I thought these sounded familiar, Rupert & I discussed
these a year and a half ago.
Note that, while 4 sets were described, 5 comp[osite cars are
listed:
5 Composite Baggage, Buffet, Smoking:
COLORADO, ILLINOIS, IOWA, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA built
1899 Lot 2410 Plan1400
The 4 Pullman Sleepers:
CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY R.R. 4 Sleeper - 12 Section, 1 Drawing
Room - G/S -
DIAMOND, EMERALD, RUBY, SAPHIRE built 1899
Lot 2390 Plan 1318-C.
There were 4 passenger day coaches & 8 passenger chair cars built at
this same period -
CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY R.R. 8 Chair Cars - No. ???? built
1899 Lot 2460 Plan 1435-D
CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY R.R. 4 Passenger Day Coaches - No.
???? Built 1899 Lot 2461 Plan 1436-B
Assume the baggage cars were existing or built by AC&F or
other.
"Composite" is a Pullman term for cars of multiple uses, NOT of
multiple construction materials.
Interesting that there was 1 sleeper per train. But, as I told
Rupert at the time, there were a few 5 car trains put out by Pullman in
this same period - B&O, PRR and others in the east received theirs
which copied this consist fairly closely. The composite car
is typically a eastern prototype, the PRR, B&O, C&O, NYC and
others all had very similar cars.
The basic train would not be hard to put together in HO, using LaBelle
and Westwood models.
At 09:17 AM 12/27/2012, you wrote:
Rupert:
The Denver Limited (westbound)/Chicago Limited (eastbound)
was indeed the flagship train on the Chicago-Denver run at the end of the
19th Century. Here's a news report on its inauguration, from the
Denver Post of May 4, 1899:
A BEAUTIFUL TRAIN
The Burlington Runs It Between Denver and Chicago,
and It Is a Hummer.
The handsomest train ever seen in Denver steamed
out of the Union Depot at 1:40 o'clock yesterday afternoon and
disappeared down the tracks toward the east. It was the first of a
new service inaugurated today by the Burlington and will be known on the
time cards as the Chicago Special. At Fort Morgan it meets its
counterpart, an exact duplicate in every detail, steaming towards
Denver.
The Burlington has put into service four of
these new trains, costing close to half a million dollars, between Denver
and Chicago. Each represents the highest type of rolling stock;
each is the latest product of the Pullman and Burlington shops; each is
drawn by unusually heavy locomotives. One of the engines in service
between Omaha and Chicago weighs 127 tons, has drivers seven feet in
diameter, and a water capacity of 5,000 gallons.
Each train consists of a composite car, a
Pullman and two chair cars, in addition to a baggage car. The
composite cars, in which are a buffet, a library and a writing desk, are
named Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and Missouri. The four
sleepers are designated Diamond, Emerald, Ruby and Sapphire. The
exterior is of the standard Pullman color, a rich brown, relieved by gold
[This was near the end of the period when the Burlington was strying to
settle on an exterior color for its passenger equipment, having abandoned
the original yellow sides and experimented with varying shades or red,
brown and green.] The chair cars are in cream and gold. The
woodwork of the Pullmans and composite cars is of vermillion wood,
relieved by a tasty marquetrie. They are built on the artistic
cathedral light plan, the light coming through oval stained glass
portholes. The roofs are vaulted and the decoration is in green and
gold. Six electric clusters are concealed in as many sanctuary
globes. In the composite cars gas can be used as well as
electricity.
The upholstery is of green plush, with a
handsome lace effect. The seats terminate in heavy golden lion's
claws. The Pullmans are of the twelve-section pattern, the berths
being wide, and with mattresses that have been specially
manufactured.
Everything is in perfect keeping, even the
portieres being made of heavy green ropes surrounded by bands of
gold. The toilet and smoking rooms have exposed plumbing and the
latest improvements.
---
New P-1-C Vauclain compound Atlantics were the regular power on the
train.
Hol
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
From: gamlenz@ihug.co.nz
Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:30:12 +1300
Subject: [CBQ] Chicago-Denver
Can anyone advise whether the Denver Limited
was the premier Chicago - Denver service at the turn of the century, and
whether it commenced service in 1898/1899?
Hoping that you enjoyed a great Christmas, and that the New Year will be
peaceful and prosperous.
Rupert Gamlen
from the warmth of the South Pacific
Bob Webber
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