THE MEMPHIS BUFF
VOLUME 36, ISSUE 4
NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Private Cars in Minneapolis 100 + Year Old Rialto Bridge Other Local Antiquities
APRIL 2009
Memphis Chapter Officers President – David Chase
dchase@memphisredbirds.com
Vice President – Bruce Smedley National Director – Bill Strong
williambstrong@bellsouth.net
Secretary – Oliver Doughtie
doughtio@bellsouth.net
Treasurer – Thomas Doherty
TRDoherty@aol.com
Librarian – Mike Pendergrass Publication Editor – Tom Parker
tscottparker@gmail.com
Last Month’s Meeting The meeting was called to order by President David Chase with sixteen members present. March's program was “Electric Locomotives I Have Known (and Some I Haven't, a Very Subjective History of American Electric Traction” by Bruce Smedley. Bruce outlined the history of a number of electric railroad operations in the U.S. including the Illinois Traction (later the Illinois Terminal, Virginian, Norfolk and Western, Milwaukee, Pennsylvania and Chicago, South Shore and South Bend.
This Month's Meeting February's program will be a slideshow by David Johnsonof his visit to Southern Appalachia Railroad Museum (SARM) at Oak Ridge, TN last August. (Railfan weekend) BUFF ONLINE: www.buff.illinoiscentral.net User Name:Member Password: Buff (Capital “M” & “B”) Cover Photo: Canadian National's bridge over the Hatchie River at Rialto, Tennessee. One span is a 144 foot swing bridge built in 1904. Tom Parker Photo
Private Cars in Minneapolis By Tom Parker
Private cars lined up at the Minneapolis Amtrak station Returning from Spokane, WA last May, as the “Empire Builder pulled into the station at Minneapolois, MN, I was amazed at the scene outside our bedroom window. No less than a half dozen vintage passenger cars. Even though our train schedule called for a forty five minutes in the station, I kept my eye on the “Empire Build"GNW&B" (Going Nowhere and Back) observation car "Gritty Palace" is er” as a grabbed my camera ex Rock Island Office car #98 built by Pullman in 1914. It is owned by a for a few shots as were runboard member of METRA. (Chicago's commuter train network) ning about two hours late. I don't know if Minneapolis was home for the cars or if they were there as a result of some special event, but it was an unexpected bonus. “Hiawatha” Logo on the “Cedar Rapids”
Rail Ventures' “Buena Yerba” was built by Pullman-Standard in 1942, as Imperial Drive for Chicago & North Western/Union Pacific/Southern Pacific Overland Route Service. Became C & NW owned in 1947, was retired in 1965, and later rebuilt as a business car. Car was completely rebuilt in 1991 Rail Ventures.
Originally built in 1948 by Budd as CBQ 251, “Silver Lounge”, a Vista- dome dormitory, buffet lounge car for the original California Zephyr and was later AMTK 9811. As built, it had no vestibule or side doors. It was rebuilt in 1989 as a private car and the open end platform was added.
This lounge/observation car was built by Budd in 1948 and put in service with the New York Central RR as car # 48. Was later Kansas City Southern # 44 or 43.It was later used as part of the “Artrain” It has been at Minneapolis for several years undergoing restoration. The ownership and future incarnation of this car is unknown, as Artrain is transitioning to tractor trailer trucks.
Skytop Observation Cedar Rapids and Superdome #53 The Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha got upgraded in 1948 with new cars, including the new Skytop Observation Cars. These cars were designed by Brook Stevens. Of the four of them built (Cedar Rapids, Priest Rapids, Coon Rapids, and Dell Rapids), only the Cedar Rapids is still on the rails. It was acquired by the Friends of the 261 in 1999. The Priest Rapids was burned by the Milwaukee Road. The Coon Rapids is currently stored in Escanaba MI, while the Dell Rapids is in a museum in Daytona Beach, FL. The Superdomes were built by Pullman for the Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha in 1952. The Friends of the 261 were able to acquire #53 in 2005. They now have the two premiere types of cars from the last generation of the Hiawatha's Streamliners (From the “Friends of 261� Website. 261 is a Milwaukee S-3 class steam locomotive owned by the group)
100+ Year Old Rialto Bridge By Tom Parker sippi River. Times have changed, railroads and highways have replaced the riverboats and Federal law exempts the railroad from having to open the swing bridge for boats.
bridge.
The question remains: Over the years the rest of the bridge has been replaced. Why is this obsolete piece of bridge still in use? My guess is that even though the railroad isn't required to open the span for boats, it isn't permitted to remove it.
The Hatchie River is classified as a navigable waterway and back in 1904 when the swing span was built. Riverboats regularly navigated rivers like the Hatchie connecting towns like Bolivar, TN to the Missis-
So next time you take the City of New Orleans north, when you get just past Covington , think about that 144 foot long , 105 year old piece of railroad history your train is rolling over.
Canadian National bridge over the Hatchie River at Rialto with double track swing span. Tom Parker Photo
Several years ago while doing a little exploring along the Canadian National track up around Covington, TN, I discovered something I hadn't expected. My father had been an engineer for the IC and I had heard of the “Rialto Bridge� all of my life. It was was one of the few places between Memphis and Fulton where the Illinois Central main line narrowed down to a single track and I had assumed it had always been so. It also never occurred to me that riverboats once plied the Hatchie River. But there, right out in the middle of a flood swollen Hatchie River, was a double-track, swing span
Track diagram describing "144' Swing Sp. 1904"
Other Local Antiquities – Photos by Carl Lancaster
This photo was taken by Carl Lancaster on 2/24/09 in Obion next to the IC/ CN tracks. Locals said it was next to an old station and was used in the steam days.
Two photos of rail stored next to the mainline of the old Tennessee Central. These were made on 2/26/09 at the top of Silverpoint Mountain where Hwy 56 crosses the line. Note the cast date of 1918. The rail still in service is also this age.
CABOOSE
Former IC caboose 199567 at the old Illinois Central Depot, Covington, TN.
Tom Parker Photo
Meeting Schedule April 13, 2009 May 11, 2009 June 8, 2009 July 13, 2009 August 10, 2009 Meetings are the 2nd Monday of each month in the White Station Branch Library from 7-9 pm. 5094 Poplar Avenue Memphis, TN (in front of Clark Tower)
Contact the Editor Tom Parker 3012 Wood Thrush Drive Memphis, TN 38134 tscottparker@gmail.com
THE MEMPHIS BUFF welcomes contributions for publication. Copyrighted materials must contain the source. Original documents and photos are preferred for clarity. Enclose a SASE for the return of your materials. Articles sent via the Internet should be in Microsoft Word format. Photos should be JPEG files @ 72 dpi and at least 800x600 size. Consideration for a cover photo would require a much higher resolution. THE MEMPHIS BUFF is a not-for-profit publication for the Memphis Chapter of the NRHS. All credited photos herein are copyright by the photographer and may not be reused without permission.