This is a discussion which easily can descend into hair-splitting and
semantics. Technically, Jon may be correct in stating that the silk trains
were an early example
of a unit train. However, it wasn't a unit train in the same sense that we
think of unit trains today. For one thing, silk trains were a speciality
train which were absolutely
unique in North America for their absolute priority and ability to operate
at regular passenger train speeds and above. To the best of my knowledge,
even though they handled merchandise,
the equipment handling silk was special service equipment and had passenger
service braking equipment, which right there separated them from freight
service. Silk
trains were more truly an express train operating essentially to passenger
train standards, but without the passengers. Silk trains were in a category
all by themselves
and I doubt that anybody in the industry at that time would have considered
the silk trains to be unit trains as we think of them today.
One thing that has not dimmed with the passage of the decades is the awe
which railroaders held for those trains. Old-timers thrilled in telling a
silk-trains story. My Dad
only saw one, but he never forgot it! He was a KVR fireman at Spences
Bridge, BC at the time. They knew a silk train was on the way and rather
than going for much-needed
rest, waited for it to get to Spences Bridge. Dad said that at one blink,
the train was at the west end of the yard and in the next second it was
passing the station building
fast enough that the suction pretty near took their pants off. No modern
unit train comes close to that ability - unless, of course, it's running
away down Field Hill!!!
Unit trains certainly operated in Canadian territory before the 1960s, but
not on the scale that we see them today. The concept of a unit train
forty-five years ago was not
yet a firmly established industry practise in Canada the way it is today.
The CPR ran unit oil trains on occasion during the Second World War and many
other types of
commodities since then. However, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE - and I stand
to be corrected, it wasn't until the advent of the coal train service
between the East
Kootenays and Roberts Bank in 1970 that a pure unit train service really
came onto the Canadian scene as a daily feature.
Joe Smuin
-----Original Message-----
From: Jon Calon
Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2013 6:24 PM
To: cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [cpsig] RE: Unit Trains
So the Silkers would be disqualified why? They didn't reblock, setout or
pickup en route as that would all take too much time. And what other cargos
did they carry? Near as I've been told, the Silk Trains were nothing but
Silk.
Or are you thinking that because they didn't always use the exact same
reefers/boxcars/whatever that they're disqualified?
Jon
On 2013-11-05, at 6:15 PM, Roger T. wrote:
-----Would the Silk trains the CPR carried be considered a Unit train since
the cargo, origin and destination points were the same? These were
extremely fast freights without switching en route, and IIRC, always
destined for New York via Prescott, Ontario...
Cheers,
Jon
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No, because a unit train is made up of identical rolling stock carrying one
commodity from "A" to "B" with no reblocking nor setting out nor picking up
en route.
Cheers.
Roger T.
Home of the late Great Eastern Railway
http://greateasternrailway.com
More photos of the late GER at: -
http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l99/rogertra/Great_Eastern/
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