When I was 15, I talked my parents into taking a planned cross-country trip by train. This would be my first ever overnight train trip. The first train we used was the Pennsylvania Railroad's "General" from North Philadelphia to Chicago. Years later when I first signed up for a rail discussion board I decided to us that first ever overnight overnight train ride as my name: "PRR 60" for PRR Train #60.
However, several months later I was looking through an old PRR timetable. Turns out my memory had been faulty. The westbound General was PRR Train 49, not 60. PRR #60 was the eastbound Pittsburgher that was an overnight trip between Pittsburgh and New York (all Pullman for at least a while). I guess it was a nice train, but I definitely never rode it. I might have seen the westbound version in my train watching days, but as far as I can recall, I never saw #60, the eastbound Pittsburgher. However, by the time I realized my error, I was PRR 60 in too many places to change. So PRR 60, Mr. Pittsburgher, it is.
PRR 60---about the Pittsburgher.
I am going to go out on a limb here and say something I cannot easily prove.(yeah, I know, it won't be the first time)
The Pittsburgher used to leave Pittsburgh at 11 p.m. . and you could board the sleepers at 9.30. Nothing unusual about that---happened all over the country hundreds of times every night.
However, I believe I read an article in TRAINS a few years ago that the diners opened,for full dinner service (not just for snacks ) at 9.30 also. .
Furthermore---and this is the distinct point being made here--I seem to recall that local citizens who were NOT traveling could eat in that diner also, so long as they finished before the train pulled out. I think there was kind of a local club of politicians and city fathers,etc, who ate dinner on the train, then got off, on a somewhat regular basis.
Should my memory be true, and I am not just "out of it", then PRR60 you didn't do a bad job of givng yourself the number "60" after all. (To take nothing away from the General, a train which did not get nearly enough publicity because it was stacked next to the so-very-famous Broadway Limited, and was almost as good.) Either way, you have winning train numbers and ID's.
I looked at the timetables last night and no such mention. But it was--if it existed at all l and not just in my imagination--a purely local thing, not adverised. Just for those "in the know".
I think another old train, tke Pioneer, did that in the Minneapolis overnight to CHI. And I know Amtrak has started something simiilar on the LSL out of Chicago--but not available for locals to eat only, of course.
or none of you guys where my shipmates. You will have to go back a few years to find the APA AKA desingnation. If anyone does find the answer, be kind about my age.
