Passenger Trains > Waiting on the Cleveland Night Express

Back in the day passenger and head end cars were cut in and out at intermediate stations en route. Sometimes this included head-end cars to be loaded or unloaded with mail and express shipments. I was recently in Peninsula, Ohio, which the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad transforms at this time of year into the North Pole for its Polar Express trains. At the north end of the siding sat this baggage car. Normally, the CVSR uses baggage cars to carry bicycles, but the bike season is over until next spring.

With a little imagination and given that the holiday season is upon us I pretended that it is a set-out car to be loaded with parcels and mail for the Christmas season and placed on tonight's Cleveland Night Express. In reality, the Cleveland Night Express of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad ran between Cleveland and Washington/Baltimore and began its last runs on Jan. 3, 1963. In its final years it didn't stop in Peninsula to pick up passengers, let alone mail and express.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/17 02:33 by SDP40F600.

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SDP40F600 Wrote:
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>
> With a little imagination and given that the
> holiday season is upon us I pretended that it is a
> set-out car to be loaded with parcels and mail for
> the Christmas season and placed on tonight's
> Cleveland Night Express.

I can imagine it too. Really nice picture.

I'm also curious about this car's heritage. Is it a pre-war ATSF or CB&Q baggage car, do you think?

I believe that is ex-AT&SF 3450, Budd 1942. The only known survivor of that class, and also a likely prototype for the Athearn "Blue Box" baggage car.

Had the pleasure of riding B&O's Cleveland Night Express in 1961(was discontinued in 62). What stands out was riding through Cleveland's Flats and steel making areas. The blast furnaces were lit up with fire spewing out. Next morning had breakfast near Harpers Ferry. A neat trip!

Topfuel Wrote:
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> I believe that is ex-AT&SF 3450, Budd 1942. The
> only known survivor of that class, and also a
> likely prototype for the Athearn "Blue Box"
> baggage car.

Thanks for the information. And I like the way this car has kept it's side-skirts for all these years too.