Thank you very much, Balt. It was too bad that Dome cars were not allowed to be used in PRR and NYC system, I think the use of Dome cars like Santa Fe, MILW and GNR were very successful. I especially love those 12-wheel “big dome” lounge cars built by Budd in 1954, they enriched the content of long distance through trains service and made the consist looked even more attractive.
Prior to ATSF’s El Capitan Hi-level cars being placed in revenue service in 1956 (I think) a representative train made a publicity tour. One of the stops was Washington Union Station. With my
The issue I heard (in the mid-'70s) was that if the catenary snagged or came down it would damage the dome framing and windows and hurt anyone in that area. The electric arc potential was secondary; I suspect the car structure would act as at least a partial Faraday cage.
My understanding come from what I was being told in the 50’s. EE wasn’t on my educational CV.
IIRC the GN and MILW ran domes under wire.
The blank posting was meant to discuss the introductin of the Creek sleepers to the Broadway, with their single bedrooms, which, in addition to the 15-1/2 hour eastbound running time, may have brought some Century patrons to the Broadway. In 1959, when I rode it, it seemed like a full load. On another business trip about the same time, going Phily-Chi, the ticket agent said the Broadway was all sold-out, and I had to settle for the General. I think a Creek was also on that train at the time.
Regading catenary. PRR catenary in the Hudson and East River tunnels and in Baltimore tunnels would not allow dome cars or high-levels. Neither would the “overhead third rail” at Grand Central Terminal. That is why.
This is awesome, Balt. The dome car is an icon of America Railroad History. It was such a shame that PRR and NYC couldn’t use them on the Northeast.
It seems that postwar Broadway was doing better than the prewar one, if I was traveling alone in 50s, I would pick a single bedroom instead of roomette since I don’t want other passenger to see me wearing a silly pajamas when I making my bed of the roomette.
If I could visit 1940s again, I would at least try the Trial Blazer once, since I want to know how serious the snoring noise was inside a 56 seats coaches. [swg]
Did the roometes back then not have curtains that could be clsoed to hide you as you backed into the sile to pull your berth down and put it back up? Those that I rode in, from 1962 on, had such (those with a cutaway at the foot of the berth did not
Yes, there was curtains like old HW Pullman sleepers, covered the door of a rommette. It was one of the selling point in the advertainment of lightweight car from pullman and railroads, but you know …accident happens [swg] . A single bed room or even a compartment could provide higher level of privacy I need.
I encountered many snoring passengers on planes but not trains to be honest, usually the level of the noise of the plane itself is high enough to cover all the snoring, I believe the situation on the train was similar, but far less noisier than plane. Many airlines still provide free earplugs though.
Update was made in post#2, adding info of new passenger car orders or related topics from 1954 to 1970.
I rode coach overnight many times: New Haven Naragansette, New York Central Wolverine, Atlantic Coast Line - RF&P - PRR West Coast Champion, Havana Special, SAL Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Tidewater, AT&SF El Cap, PRR Red Arrow, Trailblazer. I do not recall being bothered by snoring. I think that if the problem had arose, I probably just moved to another seat, possibly relocating the seat check on the baggage-rack face, something I remember doing at least once for other reasons.
First overnight coach trip in 1943, age 11, NY - Detroit on the Woverine (alone). Last 1969, LA - Chicago on the El Cap. Last long distance sleeper trip, Jan 1996, W. Palm Beach - NY, roomette. First, to summer camp, age 6, 1938, State-of-Maine, NY - Concord, NH, shared lower berth.
The only reason I brought this thing up was that I am a person very sensitive to noises during sleep, so l believe passenger’s snoring, especially heavy snoring wasn’t a big deal to many other passengers in the past. Moreover, I guess when the train was traveling at speed, the level of noise would be high enough to cover any noise made by the passenger, wasn’t it? [swg]
Passenger on the EI Capitain, LIFE Magazine.
Snoring could also be disturbing in open section cars–there was the story of a LOUD snorer who kept other passengers awake until he gave a loud snort and turned over. Whereupon another passenger exclaimed ,“Thank heavens; he died!”
That just made my day! [swg] I heard Pullman open-section sleeper was not loved by traveller anymore when newer cars and services like roomette was available in early-40s. I don’t mind sitting with a stranger face to face during the day time, I see it as a chance to make new friends. If my “berthmate” had a bad day and was being difficult or didn’t feel comfortable to communicate, I would go to the lounge car, order some drinks and stay there, talk to the staffs, listen and observe. I wonder if there was any interesting story about making friends or passenger found his/her future wife or husband on the named train. [swg]
1939, inside the POC70R observation car #1121, LIFE magazine
(Is that glossy box thing a radio on the left-hand side of the gentleman in the pic?)
This is moving away from the theme of the thread–but I met the woman whom I married in the first class dome on the City of Portland in April of 1971. She was on her back to Boise on a reound trip to Poertland before the train was discontinued, and I was on my first trip to the West Coast, riding as much as I could of the lines that were to have no passenger service after the end of the month. Fifteen months later, we were married.
Thank you very much for the sharing, that is absolutly wonderful and romantic! [Y]
I am going to “adjust” the title of this post a little bit so that our forum members and reader could share and read more topics in one post.
By the way, I am still looking for more details about PRR F.O.M scheme like the total number of passenger car PRR owned or leased from Pullman just after WWII and the number of cars painted in F.O.M. But I am afraid I can only find these information in person at different libraries. Anyway, I tried to list the approximate numbers of cars carried this beautiful livery in the first post.
Btw I just found out that early Budd built stainless steel dinning car of PRR had a slightly different color scheme of F.O.M. They didn’t have golden strips on the “non-smooth” body side,
My experience in viewing the PRR (middle 50’s to PC), and riding it one time - about 1957 or so. The equipment did not appear to be cleaned and maintained to the level of other carriers I had the opportunity to view or ride. From my childs point of view, PRR had lost ‘Esprit de Corps’ in their passenger o
I travelled on the Broadway Limited from NY Penn Station to Pittsburgh in Seprember 1977. There was some confusion with the printed timetable and when we went to book our seats we were told that the train was the Broadway.
It still had the two unit Budd diners that had arrived with the post war tuscan red train. These had the Budd non fluted sides, where the ribs were further apart and flat stainless panels were used in place of the “fluted” panels. The sides had been acid etched to take the Tuscan Red, but were still silver and didn’t look too bad with the Amtrak “Phase II” window bands.
Of course, we had a meal, and were able to use the bench seats provided in the full length diner while waiting for a table to become available. It was not a luxury dining experience, but Amtrak’s standard meals were pretty good at that time.
In 1980, I was in Seattle in conjunction with inspecting four new Frigates for the Royal Australian Navy being built by Todd Seattle. (Two were already complete and in San Pedro, and a fourth was still on the slip at Todd.) Some time during the visit I decided that I’d check out the area for rairoad activity. To my amazement I found three two car Broadway Limited Dining car sets standing in sidings. I’ve no idea who owned them. I expect that they were scrapped, but I was amazed to see then again on the West Coast.
Peter
I wish I could remember more of my first night in a Pullman–in January of 1962 I spent a night in a PRR 10-6 between Hattiesburg and Birmingham. Since it was my first such experience, I simply enjoyed the luxury of undressing and stretching out on the berth, and not having to wake up and shift my position in the night.