I saw a sight very similar to that Pennsy painting in 1975. I was on a bus heading north on I-95 and at the time the route went past Washington’s Union Station yard. Parked in the yard were a number of GG1’s, Conrail by that time but still in PC black.
Not being a railfan at the time I just thought they were a bunch of cool old Art Deco diesels and was amazed any were still around! It was a sight to remember at any rate.
How can we go on without the Pennsy? Well, we had to go on without General Washington. Many people didn’t think we could, but we’ve done all right just the same.
Hey, some people wondered how we’d get on without being in the British Empire! Some people wish we still were, but not openly.
Fifty thousand New Yorkers will go to Philadelphia by rail alone for the Dempsey-Tunney fight if the minimum expectations of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Central railroads are fulfilled. Elaborate preparations have been made by both lines.
Traffic will be taken care of by three methods—special private car trains, special excursion day coach trains, and the regular service. The trains, no matter what kind, will be of ten or more cars. The Pennsylvania Railroad expects to run about fifteen private car specials, about thirty excursion day coach specials, its regular “every hour on the hour” service, and as many relief trains as may be necessary to take care of the overflow from the regular train service.
The New Jersey Central will run about five private car specials, fifteen excursion day coach specials and also maintain hourly service of regular trains.
NY Times, Sept. 24, 1926
75,000 Fight Fans Leave City By Rail
An army bigger than all of Caesar’s legions poured out of New York yesterday bound for the Dempsey-Tunney fight. Seventy-five thousand fight fans, according to the railroads estimates, streamed through the gates at the Pennsyl
Speaking of holidays, and not to belabor "the fight of the century and a half,” excerpt from Harrisburg Evening News, Sept. 23, 1926:
As one of the Pennsylvania Railroad trains hurtled through Middletown conveying hundreds of western fight fans to the Dempsey-Tunney imbroglio at Philadelphia tonight, several cases of beer, later determined to have been brewed in Canada, started falling from the windows of coaches. Several of the cases, containing twenty-four bottles each, plunged into the Swatara Creek. Another case landed a short distance east of Catherine Street and came to a stop after some fancy open field dodging. Beer bottles, even though they contain high power beer, may not be expected to sustain such treatment. Eleven of them didn’t, and the liquor seeped through the case to stain the arid section of the street in the immediate vicinity. Local railroad officials can give no reason to explain the deluge of beer. There is a possibility, however, that the merry fight fans, having imbibed, had reached the stage where they thought it was New Year’s Eve and, according to custom, determined to quit drinking.
Maybe everyone’s just plain talked out? I have noticed that Forum participation always seems to go up when there’s “dirty weather” across the country keeping people inside. No biggie, while the weather’s nice get outside and enjoy yourselves!
And all that good Canadian beer falling off the train? Reminds me of the old Irish saying, “It’s a mortal sin to waste good liquor!” How careless can you get?
And, there was a famous toast here during Prohibition days, folks would lift their glasses and say “Strike a blow for freedom!”
One more thing, I just have to point out Gene Tunney was a Marine. OOO-RAH!
Maybe the new Forum rules scared everyone off if they can’t crab, hurl insults and promote an agenda. The weather reason seems more plausible. It is glorious up here by the way, sitting on my back deck with my coffee and housecoat enjoying the quiet and stillness as I type.
Now if only I could hear a steam whistle off in the distance.
There is some very good perspective here, particularly from Schlimm, CSSHegewisch, CMStP&P, NKP Guy, and Balt.
I had a great grandfather who fought for the Union as a private and had a finger shot off. A great great grandfather fought for the Union as a Captain and lost his health for the rest of his life due to camp conditions in Virginia. There were people who were trying to kill them, and I care nothing for the sentiments of those people’s descendants. Commemmorate history, but don’t glorify insurrection or pretend it was nobler than it was. After the war, Confederate General Longstreet accepted the new realities and worked to make reconstruction work, even though he probably didn’t like it very much. His reward is a serious dearth of memorails to him, throughout the South. It should be clear that devotion to the Lost Cause in the South is disproportionate, and it’s time to accept what was settled over 150 years ago.
As for the original question, the locomotive “The General” was built in 1855. Lee was in the U.S. Army at the time, and did not join the Confederacy and take command of the Army of Northern Virginia until about 6 years later. Lee never rose above the rank of Colonel in the United States Army, and was not promoted to General until he joined the Confederacy. To think “The General” was named for him is to misunderstand the actual events. The name is generic.
The comments are generally correct about the B&O Museum’s equipment contribution to Disney’s Great Locomotive Chase. The “Lafayette” portrayed the Yonah; B&O 25 “William Mason” portrayed the General; and one of the V&T 4-4-0’s was transported from the West to portray the “Texas”. I think it was the “Reno”, but could be mistaken. By the way, B&O 25 did not carry the William Mason name until after retirement.
As for the Warther Museum, featuring the remarkable carvings of Mooney Warther in
Great shot of Gene, Wanswheel! Looks like he stayed in the reserves post-war and eventually was comissioned. Good for him! Hard to tell from the photo but those look like major’s rank insignias on his shoulders. The officer’s Mameluke sword is unmistakable. Not sure of those insignias under the " Eagles,Globes and Anchors" on his lapels. Staff insignia, maybe. Theres nothing displayed under the EGA’s nowadays and certainly wasn’t in my time 40 years ago. The fourregere’ on his right shoulder could be an indication of a staff assignment, Marine generals aides typically wear them.
OK, I went deep into the archives here at the “Fortress Firelock” and pulled out a 1917 copy of “National Geographic” with First World War era American military insignias pictured and explained. It looks like that mystery insignia Gene’s wearing is the old “Adjutant and Inspectors Department” insignia. It may have been used up to World War Two, I can’t find out from any of my reference works, but certainly didn’t last past it. I’ve never seen any photos of Marine officers wearing it.
One thing’s for certain, some Marine general got first-class bragging rights if he had Gene Tunney for an aide/adjutant!
Firelock, on Sept. 24, 1926, the day after the fight in Philadelphia, Major General Lajeune ordered Tunney be commissioned a first lieutenant. He was a captain in 1933, according to the reserve register.
“James J. Tunney, wearing a blue Major’s uniform of the Marine Corps branch of the State Naval Militia on Governer Wilbur L. Cross of Connecticut’s staff”
“…a blue Major’s uniform of the Marine Corps branch of the State Naval Militia…”
Well! That’s a new one on me! I’ve never heard of such a thing. Well, as we used to say in the Corps, “It’s a wasted day if you haven’t learned something new.”
Or old, in this case.
At any rate, it’s a much better look at the mystery insignia. Looks very similar to the US Armys staff insignia.
Dec. 11, 1941. “Bob Feller (C), Cleveland Indians’ star pitcher, is sworn into the Navy by Lieutenant Commander Gene Tunney (R), as Chicago recruiting officer Lieutenant David N. Goldenson looks on. Feller got a rating of Chief Boatswain Mate and will assist in the Navy’s athletic program.”
According to Cleveland legend, Feller brought home with him the telescope he used for anti-aircraft sightings on the U.S.S. Alabama and had it mounted in the scoreboard at League Park. There, he and a few others in on the scheme (including Lou Boudreau) could observe the visiting team’s pitching signs! [(-D]
