Vintage trains

[Quetzal]

Ahh, yes... the Inspection Cars, the majority of them from the 1930s to the 1970s just regular GM automobiles, most likely because GM made a good chunk of the period locomotives at their EMD Division. Lionel Trains used to make a '57 Chevy wagon (probably a Nomad) Inspection Car. The wagon was used in those 40-ish years, especially when it became more common after WWII because it could carry people and supplies (remember that the Mini-Van was not existent, unless if you include the VW Bus and the American imitators, such as the original Econoline and the Dodge A-100, and trucks of the time were only 2-door three-seaters, the way how they ought to be today).

Nowadays, all you see are your regular 4-door pick-ups (essentially the modern family "car") with tiny flanged wheels, which do not see much action, anyway. The only ones I've ever seen (and I've travelled to all 48 states and Alaska) have "Canadian Pacific" stamped onto the side.

-Quetzal

 

[jamespowers]

Ahh, yes... the Inspection Cars, the majority of them from the 1930s to the 1970s just regular GM automobiles, most likely because GM made a good chunk of the period locomotives at their EMD Division. Lionel Trains used to make a '57 Chevy wagon (probably a Nomad) Inspection Car. The wagon was used in those 40-ish years, especially when it became more common after WWII because it could carry people and supplies (remember that the Mini-Van was not existent, unless if you include the VW Bus and the American imitators, such as the original Econoline and the Dodge A-100, and trucks of the time were only 2-door three-seaters, the way how they ought to be today).

Nowadays, all you see are your regular 4-door pick-ups (essentially the modern family "car") with tiny flanged wheels, which do not see much action, anyway. The only ones I've ever seen (and I've travelled to all 48 states and Alaska) have "Canadian Pacific" stamped onto the side.

-Quetzal

The higher end cars like the Cadillac and such were actually probably executive and supervisory vehicles used on the rails for their own personal use.

 

[jamespowers]

I have never seen anything like that!

Here is another color picture of one from Croatia that has recently been restored.

 

[1mach1]

Here is another color picture of one from Croatia that has recently been restored.

That reminds me......

 

[jamespowers]

That reminds me......

View attachment 18330

That was a personal car.

 

[1mach1]

 

[Quetzal]

Here is another color picture of one from Croatia that has recently been restored.

Is it just me or does that car have WHITE-WALLS?

-Quetzal

 

[jamespowers]

Is it just me or does that car have WHITE-WALLS?

-Quetzal

Yeah it does. It would have been nice if they actually rechromed the bmpers and got a new emblem for the hood though.....

 

[zaika]

Howdy! So...forgive me if this sort of question shouldn't be in this particular thread...but I have a question for you all since you seem to really know what you're talking about and I'm completely lost.

I'm doing a bit of research into northern Wisconsin during the late 1920's for a story I'm doing (a comic, to be honest, please don't judge! lol), and it involves a trip on a train from a small town (such as Mercer, WI) to a made up town on the eastern seaboard probably in the state of Massachusets. I need to render a locomotive and cars, but I'm having a hard time figuring out which would be most appropriate for the time and location. I am completely new to vintage train travel and know pretty much zilch. I've read a bit here and there, but get lost in all the train related lingo. Can one of you help at least point me in the right direction? Even if that means to a different thread here that I've missed.

I really appreciate your help!

 

[1930artdeco]

Hi Zaika, you will need to know who runs the tracks in your area first. Now it is probably Union Pacific (UP), but back then it may have Baltimore and Ohio (B&O), or another line out of Chicago. Then you can look up photos of their locomotives or posters advertising travel by train in that area. More than likely you have a large locomotive maybe a 4-6-4 (number of wheels up front, main drivers and under the cab.) Hope this helps a bit.

Mike

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Howdy! So...forgive me if this sort of question shouldn't be in this particular thread...but I have a question for you all since you seem to really know what you're talking about and I'm completely lost.

I'm doing a bit of research into northern Wisconsin during the late 1920's for a story I'm doing (a comic, to be honest, please don't judge! lol), and it involves a trip on a train from a small town (such as Mercer, WI) to a made up town on the eastern seaboard probably in the state of Massachusets. I need to render a locomotive and cars, but I'm having a hard time figuring out which would be most appropriate for the time and location. I am completely new to vintage train travel and know pretty much zilch. I've read a bit here and there, but get lost in all the train related lingo. Can one of you help at least point me in the right direction? Even if that means to a different thread here that I've missed.

I really appreciate your help!

To travel from Wisconsin to Massachusetts back then by train would have started with the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad to Chicago where you would have boarded the New York Central for the rest of the trip to Boston.

 

[zaika]

Hi Zaika, you will need to know who runs the tracks in your area first. Now it is probably Union Pacific (UP), but back then it may have Baltimore and Ohio (B&O), or another line out of Chicago. Then you can look up photos of their locomotives or posters advertising travel by train in that area. More than likely you have a large locomotive maybe a 4-6-4 (number of wheels up front, main drivers and under the cab.) Hope this helps a bit.

Mike

Mike, thank you SO much. I've been going down a (very interesting) rabbit hole with this bit of information, and I think I'm close to getting what I need and learning a lot in the process. Thank you for replying!

 

[zaika]

To travel from Wisconsin to Massachusetts back then by train would have started with the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad to Chicago where you would have boarded the New York Central for the rest of the trip to Boston.

This is perfect. Thank you so much for replying, I'm very close to finding what I need with that bit about the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad.

I love doing research...you learn so much. It's great when others help! So, thanks again.

 

[ChiTownScion]

.....I'm doing a bit of research into northern Wisconsin during the late 1920's for a story I'm doing (a comic, to be honest, please don't judge! lol), and it involves a trip on a train from a small town (such as Mercer, WI) to a made up town on the eastern seaboard probably in the state of Massachusets. I need to render a locomotive and cars, but I'm having a hard time figuring out which would be most appropriate for the time and location. I am completely new to vintage train travel and know pretty much zilch. I've read a bit here and there, but get lost in all the train related lingo. Can one of you help at least point me in the right direction? Even if that means to a different thread here that I've missed.

I really appreciate your help!

Mercer was on the C&NW line that ran from Green Bay to Ashland, WI: stops south would have included Woodruff, Rhinelander, Monico, Pelican Lake, Antigo, Eland, Shawano, Bonduel, and Pulaski before reaching Green Bay... unless you bypassed Green Bay entirely and proceeded directly south at Eland to Appleton. From Green Bay, you would have proceeded either on the east side of Lake Winnebago (Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Port Washington, etc.) or the west (Appleton, OshKosh, Fond du Lac, West Bend, etc.) to Milwaukee.

From Chicago east, there are a load of choices. As noted, the New York Central Lines (via its Boston and Albany Railroad through western Massachusetts and on into Boston itself) would be a direct route....but if you decide to go by way of, say, New York or Washington, it could be quite an odyssey. Chicago to NYC, you had the New York Central, the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the Erie (to New Jersey, actually, and those are all that I can recall now) and they ran many trains on each of those roads.

I also think from what I have read (if you want to make it really interesting and get away from the large steam railroads as an itinerary), there was a time around then (correct me if I am wrong, any traction enthusiasts out there) when you could have done the entire stretch between Chicago and the area of New York City entirely by electric interurban railways-- except for a relatively short gap. Again, the issue here would be what year you're looking at: a lot of those interurban companies were folding in the 1920's as more people bought automobiles and roads were built.

What I'd suggest doing is first determine exactly which year you want to set the story in. Then, try and obtain a train schedule for that year, or better yet, a copy of The Travelers Official Guide of Railways and Steam Navigation Lines the United States, Mexico and Canada for your year. Most of the old steam railroads have historical societies that could be helpful, if you're unable to scrounge an old timetable, or an Official Guide, for the year in question off of eBay.

 

[Big Man]

Interesting vintage train story:

In late 1945, when my Dad, who was in the Army Air Corps, came home from Europe at the end of WW II, he arrived in New York City. He went to the train station to begin the journey from NYC back home to the little, mountain community of Nebo in western NC. When he got to the ticket counter, the agent asked where he was going. My Dad said, "Nebo, NC." He said the ticket agent immediately pulled one ticket after the next, never looking at any reference as to what train connections needed to be made. Absolutely amazed that the ticket agent could make all those train connections from NYC to the obscure little township of Nebo, he just had to ask, "how in the world could you make all those connections without looking anything up?"

The ticket agent replied, "because I just spent 15 minutes getting connections for that guy right over there."

My Dad said he turned around and to his surprise saw his next door neighbor, Charlie McGimpsey, who was in the Navy. They haden't seen each other since my Dad was drafted in April, 1943.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Some more big guys....







Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Rob

 

[Jim Hayden]

Some of my pics:



Erie passenger diesel at Port Jervis, NY



C&O 614 at Clifton Forge, VA



Strasburg Railroad #90, Strasburg, PA



Buffalo Creek & Gauley #14 on display at Gaithersburg, MD



East Broad Top #15, Orbisonia, PA

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Nice pics, Jim!

Rob

 

[Blackthorn]

From Shorpy: January 1943. "Freight operations on the Chicago & North Western between Chicago and Clinton, Iowa. The crew, with exception of the fireman, chat while waiting for orders to pull out."