Re: Pullmans on CP Passenger Trains
- From: "Dennis Storzek" <destorzek@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:05:27 -0000
I'm back, and now have time for a bit more digging.
--- In cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Michael Salfi <mikesue.salfi@...> wrote:
Great discussion on this topic, I certainly have enjoyed it and have also
picked up some good information. I re-watched the western portions of this
video paying particular attention to the lettering on all of the cars. None
of the cars (that I could read) were lettered Soo Line on any of the trains...
As I tried to convey in my earlier message, Pullman cars only operated painted
Maroon with Soo Line lettering for a relatively brief period of time, from
Janarury of 1951 when the first of the Soo owned cars was repainted into this
scheme, until October of 1955 when they were withdrawn from lease to Pullman
and had their names replaced with numbers. It appears that at this point they
were no longer used in international service. Even during this period, they
wouldn't be seen everyday, because they were in a pool with five other cars
that remained lettered Pullman.
Here's the "smoking gun" that Rob was looking for, from the consist of the
Mountaineer posted by Fred Shannon as message 5596:
PASSENGER TRAIN ARRIVELS AT VANCOUVER B.C. FOR JULY 23RD, 1955
TRAIN NO.13 THE CPR/SOO MOUNTAINEER ARR. OT.
BM 4243 BAGGAGE EXPRESS
CH 2257 68 SEAT COACH
CH 2121 72 SEAT COACH
DI WINGFIELD 36 SEAT DINING CAR (HW)
SS CENTBURNE 8-1-2 SOO LEASEE/PULLMAN SLEEPER (HW) SOO MAROON
CT GLENDUN 10 COMP'T SLEEPER (HW)
RM BALSAM GROVE 10-5 SLEEPER
PO CAPE SCOTT 1-4 PARLOR OBSERVATION SLEEPER (HW)
DI WOODSTOCK 36 SEAT DINING CAR (HW)
SS OLD MANSE 12-1 PULLMAN SLEEPER (HW) TTG
SS LAKE VERRET 10-1-2 PULLMAN SLEEPER (HW) TTG
SS BATTLEMENT TOWER 8-1-3 PULLMAN SLEEPER (HW) TTG
SS POPLAR PLAINS 6-6 PULLMAN SLEEPER (HW) TTG
CT LAKE ONTARIO 1-4 BUFFET PARLOR COMP'T SLEEPER (HW)
SS CENTRLPINA 8-1-2 CPR LEASEE/PULLMAN SLEEPER (HW) CP MAROON
PO 7912 72 SEAT OPEN OBSERVATION WOODEN
I found this consist puzzling as it has both a Soo and CP owned Pullman car in
the same train. However, Don Thomas has since Pointed out that CPR had
terminated their agreement with Pullman in May of 1955, so apparently the Soo
car was running as a Pullman pool car. Fred has posted some consists of the
Mountaineer from subsequent dates on the Passenger Consists List at :
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/passconsist/
Several of the CPR owned Pullman cars appear in these consists alternating with
similar CPR cars from the "R" series.
even the train with a heavy emphasis on Pullman cars and also WP and
Pennsylvania. There were some sequences where I could read the lettering on
all cars, and in those sequences there were only Canadian Pacific and
Pullman cars. I also noticed at least one green Pullman on the train that
had the red and grey Pullman (paint scheme) car.
Since all of this footage is taken in and west of Banff, and thus west of
Moose Jaw, and since Don Thomas indicated that the Dominion could carry
Pullmans switched to or from an extra section of the Mountaineer west of
Moose Jaw, it is not unlikely this is film of the Dominion.
It is even more likely this was train 13 or 14, the summertime Mountaineer.
Additional comments about the Western Pacific and Pennsylvania cars
The
original message in this discussion called the foreign cars "coaches". I'm not
sure of the poster was using that for a generic term for passenger cars, or if
he really meant they were coaches as opposed to sleepers. In consideration of
Mr. Horvath/s comment that the Western Pacific had no sleepers with their name
on the letterboard, we can't discount the fact that these are, indeed, coaches.
While most charter groups coming up from the US used Pullman company sleepers,
there are some groups that would charter coaches. Children going to camp /
scouting / religious affairs come to mind, as do the movement of military
personal. I'm just surprised that cars from railroads at opposite ends of the
US should be together in the same train, but of course, anything is possible,
at least occasionally.
Either way, the logical route into western Canada is either the summertime
Mountaineer, or the off season Dominion, through its connection with the
Soo-Dominion.
Dennis
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