AMERICA'S STREAMLINERS

NEW YORK CENTRAL

(PRE WW II)

Perhaps the most famous train in America was the New York Central's Twentieth Century Limited, connecting Chicago and New York. This was the only pre war New York Central train serving Chicago to be completely streamlined, although using shrouded steam locomotives. Also using shrouded steam locomotives was the Empire State Express. The James Whitcomb Riley was partially streamlined during that era, while still steam powered. And the Mercury used rebuilt heavyweight cars.


Only streamlined trains and the most important stations are shown.


June 7, 1942    #50       #76       #26
-------------------------------------------
Chicago        -----      9:15 am   4:00 pm
Elkhart        -----     -----     -----
Kalamazoo      -----     12:44 pm  -----
Detroit        -----      3:15 pm  -----
Detroit         8:30 am   5:30 pm  -----
St. Thomas     10:32 am  -----     -----
Toledo         -----      6:39 pm   8:33 pm
Cleveland       9:55 am   8:30 pm  -----
Buffalo         1:30 pm  -----     -----
Rochester       2:38 pm  -----     -----
Syracuse        4:05 pm  -----     -----
Albany          6:50 pm  -----      6:03 am
New York        9:40 pm  -----      9:00 am
-------------------------------------------

June 7, 1942    #25       #75       #51
-------------------------------------------
New York        6:00 pm  -----      8:50 am
Albany          8:40 pm  -----     11:38 am
Syracuse       11:03 pm  -----      2:17 pm
Rochester      -----     -----      3:42 pm
Buffalo        -----     -----      5:05 pm
Cleveland      -----      7:45 am   8:30 pm
Toledo         -----      9:33 am  -----
St. Thomas     -----     -----      7:52 pm
Detroit        -----     10:40 am   9:55 pm
Detroit        -----      1:00 pm  -----
Kalamazoo      -----      3:34 pm  -----
Elkhart        -----     -----     -----
Chicago         9:00 am   5:00 pm  -----
-------------------------------------------

TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED (#25-#26)
(normally required 2 sets/many spare cars apparently available)

(all cars built by Pullman-Standard in 1938)

Baggage Mail         5017-5020
Dorm Lounge          Century Club/Inn/Lounge/Tavern
Diner                680-685
4BR/4C/2DR Sleeper   Imperial _____ (14 cars)
10R/5BR Sleeper      Cascade _____ (12 cars)
17R Sleeper          City of _____ (10 cars)
13BR Sleeper         _____ County (8 cars)
1DR/1BR Observation  Bedloes/Manhattan/Pelee/Thousand Island

EMPIRE STATE EXPRESS (#50-#51)
(required 2 sets)

(all cars built by Budd in 1941)

Baggage Mail           Alonzo B. Cornell/John A. Dix  (to Cleveland)
Baggage Tavern Lounge  Grover Cleveland/Martin Van Buren (to Detroit)
30 Seat Parlor         (6 available) (to Cleveland and Detroit)
Diner                  (4 available) (to Cleveland and Detroit)
56 Seat Coach          (10 available) (to Cleveland and Detroit)
Tavern Lounge Obs.     Theodore Roosevelt/Franklin D. Roosevelt (to Clev.)

MERCURY (#75-#76)
(required 2 sets)

(heavyweight consist rebuilt in 1936)

Baggage Coach        1001
60 Seat Coach        1002
Coach Kitchen        1003
Dining Room          1004
56 Seat Coach        1005
56 Seat Coach        1006
Buffet Lounge        Toledo
Parlor               Cleveland
Parlor Observation   Detroit

(heavyweight consist rebuilt in 1939)
(some cars possibly transferred to 1936 consist)

Baggage Coach        1007
60 Seat Coach        1008
56 Seat Coach        1009
56 Seat Coach        1010
56 Seat Coach        1011
56 Seat Coach        1012
Coach Kitchen        1013
Dining Room          1014
Buffet Lounge        Michigan
Parlor               Greenfield Village
Parlor Observation   Chicago

  #4      June 7, 1942    #3
--------------------------------
 4:40 pm  Chicago       12:30 pm
 5:45 pm  Kankakee      11:25 am
 7:04 pm  Lafayette     10:05 am
 8:10 pm  Indianapolis   9:05 am
10:55 pm  Cincinnati     8:15 am
--------------------------------

JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY (#3-#4)
(required 1 set)

Baggage              8551 (rebuilt heavyweight)
60 Seat Coach        2562 (Budd 1939)
60 Seat Coach        2563 (Budd 1941)
Diner                576 (rebuilt heavyweight)
52 Seat Coach        2560 (Budd 1938)
52 Seat Coach        2561 (Budd 1938)
Buffet Observation   52 (rebuilt heavyweight)