It is surprising to see old style kerosene marker lamps on the rear of a round end observation....I have no recollection of seeing this use before. I wonder if the electric markers failed or some such problem. Another neat picture of the Godfather's collection.
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The deal with the double set of markers may be one of employee training or the railroad's operating rules, or both. I had a lucky chance to ride from Louisville, to Chicago on early Amtrak. Aboard the then privately owned Ex- Pennsylvania Broadway Limited, Sleeper-Observation Mountain View. The owner at the time was Dave Durkoop, who had purchased the car from The High Iron Corp. and Mr. Ross Rowland. Several central Kentuckians, myself included had helped the owner to change out the car's batteries, and were offered to ride to Chicago or the west coast. I believe that Mountain View was the last privately owned observation car to leave Louisville Union Station. North bound trains required a backing move to leave the station and get onto the ex-Monon rails. Train crews do what their rules state. The ex-Monon conductor and rear brakeman came aboard our car in full Monon Passenger Uniforms and asked for the rear door to be opened in order to install a tail hose with whistle for the reverse move. Dave informed them that the car had it's own whistle and markers. They stated that they had no place to store the tail hose and installed it. Dave asked what marker color they wanted and selected the proper color from inside the car. As the train started backing out, the conductor was standing in the open rear door and would blow the tail hose whistle for each crossing. Dave would repeat with the cars on board whistle each time. Finally the train which was the north bound Floridian stopped and then started it's forward run. The train crew closed the rear door and had started to exit the car when Dave told them to return to the car when the had everything under control, and that he would give them a tour of the car. The crew took their markers when they left. When they returned later they said that they were sorry about their Monon Uniforms but that working only the south end of their train they had not been able to get to Chicago to get Amtrak Uniforms. What happened next is one for the books. Mr. Durkoop reached down and picked up an AHM ho scale model of Mountain View and pointing to the right side of the model, pointed out the obs section, the galley, the two master bedrooms with showers, the double bedroom, and the porter's bunk next to the vestibule. As the Floridian was steam heated at the time I was surprised to see Dave demonstrate a unique feature of the galley. With the train crew and guests looking into the small galley he moved a control leaver and live steam erupted into the sink. Dave then stated that the purpose of this feature was to remove the feathers from a chicken or turkey ! One member of our group did ride all the way to Seattle, and flew home. My friend and I simply bought tickets and returned to Louisville that night on The Floridian, but we did it in stile. When we boarded, a lady was reading in the dome of the dome car. We asked if she would mind reading down stairs, and she said that would be no problem. We then asked the conductor to turn off the dome lights and enjoyed seeing all of the lights of Chicago. I do not remember anyone ever coming up in to the dome, and we were awakened by the sunrise shortly before crossing the Ohio River and backing into Union Station. There were only two of these Broadway Limited cars, Mountain View, now at the Altoona Railroaders Museum, and Tower View now at the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum at Strassburg, Pa.
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Bill, thanks for taking the time to post such a great story!
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