Other Railroad Stuff
PRR | NYC | C&O | CNW		 Last Update: 08.16.02

Here are some items that are unique. Either that, or I don't have a webpage devoted to them (like maps or timetables), so until I get enough of them to warrant dedicating an entire page to them, here they are.

Pennsylvania Railroad
Switch lamps like the one below were used to indicate which way a switch was aligned to an approaching train. During the day, the engineer would observe the color of the target, and during the night, the light from an internal kerosene lamp would shine through a colored lens. This particular lamp was used on the PRR in Cumberland, MD.

Don't let these images fool you. This lamp stands at 1.5 feet tall and weighs in at a hefty 17 lbs. I've recently electrified the lamp, so now I can turn it on and off with with just the flick of a switch. Otherwise, I would have to fill the font (fuel tank) with kerosene or lamp oil, then light it up (without burning my apartment down) and adjust the flame to get a nice solid light out of the lenses. Gives me a new respect for all the RR maintenance guys who did this on a regular basis, regardless of weather conditions.

PRR | map

New York Central
Effective October 28, 1956, this book was released by the Operating Department of the New York Central Railroad for operations on its system lines. It also includes a supplement dated 1964. Any questions on how the NYC operated during its time? Let me know.

NYC | timetable (10/30/55) | timetable (01/26/68)

Chesapeake & Ohio
This is a 1968 autoferry service from the C&O. Here is an excerpt:

"Driving east or west? Take a lake break on C&O/B&O's Lake Michigan short cut. The trip on one of Chessie's seven fast modern autoferries saves hours of driving and adds zest to any vacation or trip."

"The ship ride is a change of pace that will delight you and the whole family, and Chessie's sailing schedules make it so convenient. Go by day and enjoy a few hours cruising across the lake, or choose an overnight sailing with your own private stateroom. Spacious lounges and delicious meals in the ship's dining room complete the perfect trip."

The schedule shows autoferry routes from Ludington on the east side of Lake Michigan, to one of three ports on the west side: Kewaunee, Manitowoc, and Milwaukee. Travel times are 6 hours at a whopping 18 MPH. Prices for passengers are $5.95, with an additional $10.95 if you have a car.

C&O | map | timetable

Chicago & Northwestern
This brochure presents two ways for the traveller to have a car wherever his travels may take him. The first way, if you have purchased a train ticket, is to have the RR put your car on the same train with you. The idea, obviously, is that when you arrive at your destination, so will your car, which you can drive around. This seems convenient to me--keeps the mileage off your car, and you can still see America from the comfort of a ground-level window on the train. Too bad they don't do this anymore.

The other way described is to rent a car. This may seem obvious, but apparently, this was a new idea back when this brochure was published (no date is given). Back then, they called it "Drive-Yourself" service. You would go to a Drive-Yourself center in any one of the large cities, and rent a car for your use. I'm sure that was a novel idea back then, one that we take for granted today.

At first, I didn't know which RR company to credit, for there are no markings or advertisements of any kind anywhere in this brochure. Finally, I saw on the last page these words: "Issued by THE WESTERN RAILROADS. Distributed by Chicago & North Western Line, Routh of 'THE 400s'". Once I find out what the 400s were, I'll let you know.

CNW | map

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