Topic starter
10/06/2013 9:31 pm
The June REFLECTOR just arrived in Covington and she's "blocked off" with a full load of interesting photos and articles. Mate Tschiggfrie has her loaded to the guards with tales of a 1948 trip on the GORDON C. GREENE, a recent trip on the NATCHEZ , which might have put some grey hairs on Don Houghton's head, Civil War history, and other fine tales. I'm left wondering though what the crack C&O passenger train George Washington was doing on IC tracks in Louisville. Was it a special train excursion from Washington, DC or Cincinnati to the Derby? Maybe Jim Blum or Dave can shine some more light on that matter.
12/06/2013 2:28 am
Frank: I rode the GEORGE WASHINGTON and FAST FLYING VIRGINIA many, many times. Some of us called it the "rivermans train". Now the "real thing" was the big train from Cincinnati to Washington, DC, first class to say the least. A smaller group of cars were split off or coupled up at Ashland. The smaller train went through Kentucky by way of Lexington to Louisville. No fancy Pullmans but it did have a fine dining car. The same thing happened on the Eastern end with a small train split off to Newport News ? The Cincinnati to Washington big train was handled by huge Baldwin J3 class 4-8-4 engines. Numbers were 600 to 614. #614 is now a museum piece.
I'm not a train buff, but as the saying goes, "been there and done that".
12/06/2013 2:56 am
Bill Judd;31868 wrote: The Cincinnati to Washington big train was handled by huge Baldwin J3 class 4-8-4 engines. Numbers were 600 to 614. #614 is now a museum piece.
I'm not a train buff, but as the saying goes, "been there and done that".
Bill, those weren't Baldwins, but rather products of the great Lima Locomotive Works of Lima, Ohio. The 600's represented the epitome of steam locomotive development, and next to the Norfolk & Western J-Class 4-8-4's (Also numbered in the 600's) were the zenith in steam. I'd give anything to have been riding that train with you back when these giants ruled the rails!
Topic starter
12/06/2013 8:43 pm
Bill and Phillip, thanks for that information on the George Washington and the FFV. A family legend is that my Great Grandfather, Capt. John Baptist Prudent stated that he could set his gold pocket watch to the correct time when the George Washington passed by New Richmond Station.
12/06/2013 10:25 pm
1-Bill Judd answered part of the question on the Louisville section of the "George". At that time the K&IT(switching Railroad) owned the trestle by the Riverfront & the "George" used Central Station near where the old Kingfish Restaurant was located.
I hope Jimmy R. or Jim from FL enlighten us more as I was only in the old Central Station once after (C&O) rail service was moved to Union Station (or possibly discontinued to Louisville). Where is Bill Bauer when you need him!--rest his soul.
Annie has discovered a list of Dates when the BIG LIZ
12/06/2013 10:33 pm
was supposed to be in Louisville a couple years later. She was not listed as to be there Derby Day. This data is UNCONFIRMED/AUTHENTICATED do not rely on it at this posting as source date--from a good source, but not as yet confirmed.
fat fingers caused a previous error in posting.
13/06/2013 2:26 am
Partial posting
I thought perhaps one of your cats hit 'post' for you prematurely. I have two computer-literate cats who like to do things like that for me - I'm always nervous when on a page where I am ordering something!
14/06/2013 3:42 pm
Bill, Jim, Frank, Phillip et al,
Thanks for your interesting postings regarding the photo of IQ at Louisville with George Washington in foreground. We'll have to make sure those comments appear in the September Reflector. Still waiting to see what, if anything, turns up in Louisville papers regarding ads for possible IQ excursions in May 1938. Is it possible that C&O would have run a special Derby train for that weekend?
25/06/2013 5:54 pm
*GEORGE WASHINGTON/FFV, others*
Hi, Bill and Steamboatong colleagues:
Bill, you got that right about the long lamented GEORGE WASHINGTON, FFV and other fine trains out of Cincinnati. Also the NYC, PENNSY, N&W, ILLINOIS CENTRAL. I rode the rails many a time in my military years before the rails began to fade and the Pentagon moved over to aircraft. I often thought if it wasn't for the volume of military riding the trains, they would have gone belly up earlier.
The GEORGE WASHINGTON also 'split' once when I was aboard at Richmond, Va. if you were going into D.C. as did other lines. The southern division of C&O ran on to Newport News, Norfolk, Va. if memory serves me right after all these years. Yes their dining cars offered excellent service, cuisine and the finest blackberry pie ever eaten. The NORFOLK & WESTERN also a fine train. As the "riverman train" you pretty much had a fine view of the Ohio River on up once you hit the Kentucky side from Union Terminal until dark settled. I rode in Pullman twice to Norfolk. BALTIMORE & OHIO, CHESAPEAK & OHIO merged on one of my trips into one. Then came AMTRAK. Never rode it. Final military years I had a car on base and drove to and from Cincinnati. Riding 1st Class on BRIT RAIL, European continental and Russian crack trains also something else. Yes, I miss our passenger trains here still. Their steam whistles blowing up along the Ohio River at night both mysterious and haunting. A recent leading TV network commentator was humorously called to task saying "Grand Central Station, New York." He was reminded that a 'station' is a way rail stop; a 'terminal' the beginning and end of the line run.
R. Dale Flick
Northern shores of Lake Michigan.