America’s Cup—the crown jewel of sailing
America’s Team—Dallas Cowboys slogan
America’s Train—?

Many people in this country can relate to the first two items noted above, without there being a personal preference. What train would you include in the final item? What train would have a general nation-wide appeal?

hankmorris@earthlink.net

I would have to say any of the Santa Fe streamliners. Those trains were imortalized by Lionel. When I think train, I tend to think of the Super Chief with an A-B-B-A set of F 7s in Warbonnet on the point, and a long string of clean, bright stainless steel cars.

david.wilkins@bardstown.com

Id say 4449.

adofmsu@aol.com

As much as I would like to say the ATSF streamliners or the UP's city trains, I think it has to be the NYC's 20th Century
Tom Cox

tcox@parknet.pmh.org

The Santa Fe warbonnet is universally recognized outside our ranks as "being" American railroading. The dashing colors and imagery of the great west speak to the America that we bill ourselves as... bold, open and outgoing.

Of course, there's also the irony that the Indian motif logo represents all that is wrong about capitalism and corporate progress running native people into their graves and then stealing their iconography to sell services to the white man.

The warbonnet is unique, for sure. I'd argue that it is the most recognizable railroad image. In Nevade, people may not link the PRR keystone to railroading, but even in Altoona they know what that warbonnet is.

Rob



Ahead of the Torch
trains@robertjohndavis.com

> Id say 4449.
Train, not locomotive or railroad.

hankmorris@earthlink.net

> The Santa Fe warbonnet is universally
> recognized outside our ranks as
> "being" American railroading. The
> dashing colors and imagery of the great west
> speak to the America that we bill ourselves
> as... bold, open and outgoing.

> Of course, there's also the irony that the
> Indian motif logo represents all that is
> wrong about capitalism and corporate
> progress running native people into their
> graves and then stealing their iconography
> to sell services to the white man.

> The warbonnet is unique, for sure. I'd argue
> that it is the most recognizable railroad
> image. In Nevade, people may not link the
> PRR keystone to railroading, but even in
> Altoona they know what that warbonnet is.

> Rob
Train, not paint job or railroad or locomotive.


hankmorris@earthlink.net

> Train, not locomotive or railroad.
Fine. If you want to be picky, then the American Freedom Train.

Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation
webmaster@orhf.org

> Train, not paint job or railroad or
> locomotive.

What more do you need dude??? There is NO generic train. Each "train" was substantionally different than the other. Like said previously the "American Freedom Train" would be in some opinions America's train, but the hey-day of the golden age of railroading has given us a few "gems" to note, the 20th Century Limited, the Warbonnet, Coast Daylight, Powhatan Arrow...

What is this info being used for anyway? Just curious.

Jeff Lisowski
West Chester, Pa

unfunkyufo76@hotmail.com

> What is this info being used for anyway?
> Just curious.

Have article in hand about America's Train. It got me thinking, "is there a definitive answer?"

I'm in multiple forums and have posed it on them. So far, results inconclusive, but very interesting.

I'd like to see how today's railfans opinions compare with the author's. He wrote it 4-5 years ago and has never had a computer (everything is in longhand). So, he couldn't inquire widely before penning (literally) his tome.

I'm keeping an Excel spreadsheet on replies.

hankmorris@earthlink.net

> I would have to say any of the Santa Fe
> streamliners. Those trains were imortalized
> by Lionel. When I think train, I tend to
> think of the Super Chief with an A-B-B-A set
> of F 7s in Warbonnet on the point, and a
> long string of clean, bright stainless steel
> cars.

No way.. Its gotta be steam!!! I realized how much impact steam had on our collective national memory about 5-6 years ago when the "quad city dj's" did "the train" a top 40 dance tune. I was in a night club and it suddenly dawned on me- not only was I almost certainly the only person there who ever rode in a steamer's cab- a good portion probably never saw steam in person-yet they knew what woo-woo and choo-choo was...

Steam rules for 125 years.. diesels still have 75 to go

superheater@beer.com

>
> Of course, there's also the irony that the
> Indian motif logo represents all that is
> wrong about capitalism and corporate
> progress running native people into their
> graves and then stealing their iconography
> to sell services to the white man.

You are kidding right?


superheater@beer.com

FWIW, I'm with Tom on this one. The warbonnet-era Super Chief comes from passenger railroading's Indian Summer--the 20C limited embodies American standard passenger railroading in its heyday, at its most dominant and glamorous.

eledbetter@rypn.org

> Train, not paint job or railroad or
> locomotive.

Hank,

By this I guess you are looking for a complete train (name train or otherwise)?

OK, then I will say the 1937 Super Chief for the reasons stated above about the Warbonnet, plus the SC's Hollywood puffery and the tremendously influential advertising the Santa Fe wrapped around it.

Want another choice? Pick any branchline frieght pre-1930.

Rob


Ahead of the Torch
trains@robertjohndavis.com