See S p. 163. BLT 1875-76 30 PM AR trailers (no P) each seating 28 with RV seats - double end operation, Venetian blinds, descr. in 1876 NOCRRCo ann. report. Most destroyed in 1887 barn fire at Canal Station. After 1887 PM DT AR eqpt. undocumented Jackson & Sharp cars — P - S p. 162. Original cars cost $700 — built in N. O., a big sum those days (1873 depression still felt 3 yrs. later).
In 1876-77 bought unk. no. pass. cars from Canal St. City Park & Lake RR Co. (see no. 10) — unusual cars each having only one platform — one end without!
1883 — owned 9 locos (dummy type) 40 trailers, 2 bagg. cars, 2 flat cars. Just before '87 fire, SRJ Jan. 1887 p. 151 reported 39 “coaches” — DP 2/5/87 news on replacement of burned eqpt. with DT AR trailers BLT by H. Dudley Coleman at his foundry cor. Magnolia & Erato. This explains trailers' name “Coleman”. There were 12, long open platform rugged cars, lasting into 1930s and three RB, the only trailers to span both the steam and electric era of the West End Line. In 1887 J. R. Brownell, famous carbuilder, toured Coleman's foundry, made favorable comments.
The 1887 trucks were desig. by NOC&L, 1883 successor to N. O. City RR, wood frame - PM. Cars compl. 1887-88, first RB 1891 (see S p. 164, text & P pp. 163-64, scale drawing S p. 165). West End Line electrified 1898. Mr. H. Dudley Coleman died 3/16/26 at Beauvoir Hosp., Jefferson Davis Confederate Veteran Home, Biloxi, Miss. (TP 3/27/26).
Upper end of Tchoupitoulas Line, to Audubon Park, for only approx. 2 yrs. Unproven use of Todd locos, but accident DP, DT 1/1/78 documents “Lamm motors” (thermospecific loco, same as NO&C RR).
Station at Canal & Basin. Construction & operation had extensive, almost weekly news in T - TD. Road failed & sold at SS: “1 Remington passenger steam dummy car”, two pass. cars No. 1, No. 11 and one “open passenger car” (no tech. details). According to TD accounts, two dummies from Remington delivered 1875 — this was the “Remington Noiseless Street Railway Motor” P - N (drawing in Remington advertisement). SS dated 7/28/76.
Sketch of Remington noiseless motor and one-platform cars, assuming cars
are DT AR; 22-25' OB, 18-20 cross seats.
Arriving with the dummies from Ilion, NY were unusual cars each having open platform at only one end! By coupling cars properly, there would be platforms at each end except at coupling with motor. News accounts when a wreck occurred with these cars involved, after NOC RR bought them for West End service, news in DP - DT. No P.
This RR, like the Mex. Gulf, lay moribund, not running for several years. Revived as New Orleans, Spanish Fort & Lake RR, RG 4'8½" & started 1883. Built OS ten - 32' cross bench open cars, poss. similar to the one in 1876 SS, surely DT, roof unk. No P. Supt. Capt. Alfred Bradley supervised BLD cars. Poors credits NOSF&L with 27 pass. cars 1889-91 manuals. Service ended 1903 — road leased 5/30/96 by New Orleans & Western RR (Ry. Co.) (see no. 12).
Temporary RR to handle crowds to N. O. Cotton States Centennial Exposition. Woodcut in Harpers Weekly 12/20/84 (G p. 60) shows Lamm Thermospecific loco pulling 2 streetcars. Line poss. mainly promoted by NO&C RR, service ended when Expos. closed. See S and N.
Operated pass. service to Chalmette in conjunction with NOSF&L RR. No data available on equipment, no P. NO&W leases NOSF&L RR 5/30/96, reorg. as New Orleans Belt and Terminal Co. 4/9/01. Sold 12/26/03 to New Orleans Terminal Co. (Queen & Crescent System).
The Yoakum interests and the Queen & Crescent cooperated to build the “Terminal Station” at Canal & Basin, opened 6/1/08 (see S p. 103), soon handling Lou. Ry. & Nav. Co., New Orleans Great Northern, Frisco, and New Orleans & Northeastern (Queen & Crescent until 1917, bought by Southern Ry. Sys.), plus the Chalmette suburban service, then operated by New Orleans Term. Co.
Sub'n service to Chalmette discontinued in 1920 — no details or P on eqpt. It is frustrating that so many of these operations are not illustrated by P, drawing, or sketch! Or even a verbal description.
N.B.: Most railroads serving N. O. operated what amounted to sub'n service. The last was the Louisville & Nashville's Gulf Coast service which ended on May 6, 1964. ICRR tried GE gas electric car service to Kenner, but the Orleans-Kenner Elec. Ry. Co. (later Orleans-Kenner Traction Co., Inc.) interurbans drove them out of business (see S vol. 1). Also see S vol. 1 for streetcars across the river (Algiers); the N. O. & Lower Coast RR that almost was electrified, ran gas motors until late 1920s. The Y&MV had suburban trains N. O. to Sellers until 1931, with motors. T&P operated such a service Gouldsboro - Waggaman until 1919, with steam power. See S pp. 103-104. The NOGN, later GM&N, operated a N. O. - Slidell - Mandeville - Covington commuter service which it improved in 1931 with Brill gas elec. trainsets, light equipment, painted white with fine appointments, named the “St. Tammany Special” (it had a motor to Bogalusa in connection). This ended in 1938. It heralded the streamlined trains of 1934-35 such as UP's “Streamliner” and CB&Q “Burlington Route” famous “Zephyrs” with many to follow.
Copyright © 2008 Louis C. Hennick. All rights reserved.
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