I have old financial data for MILW passenger trains, dating back to at least 1929. These are official company reports made to the US government. They show the RR as losing money on passenger trains, way back then. Interesting as that was when people were still riding in decent numbers, and before autos really took it all away. When the RR had some really well known, crack passenger trains, which were seeing good utilization. There was only one year when they made money and that was 1944, with WWII traffic. By 1945, yet well prior to end of the war, they were already losing dollars again.
A lot of railroads used the passenger trains to create positive public relations for them. In the words of one railroader I knew well, "To attract freight business to the railroad by having a positive and on time experience with the passenger trains". Disclaimer that may not be an exact quote but close enough. At least it conveys the message intended. TrainBoard has been busy this weekend with all kinds of topic's being submitted. I've had fun here and hope others have too. Feel free to continue the fun. Unlike some of you winter hobbyist, my train shed has finally warmed up, what with warmer spring weather and I now have the environment conducive to working on my model railroad. I think you know where I will be spending my hobby time. Hopefully, in the not so distant future I will be able to share some video's of my rail fanning the N Scale, H & P Railroad. To Ken and other's who tuned in, thanks for sharing your video's and commentary and participating here. Signing off for now. Enjoy.
Just to piggyback on what Rick said, remember all the boxcars carryin slogans proclaiming some variant of "Route of the..."
Pacific Southwest Railway Museum - Cab Ride 2011 [video=youtube;I_ZoypCZncE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_ZoypCZncE[/video]
Oh cool, thanks Stourbridge. One for Eagle2[video=youtube;swovTXT57gM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swovTXT57gM[/video] This one caught me by surprise. I thought I was well up on my railroading until I found this video. The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. The Royal Gorge a MP train to start with traveling over it's own track then onto the D&RGW and Western Pacific. I can't get it to focus and suspect you may have difficulty as well. Enjoy.
I recognize this one, before even viewing. Pacific NW Holiday. A classic, and a must for any MILW fan's video library! Oh how I wish I could ride such a train again.
really do wish I could've seen the SP&S in person. [video=youtube;ysftVhAEJnc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysftVhAEJnc[/video]
Denver & Intermountain (D&IM) #25 [video=youtube;QInhVLOsMdo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QInhVLOsMdo[/video]
there are two more videos like that one, by the same fellow here's a neat one [video=youtube;lU7QxPoNYfI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU7QxPoNYfI&index=2&list=FLPF-tA_vT-HJaNbgmKI_7Bg[/video]
For the most part it hides in storage but still pops out for a bit each year in August http://www.lakewood.org/HistoricTransit/
My favorite short line of all time. It might have actually survived, if people who owned it had not tried to operate like executives of a Class 1 RR. I wish there were more videos of it. (Surely there are some.) They ran several excursions, one which I rode, and we saw many chasers with cameras.
Thanks for sharing the above video's. The one train in Sequim, WA., dances around a lot. Sad to see the owners let the track deteriorate to this point. Perhaps wrong forum for this next question. On my model railroad, can I operate my California Zephyr with a GP on the point? I found this video strangely interesting. [video=youtube;nfq6aF1vXnY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfq6aF1vXnY[/video] Do note my signature and I think I found it.
Looks like no snow on the mountains, so it must not be a ski train. Some sort of officers special, or charter?
If I had a time machine, I'd sure like to go back and watch them building this railroad. And also to some day once again see it in bustling common carrier freight operation. [video=youtube;oCL_C7U0m18]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCL_C7U0m18[/video]
No, it's what's left of the California Zephyr. The F9P A unit was being rebuilt when this movie was taken. A GP 40 was called to take the point. This is when Amtrak had taken over the passenger service and the D&RGW stubbornly hung on to providing their own passenger trains. Darn, I missed that opportunity to ride it.
Ski Train - Summer of 2008 Speaking of the Ski Train; it did run during the summer too... http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA5C7AB0F56D42149 (Play List of all 21 Video Clips) [video=youtube;U3vHiTH4h70]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3vHiTH4h70[/video]
