OlympianHiawatha
Engineer
I always got a laugh out of the Foot Pedal or Slot Machine Handle Flushers.
I remember that era well. I got to ride in cars that belonged to railroads that I would have never had to opportunity to ride. Also remember when the Illinois Zephyr used C&NW F-Units and 400 Gallery Cars.I remember "circus trains" running in and out of Chicago. The first year or two, when NOTHING had been repainted into an Amtrak paint scheme, and Amtrak chose what it considered to be the best equipment, and assigned it to various trains in unexpected combinations. U.P. E8 diesels in the east; B&O E8's in the west; GM&O E7's running through Chicago on Milwaukee-to-St. Louis trains. Then when the equipment started to be modified and standardized, the Broadway Ltd. was the first all-Amtrak train with a consistent paint scheme, pulled by Amtrak-painted E8's. Amtrak got some ex-Army hospital cars and turned them into lounges with a disgusting interior with (if I recall correctly) purple carpet on the walls. Christmas & New Years parties in those lounges (I was a lot younger then).
Tom
Yep, loved the jointed rail sound when you flushed. I rode VIA in the early 80's and the conductor would lock the bathroom doors prior to each station.This was long before AMTRAK, but I remember when you could see open air and the ties going by underneath the train when you flushed the toilet....there was a sign that said "Please do not flush toilet while at station"....any other old-timers remember that kind of thing? :giggle:
I used to do that too. And never flush in the station. I saw somebody get scolded for that.That's funny! I remember as a kid watching the rails and ties go by from the toilet! Those were the days folks!Amtrak still had those cars with the toilets opening onto the tracks until the 90s. Then somebody flushed while a train was going over a bridge in florida . A congressman iirc was sitting underneath the bridge fishing.
I knew about getting rid of the dump toilets. I hadn't heard the bit about the Congressman (my understanding had always been that something put a bee in the EPA's bonnet, but I'd just assumed it was some environmentalist mess biting Amtrak in the arse). I'm guessing that Congressman looked a little flushed at the next hearings? :giggle:Amtrak still had those cars with the toilets opening onto the tracks until the 90s. Then somebody flushed while a train was going over a bridge in florida . A congressman iirc was sitting underneath the bridge fishing.
That is a common story, but I believe it's an urban legend. Another version has then Presidential candidate Edmond Muskie at a whistle stop campaign speech in 1972 when someone "flushed" right behind him. A third version has the incident happening in California along the Truckee River. Maybe all three are true. Maybe none.Amtrak still had those cars with the toilets opening onto the tracks until the 90s. Then somebody flushed while a train was going over a bridge in florida . A congressman iirc was sitting underneath the bridge fishing.
When I rode the ViaRail Canadian in October 2001, the conductor would lock the doors to the restrooms while we were in the station. I did get permission to shave while we were at a station promising not to drain the sink until we were moving.This was long before AMTRAK, but I remember when you could see open air and the ties going by underneath the train when you flushed the toilet....there was a sign that said "Please do not flush toilet while at station"....any other old-timers remember that kind of thing? :giggle:
Of course, they did provide "honey buckets" for "set out" sleepers, that were either open for occupancy long before they left on a train, or until morning for arrivals...
I also remember and rode those different routes. Also, the Cardinal and its predecessor, the George Washington/James Whitcomb Riley, wandered around Indiana in search of good track. And speaking of good track....remember when the Grand Trunk Western nicknamed itself "The Good Track Road" in its ads., an obvious jab at the deteriorated Penn Central of the era?I traveled on the South Wind/Floridian numerous times between various points from Chicago to Louisville, Nashville, Birmingham and to Florida points between 1971 and October. 1978. The Amtrak train was much nicer than the L&N/SCL train with a Penn Central coach only connection of the 2 preAmtrak years. It had through Sleeper,full dining car, full lounge and a dome coach. Due to bad, track it had many re-routes out of Chicago from the original PRR Panhandle route to the Big Four Route to Indianapolis to the C&EI/L&N route via Evansville to the Monon Route over the Knobs to Louisville. Never very good on timekeeping, but always interesting.
When the Santa Fe combined the Super Chief and the El Capitan during off-season operation, they were joined together, but still operated as separate trains....Pullman passenger's on the Super Chief, and coach passenger's on the El Capitan. The Super Chief was a single level train, with a single "Pleasure Dome" lounge car, and a dining car. The El Cap was a Hi-Level train with a Hi-Level dining car, and the "Top-of-the-Cap" Hi-Level lounge car, featuring the "Kachina Coffee Shop" on its lower level.I rode El Cap too in the 50s ( as well as the Super Chief) so one of the PPCs could have been a Lounge Car on my train also?
After the Santa Fe combined the Super Chief and El Cap, I'm not sure if they were still used in the consist?
When I rode that car (believe in the '80's) it was a dome coach....ran thru from Kansas City to New Orleans. It was a treat, but that locomotive horn was loud in the dome, and there are lots of crossings between STL and CDL.....I remember back back in 1990 when the River Cities from KCY to STL had a heritage coach right behind the engine that they would disconnect from the rest of the train in STL and send over to Carbondale, IL to meet up with the City Of News Orleans.
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