Bob Chester Series pt 5 - Rock Island Passenger trains
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- Опубліковано 21 вер 2010
- This part covers the Rock's passenger service that ran in areas where Bob filmed. It certainly doesn't show all of their trains, and none of the long streamliners like the Golden State Limited or the Rockets. The Rock was an early adopter of diesel power as evidenced by their E units from 1939 and 1940. The red-nosed stainless bodied Es were great looking engines. They showed that at one time the Rock did care a great deal how their trains looked.
music credt - Kevin MacLeod at www.incompetech.com - Авто та транспорт
So glad someone had their camera rolling... back in the day!
Such nice music with priceless footage. Love it!
The two ATSF double door boxcars are indeed express boxcars, or at least had steam lines installed. After the SP connection at Tucumcari went away, due to discontinuance of SP 39-40, the ATSF connection at Amarillo took on more importance. With regard to the earlier comments on the observation with baggage door... no, it wasn't built that way, but was a Rock Island modification. Car #70 was coach in front, baggage in observation end, with a Vapor hot water heat system to run as RDC trailer.
Awesome find on youtube! Where the Rock still lives!
Interesting about when the diesel locos were built. the first mainline diesels we used in the UK were built in 1947 for the London Midland and Scottish Railway but were not preserved sadly
I actually rode in CRIP #70 on a trip from Enid to Wichita, in the summer of 1961. The next day, rode from Wichita to Topeka but #70 was not in that consist; did see some interesting cars and #40 (old Imperial) at Herrington. Really miss those days.
The engine house and sand tower at Enid looked just like the ones at Belleville, KS. This is classic RI
i remember the rock island real well
@intercityrailpal The loss of the mail service contracts forced the Santa Fe to kill off the SuperChief/El Cap and many other trains in 1967 as well. The contracts had kept the bleeding to a minimum, but they just couldn't survive without them. How poetic is it to see several US Mail cars on the Amtrak Southwest Chief and other trains. Now mail cars are back on Amtrak's SW Chief and other trains. GM also pushed light rail out and lobbied for buses, built by GM!
Great video. Choctaw Rocket was a little train. Those El Reno shops are now being torn down.
I like the music on Bob Chester videos.
I rode an excursion train pulled by #630 at the Kansas City Railroad Museum. The last I heard, it was being used by the Midland Railroad in Baldwin City KS
@osmcorinth Thank you for that info. I did some searches on R.I. trains #21 and #22 and found a lot of info. I will see about getting the video corrected. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and helping to accurately present this series.
Very enjoyable. Thank you
+Lynn Roberts Thank You :)
EXXXXXXXXXXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Actually, in the Summer of 1961, trains 27/39 and 40/28 were combined from Kansas City to Herrington, where they were split up. 39 (and 40) would run on to LA, and 27 (and 28) would run on to Fort Worth.
@intercityrailpal thank you for that insight. I am not around Amtrak like I was 5 years ago when I saw it daily. At that time it did indeed have mail cars. Things change, even if there's no reason for them to.
Thanks, AJ6, for the information on the observation car. What an odd train this must have been. I also recall reading about 39-40 (mentioned in another post) in an Official Guide from 1958 or so and wondered if anyone actually rode the solitary coach from Chicago all the way to Los Angeles. Must have been a grueling trip. If read conflicting information regarding numbers 39-40....some say it had been called The Californian, and others say it was known as the Imperial.
@AJ67901 Air conditioning was an Electro-Mechanical unit, perhaps the same as when cars were powered, but with batteries and a 64v Spicer drive added (axle driven generator). Heat was provided by a Vapor Mfg Co circulating hot water system, supplemented by electric heat in the RPO section.
The last runs of RI trains 21-22 (formerly the Cherokee) began from both Memphis and Tucumcari on November 9, 1967. The last train 22 had locomotive 406, which matches the video, but the last 21 had locomotive 410. However, the last 22 would have passed through El Reno on November 9, but the last 21 not until November 10. From the very short trains, it is likely that the movies show last trip of #22 and next to last trip of #21.
Thanks for posting these rare and historic movies.
@niselat wow, cool that it's still around!
@lcar4000 I found some info on this car, #70, in a book titled "Down South on the Rock Island" by Steve Goen. The car was originally a round end observation and was modified for freight when it was assigned to the Enid/El Reno run. It was truly one of a kind! The book said the car lived out it's life on this run and was modified to meet the demand for more freight capacity along with passengers. A friend has told me he spent many hours as a youth playing in this car at the Enid depot.
Wish RI would come back. Cant believe its already been over 30 years since its vanish.
RI may not be around physically, but in a spiritual manner somehow it's likely you can see the Route of the Rockets on UA-cam.
Three of the RDC's were neutered in early 1965, but they most certainly did still have heat and A/C capability. The so called "freight" equipment was hauling either Railway Express or US Mail.
I wonder if any of these trains ran on the now long abandoned grade between Tucumcari and Amarillo? I recently made a little Photoshop of an RDC running across an old trestle between Glenrio and San Jon. I believe that's one of the few Rock Island segments that was never picked up by a future railroad.
The RI's Choctaw Route that's it
What was the deal with the observation car, with a baggage compartment? Was this car built that way, or was it converted? Was it one of the obs cars that once ran on the Golden State?
@tanned2go22 Thanks for that excellent information. You have obviously researched this extensively, or perhaps you were there. Bob told me that it was the last run, so I included that in the captions. I see what you're talking about now with two separate trains. Thanks for the clarification!
@lcar4000 I agree that it is a very unusual car. A friend of mine who used to ride this very train in his youth said he's looked for info on the car, but has been unsuccessful. I don't know if it was part of any of the Rock's premiere trains. My friend said he rode it in the late 50's.
love this, real nice
BNforever2009 Thank You
Perfect for me, modeling RI in home state
@AJ67901 @AJ67901 After just looking at the "Bob Chester Series Pt 1" an ATSF mail train had the same thing, freight looking equipment with passenger cars trailing. Apparently the railroads had some freight equipment set-up for use on passenger trains. I guess if a shipper was willing to pay a premium over and above regular freight rates, their cargo could travel on a passenger train (expedited).
@osmcorinth Thanks for the input. I didn't make these movies and I met with Bob who wanted to get all of the details as accurate as possible. He couldn't remember the name of the train but thought that the two segments in El Reno were the last runs of that train. I couldn't find much info to go on, so I used what I thought was the closest to being correct. Do you know when the last run of the Cherokee was?
The Choctaw limited . Serviced Oklahoma city to Amarillo tx .wonder did it continue service west Amarillo to Tucumcari nm? On the abandoned and uprooted mainline . I have been looking for pictures of this line in action . Little found . Thx .
@tanned2go22 Thanks for the info. I'd seen some diagrams on ac being driven by the coach wheels on passenger cars, like diners etc, but didn't know how they'd do it in a RDC.
From Dallas to Des moines 1960s
@sclm046 I noticed that as well. So did they modify a boxcar that didn't belong to them, what was the story. The RDCs had been neutered and their engines removed by this point, so they wouldn't have been able to provide any heat or AC to the passengers. Definitely some quirkiness.
Curious situation beginning at 4:17, two double-door ATSF box cars, freight equipment. Apparently these are not express-cars which would have high speed trucks, tight lock couplers and steam lines. I must admit that the steam generator is in operation as steam is coming from the diesel locomotive as well as the relief valve on the last coach. Temporary steam lines strung under the box cars?
@tanned2go22 how did they provide the heat and AC?