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............you could go back in time and spend just 24 hours. When and where would you go ? Try to keep it railroad related.

Port Huron, Michigan. Mid-Summer 1984. I'd be able to see the Grand Trunk, the Chessie, and the PH&D. Plus the Saginaw Sub (C&O) would still be in place, the PH&D would be all-Alco powered and the GTW was a totally different company back then. Throw in the car ferry operations on both the GTW and the C&O, and everything else going on in town (railroad-wise that is) and that would be one sweet 24 hour period.

Nottawa, MI in the 70s. I'd have trains going right by my house, and Wasepi would be a goin' place.

Early 1900s, around southern Lake Michigan to see the Broadway Limited trains race each other!

It wouldn't be railroad related. Every day of my 37 year career was slightly less enjoyable than sex.

Maybe because I was able to keep the two separate.

I'm sticking with that story.

MQT3001 wrote:Early 1900s, around southern Lake Michigan to see the Broadway Limited trains race each other!

The Broadway Limited didn't start running until 1912. As for racing you are probably referring to the show that the Penny's Broadway and the NYC's 20th Century Limited as they raced out of Chicago through Englewood. The trains left minutes part and even though the 20th Century had a longer run it most times still beat the Broadway into NYC. But I agree....1938 after the 20th Century got it's streamlining that would have been something to see.

trnwatcher wrote:

MQT3001 wrote:Early 1900s, around southern Lake Michigan to see the Broadway Limited trains race each other!

The Broadway Limited didn't start running until 1912. As for racing you are probably referring to the show that the Penny's Broadway and the NYC's 20th Century Limited as they raced out of Chicago through Englewood. The trains left minutes part and even though the 20th Century had a longer run it most times still beat the Broadway into NYC. But I agree....1938 after the 20th Century got it's streamlining that would have been something to see.

I stand corrected! But that'd still be neet to see!

trnwatcher wrote:

MQT3001 wrote:Early 1900s, around southern Lake Michigan to see the Broadway Limited trains race each other!

The Broadway Limited didn't start running until 1912.

1912 isn't the "early 1900s"?

I'd go back to the Grand Rapids area in 1950 or so. The war was well over, industry and progress were booming, and many of the railroads that I wish I could have seen were still in service. My imagination only goes so far when riding my bike on the old ROWs.

I'd go back to early 1938 and take the railfan trips on the Lake Shore Electric interurban.

right at home in the early days of PC. I think seeing the michigan line still double tracked and with lots of PC trains would be cool. I could say go back all the way to the NYC days but from what I have seen on "Penn Central Volume one" i would have loved it.

I would be able to sit on my porch and see more trains in a few hours then I can in an entire day now on the MI line... in fact as i type this an empty 354 roars just outside my kitchen window. the meat trains, trailer trains, locals.Depot town in ypsi even had its own yard switcher at one time. I could railfan within 2 miles of home all day. and lets not forget the orginal annie just 5 miles down the MI line, still had the interchange ard there.

Ann Arbor Railroad, Boat Landing, 1951. The diesels had just been delivered, there were still a handful of steam engines, and shipping railcars by ferry-boats was still abundant.

Durand in 1946, in the middle of July. I could watch the many trains go by when they were still pulled mostly by steam engines.

Michigan's Copper Country, late 50's - early 60's, when the mines were still running strong and trains were everywhere up there.

SW wrote:Michigan's Copper Country, late 50's - early 60's, when the mines were still running strong and trains were everywhere up there.

I'll echo that with being at Tech when our own RDD was at school. Sure it wasn't as well done as when I was there but at least I could go see the Soo after a long day of ENG or Perspectives.

J T wrote: I'd go back to the Grand Rapids area in 1950 or so. The war was well over, industry and progress were booming, and many of the railroads that I wish I could have seen were still in service. My imagination only goes so far when riding my bike on the old ROWs.

If I went back to the 50's I could go out to Wyoming Yard and see my dad, most of my uncles on my mom's side of the family and my materal grandfather hard at work on the C&O. My dad's father was off the RR by then. He worked for the PM back in 1905-1908 as a welder. That would be a neat time to see also. Wyoming yard was much smaller then, most of the large building from my childhood where not built yet as the PM's shops where still in Ionia at this time.

1995 Conrail Big Four line in St. Elmo or late 1998 CR NYC Water Level at Vickers.

I'd like to see what Bellevue was like when there were 4 different freight railroads operating here, which would mean going back to the 40's.

And then to pick a specific day from that decade I'd go with the day that Bellevue's basketball team arrived in town after having won the 1945 state championship. It'd be neat to take part in that celebration, and then head over to the diamonds to see what things were like when the NKP, PRR, NYC and original W&LE were all operating their separate lines.

Ummm, July of 1962. Spent the summer hoboing around the midwest and south. I was wandering through the Wabash yard in Montpelier Ohio, looking for a train west. A friendly crew told me to climb up in the second unit and don't touch anything. He said if anyone said anything, he didn't know I was there. I rode in the second F unit to Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the engineers seat. Waved at everybody going over the crossings.
Trespassing wasn't an issue back in the day. Every train yard had a little hobo camp in the weeds near the yard. A railroad dick, as they were called back then, told me, "Just stay away from the autos and nobody will bother you". Every yard office had a bunk room with showers and beds. I took showers several times in the crew rooms and nobody said anything. Things were much different back in the day. Railroads were run by railroaders. Today they are run by New York bean counters.
Or maybe it was the night in Biloxi Miss, when I was standing on the platform when the northbound L&N Pan American from New Orleans screeched to a stop. I immediately noticed a dark pullman sleeper right behind the engines, and ahead of the baggage cars, separate from the rest of the train. I figured they were dead heading it somewhere. I tried the door and it was open. Biloxi was always just a five minute stop for the passenger trains. I quickly jumped in and the train started to move. I pulled a flashlight from my duffle bag and pulled down a bed and went to sleep. Woke up the next morning on a siding, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, near Montgomery, Alabama. They had set the car out, and I had slept right through it. Hiked about a half mile to a diner, and asked the waitress what town this was.
Another time I was walking through a trainyard, might have been Nashville, when a conductor said "I've got a son your age, c'mon back and ride in the caboose with us. You'll be safer back there". That happened a couple times. Things were so much different back in those days. Today, they would lose their jobs for that.

hoborich wrote:Ummm, July of 1962. Spent the summer hoboing around the midwest and south. I was wandering through the Wabash yard in Montpelier Ohio, looking for a train west. A friendly crew told me to climb up in the second unit and don't touch anything. He said if anyone said anything, he didn't know I was there. I rode in the second F unit to Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the engineers seat. Waved at everybody going over the crossings.
Trespassing wasn't an issue back in the day. Every train yard had a little hobo camp in the weeds near the yard. A railroad dick, as they were called back then, told me, "Just stay away from the autos and nobody will bother you". Every yard office had a bunk room with showers and beds. I took showers several times in the crew rooms and nobody said anything. Things were much different back in the day. Railroads were run by railroaders. Today they are run by New York bean counters.
Or maybe it was the night in Biloxi Miss, when I was standing on the platform when the northbound L&N Pan American from New Orleans screeched to a stop. I immediately noticed a dark pullman sleeper right behind the engines, and ahead of the baggage cars, separate from the rest of the train. I figured they were dead heading it somewhere. I tried the door and it was open. Biloxi was always just a five minute stop for the passenger trains. I quickly jumped in and the train started to move. I pulled a flashlight from my duffle bag and pulled down a bed and went to sleep. Woke up the next morning on a siding, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, near Montgomery, Alabama. They had set the car out, and I had slept right through it. Hiked about a half mile to a diner, and asked the waitress what town this was.
Another time I was walking through a trainyard, might have been Nashville, when a conductor said "I've got a son your age, c'mon back and ride in the caboose with us. You'll be safer back there". That happened a couple times. Things were so much different back in those days. Today, they would lose their jobs for that.

Now THAT'S a great story. I've often wondered what it would have been like back in those days.

Y@ wrote:

hoborich wrote:Ummm, July of 1962. Spent the summer hoboing around the midwest and south. I was wandering through the Wabash yard in Montpelier Ohio, looking for a train west. A friendly crew told me to climb up in the second unit and don't touch anything. He said if anyone said anything, he didn't know I was there. I rode in the second F unit to Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the engineers seat. Waved at everybody going over the crossings.
Trespassing wasn't an issue back in the day. Every train yard had a little hobo camp in the weeds near the yard. A railroad dick, as they were called back then, told me, "Just stay away from the autos and nobody will bother you". Every yard office had a bunk room with showers and beds. I took showers several times in the crew rooms and nobody said anything. Things were much different back in the day. Railroads were run by railroaders. Today they are run by New York bean counters.
Or maybe it was the night in Biloxi Miss, when I was standing on the platform when the northbound L&N Pan American from New Orleans screeched to a stop. I immediately noticed a dark pullman sleeper right behind the engines, and ahead of the baggage cars, separate from the rest of the train. I figured they were dead heading it somewhere. I tried the door and it was open. Biloxi was always just a five minute stop for the passenger trains. I quickly jumped in and the train started to move. I pulled a flashlight from my duffle bag and pulled down a bed and went to sleep. Woke up the next morning on a siding, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, near Montgomery, Alabama. They had set the car out, and I had slept right through it. Hiked about a half mile to a diner, and asked the waitress what town this was.
Another time I was walking through a trainyard, might have been Nashville, when a conductor said "I've got a son your age, c'mon back and ride in the caboose with us. You'll be safer back there". That happened a couple times. Things were so much different back in those days. Today, they would lose their jobs for that.

Now THAT'S a great story. I've often wondered what it would have been like back in those days.

That is a great story. I am waiting for the made for TV movie Hoborich