Passenger Trains of Yester Year

I am compiling a very Extensive List of Passenger Trains of Yester Year. From the Early 1900s to 1971. Can I ask your help in adding to this list? I have most if not all of the Name trains, now I just need the branchline trains: International (GN) and so on. Name of Train (if any, if not # is ok), Railroad, Where it ran between and if you know Steam Electric or Diesel power, or any combination. Thank you for your help. When this list is complete, it will become a book in the Bellingham Railway Museum resource Library. Thank you for your time and effort and if anyone is interested, I can post the List here. Thanks again.

 

You say you have most of the name trains. Is your interest confined to GN or all of the Class 1 railroads? As a New York Central fan, I'm sure you have the 20th Century Limited and the Empire State Express. The Central had about 40 others, some with just a number to identify them. Let me know if you want the list.

 

Fitz & Hemi, Thank you for your effort! I was looking at all Class 1 2 and 3 roads. Any Significant passenger Train. Yes Fitz I would love the list! If it has only a number, is there a chance you would put the origin and desination please! Thank you so much!! If you want to see the list I can post or Email... I have about 746 Trains Listed so I don't know if posting would be wise.

 

Were you looking for International-Great Northern (a Missouri Pacific controlled road)? Even if you weren't the following are the major passenger trains of the TX MoP subsidiaries as of Mar. 7, 1948:
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• Sunshine Special {NdeM, I-GN, T&P, MoP} (Mexico City-San Antonio-Little Rock-St. Louis) or {SP, T&P, MP} (Los Angeles-El Paso-Ft. Worth-Dallas-Little Rock-St. Louis)</font>
• The Southerner {Same as S.S.} (L.A.-El Paso-Ft. Worth-Dallas-Little Rock-St. Louis) or (Laredo-San Antonio-Little Rock-Dallas)</font>
• The Texan {MoP, IGN, GCL} (Houston-Little Rock-St. Louis)</font>
• Houstonian {GCL} (New Orleans-Beaumont-Houston-Rio Grande Valley)</font>
• Orleanean {GCL} (New Orleans-Houston)</font>
• The Pioneer {MoP, IGN, GCL} (St. Louis-Memphis-Rio Grande Valley)</font>

NdeM: Nacionales de Mexico
IGN or I-GN: International Great Northern
GCL: Gulf Coast Lines (including St. Lou., Brownsville, & Mexico)
T&P: Texas & Pacific
MoP or MP: Missouri Pacific
SP: Southern Pacific

[ February 23, 2006, 06:34 AM: Message edited by: Matthew Roberts ]

 

Thanks I am looking for them all! The start of this project is at the Museum we are putting a passenger Display together and I started getting info. This sort of just came about and we thought it would be nice to put a list together of all the trains possible I could find

 

Pioneer Zephyr, CB&Q
The St Louisan, PRR
Sunset Express (?) ACL (?)
Broadway Limited PRR
Black Diamond PRR
Crusader PRR
Overland Limited UP
Los Angeles Limited UP
Columbine UP
Portland Rose UP
Challenger Up
City of Salina UP
City of Portland UP
City of San Francisco UP
City of Los Angeles UP
City of Denver UP
City of St Louis UP

Perhaps the most famous of all ;

The Super Chief

These are just a few off the top of my head.

 

Funny you should mention that book Charlie, we have that at the Museum! Thanks I'll look into it. I do thank all for your help, just with the replies listed I see about 10 trains I don't have. Thank you! Please Keep them Coming. I will try and upload the list for all to see soon. I just ran out of time this AM

[ February 23, 2006, 12:00 PM: Message edited by: BN9900 ]

 

[*]Sunshine Special {NdeM, I-GN, T&P, MoP} (Mexico City-San Antonio-Little Rock-St. Louis) or {SP, T&P, MP} (Los Angeles-El Paso-Ft. Worth-Dallas-Little Rock-St. Louis) Did these trains have seprate numbers? My assumption would be yes? They combined in Little Rock right?
Does the Same go for "The Southerner"?

[ February 23, 2006, 02:27 PM: Message edited by: BN9900 ]

 

BN9900, I opened up the NY Central timetable for April 9, 1944. There are 71 different tables full of trains. Table No. 6, Chicago (LaSalle St. Station) Elkhart, Toledo and Cleveland to Buffalo, lists 31 trains. Almost all ran daily. Name trains were 14, the Interstate Express, Chicago to Buffalo, 84, Pittsburgh-Buffalo Express, first shown station Ashtabula to Buffalo, 6, Fifth Avenue Special, Chicago to Buffalo, 20, Cleveland Limited, only shown at Cleveland (???), 66, Advance Commodore Vanderbilt, Chicago to Buffalo, 28, New England States, Chicago to Buffalo, 2, the Pacemaker, Chicago to Cleveland, 78, the Mercury, Toledo to Cleveland, 12, Southwestern Limited, Cleveland to Buffalo, 68, the Commodore Vanderbilt, Chicago to Toledo, 26, the Twentieth Century Limited, Chicago to Buffalo, 268, Advance Water Level Limited, Chicago to Toledo, 10, the Water Level Limited, Chicago to Buffalo, 24, the Knickerbocker, Cleveland to Buffalo, 22 the Lake Shore Limited, Chicago to Buffalo, 38, the Missourian, Cleveland to Buffalo, 90 Advance Forest City, Chi to Buf, 290 Forest City, Chi to Cle, and 50, the Empire State Express, Cle to Buf. In addition, trains 32, 52, 608, 640, 132, 612, 614, 18, 80, 626 and 60 from and to various places. WHEW! and that's just one of the 71 tables!!!
Most of these trains continued on past Buffalo, many to New York, and they show up on another table. This was the case in 1944. It was much different at various other times. By 1961 the entire timetable was much smaller and many fewer trains were listed.
This is going to be a massive project. Do you have access to railroad timetables in your museum, or at swap meets? They would be a great source of info. There used to be a massive book which listed all trains, too, and I can't remember the name of it. Perhaps I can copy some pages from these timetables and email them to you off the forum. Let me know.

 

S.S. from L.A.-St. Lou was #1 or #2, the S.S. from Mexico City-St. Lou was #21 or #22, they didn't combine at all.

The Southerner from L.A.-St. Lou was #7 or #8, The Southerner from Laredo-St. Lou was #37 or #38.

 

Matthew, Thanks for the Clarification.
Fitz, I didn't realize the magnitude of the number of trains, and the scope is getting wider and wider. Thanks for the info and I will add it. I have access to a few time tables but mostly Mississppi River West. Anything from the east coast and south would be most helpful.
I owe you guys big THANK YOU!!

Whew I didn't realize the scope of the NYC Passenger Fleet. I might get what I can then do an adendum for the NYC.

[ February 23, 2006, 08:08 PM: Message edited by: BN9900 ]

 

A great source is looking at Railroad China used in the Diner Cars. I have a list of the D&H China on the D&H (Click Here) plus there are some great books on Railroad China sure as: