of the observation car. And I was told only once, and didn't try again. So maybe that day the normal club car was not operating (during WWII) and they used the obs for the 1st class passengers. Either explanation would make sense.

I do distinctly remember that coach passengers were allowed in the Silver Meteor obs and in that on the Southener.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by daveklepper

Mitch, I traveled mostly by myself. Maybe the conductor wanted to keep passengers who would not spend money on drinks out of the observation car. And I was told only once, and didn't try again. So maybe that day the normal club car was not operating (during WWII) and they used the obs for the 1st class passengers. Either explanation would make sense.

I do distinctly remember that coach passengers were allowed in the Silver Meteor obs and in that on the Southener.

You may be right about the conductor. We had an attendant that wouldn't let people sit in the obs car if they weren't ordering hard liquor. Even if you wanted a Coke he would give you just the can and tell you to go back to your seat. When we questioned about this he stated," We gotta have whiskey drinkers back here. We can't load the place up with jokers and jivers!"

The Silver Meteor, like a number of eastern/southern operations had the first-class section towards the head end and the coaches in the rear. That's why they perimitted all passengers back there. I believe the "Southerner" was all-coach.

Mitch

[daveklepper]

The Southerner was inaugurated all-coach but I believe had Pullmans added at some point in its career, even before it was combined with the Crescent.

Also, late in the career of the Empire State Express, it was combined with the Laurentian up to and down from Albany, and at that point, the obs went to Montreal and not to Buffalo and Cleveland, and at that time it was for 1st Class passengers only, later than the time I discussed.

[eastside]

Perhaps it's because anyone who admired the NYC for the elegant design of its steam locomotives and the classy and understated livery of its diesels and passenger cars similarly has a personality that isn't likely to be boastful of his interest in the NYC.

[daveklepper]

I agree with that statement. The visual designs on the Central were a match for anyone, overall. I do think the New Haven's I-5 and the N&W J the best streamlined locomotives, but the NYC's Century and Empire State (two different) were certianly up there. I did not care for the shovel-noise Commodore Vanderbilt. Also, the streamlined Pacific for the Mercury, I don't remember at this point whether it followed the Comnmodore's or the Century's styling, and need some memory refreshment. But Beech Grove did a find job on building a light-weight streamline train from spartan arch-roof commuter cars for the Mercury. I rode the Century in the good days and thought its interior design as fine as anything could be. And ditto the interior of the Empire Builder coaches.

The finest visual design of the PRR interiors was not, in my opinion, anytime on the Broadway. It was the parlors and coaches for the Senator and Congressionals. Those were really great cars. The diners on both the Broadway and the Century were the best interiors on both trains, I thought.

The worst interior design of a modern car was the original modernization of the Lehigh Valley for the Black Diamond and its other name trains. When you reclined your coach seat you stared straight up into the flourescents supposedly hidden behind an "egg crate" ceiling; and you needed to put a sweater, scarf, or jackets, over your face to get some rest. I believe this was changed while the cars were still in service, about 1952 or 1953.