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January 25, 2016 at 3:41 am #5695benjamintickell53Participant
In 1957, car 874 was assigned to MP trains 219-220, operating between Memphis, Little Rock and Hot Springs. The January 1957 Official Register of Passenger Train Equipment describes this car as coach-lounge-grill, while the March 1957 Official Guide describes the car as a parlor car-coach-cafe. By the time this car was renumbered 568 in the 1963 renumbering, it was strictly a grill coach, with one pair of tables with diner chairs and another pair of tables with coach seats, and the remainder of the car coach seating.
How was this car actually configured when MP was selling parlor car seats between Memphis and Hot Springs?
Bill Pollard
January 25, 2016 at 10:15 pm #7761kenrisParticipantBill,
The diagram sheet I have does not have any notations regarding parlor seats. It only shows the change you described in your note.
January 25, 2016 at 11:02 pm #7763benjamintickell53ParticipantDick,
It appears that parlor car service between Memphis and Hot Springs ended sometime in April 1957 if Official Guide listings are accurate. [Parlor service is shown in April 1957 Official Guide, but is absent in May 1957.] After that time, coaches and a grill coach (and head end cars) operated between Memphis and Little Rock, with the addition of through Pullman cars between Little Rock and Hot Springs. Several consists of trains 219 and 220 on June 16-17, 1957 show grill coach 874. My initial question presumed that this car was also providing parlor service, but it now appears that parlor car service ended prior to mid-June, and that 874 was indeed nothing more or less than a grill coach. This particular conductor started working extra-board passenger in March 1957 and received a parlor car tariff at that time; that and the parlor notation in the March 1957 Official Guide confirm that parlor service was still in place in March. Going back a couple of years, a January 1955 consist of 219 and 220 listed car 10910 in service as a cafe-parlor-coach. Do your passenger circulars provide any more specific end of parlor car service on this line?Bill Pollard
January 26, 2016 at 3:05 am #7765kenrisParticipantBill-
My Service Changes List indicates that a grill-coach replaced the parlor-cafe-coach on 219-220 on April 1, 1954. I can fond no other notations regarding that service. So, that contradicts your Official Guide information. Also, my file doesn’t show when grill-coach service ended either.
Looks like it’s time for a timetable dive. . .
January 26, 2016 at 3:17 am #7766benjamintickell53ParticipantDick,
This is what makes railroad research so “challenging” – LOL. The MPRR Local Parlor Car Tariff MH-2, parlor car seat rates between Memphis, Hot Springs and intermediate points, was effective May 1, 1956. Could they have briefly taken off the parlor car, and then restored it later?Checking the public timetables, 9 issues between 4-25-1954 and 12-16-56, all show “MoPac Parlor Car Coach Cafe,” loading number 2191 on train 219 and 2201 for train 220. The next public timetable, June 2, 1957, shows only a grill coach and coaches.
Bill Pollard
January 27, 2016 at 3:02 am #7772kenrisParticipantSo, this is a divergent question, does the copy of the parlor car tariff you own cover KC-Oma or Houston-Brownsville?
January 27, 2016 at 4:08 am #7773benjamintickell53ParticipantNo, the parlor car tariff is a single sheet, 4-panel folded, sized to fit inside the cover of the standard passenger tariff booklets issued at that time period. It covers only Memphis-Hot Springs.
Bill Pollard
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