PRRGuy wrote:Well, lets start with the "Fort Pitt", since I'm modeling the PRR headed towards Chicago that train would seem to be appropriate.
Here ya go...The year 1952 (I was 2 at the time so this comes from a Pennsy consist book)
1 MS-60 ........................ OPEN.................................... PITTSBURGH-CHICAGO
1 BM70M........................ LETTER END EAST .....................PITTSBURGH-CHICAGO
1 EXPRESS ......................B-60 MESSENGER, GOLD STAR .......PITTSBURGH-CHICAGO
1 EXPRESS (DAILY XPT. SUN.)B-60 ..................................... NEW YORK-CHICAGO (OFF 93 AT P'BURGH)
1 B-70...................................................................... PITTSBURGH-CHICAGO
1 P-70 (COACH,SUNDAYS ONLY).........................................PITTSBURGH-CHICAGO
2 P-70KR (RECLINING SEATS)............................................PITTSBURGH-CHICAGO
1 PARLOR CAFE (8 PARLOR SEATS, 9 LOUNGE SEATS)................PITTSBURGH-CHICAGO
2 MS-60.....................................................................PITTSBURGH-CHICAGO
1 MS-60.....................................................................PROVIDENCE-CHICAGO (OFF TR.11 PITTSBURGH)
1 MS-60.....................................................................PHILADELPHIA- CHI'GO (OFF TR.11 PITTSBURGH)
1 MS-60.....................................................................PHILADELPHIA-COUNCIL BLUFFS (OFF TR 11 PITTSBURGH
...........................................................................................................TO CONNECTING TRAIN IN CH'GO)
1 MS-60 X...................................................................BALTIMORE-CHICAGO (OFF TR.51 PITTSBURGH)
1 RIDER X...................................................................PITTSBURGH-CHICAGO
1 MS-60 X...................................................................FORT WAYNE-CHICAGO
Translations:
MS-60 .........................................Mail Storage car. It's a baggage car
BM70M .........................................Baggage,and working RPO mail car
B-60 Messenger, Gold Star....................Baggage car with messenger facilities (it had a potty, and a gold star stencilled above the road number)
P-70..............................................Standard, non remodled Pennsy coach
P-70KR...........................................Standard, air conditioned, remodled Pennsy coach with "pictue" windows
PARLOR-CAFE...................................Heavyweight Pullman operated w/parlor seats, a lounge, and small dining section
MS-60 X..........................................Express box car
RIDER X..........................................Cabin(caboose) equipped with steam, and signal lines for passenger service
OPEN ............................................ Car not sealed. Pouches could be added or removed en-route
LETTER END EAST..............................Car operated with the RPO (mail) section facing east
Express box cars had steam and signal lines to operate in passenger service.
For those of you just tuning in to railroading, steam lines carried steam for heat, the signal line was for the air-actuated train crew signal to the engine cab.
The parlor-cafe went around 1956. Other than that the consist is much the same as I remember seeing in 1966. The Fort Wayne express car was gone by then.
There was a logic to the consist of all mail/baggage/express trains much the same as today in blocking cars.