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Originally Posted by: thunderbolt85 

Thanks, that is some interesting stuff on living on the train.



It definitely had its moments....

Ride the Zipper?
Thanks, that is some interesting stuff on living on the train.
Originally Posted by: thunderbolt85 

So what was it like on the train, did each person (or a couple of guys) have their own room, or was each coach just opened up like a big dorm room with bunks. Did each room (if they had that) have a shower/toilet, or were there community showers/toilets (like in a military dorm)?

Was there AC, a pie car, etc? Often have wondered about all that on Strates train. I know he had a nice coach, seen pictures of the inside.



The train could have been great, but it was poorly supervised. The coaches were all Pullman style. Generally, an aisle down the middle, with single rooms on each side, and at one end the aisle would jog to the side, and there would be a few double rooms for couples.

Single staterooms had something like a Murphy bed, that pretty much filled the room when it was folded down, and made a nice seat when folded up. Each room had a window that opened, a sink and mirror, overhead light, reading light, shaving light, coat hook, and a luggage rack. Originally they each had a toilet, but these had all been removed.

Double staterooms were similar, but each had two bunks, one up and one down, and these also folded up to make a nice long sofa. Partitions could also be folded such that you could make a "double-double" for a family.

Each coach had one or two showers and heads, but they were locked when making the jump. There was a special head on each coach that got used over the runs.

Pie car on one end and generator car in the middle. You could (generally) go through the pie car out on to the loading flat, and through the generator car to get to the other coaches.

No air conditioning or heat.

It was a shame because it could have really been a big draw for help, but it was just so poorly maintained it was clear no one really cared about the help. Great on the outside, sh*t on the inside. That said, when I joined, I was on Car 1, which was still pretty nice. Was on car 2 for while which was more of a staff car, but the rooms were not as nicely arranged.

I loved riding it, but I only rode it a few times as I most always drove one of my loads and stayed on the lot.


Ride the Zipper?
Originally Posted by: ridejocky 

If they loaded the bunkhouses on the train, the help would have no place to stay until the train was unloaded and loads spotted.

You can't legally ride on the flats, and they would not have any way of hooking bunkhouses up even if you could.




So what was it like on the train, did each person (or a couple of guys) have their own room, or was each coach just opened up like a big dorm room with bunks. Did each room (if they had that) have a shower/toilet, or were there community showers/toilets (like in a military dorm)?

Was there AC, a pie car, etc? Often have wondered about all that on Strates train. I know he had a nice coach, seen pictures of the inside.
Originally Posted by: wvscott 

since there are no coaches on the train anymore, where does all the help stay and how are they transported?

you don't see any bunk houses on the train.



If they loaded the bunkhouses on the train, the help would have no place to stay until the train was unloaded and loads spotted.

You can't legally ride on the flats, and they would not have any way of hooking bunkhouses up even if you could.


Ride the Zipper?
Originally Posted by: ridejocky 

We played the National Guard Armory/RFK Stadium parking lot back in the ‘80s, pretty good money, rough crowd and so f’n hot on that blacktop...




I remember in the early 90s working with a guy that had a lazer tag in a huge blow space ship, kinda like an enclosed bounce.

We played a festival at RFK during the summer and AofA was at another stadium or something cause I saw them riding the subway one night, big spread with the Swiss Bobs and Discotek and lot of other stuff.

Strates tried a spring fair in Anderson and Winston Salem back in the 90s but didn't work out well, I actually think it hurt the fall fair in Anderson anyway. Strates quit coming and Carol Stream came in a few years, they booked AofA one year and then it stopped.
Originally Posted by: wvscott 

since there are no coaches on the train anymore, where does all the help stay and how are they transported?

you don't see any bunk houses on the train.




I thought I saw a set of doubles that looked bunk houses being loaded, but those could have been office trailers too.
Originally Posted by: bigjlh 

strates used to come into wash dc and laydown a pretty good show years ago iirc.it was around bennings rd s.e.and baltimore area.i assume those days are over was a pretty big deal back then.it was close to new york ave thats is where the railhead was somebody please correct me if not thanks bigjlh




We played the National Guard Armory/RFK Stadium parking lot back in the ‘80s, pretty good money, rough crowd and so f’n hot on that blacktop...
Ride the Zipper?
Originally Posted by: bigjlh 

strates used to come into wash dc and laydown a pretty good show years ago iirc.it was around bennings rd s.e.and baltimore area.i assume those days are over was a pretty big deal back then.it was close to new york ave thats is where the railhead was somebody please correct me if not thanks bigjlh



I do remember Strates used to play the annual Gaithersburg City Youth Fair every year during Memorial Day. They parked the coaches on the siding at the current Montgomery County MD fairgrounds, and the flats were stored at Brunswick MD yard during the event. I never heard why they quit having that annual event. It was a very large midway that also included all the Carol Stream rides.
strates used to come into wash dc and laydown a pretty good show years ago iirc.it was around bennings rd s.e.and baltimore area.i assume those days are over was a pretty big deal back then.it was close to new york ave thats is where the railhead was somebody please correct me if not thanks bigjlh