Eric,
Great follow-up to the Zephyr
piece!! Thanks for the transcription
and be sure to thank your Dad for finding this in the microfilms!!
Dave
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From: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:CBQ@yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of mumpseee
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2012
11:11 PM
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CBQ] Streamlined Train
Viewed by Thousands
From the Friday, October 2, 1936 Ottawa Republican-Times and
a follow-up to an article in the latest BRHS Zephyr transcribed by Eric Mumper
(after his Dad did the hard part of going through the microfilm.)
The first streamlined train ever to visit Ottawa was viewed by thousands this
afternoon in the yards of the Rock Island railroad here.
The train, now on a tour of the United States and Canada, was met upon its
arrival by a welcoming committee consisting of Mayor Fred N. Spurgin, Ralph
Drips, president of the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, John Ryan, Chamber of
Commerce secretary, C. E. Gates , La Salle county farm adviser, George Haroold,
chairman of the merchants' committee of the Chamber of Commerce, Howard Geiger,
representing the Ottawa Business Men's association, Charles Sapp, managing
editor of the Republican-Times, and A. M. Corbus, local druggist.
On behalf of the city of Ottawa, Mayor Spurgin presented to officials of the
traveling druggists' convention aboard the train, a plate glass plaque mounted upon
an attractive stained wood base. The plaque, in sand blasted letters, contained
the following inscription: "Presented October 2, 1936, to Rexall Train by
City of Ottawa, Ill., center of plate glass and silica and allied
industries"
The glass used in the plaque was manufactured at the Ottawa plant of the
Libbey-Owens-Ford company.
The 12-car train arrived in Ottawa shortly before 2 p.m. and was to remain here
until 5 p.m. As soon as the doors were opened a continual stream of visitors
began passing through the four cars in which exhibits were arranged.
One Locomotive Used.
The railroad precedent of changing locomotive as the pony express rider shifted
mounts is being shattered by the 350-ton streamlined iron horse that is drawing
the million dollar Rexall convention train.
One engine is pulling this modern business caravan, leased by the United Drug
company, of Boston, on a goodwill rour of 29,000 miles, equivalent to more than
the earth's circumference at the equator.
Convention sessions aboard the train in two cars fitted for the purpose will be
attended by 10,000 Rexall agents and their employes. Meetings will be held in
109 cities and stops will be made at more than too(sic) towns to permit public
inspection of the train and its exhibits.
In carrying out its schedule, this streamlined locomotive will be the first to
pull a train through 48 states and Canada. Ability to shatter speed records was
not considered in its selection, although the engine is cabable of 100-mile an
hour speed. Emphasis was laid on qualities enabling a locomotive to "take
it" on any grade or curve in any weather and to "pull through"
on passenger train schedule.
97 Feet Long.
The engine, of the oil burning steam type, was fitted out by the New York
Central railroad. It is 97 feet long, 15 feet high and weighs 697,000 pounds,
about 350 tons. Its 52-feet long tender has a capacity of 5,000 gallons of oil.
Each of the locomotive's eight drive wheels measures 69 inches in diameter.
Behind the ladders at the front of the engine leading to the catwalks and
around the hidden smokestack, are tubular recesses which serve as windscoops,
lifting the smoke high above the locomotive when it is in motion.
Regular changes of engine crews are made at division points on the 52 railroads
being traversed on the tour. But the locomotive is ridden throughout the trip
by a traveling engine foreman of New York Central. He is assisting the
different railway lines to meet this new and strenuous railroading test. It
involves keeping a schedule in addition to allowing for testing, inspecting,
and perhaps overhauling in addition to providing for refueling.
The train arrived in Ottawa over the Burlington railroad from Aurora, where it
was exhibited this morning, and was switched immediately to the Rock Island
yards. From Ottawa, the train will go to Priceton.
__._,_.___