The Pennsylvania Railroad's commuter trains from Valparasio to Union Station were nick named "Dummys". The name last until Amtrak ended the service in 1990. I believe the nick name started as early as the late 19th Century.
Did other railroads in the Chicago area use this name for their commuter trains? Was it a common name that the public used to describe these types of trains? I wonder if this was a regional term or confined to a single or few railroads.
Thanks in advance for any info you can share!
Arnold Niederer Rock Island called them dummies. Burlington's were dinkies, CNW were scoots, GMO was the plug.
Charles Berthold Scoots was used by several.
David Schnell In the late 19th century, people in general referred to any commuter train as "dummies". This was the result of some street running small steam engines that had a special outside shell designed to look like a coach, a dummy coach. Railroad employees developed their own nicknames. BTW the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago's first engine facility in Englewood was called the "Dummy House"
James L. Ludwig Milwaukee Road called them Scoots. C&NW advertised them as Commuter Streamliners. Burlington reserved the dinkiest locomotives for their commuter service henceforth the Dinky moniker.
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| David Schnell commented on Ted's post Here is s "dummy" David Daruszka  That train ran on North Broadway in Chicago. I imagine it was supplanted by a streetcar. |
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| David Daruszka commented on Ted's post If I were a horse and saw a small house rolling towards me.... |
Might want to replace the word, "monitor" up above with the word, "moniker."
ReplyDelete(in the paragraph beginning with,
"James L. Ludwig Milwaukee Road called them Scoots..)