One possibility is that in the days before the Indiana railroad consolidation, there was an Inidana Service car that ran as a single unit to be coupled to a United Traction car or train at Peru, Marion, or Blufton, to continue its trip from Fort Wayne to Indianapolis, and was replaced by equipment common to both systems that could provide through service or operate on either, even before the Indiana Railroad consolidation.
Another possibility is a Milwaukee to the north car compatible with North Shore equipment running through to Chicago. This would more likely have been freight, rather than passenger equipment. I forget the northern terminal of what became TMER&L system, De Pere?
All interesting options. Milwaukee Northern (later part of TM) did run box motors through from Sheboygan to Chicago over the CNS&M. Their motors had compatible HLF control -
The car and its replacement Iām looking for were used for a particular service which was jointly handled to an outlying location, but which ran only as required. The service was discontinued in the 1930s.
For what itās worth, Chicago, Aurora & Elgin had a funeral car. I have not found more about it though. As I remember there are several large cemeteries on the west side of Chicago.
Nariq01 is the closest. CA&E equipped one their car 109 as a control trailer for use with Metropolitan West Side Elevatedās equipment for funeral service to cemeteries in Forest Park and Westchester. The CA&E and MWSE (later Chicago Rapid Transit) had a joint funeral bureau starting in 1909. When car 109 was no longer serviceable it was replaced by car 10, which had been built as a combine, rebuilt into a coach, and was rebuilt back into a combine for funeral service. CA&E also used it on Wheaton locals, where the parlor-style chairs were popular with commuters. All funeral service ended in 1934. CRT/CA&Eās was the only rapid transit funeral service, and may have been the last electric railway funeral service.
In 1906, car 109 was selected for conversion to a combine for funeral service, which was operated in conjunction with the Metropolitan rapid transit company. As a result, it was equipped with motors and controls of Met design, and could no longer train with the other AE&C cars. It was used in this service until about 1932, then stored. In 1937 it was converted to a flat car, and later scrapped.
It was listed as a motor not a trailer and left me wondering. I had no idea about the replacement number 10.
Hereās where roster notes from various sources can contradict each other. Both CERA bulletin B-105 āThe Great Third Railā and http://www.greatthirdrail.org/rollingstock/index.html list 109 as a trailer. I still have two other books to check. 109 was built 1904 by Stephenson. CA&E 10, built by Niles as part of the first order of AE&C cars, was built as a combine in 1902, rebuilt as a coach in 1910, back to a combine in 1933. It retained its motors and remained in service until the early 1950s.
Both of MWSEās own funeral cars, 1904 Jewett-built 802 and 1898 Barney and Smith 756 were converted from motor cars to control trailers so the funeral party wouldnāt be disturbed by the motors. 756 was later renumbered 2756, and was used as a hospital car after 1924, most famously at the 1926 Eucharistic Congress at Mundelein on the North Shore Line.
CTAās charter allows it to run funeral service, but it has never done so.
Final tally after consulting and comparing a number of lists-- AE&C 109 was built as a trailer but motorized with Westinghouse AB control and GE-262 motors in 1906 for funeral service (AE&C equipment used GE type M control and Westinghouse motors). Retired in 1932, it was rebuilt to a flatcar in 1937. MWSE had motor car 802 and trailer 756 set up for funeral service, 756 was built as a motor car but lost its motors on conversion in 1907. AE&C 10 was built as a coach, converted to a combine in 1910, reconverted to a coach in 1919, re-reconverted to a combine in 1932 for funeral service, burned in an accidental fire in 1948.
I doubt any of this matters much, but as my wife says, āthose who care, really care!ā
Patent 61,584 by L.F. Ward of Elyria Ohio, issued on January 29, 1867. Iām not sure where it was first actually used - I would bet on the LS&MS - but it was well known and widely used by the mid 1870s.
Wanswheel that is the answer I was looking for.At their height, RPO cars were used on over 9,000 train routes covering more then 200,000 route miles. It was an interesting operation in history.
Indianapolis - Peru and Fort Wayne - New Castle. both Indiana Railroad. Earlier, Union Traction of Indiana with the latter run jointly with Indiana Service Corporation. Service on the first ended 10 July 1938, buses having replaced the regular passenger runs five days earlier. Service on the second ended 18 Janary 1941, the last day of scheduled Indiana Railroad operations. The Indianapolis - Seymore line had one round trip daily afterward, until the accident on 8 September 1941, but this was an Indiana Public Service obligatory operatiion, despite the name Indiana Railroad remaining on the two cars used alternately.
While Daveās answer is correct the way I asked the question, I was looking for two different interurbans. Soā¦ itās your question, but Iād like to get at least one more interurban on the side.
Pacific Electric had several RPO runs, and the LA - San Bernadino one outlasted passenger service by about 8 - 10 years, if my memory is correct.
I think the West Jersey and Seashore had an Atlantic City - Ocean City RPO at one time, ditto Bamberger Salt Lake City - Ogden.
My question is easy, and the subject has been discussed on this Forum before.
Name the railroad line, connected to and part of the national network, where electrified passenger service, a service that still operates, predates all other existing railroad electrifications and/or existing electric passenger services on the national network. End points of the existing service and original electrification. If you know the subsequent history, please continue to the present.
I remember discussions involving the Stamford-New Canaan branch, first with the DC āstreetcarā electrification, then reversion to steam for a while, then one of the first 11kV AC installations. Was this the line that had the interesting wooden cars?
Technically B&O would have transported passengers through the tunnel with the original 1895 electrification, but that really doesnāt count.
If we take the āpresent serviceā as a trick question (it didnāt say electric service), I think there are portions of the old New Haven third-rail electrification with the A-frame third rail that are traversed by the MBTA commuter service to Greenburg (?) that was established in the late 2000s, I think 2007. That was a fascinating technology.
