On u-tube someone has some 8mm home footage on the SOUTHERN from 1965. One train starts as a mail and passenger train but has a covered hopper at the tail end, and another shot of a train with the second ;ast car being a covered hopper followed by a sleeping car.
Seeing these consists is changing the way l model railroad. So freight cars can be mixed into passenger consists and be realistic … appaently.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zdbnqMg0JI
Train spotter’s journal 1965
This was part of the famous Big John rate case almost 50 years ago. The Southern needed to maximize the utilization of their new grain cars during the period cost evidence was being gathered so they would run the cars on passenger trains to rack up the miles.
The curx of the case was the ICC wanted to hold up the Southern’s grain rates so the barge lines would not be hurt. The Southern finally won the case and were allowed to save their customers money.
Cool , thanks.
I’ve seen pictures and movies of SOUTHERN running piggy back cars on thier passenger trains.
Well l have seen that too, on CN to Churchill Manitoba. Via rail might still be doing it. But as head end traffic of sorts.
Back in the days when N&W was running passenger trains, there was more than one occasion when the last car of the Powhatan Arrow was a single loaded coal hopper - needed to fill out the cargo of a ship loading at Norfolk. Coal is not a uniform product. There might have been trainloads of coal already in the Norfolk receiving yards, but none of the contracted grade.
Chuck
Did this slow the trains down ?