inner workings of railroads

zephead Jun 21, 2013

  1. zephead

    zephead TrainBoard Member

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    Hey people,

    Looking for specific info on how passenger trains operated in the 50's. The books I found were helpful in basic know how, but i'm looking for specific. Example The Broadway Limited,how many crew changes, where(Philly, Harrisburg etc) how did the crews get back? How many locos used,how much was the price of tickets. Even small info, could you smoke in your room,take a hot shower,what type of food,hamburger or steak tar tar or both lol. A book or articles like " I boarded my train in nyc............and finally arived in chicago

    any help would be great
     
  2. Ironhorseman

    Ironhorseman April, 2018 Staff Member In Memoriam

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    Interesting question, Zephead. It'll be interesting to read some of the responses you get. :)
     
  3. Kenneth L. Anthony

    Kenneth L. Anthony TrainBoard Member

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    Some of your questions might be answered with period primary-source public documents: public timetables, dining car menus:

    Others would take more digging.
     
  4. Randy Stahl

    Randy Stahl TrainBoard Supporter

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    Only the TRAIN crew was changed every 12-16 hours. Dining car crews and pullman crews stayed on the train, Dining car crews and non Pullman crews stayed in a dorm , Pullman crews stayed in one of the unused berths of the car(s) he was in charge of.

    Randy
     
  5. Candy_Streeter

    Candy_Streeter TrainBoard Member

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  6. Dave Jones

    Dave Jones TrainBoard Supporter

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    In the 1950s there were probably 200 to 2,000 passenger trains per day. The range was from a one car 15 mph train on a branch, normally mixed with freight cars to the 80+ mph stainless steel streamliner with every possible variation in between the two types.
    Dining or food, from no service to "candy butchers" to snack cars to full dining service that you might find in the finest restaurants.

    The railroads (or at least the majority) no doubt had rules/regulations regarding basic company services, even down to the various divisions. Your best bet is to find a railroad company you might be interested in and research these questions about their particular passenger service.
     
  7. maxairedale

    maxairedale TrainBoard Member

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    Removed comment.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 21, 2013
  8. zephead

    zephead TrainBoard Member

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    Execellent info!!!!!!!!!! thanks
     
  9. Charlie

    Charlie TrainBoard Member

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    For dining car operations,menus,staffing etc, there are a number of great publications.

    "Dining Car to the Pacific- The 'Famously Good' Food of the Northern Pacific Railway" -William A.McKenzie-University of Minnesota Press. (fantastic book about a fantastic railroad!)

    "First Call to (A Milwaukee Road ) Dinner" -Milwaukee Road Historical Association-Fundcraft Publishing
    {mostly just recipes}

    "the Harvey House Cookbook-Memories of Dining along the Santa Fe Railroad" -George H.Foster & Peter C. Weiglin-Taylor Trade Publishing.

    "Dining by Rail - The History and Recipes of America's Golden Age of Railroad Cuisine" -James D. Porterfield -St. Martin's Press. (a good anthology of recipes,tested by the author some good photos and reproductions of printed material)

    "Dining on the B & O-Recipes and Sidelights From a Bygone Age"-Thomas J.Greco and Karl D.Spence-
    The Johns Hopkins University Press. (great vintage photos of America's 1st Railroad who also happened to serve certifiably gourmet cuisine)

    "Dining on the Shore Line Route- The History and Recipes of the New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department.-Marc Frattasio-Walsworth Publishing Co.(if you are a New Haven or Eastern railroads fan-read this book! The New Haven was one of the very few railroads that made money serving genuinely delicious food-ala "Yankee" style)

    Just a few!


    Charlie
     
  10. zephead

    zephead TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for info .......more books on trains for me to get!!!!!!
     
  11. zephead

    zephead TrainBoard Member

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    Well, after a couple of months researching on my own. I came across a wealth of knowledge on the subject of STREAMLINERS.......the following books provided all the answers to my questions and the ones I did not post, they are:

    THE BROADWAY LIMITED by JOE WELSH
    NEW HAVEN PASSENGER TRAINS by PETER LYNCH
    UNION PACIFIC'S STREAMLINERS by JOE WELSH
    SANTA FE CHIEFS by BILL YENNE
    NEW YORK CENTRAL RAILROAD by BRIAN SOLOMEN
    B&O, CAPITOL and NATIONAL LIMITED by JOE WELSH
    THE CARS OF PULLMAN by JOE WELSH
    GREAT NORTHERN EMPIRE BUILDER by BILL YENNE
    SOUTHERN PACIFIC PASSENGER TRAINS by BRIAN SOLOMON
    TWILIGHT OF THE GREAT TRAINS by FRED FRAILY

    THESE BOOKS PROVIDED ALL THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION..."WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO RIDE A STREAMLINER IN THE USA FROM 1840 TO 1970"
    The pictures, text, maps, and in the Broadway Limited a chapter on "I boarded the train in Penn, NY........... and disembarked in Chicago" WOW!!!!!

    Zephead
     
  12. Charlie

    Charlie TrainBoard Member

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    Try reading some books on railroad dining cars, another wealth of information as to what the passenger train was like in standard and streamline days.
    Here's several titles to start with...
    "Dining Car to the Pacific" subtitled "The 'Famously Good' Food of the Northern Pacific Railway" by William A.McKenzie
    "Dining on the Shore Line Route-The History and Recipes of the New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department" by Marc Frattasio
    "Dining on the B & O-Recipes and Sidelights From A Bygone Age" by Thomas J.Greco and Karl D.Spence


    Charlie
     
  13. zephead

    zephead TrainBoard Member

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    Charlie,
    Thanks!!!!!!!!! more books to buy(wife goes yeaaa.....not) Are you familiar with "Harvey House"?
    Zephead
     
  14. Charlie

    Charlie TrainBoard Member

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    I have the "Harvey House Cookbook". Another good source although it's more directed at the service and food of the Fred Harvey restaurants.

    Charlie
     

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