COLUMBUS'S PASSENGER TRAINS

OF THE PAST

Intercity passenger trains serving Columbus Ohio in 1942, 1956, and 1971 immediately prior to the creation of Amtrak.


THE STATIONS

The major stations serving Columbus, during the golden age of passenger trains.

Union Station
380 N. High St.
Opened 1897, replacing earlier stations at same location built in 1850 and 1875

Number of station tracks: 8 through
Interlocked switches controlled as follows:
US Tower: controlled the east end of the station
High Street Tower: controlled the west end of the station
Non interlocked switches controlled as follows/supervised by US Tower Train Director:
4th St. switchtender east of station/Myrtle St. switchtender west of station


BALTIMORE & OHIO

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 36                        Pittsburgh      1:55 am
 35                        Cincinnati      3:35 am
 33                        Cincinnati      2:50   233  2:50 pm
 38                        Pittsburgh      5:33   238  4:18 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 36                        Cincinnati      1:43 am
 35                        Pittsburgh      3:21 am
 33                        Pittsburgh      2:38  233   2:37 pm
 38                        Cincinnati      5:23  238   4:08 pm


Passenger service discontinued in 1956.


CHESAPEAKE & OHIO

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 47  Sportsman             Detroit         3:00 am     2:40 pm     7:25 am
 30                        Athens          9:40 am
 35                        Toledo          3:15 pm
 46  Sportsman             Phoebus VA     10:05 pm    11:35 pm     6:15 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 47  Sportsman             Phoebus VA      2:47 am     1:55 am     7:20 am
 36                        Toledo          1:15 pm
 37                        Athens          7:50 pm
 46  Sportsman             Detroit         9:50 pm    11:05 pm     6:10 pm


Passenger service discontinued in 1971 with the creation of Amtrak, last trains were numbers 46 and 47 which by then was a section of the George Washington.


NEW YORK CENTRAL

Departures-Westbound



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

425                        Cincinnati     12:45
  5  Cincinnati Express    Cincinnati      3:55  417   3:20
 15  Ohio State Limited    Cincinnati      5:53        5:55  77    6:00 am
  7                        Toledo         10:00
421  Cincinnati Special    Cincinnati     11:00       10:18
447                        Cincinnati     12:15
433  Cincinnati Special    Cincinnati      3:12        3:30
435  Cincinnati Special    Cincinnati      6:00
  1                        Toledo         11:30


Arrivals-Westbound



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

425                        Cleveland      12:15
  5  Cincinnati Express    Cleveland       3:45  417   2:51
 15  Ohio State Limited    New York        5:48        5:44       10:55 am
421  Cincinnati Special    Cleveland      10:55       10:08
447                        Cleveland      11:20
  3                        Charleston      2:20
433  Cincinnati Special    Cleveland       3:05        3:12
435  Cincinnati Special    Cleveland       5:55
445  Capital City Special  Cleveland       8:50        9:35
  9                        Charleston     10:05


Departures-Eastbound



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

428                        Cleveland       2:25
442  Midnight Special      Cleveland       3:30        2:35
444  Cleveland Express     Cleveland       8:10        7:50
  2                        Charleston      9:00
426  Cleveland Special     Cleveland      12:00       11:50
404  New York Special      Cleveland       3:00
  4                        Charleston      3:50
448                        Cleveland       4:35
 16  Ohio State Limited    Cleveland       6:20        7:07   18   7:20 pm
424  Knickerbocker         Cleveland       8:55        6:20


Arrivals-Eastbound



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

428                        Cincinnati      1:50
442  Midnight Special      Cincinnati      3:15        2:05
  4                        Toledo          8:10
426  Cleveland Special     Cincinnati     11:50       11:38
404  New York Special      Cincinnati      2:55
448                        Cincinnati      4:15
 16  Ohio State Limited    Cincinnati      6:15        6:57   78   7:00 pm
  8                        Toledo          6:15
424  Knickerbocker         Cincinnati      8:50        6:07


Passenger service discontinued in 1971 with the creation of Amtrak.

Trains of Ohio Central subsidiary to and from Toledo and Charleston, until 1930 used a separate station at 379 W. Broad St.


NORFOLK & WESTERN

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 36                        Portsmouth     11:00 am
 34                        Portsmouth     10:30 pm     11:10 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 33                        Portsmouth      7:20 am     7:30 am
 35                        Portsmouth      5:25 pm


Passenger service discontinued in 1965.


PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD

Departures-Westbound



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 33  St. Louisan           St. Louis       1:51       11:53
625                        Cleveland       2:55
 27                        St. Louis       3:36
227                        Cincinnati      3:50   79   3:45
 41  Cincinnati Limited    Cincinnati      5:35        5:51
 31  Spirit Of St. Louis   St. Louis       6:20        6:15        5:40 am
 65  Jeffersonian          St. Louis       6:36
 21  Spirit Of St. Louis   Indianapolis    6:45
605                        Cleveland       8:15
115  Fort Hayes            Logansport      8:35   81   7:50
 67  American              St. Louis       9:32    3   8:28
907  Union                 Richmond IN     1:40   83   2:20
267  Cincinnati Express    Cincinnati      1:45   77   2:05
 11                        St. Louis       1:48
213                        Cincinnati      7:00
 13                        St. Louis       7:15   11   2:42   13   2:10 pm
155                        Indianapolis   10:32    7  10:00
109  Ohioan                Chicago        11:50   85  11:20


Arrivals-Westbound



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 33  St. Louisan           New York        1:47       11:53
 27                        Pittsburgh      3:10   79   3:15
 41  Cincinnati Limited    New York        5:27        5:51
 31  Spirit Of St. Louis   New York        6:15        6:15        5:13 am
 65  Jeffersonian          New York        6:31
 21  Spirit Of St. Louis   Washington      6:40
 67  American              New York        9:27    3   8:28
267  Cincinnati Express    Pittsburgh      1:30   77   2:05
 13                        New York        6:40   11   2:42   13   2:10 pm
155                        Pittsburgh     10:22    7  10:00


Departures-Eastbound



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

202  Pennsylvania Limited  Pittsburgh      2:30   78   1:50
102  Pennsylvania Limited  Pittsburgh      3:08   32   2:40        2:45 am
 26                        Pittsburgh      4:45   12   1:00 pm
  6  Allegheny             Pittsburgh     12:01        8:10
222  Iron City Express     Pittsburgh      3:55   76   3:40
 66  American              New York        6:27    4   6:43        8:05 pm
 40  Cincinnati Limited    New York        8:00        7:29
 30  Spirit Of St. Louis   New York        8:47        9:17
 20  Spirit Of St. Louis   Washington      8:55
 64  Jeffersonian          New York        9:08


Arrivals-Eastbound



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

202  Pennsylvania Limited  Cincinnati      2:10   78   1:50
624                        Cleveland       3:00
102  Pennsylvania Limited  St. Louis       3:02   32   2:40        2:20 am
 26                        St. Louis       4:15
110  Ohioan                Chicago         7:35   84   7:00
  6  Allegheny             St. Louis      11:35        8:10
206                        Cincinnati     11:45
 88                        Indianapolis    1:00   12  12:15
222  Iron City Express     Cincinnati      3:45   76   3:40
604                        Cleveland       6:15
116  Fort Hayes            Logansport      6:15   80   5:40
 66  American              St. Louis       6:17    4   6:43        7:45 pm
 40  Cincinnati Limited    Cincinnati      7:54        7:29
908  Union                 Richmond IN     8:41   82  10:45
 30  Spirit Of St. Louis   St. Louis       8:43        9:17
 20  Spirit Of St. Louis   Indianapolis    8:51
 64  Jeffersonian          St. Louis       9:00


Passenger service initially retained by Amtrak in 1971, basically trains 4 and 31 the Spirit Of St. Louis at the time.

Until early 1930's, Pennsylvania Railroad passenger trains also operated between Columbus and Sandusky.


STATIONS TODAY

Columbus Union Station was demolished in 1976, with a convention center eventually constructed at that site. Columbus now has the dubious distinction, of being the largest US city without intercity rail passenger service. Amtrak service ended in 1979, after using a smaller station for three years.

Columbus Railroads
Franklin County Ohio Railroad Stations
Links to Web pages containing further information on the historic stations.


MAPPING THE STATIONS AND RAILROADS

Links to locations of past and present stations and railroads, using Google Maps. Satellite views are also available.