or how and where a passenger consist was cleaned and replenished before next trip, i.e. vacuumed?restocked?How long and how many crew it took. and can it be modeled if the consist is not in use? Rather than having just a ton of passengers - Maintenance/cleaning crew with proper equipment and supplies. Thanks, Chris
Chris.
As far as I know most non coach cars had porters that maintained the car as it rolled along. Major cleanings would be done in a terminal yard far away from the passengers. Google the Pullman project for a good website.
Pete
You are right - Just watched a TOP FROG DVD and it showed that the consist was brought to the yard for cleaning - Thanks, Chris
Hi Chris,
You don’t mention what era you had in mind although the general concepts haven’t changed much in the last hundred years. In that respect, I am suggesting one of my favorite informative books on passenger operations. It is titled The Run Of The Twentieth Century by Edward Hungerford first published by New York Central Lines in 1930. Reprinted by Wayner sometime in the 1970s.
This book can often be found on ebay, sometimes for less than ten dollars.
It is written with an understandable bias toward the NYC and in particular the “Century” but admittedly, the NYC had reason to blow it’s own whistle in regards to the Century.
The book covers the reservation system and how it affects the make-up of that days train(s). Of particular interest to you is the operations at Mott Haven where the car cleaners, commissary workers and car repair men keep everything in motion to see that there is never a delay to the NYC’s most famous train.
Other chapters are devoted to servicing the locomotives, operation of the ATS, dispatching, Pullman operations, etc. An added bonus is two fold out maps of Mott Haven coach yard and Grand Central trackage. There’s also nice pen-and-ink sketches throughout.
Get yourself a copy and you won’t be disappointed. Even non NYC fans can come away with a greater understanding passenger operations in general.
Have fun! Write back if you find a copy…
Ed
Generally at a large station / terminal cars at the end of their trip would be taken to a nearby “coach yard” to be serviced. Diners would go to a track next to the Commissary to be restocked with food, other cars would be vacuumed and cleaned. Each railroad normally would have it’s own coach yard (as would Pullman) where the cars were cleaned and prepared for their next run. Generally, road engines would leave their cars at the station at the end of the run, and switchers would take the now empty cars to the coach yard (and bring new cars to the station for the next train leaving) while the road engines went to a nearby roundhouse or engine house for servicing.
Thanks for the info!! - I’m modeling the '40-'50’s B&O improv. Heavy weights and smooth side - I do have an area in my “yard” for passengers cars w/car shop when not in use, and the main station is next to the" yard", so that works - Where would a commissary be located?next to a road for truck shipments? - I’ll look into that book asap - Chris
I’m guessing you meant 70-80’ passenger cars.
The commissary would normally be set up to serve dining cars, cafe cars etc. on one side, with a loading dock on the other side for trucks bringing fruit, vegetables, meat etc.
If space is limited (as it usually is!) Walthers makes a nice backdrop commissary building.
My typo - Meant 1940’s to 1950’s B&O improv
Found the book “Passenger Terminals and Trains” by John A. Droege - A true bible on every aspect of the “passenger train” -
Rochester NY station:
The station has 10 through passenger tracks and one express track. The former are arranged in pairs, 12 ft. on centers, and 28 ft. between adjoining pairs so that 19-ft. platforms are used. The Bush train shed is 1,100 ft. long at its longest part. Some of the platforms, however, are 1,400 ft. long.
The station platforms are reached by a subway on a 7 per cent. incline down from the station, 76 ft. wide at its entrance and 40 ft. wide and 8 ft. high under the tracks. There are two nights of stairs from the subway to each platform. Train indicators are placed at the foot of the stairways and since there are doors passengers may be held there until trains are ready.
The baggage and mail rooms are under the tracks. The express room is adjacent, being under the freight tracks or just north of the station. Baggage is trucked from the baggage room in the station on a ramp paralleling the passenger subway. It is taken to the platforms on elevators, each platform having an elevator at each end. Mail is handled in like fashion, but there are also two mail chutes in the north platform for carload lots. Express in small lots is handled similarly to baggage and mail but larger lots are loaded onto cars placed at the special express track to the south of the other ten. There are special express offices fronting on the street in the rear of the station.
The station’s coach yard