Coolest thing on rails..

[rockershovel]

I saw these pics on the inter web and couldn’t resist them. 

 

1) Canadian vista dome cars. I saw these in an encyclopaedia when I was a nipper, and thought they were the coolest thing on rails. They sparked a life-long ambition to go over the Rockies in one, and someday I will..

 

 

 

 

2) NYC Hudsons. I never saw American steam in revenue service, and none of these monsters survived into preservation.. but aren’t they gorgeous? Last-generation High-speed steam at its most imposing

 

[Oldddudders]

'30s US railroading, when the country was in a poorly state, attempted to put a glamorous face on things, and the streamline era produced many dazzling designs and paint-schemes, although some loco's styling certainly looked better than others. Lightweight coaches and stainless steel were a mile away from the 12-wheel wooden heavyweights of yore. The workhorse appearance, as in that NYC  J1e, is a bit marmite for many UK enthusiasts, with all those pipes, domes reservoirs etc. in contrast to the clean and uncluttered lines of most British steam. The J3a version of the NYC Hudson had Henry Dreyfuss streamlining, and was a world away from this 5341. Dreyfuss was one of several industrial designers brought in by railroads to add the glamour I spoke of. 

[sncf231e]

1 hour ago, rockershovel said:

 

2) NYC Hudsons. I never saw American steam in revenue service, and none of these monsters survived into preservation.. but aren’t they gorgeous? Last-generation High-speed steam at its most imposing

 

 

One of those in live steam in my garden:

 

Regards

Fred

[sncf231e]

3 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

The J3a version of the NYC Hudson had Henry Dreyfuss streamlining, and was a world away from this 5341. Dreyfuss was one of several industrial designers brought in by railroads to add the glamour I spoke of. 

One of those in 0 gauge 2-rail in my garden:

 

Regards

Fred

Edited December 31, 2019 by sncf231e

[Edwin_m]

10 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

'30s US railroading, when the country was in a poorly state, attempted to put a glamorous face on things, and the streamline era produced many dazzling designs and paint-schemes, although some loco's styling certainly looked better than others. Lightweight coaches and stainless steel were a mile away from the 12-wheel wooden heavyweights of yore. The workhorse appearance, as in that NYC  J1e, is a bit marmite for many UK enthusiasts, with all those pipes, domes reservoirs etc. in contrast to the clean and uncluttered lines of most British steam. The J3a version of the NYC Hudson had Henry Dreyfuss streamlining, and was a world away from this 5341. Dreyfuss was one of several industrial designers brought in by railroads to add the glamour I spoke of. 

Dieselization was part of the same trend.  While some roads stuck with steam and attempted to modernize it in much the same way as Gresley with the A4, others were introducing various types of railcar of which the Burlington Zephyr was probably the best known, and later diesel locomotives.  This probably paved the way for mass dieselization of freight from the 1940s onwards and the demise of American steam soon after. 

 

But even with those innovations passenger service ultimately disappeared almost totally in the face of road and air competition.  

[runs as required]

Lovely pics. Was it "The Pictorial Encyclopaedia of Railways" by Hamilton Ellis, published by Hamlyn? It was a favourite in our family.

I've never been out of NYC in the US, but Mexican railways still ran a lot of old US cars when I worked there briefly in the 1970s.

I don't think I ever realised before how exclusive those Vista dome cars in the Canadian pics were - only 2 in a 19 or 20 car consist (?)

dh

[rockershovel]

Whether the Dreyfuss streamlining was actually EFFECTIVE, I have no idea, but isn’t it spectacular? Do you have the illuminated wheels and motion on that model? The live steam one is quite tremendous. 

 

Hamilton Ellis, yes. We had family in Canada and the US, who sent occasional (COLOUR!) photos of themselves living in what seemed to us, the lap of luxury, driving vast cars painted in brilliant pastel colours... it seemed only right that their trains should be something similar. Those Vista Dome cars were definitely First Class Travel. 

 

We did something similar. Places like Hanger Lane must have been quite splendid, in their Art Deco heyday; Art For The Masses. 

 

 

 

[jcredfer]

We were planning a Canadian trip this year [19], which died a death when it came to travel and hotel prices.  It's no wonder there were only 2 x Vista Domes per train, there are few folks could afford them, given the prices of the other seats.

 

Regards

Julian

[rockershovel]

49 minutes ago, jcredfer said:

We were planning a Canadian trip this year [19], which died a death when it came to travel and hotel prices.  It's no wonder there were only 2 x Vista Domes per train, there are few folks could afford them, given the prices of the other seats.

 

Regards

Julian

 

It’s not something you make a habit of. 

 

Long ago and far away, I crossed America by train, coach class. I’m not doing THAT again! 

 

[jcredfer]

53 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

 

It’s not something you make a habit of. 

 

Long ago and far away, I crossed America by train, coach class. I’m not doing THAT again! 

 

 

Good grief, it's long enough going by plane, and they aren't exactly fast trains either, there just isn't the quality infrastructure for the distances involved.  Moving around parts of the States by car is bad enough, even with the flexability that offers and at least twice the speed of the train, too.  We hadn't planned on going vast distances in Canada, as they had some area packages of a couple of days, combined with boats, car hire and hotels etc.  We ruled out crossing from Montreal to Vancouver very quickly, based on the length of time.

 

Regards

Julian

 

[rockershovel]

I read an account a while ago, of emigrating to Oregon by train... average speed 20mph on hard wooden bench seats, compared to the Conestoga wagons of a generation before it was regarded as the height of high-tech travel! 

[jcredfer]

30 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

I read an account a while ago, of emigrating to Oregon by train... average speed 20mph on hard wooden bench seats, compared to the Conestoga wagons of a generation before it was regarded as the height of high-tech travel! 

 

Very true, we flew a helicopter trip for a breakfast in the Grand Canyon, out from Las Vegas.  En-route out of Vegas there is a ridge where it goes up to the desert plateau going eastwards, somewhere between 500ft and 1,000ft vertical.  The waggoners had just travelled across the desert following the tracks, made by previous immigrants, which were so hardened by the wagon wheels, that they remain perfectly visible still.  Having done that they had to dismantle the wagons and rope the bits, horses and people down over the cliffs.  Obviously they didn't have ropes long enough, so they relayed down to narrow ledges in the cliff face on the way down.  20 MPH, on rails and with benches to sit on was indeed luxury.

 

Juliam

 

[rogerzilla]

I think DP1 is the coolest thing on rails.  if only they'd built them all to look like the prototype.

[Neil]

I think that you'll find that the chap in this image is the coolest thing on rails; Gauloises - check, goggles -check, cap arse forrards - check, insouciance - check, SNCF kettle -check.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

GG1 for me, in original PR livery.

 

Mike.

[doctor quinn]

There's always this 

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Darth Vader?

 

Mike.

[rockershovel]

 

[mandealco]

There is no better train view than from a Budd dome car.  Except maybe the loco cab!  Laura and I rode the Canadian from Vancouver to Toronto a few years ago.  It was a fabulous experience, we even had one of the bedrooms in the Park Car at the rear, one of 4 domes on the train.

 

if you ever get the opportunity, take it, you won't be disappointed.

 

I kitbashed an N-Scale Tremblant Park following our adventure.

 

Happy New Year from NZ.

Cheers

Steve

[Titan]

[BR60103]

The newlywed couple were snuggling in the dome one night as they crossed the prairies.  The bride turned to her husband and said "We've got a really sharp engineer on the train tonight."   "Why do you say that?"   "He gets through each green light just before it turns red."

 

 

 

[peach james]

$400 CAD to travel Toronto-Vancouver by VIA Coach.

It's slightly more if you want a sleeper...($1100). 

 

(booking for Jan 26th, Van-Toronto, as of today)

 

Consider you are traveling 4500 km.  So, as far as from London to Toronto by air...

 

I don't think those are unreasonable costs.  about 20 pence/km.  Including food, for 4 days.  It is a way you will _see_ Canada, whereas flying over you don't get just how massive the country is.   Likely there will be a musician traveling with you, so you get a concert every day too, and you get to view all of Canada.  I'd do it again, but have to work still...  (I have done both east and west on #1 & 2)

 

James

 

 

[Andy Reichert]

The Amtrak Superliner Lounges  on the West Coast Main Line have common seating areas above the snack bar. So all passengers can just wander in an out at will. 

 

Andy

[TheQ]

I reckon the plough at the front of this must have been pretty cool.. 

[Talltim]

I reckon these up up there in the coolness stakes

but I put this forward as the single coolest image