Nostalgia & History > Grand Trunk Tuesday - Which One Would You Choose?

Ken Lanovich photos
No info on slides
Process date Jan. 1971
Probably taken one day during the weeks of high school Christmas vacation.
 
 
1. The 4950 vaping like a 21st century hipster on the head end of the
eastbound Maple Leaf at Battle Creek.
 
A typical depressing winter day in the Midwest.  However any day you can
ride the GTW to Battle Creek and take a walk over to the diesel shops is not all bad.
Only a few months before the end of passenger trains in the U.S. but the Official
Guide still shows the Maple Leaf with "Coach and Club Car seats. Meal and Lounge
facilities available"  Also checked baggage, through cars to Canada and a connection
to Detroit via Durand.
 
2. After taking the first photo Ken began hiking down the tracks towards the shops.
What is this at Nichols tower where the GTW crosses the PC ex-MC mains? 
One of the Penn Central's Michigan Corridor trains !!  Looks like the towerman is on the ground to give
this pride of the fleet a roll-by. 
 
A look at the Guide shows this is likely No. 355.  "No baggage service on this train.  Beverage and light snacks available"
Looking at the one car consist the Food Service must have been a news butcher.  Or was that one car a coach-buffet ?

3. After the PC streamliner clears here comes the eastbound Maple Leaf
 
Pretend you are one of the group in charge of choosing routes for the upcoming Railpax (aka Penn Central rescue bill) System. 
Which route would you choose for Michigan Service?   The route of the broken down trains that have chased passengers
away for years?  The route Railpax will end up buying as a perpetual money pit?  Would you at least consider the route that
still has well equipped trains and an innovative high speed service between Chicago and Detroit?

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/19 18:19 by Englewood.

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Thanks for sharing. I'm tryng to figure out what's on the nose of that PC E-8...

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> Thanks for sharing. I'm tryng to figure out what's
> on the nose of that PC E-8...


Me too.  Looks like they started to stencil PC but didn't get to far.

1) In terms of developing a corridor service, the ex-Michigan Central offered the most direct route from Chicago to Detroit. 

2) In September 1974, Amtrak added the ex-Grand Trunk to its network with inauguration of the Blue Water.  So, in just a few years, it was not an either-or situation.

3) Over time, both routes were operated with standard Amtrak equipment and both offered the same on-board amenities.

4) While passenger train losses were a huge drain on Penn Central's financial resources, that was not unique to Penn Central.  The real Penn Central rescue act came a few years later with the creation of Conrail.

5) On the ex-Michigan Central alignment, Amtrak seems to have more control of its destiny.  Grand Trunk was absorbed into Canadian National Railways which, per my understanding, has made things more difficult for passenger rail operators.

6) Therefore, while Grand Trunk ran the nicer train, in the long run, Amtrak made the right decision to go with the ex-Michigan Central as its corridor of emphasis for Chicago - Michigan service.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/19 21:05 by RuleG.

Choosing which one is my favorite is too hard. They are all great photos.
Bob

Bet that GTW train was somewhat bright and cheery inside, like most CN family trains of the era. Not sure what is in store in the PC car. I might take a round trip - out on PC back on GTW just to find out! Thanks for sharing.

From outward appearances, the Grand Trunk wins hands down, but I'm sure that wasn't considered in the decision as to what survived and what didn't.  And I thought I'd never say this, but those Trunk GP9's, running LHF, look way better than that old beat up PC E.

I talked to a friend who photograhped trains on this line in that time period and remembers such a PC E8 with plywood patch. He has a B&W photo of what appears to be the same unit. 

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

Thanks for the info on the plywood patch.