Consists

[Gilbert B Norman]

For those of us having files of recorded pre-Amtrak consists, what say we share them here?

To "start the ball rolling":

PRR #29 Broadway Limited, July 12, 1966 @ Harrisburg

GG-1 4916
Baggage Mail 6568 (heavyweight, roller bearings)
10-6 Park Rapids
4-4-2 Imperial Fields
10-6 Delaware Rapids
10-6 Catawissa Rapids
12Dx-4 HH Brackenridge
11BR Elberton (stainless)
5BR-Lng Harbor Cove
Diner 4620
Kitchen Dorm 4621
4-4-2 Imperial Ridge
10-6 Fishing Rapids
10-6 Comeaugh Rapids
2MR DR Obs Mountain View

[Gilbert B Norman]

OK, let's go West:

MILW 111 City of Portland Jan 27, 1962 (rode: Savanna-Marion)

UP E-9A
UP E-9B
UP E-9A
UP Mail Storage
UP Mail Storage
UP Mail Storage
MILW Dorm
UP Dome Coach 7007
UP Coach 5499
UP /coach 5465
Dome Diner 8008
Dome Lounge 9000
11BR Placid Bay
10-6 Pacific Meadow
6-4-6 National View

Needless to say, I recently had an "archaeological find'. More to come if anyone wishes.

[NS VIA FAN]

And here's a CN, pre-VIA consist.

CN #73 At Montreal Central Station, February 20, 1976

*6712 GE Electric Box Cab
*6714 GE Electric Box Cab
6787 MLW FPA-4
6636 GMD FP-9B
9332 Baggage
1815 ALANDALE (8 Sec. 2 Comp 1 DR) Heavyweight Sleeper – Build 1923
1087 CAPE BRETON (2 Bdr. 2 Comp. Buffet Lounge)
5227 Coach
5298 Coach (Set off at Arvida)
5187 Coach (Set off at Jonquiere)
*5287 Coach (To #75 at Hervey Jct)
*431 Dinette (To #75 at Hervey Jct)
*1807 CAMPBELLTON (8 Sec. 2 Comp 1 DR) (To #75 at Hervey Jct)

*6712 & *6714 were ancient Electric Box Cabs. They hauled the entire consist out of Central Station through the 3 mile Mt. Royal Tunnel. At Eastern Jct. they cut off and returned to Central Station. (6712 & 6714 had been in service since the Tunnel opened in Oct. 1918 and were actually still hauling commuter trains on the last day of operation in June 1995. The Deux Montagnes line reopened later that year with new Bombardier Electric MUs)

CN #73 operated from Montreal to Jonquiere and Chicoutimi. At Hervey Jct. it set out through cars (*5287, *431 & *1807) to be picked up by CN #75 operating from Quebec City to Senneterre & Cochrane.

Today’s VIA #601-#603 follow a similar route: Montreal to Hervey Jct where they split into sections for Jonquiere and Senneterre but no longer exit Central Station through the Mt. Royal Tunnel. They now follow a route west around the city to rejoin the original route at Eastern Jct.

[NS VIA FAN]

And here's two more pre-VIA consists from a trip between Quebec City and Cochrane, Ontario in 1974 then return to Toronto on the Ontario Northland Railway.

CN #75 departing Quebec City w/b to Cochrane, Nov. 8, 1974.
6761 FPA4
6867 FPB4
6771 FPA4
8108 Express
5425 Coach
5389 Coach
5390 Coach
2310 Lounge "Au Courant" (heavyweight-built 1920)
1802 Sleeper "Battleford" (8-1-2) (heavyweight-built 1923)

-At Senneterre, 6867, 6771, 5390, 2310, 1802 were dropped and would return to Quebec City later that day in #74.

-8108 and 5425 were added to train for Noranda.

-6761, 8126 (Express added at Senneterre) and coach 5389 finished out the schedule of #75 to Cochrane.

-There was a CN strike on in the Montreal area that day and the Montreal-Chicoutimi train did not operate. So at Hervey Jct we did not drop thru cars from Quebec to Chicoutimi nor pick up thru cars from Montreal to Senneterre.


CN/Ontario Northland #88 "The Northland" arriving Toronto, Nov. 10, 1974
1500 ON FP9A
6791 CN FPA4
410 ON Baggage
1190 CN Sleeper (6-6-4) "Green Gables" xBangor & Aroostook "North Twin Lake"
821 ON Coach (xCPR)
4885 CN Grill-Lounge (xGTW)
810 ON Coach
2091 CN Sleeper (10-6) "Skeena River" xNYC "Saugus River"
2100 CN Sleeper (14-4) "Horseshoe Falls" xSt Louis/San Francisco "Gascoanda River"

-Train originated in Kapuskasing with 6791, 410, 1190 & 821.

-At Cochrane 4885 was added.

-810 & 2091 thru from Timmins were added at Porquis Jct.

-Then 1500 & thru sleeper 2100 from Noranda, added at Englehart.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Here is a site I "stumbled upon' with early Amtrak consists.
http://home.att.net/~jtbradley/amtrak.html

I note with interest what happened to a guestbook feature previously offered at the site.

note; this topic is also posted over at the Amtrak Forum

[Gilbert B Norman]

PRR #149 The Crescent observed at "Old Penn" NY, Sep 20, 1962

GG-1 4883
PRR Keystone Tubular "96xx" set 9600 Power
9604 Coach
9601
9603
9602
9607
9602
9607
P-70 Coach 1719
Heavyweight Parlor 7032 Copps Hill
7075 Fern Glen
7059 Belle Haven
Diner SRY 3307
Sry Sleeper 2MR Lounge Crescent City
10-6 Rivianna River
N&W Sleeper 10-6 Roanoke College (sold to PRR 1964 converted to Coach)
SRY 11BR Royal Court (converted from 5BR Obs)
PRR 10-6 Sangamon River

These consists that I am posting are a "find" that I had given up for lost. I also ask everyone be mindful I am dealing with sheets of paper over 40 years old (i.e. handle with care).

The Tubular set (Budd 1956 last owned by a Short Line in the Southeast), even though it drew its HEP from the Power Car, was equipped with steam lines and in this case used by the standard cars coupled to its rear.

[David Benton]

the "tubular set " , does this refer to the shape , or the construction of the cars ? . amfleet shape spring to mind .

[NS VIA FAN]

Here’s a CN consist from the ‘70's when an x Boston & Maine sleeper was on the Ocean

CN #14 “Ocean Limited” arriving Truro NS e/b from Montreal, February 1973
6521 FP9A
6865 FPB4
6862 FPB4
9039 Baggage
9131 Baggage (to #18)
9162 Baggage (to #18)
5531 Coach
5461 Coach
5472 Coach
5517 Coach
5514 Coach (to #18)
753 Café-Lounge (to #18)
1192 Sleeper (6-6-4) “Greendale” xB&M “Hampton Beach”(to #18)
1350 Diner
2313 Lounge “Bonheur” (heavyweight-built 1920)
1169 Sleeper (6-6-4) “Greenbush”

CN #18 “Cabot” departing Truro NS e/b to Sydney, February 1973
3892 RS18
3835 RS18
15425 Steam Generator Unit
9162 Baggage (fr #14)
9131 Baggage (fr #14)
1192 Sleeper (6-6-4) “Greendale” xB&M “Hampton Beach” (fr #14)
753 Café-Lounge (fr #14)
5514 Coach (fr #14)
5419 Coach

-Note the reverse order of the thru cars from Montreal departing Truro due to track arrangement there.

[Scoring Guy]

Hope I'm not deviating to much from the subject intent:

In one of the Northern Pacific books I have, it references a combined consist, utilized in the late 60's, where the Morning TC Zephyr (northbound) and the Afternoon TC Zephyr (southbound) were combined with both the Empire Builder and the North Coast Limited on the CB&Q line between Chicago and St. Paul.
That made for a 20 plus car consist (plus at least 3 E locos) and included two Zephyr dome coach cars, 4 EB dome cars ( 3 dome coaches + full dome lounge) and 4 NCL dome cars (2 dome coaches, 1 dome sleeper, 1 dome Lounge in the Sky sleeper). Wow, ten dome cars!
I road the "Q", from LaCrosse to Chicago, in '68, it was a late afternoon departure, and I rode in a green dome car - but at the time I was a young buck with little interest in the details of railroading.
Now I can only wonder, if it was one of those super dome consists.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Observed Hoboken Terminal April 20, 1962

EL #2 Phoebe Snow

E-8 827
Alco PA 859
Baggage 245
Mail 400
NKP Storage 332
EL 1321 L/W Coach
1311
1317
1318
1102 H/W Coach
747 H/W Diner (xERIE)
10-6 Marvin Kent (xERIE)
Obs-Lng 486

EL #5 Lake Cities

E-8
E-8
PA
Express Box
Express Box
Storage L/W
Storage
Mail RPO
10-6 Poconno (xDLW)
NKP 10-6 City of Peoria
NKP Coach L/W 106
NKP 86
EL L/W Coach 1325 (xDLW)
1316 Hob-Chi
1310
1075 H/W (xERIE)
957 H/W diner (xDLW)
10-6 William Reynolds (xERIE)
4-6-6 American Way (xERIE) Hob-Youngstown

[Gilbert B Norman]

the "tubular set " , does this refer to the shape , or the construction of the cars ? . amfleet shape spring to mind .

Best answer for Mr. Benton's inquiry is here:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/prr/prr.html

You will note the site owner does not permit url links of his material to another site, so here is a little help to find the appropriate page.

Delete /prr.html from the above; substitute /prr-keystone.jpg

[Gilbert B Norman]

NYC #26 (uh, wazzitsname?) April 14, 1962 (rode Chi-Harmon)

E-8 4091
E-7 4112
E-7 4068
Mail 5019
Dorm Budd 8976
Coach Budd 2926
Coach 2919
Budd Diner 458 (one of class remains in Amtrak service today)
24-8 Slumbercoach 10801 (NYC marketed as Sleepercoach)
Budd 22 Rmt 10378 Tarrytown Harbor (later converted to 16-10 Slumber)
Steel 10-6 10216 Housatonic River
10-6 10186 St Clair River
Kitchen Lounge 477
Diner 400
12BR 10501 Port of Byron
12 BR 10503 Port of Boston
12 BR 10504 Port of Lewiston
5BR Obs 10633 Hickory Creek

[David Benton]

the "tubular set " , does this refer to the shape , or the construction of the cars ? . amfleet shape spring to mind .

Best answer for Mr. Benton's inquiry is here:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/prr/prr.html

You will note the site owner does not permit url links of his material to another site, so here is a little help to find the appropriate page.

Delete /prr.html from the above; substitute /prr-keystone.jpg

Interesting looking cars , are they double deck ? . If not , what is in the large area above the windows ?

[Gilbert B Norman]

How does this look for an unnamed "pool" train/

UP 457 Seattle-Portland June 2, 1962
World's Fair (Space Needle, Monorail) was open; rode Sea-Portland

E-7 790
E-8 936B
E-8 940
SP Baggage 6048
6723
6729
UP 5096
Mail 2267
Coaches 5365
5354
5302
5360
Dome 7010 "Train of Tomorrow'
Lunch counter 4007
H/W Coach 536
L/W 5355
5362
5325
H/W 532
L/W5307
Diner 4804
Dome Parlor Dream Cloud ("T/T")
6200 Lounge (parlor seats sold)

It was "reasonably full' as I recall

[bill haithcoat]

Gilbert Norman, what a fascinating consist for that pool train. I would have thought those trains were probably about 5 or 6 cars long.

That was one of the things about traveling around to new parts of the country, as I grew up---all the surprises in equipment. Especially from trains which did not have reserved coach seats.

As you well remember, most reserved seat trains listed their exact number of coaches. but on those without reservations,the sky was, for some of them, the limit. Some of my biggest surprises in numbers of coaches were the old-pre-Amtkak City of New Orleans(the day train, nothing in common with today's Amtrak train) and, say , the Penn Texas.

The City had about 16 coaches usually when I saw it, the Penn Texas about eight. Seems like the old Abe Lincoln and Ann Rutledge ran very long also.

Man, how I wish I had taken some consists in those days. But I lived in thorough going denial--I refused to see the handwriting on the wall about the future of train travel. I tried to think we would have all these old trains forever (so why record the consists, we would always remember, right?) And besides, who would ever think the internet would be invented and we would get to share our knowledge with people who would have otherwise been total strangers many miles away?

So grateful for this column. Very interesting. Hope many others contribute ot it. Thanks.