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Former B&O heavyweight passenger cars
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Author:  EJ Berry [ Sun Dec 05, 2021 10:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Former B&O heavyweight passenger cars

B&O 3301 was the Buffet-Obs car from the third and longest serving Royal Blue trainset. The Royal Blue was B&O's streamliner in Jersey City-Washington-Jersey City service. All of these trains had mid-train dining cars, so none of the obs cars were dining cars.

The First Train was a new ACF lightweight train in 1935. Parlor-Obs 5998 was in this train that that went to the Alton Route (later GM&O) for Chicago-St. Louis service in 1937.

The Second Train was the first rebuilt heavyweight set in April, 1937. Buffet-Obs car was 3300 and this train replaced the First Train and became the Columbian in Wash-JC-Wash service later in 1937 until 1941 when it became Buffet-Obs car 3303 for the Wash-Chi Columbian until 1949 when it was replaced by a new lightweight Tavern-Obs.

The Third Train was a newly rebuilt heavyweight set in December 1937. Car 3301 was the Buffet-Obs in this set and remained in Royal Blue service until service East of Baltimore was withdrawn in 1958.

Parlor-Obs car 5998 from the 1935 Royal Blue and the Alton/GM&O Abraham Lincoln is at the National Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood MO as GM&O 5998.

Buffet-Obs car 3302, from the 1941 Columbian, and Tavern-Obs car 3316 Washington from the 1949 Columbian are at the B&O Museum in Baltimore.

Phil Mulligan

Author:  mmi16 [ Wed Dec 08, 2021 1:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Former B&O heavyweight passenger cars

EJ Berry wrote:
B&O 3301 was the Buffet-Obs car from the third and longest serving Royal Blue trainset. The Royal Blue was B&O's streamliner in Jersey City-Washington-Jersey City service. All of these trains had mid-train dining cars, so none of the obs cars were dining cars.

The First Train was a new ACF lightweight train in 1935. Parlor-Obs 5998 was in this train that that went to the Alton Route (later GM&O) for Chicago-St. Louis service in 1937.

The Second Train was the first rebuilt heavyweight set in April, 1937. Buffet-Obs car was 3300 and this train replaced the First Train and became the Columbian in Wash-JC-Wash service later in 1937 until 1941 when it became Buffet-Obs car 3303 for the Wash-Chi Columbian until 1949 when it was replaced by a new lightweight Tavern-Obs.

The Third Train was a newly rebuilt heavyweight set in December 1937. Car 3301 was the Buffet-Obs in this set and remained in Royal Blue service until service East of Baltimore was withdrawn in 1958.

Parlor-Obs car 5998 from the 1935 Royal Blue and the Alton/GM&O Abraham Lincoln is at the National Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood MO as GM&O 5998.

Buffet-Obs car 3302, from the 1941 Columbian, and Tavern-Obs car 3316 Washington from the 1949 Columbian are at the B&O Museum in Baltimore.

Phil Mulligan

Didn't the B&O buy TWO lightweight trainsets in 1935 - One was originally used in Royal Blue service and the other was sent straight away to the Alton. When both trainsets ended up on the Alton - one operated as the Abraham Lincoln and the other as the Ann Rutledge - creating daily double round trips between Chicago and St. Louis. Diesel engines 50 (box cab) and 52 (EMD EA) both ended up on the Alton.

Author:  EJ Berry [ Wed Dec 08, 2021 1:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Former B&O heavyweight passenger cars

That is correct. There were two lightweight trains and one went directly to the Alton. I believe B&O 4-4-4 No 1 went with it. B&O 4-6-4 No 2 and B&O EMC boxcab diesel 50 were assigned to Royal Blue I. When Royal Blue I was bumped by Royal Blue II it and engines 2 and 50 went to the Alton.

When the Alton went into bankruptcy, the two steam engines 1 and 2 went back to the B&O while the Alton kept diesel 50 as Alton 100, later 1200 (now in the National Museum of Transport in Kirkwood as B&O 50) and both trains. The trains and Alton 100 later flowed to the GM&O when they took over the Alton. Alton 50 became GM&O 1200.

B&O EA 52 had also gone to the Alton as Alton 100A but not EB 52X which stayed with the B&O. At one point 50 (Alton 100) served as 52's (Alton 100A) B-unit.

I believe GM&O got 52/100A rebuilt to an E8 in 1953 while the 5 EA and 6 EB units on the B&O were rebuilt to E8M's, 5 A units and 6 B units, rated at 2000 HP.

I'm not an expert on the Alton Route or the GM&O so if this needs corrected, please post accordingly.

Phil Mulligan

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