AMERICA'S STREAMLINERS
NEW YORK CENTRAL
(POST WW II)
New York Central carried out its post war modernization of its passenger trains all at once, in 1949. Most cars were not assigned to specific trains, except for the lounge and observation cars on the Twentieth Century Limited, and some additional observation cars. Cars were generally divided into two groups, the Pullman-Standard cars and the Budd cars. The Pullman-Standard cars were most famous on the Twentieth Century Limited, and were painted in a classic two tone gray scheme. While the Budd cars were of course corrugated stainless steel. In addition to the streamliners, many lightweight sleeping cars were assigned to other trains, operating on impressive overnight schedules between specific city pairs. With the frequency of trains throughout these densely populated areas, there was usually a train conveniently scheduled for each city pair to allow such service. Typically, a sleeper may be occupied for a period of time prior to night time departure and after morning arrival. Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited presently basically covers the main New York Central route, while corridor service continues between New York City and Buffalo, and between Chicago and Detroit.
Only streamlined trains and the most important stations are shown.
June 18, 1950 #48 #28 #68 #2 #26 #50
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Chicago ----- 2:30 pm 3:00 pm 3:20 pm 4:00 pm -----
Elkhart ----- 4:16 pm 4:35 pm 5:09 pm ----- -----
Toledo ----- 7:13 pm 7:33 pm 8:09 pm ----- -----
Cleveland ----- ----- ----- 10:07 pm ----- 9:50 am
Detroit 7:00 pm ----- ----- ----- ----- 8:20 am
St. Thomas ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 10:27 am
Buffalo ----- 11:46 pm ----- ----- ----- 1:30 pm
Rochester ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 2:37 pm
Syracuse ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 4:00 pm
Albany ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 6:32 pm
New York 7:30 am ----- 8:00 am 8:45 am 8:30 am 9:15 pm
Boston ----- 9:20 am ----- ----- ----- -----
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June 18, 1950 #1 #67 #27 #25 #47 #51
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Boston ----- ----- 2:00 pm ----- ----- -----
New York 3:00 pm 4:30 pm ----- 5:00 pm 7:00 pm 8:00 am
Albany 5:40 pm ----- ----- ----- 9:40 pm 10:38 am
Syracuse 8:25 pm ----- 9:08 pm ----- 12:10 am 1:19 pm
Rochester 9:43 pm ----- ----- ----- ----- 2:38 pm
Buffalo ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 4:00 pm
St. Thomas ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 6:58 pm
Detroit ----- ----- ----- ----- 8:00 am 9:05 pm
Cleveland ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 7:20 pm
Toledo 3:50 am 4:36 am 4:23 am ----- ----- -----
Elkhart 4:53 am ----- 5:40 am ----- ----- -----
Chicago 7:05 am 7:30 am 7:45 am 8:00 am ----- -----
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PACEMAKER (#1-#2)
(required 2 sets)
(normally assigned Budd cars)
Coaches
Diner
Coach Lounge
Lounge Observation
TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED (#25-#26)
(required 2 sets)
(cars built by Pullman-Standard in 1949)
Diner
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ River
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ River
12BR Sleeper Port _____
12BR Sleeper Port _____
4BR/4C/2DR Sleeper Imperial _____ (PS 1938 or 1940)
4BR/4C/2DR Sleeper Imperial _____ (PS 1938 or 1940)
4BR/4C/2DR Sleeper Imperial _____ (PS 1938 or 1940)
10R/6BR Sleeper (New York-Los Angeles via Santa Fe Chief)
4BR/4C/2DR Sleeper (New York-Los Angeles via Santa Fe Chief)
Bar Lounge Atlantic Shore/Lake Shore
5BR Observation Hickory Creek/Sandy Creek
NEW ENGLAND STATES (#27-#28)
(required 2 sets)
(normally assigned Budd cars)
Diner Lounge Coach
Coaches
Diner
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ Valley (Budd 1949)
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ Valley (Budd 1949)
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ Valley (Budd 1949)
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ Valley (Budd 1949)
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ Valley (Budd 1949)
6BR Lounge _____ Stream (Budd 1949)
5BR Observation Babbling Brook/Bonnie Brook (Budd 1949)
DETROITER (#47-#48)
(required 2 sets)
(cars built by Pullman-Standard in 1949)
Diner
22R Sleeper _____ Bay
22R Sleeper _____ Bay
12BR Sleeper Port _____
12BR Sleeper Port _____
12BR Sleeper Port _____
4BR/4C/2DR Sleeper Imperial _____ (PS 1938 or 1940)
4BR/4C/2DR Sleeper Imperial _____ (PS 1938 or 1940)
6BR Lounge _____ Lake
6BR Lounge _____ Lake
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.)
COMMODORE VANDERBILT (#67-#68)
(required 2 sets)
(cars built by Pullman-Standard in 1949)
Diner
22R Sleeper _____ Bay
22R Sleeper _____ Bay
22R Sleeper _____ Bay
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ River
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ River
13BR Sleeper _____ County (PS 1938 or 1940)
13BR Sleeper _____ County (PS 1938 or 1940)
12BR Sleeper Port _____
4BR/4C/2DR Sleeper Imperial _____ (PS 1938 or 1940)
4BR/4C/2DR Sleeper Imperial _____ (PS 1938 or 1940)
6BR Lounge _____ Lake
4BR Observation _____ Island (PS 1938)
June 18, 1950 #376 #76 #30
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Chicago 8:30 am ----- 4:15 pm
Kalamazoo 12:03 pm ----- 7:45 pm
Detroit 2:45 pm 5:40 pm 10:15 pm
Toledo ----- 6:50 pm -----
Cleveland ----- 8:35 pm -----
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June 18, 1950 #375 #75 #31
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Cleveland ----- 6:45 am -----
Toledo ----- 8:33 am -----
Detroit 8:30 am 9:40 am 4:45 pm
Kalamazoo 11:05 am ----- 7:12 pm
Chicago 12:45 pm ----- 8:45 pm
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TWILIGHT LIMITED (#30-#31)
CHICAGO MERCURY (#375-#376)
(required 2 sets)
(normally assigned Budd cars)
Coaches
Diner
Parlors
Tavern Lounge
Parlor Observation
CLEVELAND MERCURY (#75-#76)
(required 1 set)
(normally assigned Budd cars)
Coaches
Diner
Parlors
Tavern Lounge
Parlor Observation
#4 June 18, 1950 #3
---------------------------------
4:30 pm Chicago 12:55 pm
5:35 pm Kankakee 11:45 am
6:50 pm Lafayette 10:27 am
8:10 pm Indianapolis 9:25 am
11:00 pm Cincinnati 8:30 am
---------------------------------
JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY (#3-#4)
(required 1 set)
(normally assigned Budd cars)
Coaches
Diner
Lounge Observation
June 18, 1950 #12 #16
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St. Louis 9:20 am -----
Indianapolis 1:50 pm -----
Muncie 2:56 pm -----
Bellefontaine 5:30 pm -----
Cincinnati ----- 4:00 pm
Columbus ----- 6:35 pm
Cleveland 8:35 pm 9:25 pm
Buffalo 11:40 pm 12:35 am
Rochester ----- -----
Syracuse 2:21 am 3:00 am
Albany ----- 5:27 am
New York 7:45 am 8:15 am
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June 18, 1950 #15 #11
---------------------------------
New York 4:00 pm 7:15 pm
Albany 6:40 pm 10:06 pm
Syracuse 9:15 pm 12:30 am
Rochester 10:32 pm -----
Buffalo 11:59 pm 2:57 am
Cleveland ----- 6:15 am
Columbus 5:55 am -----
Cincinnati 8:35 am -----
Bellefontaine ----- 9:00 am
Muncie ----- 9:30 am
Indianapolis ----- 10:59 am
St. Louis ----- 3:50 pm
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SOUTHWESTERN LIMITED (#11-#12)
(required 3 sets)
(normally assigned Budd cars)
Coaches
Diner
14S Sleeper (heavyweight?) (St. Louis-Boston)
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ Valley (Budd 1949) (St. Louis-Boston)
14S Sleeper (heavyweight?)
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ Valley (Budd 1949)
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ Valley (Budd 1949)
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ Valley (Budd 1949)
5BR Observation Singing Brook/Sunrise Brook/Wingate Brook (Budd 1949)
OHIO STATE LIMITED (#15-#16)
(required 2 sets)
(normally assigned Budd cars)
Coaches
Diner
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ Valley (Budd 1949) (Cincinnati-Boston)
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ Valley (Budd 1949) (Columbus-New York)
22R Sleeper _____ Harbor (Budd 1949)
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ Valley (Budd 1949)
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ Valley (Budd 1949)
5BR Observation Fall Brook/Plum Brook (Budd 1949)
CARS ASSIGNED TO VARIOUS DIFFERENT TRAINS
(specific trains either assigned Pullman Standard or Budd cars)
Tavern Lounge 35-47 (Budd 1947)
Tavern Observation 48-51 (Budd 1948)
Parlor Observation 58-70 (Budd 1948)
Baggage Coach 280-299 (ACF 1947) (assigned to "Budd" consists)
Baggage Coach 344-345 (ACF 1947) (assigned to "PS" consists)
Dining Room 400-403 (PS 1949)
Dining Room 404-408 (Budd 1947)
Diner 440-446 (PS 1949)
Diner 447-449 (Budd 1947)
Grill Diner 450-467 (Budd 1948)
Kitchen Dorm 474-475 (PS 1949)
Kitchen Lounge 476-477 (PS 1949)
Kitchen Lounge 478-486 (Budd 1947)
Dining Room 487-490 (Budd 1947)
Diner 691-699 (Budd 1947)
56 Seat Coach 2900-2959 (Budd 1947)
64 Seat Coach 3000-3152 (PS 1946) (assigned to "Budd" consists)
Mail 4907-4910 (ACF 1947) (assigned to "PS" consists)
Baggage Mail 5014-5015 (ACF 1947) (assigned to "PS" consists)
Baggage Dorm 8161-8169 (PS 1949)
Baggage Dorm 8970-8981 (Budd 1947)
Baggage 9100-9199 (ACF 1946) (assigned to "PS" consists)
22R Sleeper _____ Bay (45 cars) (PS 1949)
5BR Observation _____ Brook (7 cars) (Budd 1949)
13BR Sleeper _____ County (8 cars) (PS 1938)
13BR Sleeper _____ County (8 cars) (PS 1940)
5BR Observation Hickory Creek/Sandy Creek (PS 1949) (20th Century Ltd)
22R Sleeper _____ Harbor (31 cars) (Budd 1949)
4BR/4C/2DR Sleeper Imperial _____ (14 cars) (PS 1938)
4BR/4C/2DR Sleeper Imperial _____ (11 cars) (PS 1940)
4BR Observation _____ Island (4 cars) (PS 1938)
6BR Lounge _____ Lake (16 cars) (PS 1949)
12BR Sleeper Port _____ (14 cars) (PS 1949)
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ River (97 cars) (PS 1949)
Bar Lounge Atlantic Shore/Lake Shore (PS 1949) (20th Century Ltd)
6BR Lounge _____ Stream (11 cars) (Budd 1949)
10R/6BR Sleeper _____ Valley (40 cars) (Budd 1949)