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Locked Dim memory
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George Courtney
Back in 1958 and 1959, at age 15 & 16, I worked at the Southern Railway Passenger station in Knoxville, Tn. I only worked during the summers while school was out. I worked the evening shift from 3 pm to around 11 pm. I sold Cokes and pre-made sandwiches and magazines at a stand in the station. I have strong memories of Southern's Carolina Special pulling in, followed within 10 minutes if on time, the Tennessean.
Both trains were westbound. My dim memory is of a Norfolk & Western passenger car being taken off the Tennessean and put on The Carolina Special. I assumed the Carolina Special took the N&W car, it's maroon paint stands out, down to Harriman and interchanged it to the Tennessee Central to take to Nashville. While I'm not sure about where the car was going, I'm sure about a N&W car being added to the Carolina Special. Chats with Tennessee Central modelers say the TC wasn't offering passenger service at that time. Once I think I read, the N&W car went on the end of a TC freight train for a few months. Anyone have any knowledge of this? I'm not saying my memory is correct. But I've long had the memory of both trains being in the station longer than the Birmingham Special or Pelican were and of some switching action. It's possible a diner was set off the Tennessean. But my dim memory says the Carolina Special was scheduled to arrive first and departed second. George Courtney |
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C J Wyatt
Very curious. Around that time, The Tennessean did indeed have a DC - Knoxville diner-lounge, Interesting, the Carolina Special also had a Knoxville - Columbia diner-lounge. This idea seems crazy, but I wonder if the diner-lounge's were taken somewhere past Knoxville for servicing and returned on the next morning's CS. I agree that Tennesse Central was out of the passenger business then, but I wonder if the possible TC sighting was an office car from that road making an off-line trip. Jack Wyatt
On Monday, June 13, 2022, 10:26:22 PM EDT, George Courtney via groups.io <gsc3@...> wrote:
Back in 1958 and 1959, at age 15 & 16, I worked at the Southern Railway Passenger station in Knoxville, Tn. I only worked during the summers while school was out. I worked the evening shift from 3 pm to around 11 pm. I sold Cokes and pre-made sandwiches and magazines at a stand in the station. I have strong memories of Southern's Carolina Special pulling in, followed within 10 minutes if on time, the Tennessean. Both trains were westbound. My dim memory is of a Norfolk & Western passenger car being taken off the Tennessean and put on The Carolina Special. I assumed the Carolina Special took the N&W car, it's maroon paint stands out, down to Harriman and interchanged it to the Tennessee Central to take to Nashville. While I'm not sure about where the car was going, I'm sure about a N&W car being added to the Carolina Special. Chats with Tennessee Central modelers say the TC wasn't offering passenger service at that time. Once I think I read, the N&W car went on the end of a TC freight train for a few months. Anyone have any knowledge of this? I'm not saying my memory is correct. But I've long had the memory of both trains being in the station longer than the Birmingham Special or Pelican were and of some switching action. It's possible a diner was set off the Tennessean. But my dim memory says the Carolina Special was scheduled to arrive first and departed second. George Courtney |
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john w coniglio
I have seen 2 other possibilities, since TC pass. ended in about 1955. TC served Ft. Campbell and the cars you saw might have been troop movements. I saw those trains a couple of times near my home on the belt line. The cars could have come from anywhere. Other idea is that until some time in the early 1960s, TC handled a few coaches carrying girls to Camp May? near Mayland. On the western end L&N brought the cars to Vine Hill near the state fairgrounds in Nashville. There TC picked them up and delivered them to Mayland. There could have been a similar move from Knoxville, I don't know. The info I do know is from watching trains and talking to TC crewmen. On Tue, Jun 14, 2022 at 12:40 PM C J Wyatt <cjwyatt@...> wrote:
-- John W. Coniglio Read my most recent books, available at Life's too short to shoot cheap film https://www.facebook.com/john.w.coniglio website: http://www.steamvalley.net |
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George Courtney
I hadn't thought about a TC office car. That would make sense. Perhaps it was only two diners being removed and serviced at Knoxville. But my ancient memory says one, most likely the Tennessean was a N&W car. Yet, why would a N&W diner be added in Washington instead of Lynchburg or Roanoke? Perhaps I only recall some N&W cars that continued on to Chattanooga or Memphis on the Tennessean. Anyone have knowledge of such cars?
George Courtney |
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C J Wyatt
Since you had three pairs of through trains which ran over the N&W, N&W dining car crews were entitled to part of the business. In earlier times the dining car on the Birmingham Special all the way to Birmingham was N&W. I suspect in your time period the Washington-Knoxville dining-lounge was the equalizer for N&W. Jack Wyatt
On Tuesday, June 14, 2022, 06:58:59 PM EDT, George Courtney via groups.io <gsc3@...> wrote:
I hadn't thought about a TC office car. That would make sense. Perhaps it was only two diners being removed and serviced at Knoxville. But my ancient memory says one, most likely the Tennessean was a N&W car. Yet, why would a N&W diner be added in Washington instead of Lynchburg or Roanoke? Perhaps I only recall some N&W cars that continued on to Chattanooga or Memphis on the Tennessean. Anyone have knowledge of such cars? George Courtney |
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michael lowe <jimhill1867@...>
I am not familiar with these operations, but I thought of possible research source, that might answer questions. You might look at the ICC annual reports for these railroads , which had some contracts or leases listed in them.
Michael Lowe |
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