[PRCo] Re: Pennsylvania RR Heritage Passenger Train

[Fred Schneider]

Well, Dwight, it beat sitting in the bars getting drunk every night.   Too many of the guys did just that.  

The army did something else that was good in our generation but perhaps not before Eisenhower reformed it.   We were forced to learn that people who were white or black or whatever could be equal if they wanted to be.   I only regret that I never kept up with a man I traveled with in Germany.   He was our company clerk ... a school teacher from Detroit.   He was also married.   I guess in that environment there were not enough enlistees so a black school teacher who was incredibly talented got yanked out of the classroom and away from his family.    The benefit was getting to know a man who could appreciate going to places like the Follies in Paris in the evening and the Louvre in the afternoon.   We also learned to buy a bucket of raw oysters and a loaf of bread and a bottle of rose wine and enjoy that back in the hotel.   

And you should not push my buttons, Dwight.   

Auf wiedersehen Mein guter Herrn.   Bis Morgen. 


On May 8, 2011, at 8:51 PM, Dwight Long wrote:

> 
>  Fred   May be a sermon but it's one worth repeating!   You did get some
> good "mileage" out of our Uncle's Army.   I have (or more accurately my
> brother has custody of) a number of slid= es of those 4 wheel trams in
> Deutschland, as well as some more 50s modern e= quipment there.  Our father
> went there in 1953 and at our request shot= a number of tram fots.   I've
> ridden behind a Black 5, but never in regular service, only on a = preserved
> line.  And I certainly NEVER got to fire one!   Yes, I would say three years
> well spent.   Dwight
> May 9, 2011 12:26:18 AM, pittsburgh-railways at dementia.or= g wrote:
> Correct on mo= re pleasurable. 
> 
> But the army got me to places worth visiting.
> The Uniform Code of Military Justice said I wasn't allowed to hitch rides= .
> I only did it on weekends in 1959 ... to ride in the cab of a Gainesville=
> Midland 2-10-0, to ride Atlanta trolley buses, to ride New Orleans 800s an=
> d900s, to ride the International car line from El Paso to Mexico. Also to =
> photograph the last 17 Dallas PCC cars in the bus yard (the roll signs are =
> now at Arden), one trip to Tulsa Sapupla Union Railway and two journeys to =
> St. Louis. 
> 
> Can you imagine the stunned look on the Captain's face w= hen he inspected
> mywall locker and found two Dallas PCC roll signs? "What = the f--- are
> they?" I honestly answered him and said, "Give me a day off an= d I'll take
> them to the Railway Express office and ship them home." He did = and I got a
> free weekday in Temple to photograph the Katy and Santa Fe. Perhaps I was
> therole model for Beatle Bailey?
> 
> On the way from Tex= as to Germany in 1959, I also got to ride the North
> Shore, the South Shore,= had a week in Pittsburgh, a few days in Baltimore
> and Washington (rode 105= 3 on the streets), and turned up in Boston for the
> Riverside opening.
> Then Europe for 24 months. That was back in the days when Germany was sti=
> llmaking do with those little four-axle cars after the war. The eight-axle=
> (Grossraumwagen, or large room cars) were just beginning to arrive. I rode=
> the double-deck cars in Glasgow and the remaining 1938 tube stock in Londo=
> n.
> 
> And best of all, Dwight ...
> 
> No, it wasn't seeing those tru= e PCCs in Rome or the knock-offs in Genoa or
> the Milan Peter Witts. 
> The best was having a chance to pick up a coal scoop and try my hand at fi=
> ring a British Railways Black 5 on a scheduled passenger train between Glas=
> gow and Mallaig in 1960. 
> 
> Even in this continuing world of the Crusa= des, I have my problems with
> armyservitude. But I dearly loved the places = they sent me. 
> 
> I don't regret enlisting. I would have flunked out of= any university
> environment had I gone right out of high school. I needed t= hose three
> yearsto have the army wake me up. Some people are a lot better = suited to
> the regimens of education after having military people screaming = at you
> forthree years and teaching you that you don't want this for the re= st of
> your life. 
> 
> I think it also taught me to keep the eyes open an= d understand that other
> people in the world may also have a good life. Mayb= e some have a better
> life than we do. 
> 
> End of sermon. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On May 8, 2011, at 7:57 PM, Dwight Long wrote:
> 
>> Fred A= nd I'll bet you did not ride in PRR 120 on this trip either. 
>> But I= have ridden it through my home town! On the back platform,=3D no
> less.
> = >That mission was somewhat more pleasurable than the one you cite.=3D D=
> wight
>> 
>> May 8, 2011 03:41:20 PM, pittsburgh-railways at dementi= =3D a.org wrote:
>> Back on Octob=3D er 8th, 1958, I entered the army.= The local recruiter
> (yes,
>> guys, RA stood =3D for ragged ass) gave = me a ticket to Harrisburg on the
>> Pennsy. My parents we=3D re on the= station platform in Lancaster to say
>> good-bye. And dad had one la= =3D st picture of the train disappearing west
> with
>> one of those Pen= nsy business=3D cars on the rear end of number 25. 
>> 
>> That w= as one hellish long day. =3D Hours of processing and finally a bus
> to
> &g= t; Philadelphia and another bus to Fo=3D rt Dix. And then standing in
> forma= tion
>> for an hour. Finally some a-hole ser=3D geant comes out of a b= uilding and
>> says,"Oh, you guys still here. Well mayb=3D e we do som= ething." And he
> sent us
>> to dinner at 11 PM for what was left ove=3D= r in the reception center.
> Thento
>> bed at 1 AM. Then they woke us = up again =3D at 4 a.m. to tell us we were
> in
>> thearmy now. 
>> = 
>> Thanks Bob, for the m=3D emories.
>> 
>> 
>> On May= 8, 2011, at 10:27 AM, Bob Rathke wrote:
>> 
>> &=3D gt; 
> = >>Yesterday we took our grandson to National Train Day at Chicag=3D = o's
> Union
>> Station. More than 30 pieces of passenger car equipment w= as open =3D for
>> inspection on five tracks; there were displays and = demonstrations in
> th=3De
>> Great Hall, and also short excursions on = an Amtrak Superliner which ran
> t=3D
>> hrough the Amtrak maintenance b= uilding on the return trip to Union
> Station.=3D
>> 
>>> 
> &g= t;> 
>>> 
>>> Attached are some low- res photos. Y e=3D = s, the station and trains were
> that
>> crowded. The hits of the event = were the=3D PRR passeng er train and the
>> Milwaukee Road Hiawatha tr= ain. 
>>> 
>> &=3D gt; 
>>> 
>>> The attac= hed photos show the two PRR E8 locomotives, =3D 10-6 sleeper
> Little
>> = Juniata Rapids, lounge Warrior Ridge (1157), and observ=3D ation car 120.
> = The
>> photo of the PRR K4 glass etching is in a room divider i=3D n o= ne of the
> cars.
>> The 20-page Train Day catalog says that this train = is ba=3D sed in
> central
>> Pennsylvania, but isn't specific about the = city. 
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> Opposit e the platform fro= m the PRR train is the A=3D mtrak Superliner
> used
>> for the excursion= s. 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> &g=3D t; It was a da= y well spent. I'd be interested in hearing about the
> PRR
>> trai=3D n'= s stop in Pittsburgh. 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> B= ob 
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----=3D Original Message ----- 
> &gt= ;> From: "Herb Brannon" >To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org 
> &gt= ;> Sent: Saturday, May 7,=3D 2011 5:30:42 PM 
>>> Subject: [PRCo= ] Re: [FYI Only] Pennsylvania RR He=3D ritage Passenger
> Train 
>>> = 
>>> I think, but not sure, they may ke=3D ep this train in or near= Altoona,
> PA. 
>>> Anyone know for sure? 
>> &g=3D t; Here= is the current information coming across the wire on the
> return
>> tr= i=3D p 
>>> for this train: 
>>> 
>>> *Original inf= o has it leaving =3D Chicago approx. 8:00am Sunday. Latest
> info
>> has= 
>>> it arriving in Pitt=3D sburgh approx. 7:30pm Sunday evening. = It was
>> travelling
>>> at Amtrak =3D speeds or better on its= outgoing trip, and there's no
> reasonto
>> 
>>> be=3D lieve i= t won't be doing so on the return. 
>>> 
>>> * 
>>> = On S=3D at, May 7, 2011 at 18:18, Ken and Tracie wrote:=3D 
>>>>>> That train looks like the one we rode in December, 1=3D 967.= Except
> this one
>> is 
>>>> a lot cleaner, shiny and sever= al cars =3D shorter. 
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks for sharing. = 
>>>> 
>>> =3D ;> K. 
>>>> 
>>> &gt= ; 
>>>> ----- Original Message ----=3D - 
>>>> From: = "Herb Brannon" 
>>>> To: 
>>>> Sent: Saturday, May 07= , 2011 2:=3D 43 PM 
>>>> Subject: [PRCo] [FYI Only] Pennsylvania= RR Heritage Pass=3D enger Train 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>> = >>>A renovated Pennsylv=3D ania Railroad passenger train is in Ch= icago
> today
>> for 
>>>>> Nati=3D onal Train Day. It wil= l be leaving Chicago tomorrow and will
> be
>>>> =3D ;> stoppi= ng 
>>>>> at the Pennsylvania (Amtrak) Station in dow=3D ntow= n Pittsburgh
> sometime 
>>>>> tomorrow. If anyone in the Pitts= =3D burgh area is interested in
> lookingat 
>>>> it. 
>> &gt= ;>> Th=3D e attached photo was taken when it passed through Cleveland=
> (passing 
>> &g=3D t;>> Cleveland Browns Stadium) on its wa= y to Chicago. I will try to
> p=3D
>> ost the 
>>>>> appro= ximate time the train will arrive in Pittsbur=3D gh when said
> times
>> = are
>>>>> posted on the Cleveland/Pittsburgh =3D rail list. = 
>>>>> 
>>>>> -- 
>>>>> Herb Bran= n=3D on 
>>>>> In Cuyahoga Valley National Park 
>>> = 
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