I’m interested in all passenger trains that ran in the 1940s & 1950s, especially the consists. I have been looking for information on I.C. passenger train consists and found some things I’d like to get more details on. It looks like the ‘City of Miami’ was all coach, which surprises me since the train took over 24 hours to make a run between Chicago and Miami! The ‘City of New Orleans’ appears to be all coach too. Again, it seems this train would have some sleepers since it was such a long trip. Anyone have consist information on these two I.C. trains? Anything would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Carl
Here is some info:
City of New Orleans - The coach/excress/mail workhorse on the Chicago - New Orleans route. This the train in the Arlo Guthrie song.
Panama Limited - The All Pullman train for most of it’s life. Later coaches were added in the 60’s(they were listed as the coach only ‘Magnolia Star’).
City of Miami - Joint train to Florida with several other railroads.
Hawkeye/Land O’ Corn - Iowa Division trains west of Chicago.
Green Diamond - Chicago - St Louis train. Later cut back and renamed the ‘Govenors Special’…
Jim
In the 1940s, the vast majority of IC trains were still Harriman-styled heavyweights in Pullman Green. Only the most famous name trains were in the chocolate & orange scheme, the early version of which was slightly different than what ewe usually think of (especially on the E units). The Green Diamond was still running during WWII. Shortly after WWII, the “Land O Corn” was an articulated streamlined set. ALL the commuter equipment, and virtually all of the local trains (Peoria, Quad Cities, Rockford, etc) were all Harriman coaches, with possibly an RPO, and 1-2 short full baggage cars.
It wasn’t until the mid-1950s that the IC applied the C&O scheme systemwide, and the road still had PG baggage cars running into the 1960s.
As for consists, check out the Official Guide for your target years; they almost always have the basic public car types listed for each route. While it won’t reflect the actual consists for any given train (you’ll have to review photos for that, especially when you need to figure out how much head-end equipment each train had), it’s usually the best basic source for information.
I found this consist. I was as of December of 1957.
Train #5 - City Of Miami
Coach and Pullman Streamliner. All seats reserved. Via Ill. Central, Central of Ga., A.C.L. and F.E.C.
Car # Car Type Car Route Note(s)
CM30 Sleeper (10 roomette, 6 d.brm.) Chicago to Miami
CM31 Sleeper (10 roomette, 6 d.brm.) Chicago to Miami
CM32 Sleeper (4 comp. 2d.r. 4 d.brm.) Chicago to Miami
CM33 Sleeper (4 comp. 2d.r. 4 d.brm.) Chicago to Miami
CM34 Sleeper (11 double bedroom) Chicago to Miami
CM35 Sleeper (3 d.brm 1 d.r. 1 comp. lounge) Chicago to Miami
Dining Car Chicago to Miami
Dining Car Chicago to Miami
CM36 Sleeper (4 comp. 2d.r. 4 d.brm.) Chicago to Miami
CM37 Sleeper (11 double bedroom) St.Louis to Miami
B Coach (54 seats) Jacksonville to Miami
CM3 Coach (56 seats) Chicago to Miami
CM4 Coach (56 seats) Chicago to Miami
Tavern-lounge observation Chicago to Miami
all i know is i like there ols and b units them had for passenger.
There is a soft bound book out that has all the consits and pictures and plans of many of the cars. I have it stored away in a tote in the back of a closet and I cann’t remember any details maybe some one else has a copy or remembers the book I got mine at St. Louis transportion display backmin the 70’s…Cox 47
csmith, would you happen to have the same information for the Panama Limited and the City of New Orleans? It would be most helpful!!!
Thanks!!
The original Green Diamond was an articulated train set similar to the UP City of Salina (M 10,000) and original City of Portland. Sometime around the end of WWII they sent that train set South and started running the Green Diamond schedule w/ a mix of lightwieght and semi-streamlined cars. I was lucky enough to ride this short=lived batch of interim cars (it went all lightwieght as soon as Pullman could deliver the needed cars). The “signature” car was a rebuilt Harriman parlor observation. It had 6 wheel trucks with welded sides having streamlined style thermopane wndows but they left the open observation platform intact. Guess where I spent the whole trip! The cars were painted in the orange and brown and were a mix of lt wt and rebuilt heavywts From memory it consisted of 5 or 6 cars with a pretty even mix of lt wt and hvy wt.
Better yet, where did you get this info? A personal log or is it published?
As for consists you might also check in the “Some Classic Trains/More Classis Trains” set by Arthur Dubin…a great resource (Sorry can’t get to my copy at the moment). Also look for name train brochures, especially intro promos, they often have info on the specific cars.
Passenger Train consists of the 40’s lists the Panama Limited, TR 5 southbound arriving in NO 12-7-46 as:
IC4003 - E6A
IC4014 - E7A
IC1801 - Baggage-Express car
IC1902-Lake Ponctchartrain - Bagg-Dorm
Greenwich - 12 Sect, 1 DR Sleeper
Blue Grass State - 6-6-4 Sleeper
King Coal - 6-6-4
Banana Road - 6-6-4
City of Jackson - 18 Roomette
General Beauregard - 3-1-1-Lounge
IC4101-Evangeline - Diner
Chicagoland - 4-4-2
Land o’ Strawberries - 6-6-4
Sugerland - 6-6-4
Memphis -
the CITY OF NEW ORLEANS left Chicago, IL at 8 a.m. and arrived in New Orleans just before midnight (on the same day) - the book this info came from has a pic of the City in 1971 and it shows 3 E7’s pulling 14 or 15 cars- all are chocolate & orange (including the engines) and they all appear to be coaches (the first car may be a baggage car)
Carl,
Go to the following URL - lots of good info on the IC trains:
http://hometown.aol.com/chirailfan/str2ic.html
Jim
[quote]
QUOTE: Originally posted by oldno9
Better yet, where did you get this info? A personal log or is it published?
As for consists you might also check in the “Some Classic Trains/More Classis Trains” set by Arthur Dubin…a great resource (Sorry can’t get to my copy at the moment). Also look for name train brochures, especially intro promos, they often have info on the specific cars.
Passenger Train consists of the 40’s lists the Panama Limited, TR 5 southbound arriving in NO 12-7-46 as:
IC4003 - E6A
IC4014 - E7A
IC1801 - Baggage-Express car
IC1902-Lake Ponctchartrain - Bagg-Dorm
Greenwich - 12 Sect, 1 DR Sleeper
Blue Grass State - 6-6-4 Sleeper
King Coal - 6-6-4
Banana Road - 6-6-4
City of Jackson - 18 Roomette
General Beauregard - 3-1-1-Lounge
IC4101-Evangeline - Diner
Chicagoland - 4-4-2
Land o’
I rode the city of New Orleans from Matoon. Ill to New Orleans on a senior Trip in 1960. I have had an O27 ga. Lionel locomotive set since around 1950, and have set it up several time for my children, and self. Am now in a position to build a layout that will utilize my train, but would like to possibly expand to the O ga. and include a layout that would have two trains on it. One would be my existing Lionel and the second would be the City Of New Orleans passinger set. I am looking for a possible source for the IC passenger set, and have been told that the original Lionel would be very difficult to obtain and that Williams had good operating equipment. I have just ran onto your conversations concerning IC lines and am seeking some advice and direction to go in my dream layout. I want to set the lay out up so that my grandchildren can enjoy the trains the way that I did and hope fully make the layout on a table such that the old man (63) can relive his childhood years also. Any advice and information is appreciated.
Mat Wisbrock
Arlington, Tx
I rode the city of New Orleans from Matoon. Ill to New Orleans on a senior Trip in 1960. I have had an O27 ga. Lionel locomotive set since around 1950, and have set it up several time for my children, and self. Am now in a position to build a layout that will utilize my train, but would like to possibly expand to the O ga. and include a layout that would have two trains on it. One would be my existing Lionel and the second would be the City Of New Orleans passinger set. I am looking for a possible source for the IC passenger set, and have been told that the original Lionel would be very difficult to obtain and that Williams had good operating equipment. I have just ran onto your conversations concerning IC lines and am seeking some advice and direction to go in my dream layout. I want to set the lay out up so that my grandchildren can enjoy the trains the way that I did and hope fully make the layout on a table such that the old man (63) can relive his childhood years also. Any advice and information is appreciated.
Mat Wisbrock
Arlington, Tx