GULF
MOBILE
&
OHIO
GULF
MOBILE
&
NORTHERN
Streamlined Sleeping Cars
by Al
The GM&N predecessor to the merged Mobile and Ohio and Gulf Mobile and Northern that became the Gulf Mobile & Ohio became the first railroad in the South to operate lightweight stream-lined trains the famous REBELS.
The three car REBELS designed by Industrial designer Otto Kuhler were constructed by American Car & Foundry and entered service July 29, 1935 between Jackson, Tennessee and New Orleans Louisiana a distance of 488 miles. Some railroad historians describe the REBELS as ZEHYRS minus the Stainless steel and articulation. The results of Otto Kuhler’s efforts were truly streamlined trains. For powering the little REBEL trains they turned to Alco who supplied two MacIntosh and Seymour 660 hp diesels for the two train sets. The lead unit in each REBEL contained a shovelnose control cab with engine room containing the 660-hp diesel and main generator, 15’ Railway Post Office Compartment and Baggage Room with train heat boiler. The next car in each REBEL consist was a 62 seat divided coach with Buffet. The forward section of the divided car the colored section contained a pair restrooms and coach seating for 24. The car entrance was next separated from the two passenger compartments by doors. To the rear of the car entrance was another pair of restrooms followed by the white seating area with its 38 coach seats with a small buffet at the rear of the car on the right hand side. The last car in each REBEL consist was a sleeper lounge Observation. Each sleeper lounge observation began with a large Women’s restroom on the left with a Stateroom directly behind it with its own private bathroom annex. Next there were three sections on either side of a center aisle followed by a large men’s restroom, Next was the entrance to the car followed by the Lounge Observation that seated 18. There was an extra 71 revenue seat coach numbered 374 operated in the northbound REBE
G’day!
My finale for this day . . .
GM&O #3053 Coach (courtesy: www.trainweb.org - foto: unknown)
Tom[4:-)] [oX)]
G’day!
Time to start over again wtih my NOSTALGIA series . . . all designed to get some CLASSIC TRAINS dialogue begun - that IS the idea of the FORUM and this THREAD!!
ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!
PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #1
Here’s something to ponder with regard to our appreciation and fascination with
Classic Trains. Check this out …….
Many of the passenger railroads we’ve heard of and perhaps traveled aboard, had their start up in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. Check out these names of perhaps the best known:
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (1863)
Atlantic Coast Line (1900)
Baltimore & Ohio (1827) #1
Boston & Maine (1835)
Canadian Pacific (1881)
Chesapeake & Ohio (1867)
Chicago & Northwestern (1859)
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (1855)
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul (“The Milwaukee Road,” 1874)
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific (1866)
Erie (1859)
Great Northern (1889)
Illinois Central (1851)
Kansas City Southern (1900)
Lehigh Valley (1855)
Louisville & Nashville (1850)
Missouri Pacific (1879)
New York Central (1914, although the formal adoption of that name came later)
New York, Chicago & St. Louis (“Nickel Plate Road,” 1881)
Norfolk & Western (1881)
Northern Pacific (1864)
Pennsylvania Railroad (1846)
Seaboard Air Line (1900)
Southern Pacific (1884)
Southern Railway (1887)
Union Pacific (1862)
Wabash (1877)
Western Pacific (1903)
[source:] The American Passenger Train
Enjoy! [tup]
G’day!
Here’s a Pix for #1 on the above list . . .
ATSF F7A #300C (courtesy: www.trainweb.org)
Later! [tup]
Tom[4:-)] [oX)]
Atchison
Topeka
&
Santa Fe
(AT&SF)
Streamlined Dome Cars
by Al
The Santa Fe owned a total of 20-dome cars, 6-short domes from Pullman Standard and 14-big domes from the Budd Company.
The Santa Fe went daily with the SUPER CHIEF in February 1948 with new sleeping cars and new sleeper Observations for four of the five consists.
At the end of 1950 the Santa Fe once again added new cars to the SUPER CHIEF receiving 7-new 36 seat dining cars 600-606 in November-December 1950. In December the Santa Fe received 6-Pleasure Domes with the famous Turquoise dining room numbers 500 - 505. These cars were coupled directly behind the new diners and the Turquoise room located in the forward part of the Pleasure domes was served from the dining car. During peak travel periods it served as extra dining space for twelve. At other times the Turquoise room was available for private luncheon or dinner parties. Many an evening the Turquoise rooms served as private cocktail lounges for Hollywood stars and their guests or captains of fortune 500 companies. This Turquoise room was located in the short end on the main floor and this was always the front of the car coupled to the dining car ahead. Beneath the dome of these cars was a lounge seating ten with bar. In the larger room at the rear of the car on the main level was a lounge with seating for 18. A desk and chair was tucked behind the stairway leading to the dome level.
The dome seating was unique to these dome cars, on each side in the center of the dome was four swiveling parlor seats revolving a full 360 degrees. At the front of the dome and the rear of the dome on each side of the aisle was a pair of seats. The two pair of seats at the rear of the dome faced rearward an unusual arrangement not found on any other short domes, except for those seats in the UP Dome Dining cars where half of the eighteen seats faced rearward at the tables. This gave the Santa Fe pleasure domes a seating capacit
G’day!
Now for the 2nd Pix on the list . . . .
ACL F7 #531 (credit: Robert West)
Later! [tup]
Tom[4:-)] [oX)]
ATLANTIC
COAST
LINE
Streamlined Sleeping Cars
by Al
The Atlantic Coast Line owned a total of 54 lightweight streamlined sleeping cars. Another 29 lightweight stream-lined sleeping cars were owned by the PRR, FEC, and RF&P and assigned to ACL trains between New York City and Florida. Two of the ACL owned sleeping cars were constructed for assignment to the DIXIELAND a Midwest - Florida streamliner. The ACL not only purchased new lightweight streamlined sleeping cars but also purchased several used lightweight streamlined sleeping cars from other roads, notably the C&O and NYC. Notable streamlined trains of the ACL assigned lightweight stream-lined sleeping cars were the CHAMPIONS, and the winter season all Pullman FLORIDA SPECIAL. Other ACL trains were equipped with some lightweight streamlined sleeping cars as well such as the VACATIONER, and MIAMIAN in later years.
It would be the fall of 1949 before the first lightweight streamlined sleeping cars began arriving on the ACL. These sleeping cars were owned by not only the ACL but by the FEC, RF&P, and PRR whose lines the ACL Florida streamliners transited enroute between New York and Florida. The PRR was responsible for the ACL trains between New York and Washington where they traveled behind the famous PRR GG-1 Electric Locomotives. From Washington to Richmond the ACL trains traveled over the double track mainline of the RF&P before gaining home rails. The ACL double track mainline stretched from Richmond, Virginia to Jacksonville, Florida and was the fastest track on the east coast between those points. Trains were able to operate at speeds of 100 mph if necessary to make up time and to assure on time arrivals, this exceptional track work with ATC installed was completed in the late 1940’s following WW II. South of Washington diesels were assigned to the trains to and from Florida and came from a pool of ACL, RF&P, and FEC EMD E passenger units. The ACL CHAMPIONS were originally all coach streamliners but received hea
G’day!
Here’s a Pix for #3 on the list . . . .
B&O The Royal Blue (circa 1940s) (foto credit: unknown)
Later! [tup]
Tom[4:-)] [oX)]
BALTIMORE
&
OHIO
(B&O)
Streamlined Dining & Lounge Cars
by Al
Baltimore & Ohio owned few lightweight streamlined dining and lounge cars, even though an early pioneer in streamlining with the early experimental “Wind splitter” early in the century.
The first two lightweight streamlined dining cars were the two built for the B&O ROYAL BLUE and B&O subsidiary C&A ABRAHAM LINCOLN. The former operated between Jersey City and Washington, D.C. the latter between St. Louis and Chicago. Both trains were eight cars as delivered by American Car & Foundry in 1935. The choice of building materials of the two trains varied as well. The ABRAHAM LINCOLN consist delivered in April 1935 was built of Cor-Ten steel, and entered service on the Alton July 1, 1935. The ROYAL BLUE consist delivered in early June 1935 was constructed of Aluminum with a Cor-Ten steel center frame. Due to the thickness of the aluminum the cars from the two streamliners weighed approximately the same. Later aluminum construction would be lighter in weight than comparable steel cars although it is generally felt the lightest and safest construction was Budd stainless steel shot-welded together.
The ROYAL BLUE entered scheduled service June 24, 1935.
Each of the two streamliners as built featured a single lunch counter –dining car. The cars served as lounge cars during non-meal hours.
The ROYAL BLUE car was numbered 5700 and seated ten at the lunch counter and 32 in the dining area at eight tables for four. The car was trainlined as the fifth car in the eight-car train.
The ABRAHAM LINCOLN car was numbered 5701 and seating was identical to the 5700. The 5701 was trainlined in the same position as the 5700.
The ROYAL BLUE which had added one additional coach in January 1937 was repainted in C&A colors and was renamed the ABRAHAM LINCOLN July 26, 1937. The earlier ABRAHAM LINCOLN was renamed the ANN RUTLEDGE at that time. This
G’day!
Next up from the list is #4 . . . .
B&M F7A #4268 (foto credit: Ted Blank)
Later! [tup]
Tom[4:-)][oX)]
G’day!
Time for #5 . . . .
CP FP7A #1418 (courtesy: www.trainweb.org)
Later! [tup]
Tom[4:-)] [oX)]
BOSTON
&
MAINE
(B&M)
Streamlined Dining & Lounge Cars
by Al
The Boston & Maine and Maine Central received one of the first diesel-powered streamliners in February 1935. Built by Budd it was nearly a double of the CB&Q PIONEER ZEPHYR except it lacked a mail compartment. This was the first lightweight streamlined diesel powered train to enter service in the Northeastern United States. The three-car articulated streamliner featured a shovelnose cab-engine room baggage buffet 28-revenue seat coach unit. The center articulated car featured 60-revenue coach seats and the third articulated unit contained a 32-revenue seat coach section and a 20-seat lounge observation. All three units carried one common number 6000. First assignment for the train set was as the FLYING YANKEE between Boston and Bangor twice round trip daily. Only the first and third cars are of any interest in this book. The train exists today in a New England museum. Like the CB&Q ZEPHYR the food from the buffet was served at the passengers seats.
ARTICULATED SHOVELNOSE CAB ENGINE ROOM BAGGAGE BUFFET 28-REVENUE SEAT COACH Budd Company February 1935 (Built for and assigned to FLYING YANKEE)
6000
ARTICULATED 34-SEAT COACH 20-SEAT LOUNGE OBSERVATION Budd Company February 1935 (Built for and assigned to FLYING YANKEE)
6000
Following WW II the B&M and MEC purchased lightweight streamlined cars jointly from Pullman Standard to operate the following schedules the FLYING YANKEE, KENNEBEC, and PINE TREE. Each railroad purchased two restaurant lounge cars for operation in the postwar passenger trains. The four cars were delivered by Pullman Standard in August-September 1947 to the two New England roads and featured a kitchen at one end with a 24-seat restaurant a bar and 18-seat lounge. The two MEC cars were sold to the Chicago & Eastern Illinois in 1951 and the B&M sold their two to the WABASH in August 1957.
KITCHEN-PANTRY 24
G’day!
And now for #6 from the list . . . .
C&O George Washington (foto credit: unknown)
Later! [tup]
Tom[4:-)] [oX)]
Chesapeake
&
Ohio
(C&O)
Streamlined Dome Cars
The Chesapeake & Ohio purchased six domes all delivered by Budd in 1948 these six domes were of two different types. There were 3-coach–lounge observations 1875-1877 and three family room dome cars 1850-1852 as they were called. Both types of domes were built for the CHESSIE a new daytime streamliner between Washington – Newport News and Cincinnati. The CHESSIE would have operated as two sections east of Charleston. One section of the CHESSIE to and from Washington and the other section of the CHESSIE to and from Phoebus (Newport News), consolidating westbound at Charleston and splitting at this point eastbound. Alas, it really didn’t matter, as the CHESSIE never entered service. The forty-six cars delivered by Budd in August 1948 for the CHESSIE trains were disbursed over the next few years. All six of the dome cars were sold. The Dome sleeping cars were sold to the B&O in December 1950 for service in the CAPITOL LIMITED and SHENANDOAH. The C&O had seriously considered adding these cars to their own SPORTSMAN and even went so far as to assign names to the cars even though the names were not actually applied as follows:
1850 BELLE ISLE DOME
1851 CHAMBERLIN DOME
1852 HAMPTON ROADS DOME
See the B&O Chapter for further detail of these cars.
The other three CHESSIE domes the coach lounge Observations featured 20 seats forward of the dome and 16 seat lounge aft of the dome in the rounded end of the cars. A newsagent’s stand and the cars restrooms were located beneath the 24 seat domes. The C&O assigned these cars to service in the PERE MARQUETTES between Chicago – Grand Rapids and Detroit – Grand Rapids. The three cars 1875-1877 were sold to the Rio Grande in September 1949. Before delivery to the Rio Grande the cars were fitted with an adaptor complete with diaphragm for mid-train operation. After repainting in Grande Gold and Black the cars were renumbered
CHICAGO
&
NORTH
WESTERN
Streamlined Sleeping Cars
by Al
The C&NW owned a total of thirty-three lightweight stream-lined sleeping cars dating between December 1937 and March - April 1950. Twenty -nine of these lightweight streamlined sleeping cars came from Pullman standard and the remaining four were from American Car & Foundry. The C&NW sleeping cars were four two distinctly different services. One was the operation with the Union Pacific of such streamliners as the CITY OF LOS ANGELES, CITY OF PORTLAND and CITY OF DENVER. In a three-way arrangement with the SP added they operated lightweight stream-lined sleeping cars for service in the CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO and SAN FRANCISCO OVERLAND. Actually the C&NW operated the complete trains and provided all types of cars toward the operation of the CITY fleet. The C&NW provided the tracks and crews between Chicago and Omaha.
The other fleet of sleeping cars owned by the C&NW were operated in the NORTHWESTERN LIMITED nightly between Chicago and Minneapolis, the DULUTH - SUPERIOR LIMITED from Chicago and its southbound namesake the CHICAGO LIMITED. Later the DAKOTA 400 carried a lightweight streamlined sleeping car between Huron and Rapid City nightly. The prewar streamlined sleeping cars operated in the OVERLAND route trains were assigned to one of the three operating roads following the second world war beginning in 1945.The following cars were transferred to C&NW ownership beginning in 1945.
18 ROOMETTE SLEEPING CAR Pullman Standard December 1937 Plan: 4068A Lot: 6526 (Transferred to C&NW ownership 1945. Original assignment of car to CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO renamed and transferred to CITY OF LOS ANGELES July 1941)
ROSE BOWL (2nd) originally TELEGRAPH HILL
4 DOUBLE BEDROOM 4 COMPARTMENT 2 DRAWING ROOM SLEEPING CARS Pullman Standard November 1940 Plan: 4069F Lot: 6636 (Assigned to C&NW ownership in 1945 and assigned to trains listed above car names)
CITY OF LOS ANGELES
ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!
Here’s a little something taken from the literature associated with the California-Zephyr and its Vista-Dome sleeper observation-lounge:
Rest and Relaxation in the ”Vista-Dome” Lounge-Observation Car
The spacious and luxurious lounge-observation car at the rear of the train and immediately behind the sleeping cars, furnishes congenial lounging facilities on three different levels for as many as fifty passengers.
Modern ingenious designing and expert fabrication combine to make a composite unit of four distinctly separate accommodations in this exquisite car.
The ‘main floor” lounge is located within the gracefully rounded end of the observation car. Here, deeply-cushioned occasionally chairs and settees, in shades of sandalwood and brown in a setting of rose-tan and petal beige, invite complete relaxation.
Carpeted and individually-lighted steps from the lounge lead to the distinctive air-conditioned “Vista-Dome – tastefully decorated in tones of sandalwood. Here, enclosed in shatter-proof, glare-resistant glass, are twenty-four deep-cushioned seats, where passengers may ride in comfort and enjoy a complete view in every direction.
Nestled beneath the Dome is a buffet. Tastefully decorated in rose and gray-green, it provides a delightful rendezvous in which to speed the miles and minutes. At one end of the buffet is a refreshment counter with carved linoleum base and back bar of stainless steel and etched mirrors. Electric refrigeration units assure an ample supply of cool, refreshing beverages at all times. The buffet has a telephone connection with the dining car, over which table reservations can be made.
Forward from the buffet are three bedrooms and a drawing room, each having enclosed toilet fa
Chicago
Burlington
&
Quincy
(CB&Q)
Streamlined Dome Cars
by Al
The Chicago Burlington & Quincy would be the largest owner of Budd built dome cars prior to Burlington Northern and a year later Amtrak.
The Burlington as previously mentioned built the first modern dome car in their own Aurora Shops in Illinois. Actually this was a rebuild from a prewar Budd built stainless steel streamlined coach. The completed car was the 4714 SILVER DOME so named upon completion of the conversion to dome. The CB&Q named the car a Vista-Dome a name they would use for all of the domes they owned except for the one VIEW series full-dome they operated in the GN EMPIRE BUILDERS.
24-SEAT VISTA DOME 34 REVENUE SEAT COACH Budd Company June 1940 Rebuilt to Dome in CB&Q Aurora Shops June 1945 (World’s first modern dome car referred to as the pattern dome assigned to TWIN ZEPHYR)
4714 SILVER DOME original name SILVER ALCHEMY)
From this single car the CB&Q would order ten Vista-Domes for the two consists of the postwar VISTA-DOME TWIN ZEPHYR. Each consist would have no less than five of the new VISTA-DOMES in each consist. There was three 54 revenue seat Vista-Dome coaches, one 50 revenue seat Vista-Dome coach and a single 29-revenue seat Parlor with 5-revenue seat Parlor Drawing Room Vista-Dome Observation. In addition their were two additional seats located at the rear of the Observation that were only a little less plu***han the other parlor seats that were sold as parlor seating when all other parlor seats were sold out. In actual fact the two observations actually sold 31-parlor seats not counting the five in the parlor drawing room located beneath the dome with its own private bathroom. In actual fact rare was the occasion when all 31 of these seats were not sold out as parlor car seating. All three types of dome cars had 24-non revenue seats in the domes.
The 54-revenue seat Vista-Dome coach’s featur
G’day!
Something in tribute to the “California Zephyr” . . . .
CB&Q #376 Silver Penthouse “California Zephyr” (foto: unknown)
Later! [tup]
Tom[4:-)] [oX)]
Chicago
Milwaukee
St Paul
&
Pacific
(CMSTP&P)
Streamlined Dome Cars
by Al
The Milwaukee Road operated domes beginning in December 1952 with the delivery of ten full-length domes named Super Domes to the railroad by Pullman Standard. These were the first full-length domes ever constructed and the first Pullman Standard domes constructed with curved glass in the domes. They were so heavy at 112 tons they required six wheel trucks to spread the weight over the rails. They required high capacity 16-ton capacity air conditioning supplied by their own 70 hp diesel generator in a service bay at one end of the car. Milwaukee Road received the cars numbered 50-59. The name Super Dome appeared in script below the windows of the lower level lounge. The cars were delivered in the Milwaukee Road colors of Harvest Orange and Royal Maroon.
The Milwaukee Road assigned four of the new Super Domes to operation between Chicago and Minneapolis in the MORNING HIAWATHAS (2) and AFTERNOON HIAWATHAS (2), they became the second trains to operate domes between Chicago and Minneapolis the CB&Q VISTA-DOME TWIN ZEPHYRS began operating December 19, 1947. The remaining six Super Domes were assigned to the Chicago to Seattle-Tacoma OLYMPIAN HIAWATHA. They became the first trains operating between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest to offer domes. But they were not the first domes operating in the Pacific Northwest, That honor goes to the Union Pacific when they purchased the GM TRAIN OF TOMORROW domes and assigned them to trains 457-458 between Portland and Seattle round trip daily beginning in September 1950.
The Milwaukee Road Super Domes 50-59 seated 68 passengers in coach type seating in the upper level under the dome. There were 8-single seats and 30 pairs of seats. Forward visibility from these domes was skyward only when seated, one needed to stand to get forward visibility. The passengers sat with their shoulders at the height of the side windo
G’day!
We’ve seen 'em before, but they’re always nice to look at!
from: www.trainweb.org
Later! [tup]
Tom[4:-)] [oX)]