Prototype Information
Types of Passenger Service
- Transcontinental or Prestige Overnight This would be considered first class service, operating from major city to major city (with minimal stops), with express, baggage, RPO, sleeper and dining car service and observation cars.
- Secondary Long-Haul Service. This would be considered second class service, operating from major cities to second level cities (also with minimal stops), with baggage, RPO, sleeper, diner, night coach, lounge car service.
- Local. This would be considered third class service (all stops) with baggage RPO, day coach service.
- Commuter. This would be considered fourth class service , inter-city and between city and suburban locations (all stops), day coach service only.
Passenger Train Consists. Typeical cars present in passenger train consists:
- Head end cars consisting of: railway post office car (RPO) mail cars, express refrigerator and baggage cars
- Overnight service cars consisting of sleeper and diner cars.
- Day service cars consisting of coaches, lounge cars, and observation cars.
Era. The era modeled will impact train length and composition, as follows:
- 1930s — Shorter consists as the depression has reduced train lengths. Local trains disappear as automobile use expands. Pull-mans and coaches air conditioned resulting in roof “bubbles.”
- 1935-1941 — New lightweight stream-lined cars replace equipment on top name trains. All-coach streamliners appear.
- 1942-1946 — War and demobilization result in very heavy traffic: every car in use with long consists.
- 1946-1955 — New streamlined cars and trains slowly come off production lines. More locals disappear.
- 1955-1967 — Passenger traffic declines rapidly, losing ground to jets and autos. Fewer trains with fewer RPOs. Loss of mail and railway express revenues greatly reduces passenger trains.
- 1967-1971 (Amtrak) — Only one short train left on major routes.
The WWSL
The WWSL is a short line railroad operating in a rural area. Passenger operations would either be non-existant or would be minor in nature. Logging railroads would have camps in isolated locations and loggers would only get to town on weekends. I'm sure that flatcars and boxcars would be their coach equivalents.
Passenger Operations.
I've decided to have passenger service on the WWSL as a operational opportunity to the regular freight service. In my alternate history the WWSL has, because of the use of diesel trucks in the logging environment and the move from lumber camps to commuting from towns in the area, established passenger service. See WWSL Circulars 6 Passenger Operation.
This local passenger service is considerd third class service compared to the Class 1 and 2 railroads. On the WWSL its First Class service and is scheduled on the WWSL timetable. There is twice daily service from Montesano to Coal Grove (The Woodsman) and Wickwood (The Paperman).
In the 1930's era, the WWSL inherited from the OPLC old box cars and cabooses converted to passenger car service. The WWSL upgraded the service to more modern cabooses with the installation of benches in lieu of the conventional bunks. In the mid-40's the WWSL purchased used coaches from railroad equipment brokers for more conventional passenger service. See.WWSL Passenger Cars for specific passenger equipment used on the WWSL.
Special trains.
The WWSL may, on occasion, play host to passenger excursions using WWSL and/or non-WWSL railroad locomotives and equipment. Foreign excursion equipment will meet all safety requirements, meet all WWSL operational rules and regulations. Foreign locomotives will have an operations employee in the locomotive cab as pilot. Foreign excursion passenger cars will have a conductor - pilot. See Circular 6 for additional information.
Resources:
Clark, Robert A., The passenger operations layout Parts 1-4, Model Railroading, January - April 2002, Clark has an extensive resources section in the April 2002 article.
Chubb, Bruce, How to Operate Your Model Railroad, Chapter 4, pp. 39-42.
Mallery, Paul, The Complete Handbook of Model Railroad Operations, Chapter 9, Passenger Operations, pp. 181-191.
Prototype Modeler Magazine had a number of articles on Class 1 Passenger Services by Railroad. See https://trainlife.com/pages/protoytpe-modeler-magazine-archive for back issues.
Mainline Modeler Magazine had a number of articles on Class 1 Passenger Services by Railroad and specific modeling information by railroad and car type. See
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