chat photos

[john hd]

brad

it certainly looks like a pre 1890 pullman to me, mohogany was a very common wood in cars of that era. the dome in the vestibule is a dead give away!

point of note, the car is numbered X 10. numbers that started with X or M or MOW were reserved for maint. of way equipment on the milwaukee road.

the terra haute was numbered M 850, the idea with the numbers was that cars like these were NEVER to be interchanged with other railroads. that was because they usually did not meet current saftey standard because of their age.

john

[john hd]

also

if you guys want to see what one of these wood cars looked like in the day click on the link below...


http://www.mcrwy.com/

click on the equipment roster, then click on wooden passenger equipment.

they were spectacular to say the least! as till stated about the museum in ill. i was a member of midcontinent until the politics got to me. still, a very interesting place, certainly worth a visit if you are interested in turn of the century rail road history.

john

Again a beauitiful building. It's a real shame to see this kind of architecture fall in to total neglect. Also if these coaches were built of Mahogany it would cost a large fortune to build one today.

[Pick]

If anyone is interested, there is a show on RFD-TV Channel 379, DirecTV, called "Trains and Locomotives", it is on Dish also, don't know the channel. I think it is on Sunday mornings, maybe Saturday too.

Last weekend we went for a short train ride in Newberry, FL. They have a short spur that they give rides on during December. It is pulled by an older diesel-electric locomotive. The car was made in 1920, kind of spartan all, metal interior.

[pinkflamingoes]

That I rode a bicycle through that very tunnel. But then most of those tunnels out there look alike? Beautiful country, unforgettable ride.

And that current picture looks straight out of the movie Polar Express. Gorgeous.

pf

Originally Posted by john hd

one very large general motors product!!

here are a couple of pics of one of the locomotives that the railroad had (i think we had 6 or 7 total) it was a small operation, short line in southern wisconsin.

i actually helped paint this one, the tunnel shot was taken on the ex ill. central line just north of monticello wisconsin.

again these are pics i found on the internet, still kicking myself for not having a camera when i was young and dumb! i had plenty of money for beer!

john

[gotair]

[QUOTE=bredlo]Interesting stuff! Saw a show once on a converted train car (Extreme Homes on Discovery, I think?) and it was awfully cool.

You guys would probably be interested in this:


Yep. you were granted a look at the past .. neat huh.. best left to R.I.P.

[canny_banjo_man]

Hi Guys....
Tho Yr Railroad system is a lot more tamer, relaxed, than ours here in the UK, I jus wonder How many of U Guys TOOK a ride on the railroad for free...I taped a short film abt it last year...& quite frankly it realy creases Me...real cool...I've actualy put it on My 2do's list....sayin that, whilst We were in Boston, this time last year, We went by rail from Boston to Salem, to visit the Witches...LOL...Although the rail trip was only less than an hour, it's the point I make abt travelin on an American Train...But I realy wanted 2do it like a Hobo does.... ( NO Upsettin intended )...kinda Box car Willie thing, SO how many of U done that as a youth then ???....& would U do it agn ?...LOL...Chris.....

[wahoonc]

Chris,
I don't doubt we still have "hoboes" riding the trains, but in this day and age I would not reccomend it. You are likely to face federal charges especially after 9/11. Also FWIW a couple of years ago they finally caught a serial killer/rapist that was riding the rails, he was charged with something like 8 murders in 5 states and suspected in several more, he was getting around by hopping freight trains from one part of the country to the other. He was charged in Missouri, North Carolina and Texas, among others. The romance of the rails....has a black underbelly. But there are plenty of short line, dinner trains, and tourist trains to ride. We have a privately owned "hobby" railway near us that a couple of times a year you can "buy" engineer time and they will actually let you run the train for a couple of miles or so. Here is a link toNew Hope Valley RR I am sure there are others around the country.

Aaron

[Tom Nugler]

Done It when I was young, yep. Do it again, nope. Cured me quick.
17 years old in the late '60s. Friend and me messing around in the forest perserves NW of Chicago where the C&NW freight line runs. Jumped in a open boxcar in a stopped train. It started up in a minute and my friend said I was an idiot if I stayed on. I decided to take a short ride. Didn't take long to realize that the next stop was Milwaukee. Jumped down a 10 foot embankment and came up with bloodied knees and elbows,and, a long painful walk back.
I may still be an idiot but I think I'll stick with Amtrak and the Museums.
Tom.