Arrow and added baggage cars

[NW Modeling List]

Ken:
I studied my N&W passenger timetables today and I found that the last issue 
showing the Cavalier running Norfolk-Cincinnati was January 1, 1957.
The April 29, 1957 issue shows the Cavalier terminating at Portsmouth, Ohio. 
The next cutback, June 15, 1958 shows the Cavalier terminating at 
Williamson, WV. I don't have every issues ot timetables, but the April 30, 
1961 issue shows the Cavalier cut back to Bluefield..So this accounts for 
the mail and express added to the Powhatan Arrow mainly on the western end 
of that train's route.

The last timetable with the observation cars in the consist was January 1, 
1958. I would like to know if there is proof of exactly when N&W stopped 
using them. I do know they were stored in October 1958 along side other 
passenger equipment on the Shenandoah Division side of Roanoke Shops.
N&W timetables had a notice that "schedules and equipment are subject to 
change without notice."

--Rick Morrison


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "NW Modeling List" <nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org>
To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>; "NW Modeling List" 
<nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 04, 2025 9:43 AM
Subject: Re: Arrow and added baggage cars


Walter

The Arrow as originally planned in 1945-46 was a seven car train. That was 
why the order with Pullman-Standard included, two P-1 locker or crew cars, 
two P2 partitioned coaches, 10, P3 58-seat coaches, four D-1 diners (two for 
the Pocahontas) and two P-4 observation lounge cars.

The seven-car trains were to be set up as follows:

One P1 Coach or Locker Car with space for dining car crew and coach seats
One P2 Coach, partitioned coach for race separation to meet Virginia law
Three P3 Coaches
One D1 diner
One P4 Observation Lounge

Unfortunately, the railroad fairly quickly learned, with the Arrow having 
run since April 1946, that three coaches were frequently too much, so it was 
cut back to one or two P3 coaches, depending on load and days of the week.

Traffic never picked up except for holiday travel and other rare occasions.
By the early 1950s, the P1s were converted to full coaches with a smoking 
section.

The train did not handle checked baggage, but about early 1957, a combine 
was added to the consist, I assume to handle some checked baggage.

Along about the same time, it was not unusual to see a mail-storage car in 
the consist, that had been late arriving for another train.

The N&W began a big effort to eliminate as much passenger service as 
possible. With attempted adjustments of the schedule with the timetable 
change at the end of April 1957 the RPO was placed in the Arrow west of 
Bluefield. I believe it might have been with schedule changes on the 
Cavalier, I’ve got a whole file on it, just not in hand at the moment.

By early 1959, the round-end observation-lounge cars were parked and by May 
sold off.

A few years later, the Arrow was then combined with the Cavalier, further 
slowing the schedule, and it was finally allowed to die in May 1969 as part 
of the upgrade of the Pocahontas.

Best
Ken Miller

> On Jan 4, 2025, at 7:08 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> 
> wrote:
>
> Does anyone know when the Arrow started adding baggage and/or post office 
> cars to the consists of the original 5 car trains?  Walter Davis in 
> Youngsville, NC
> -- 
> Walter Davis



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