AMERICA'S STREAMLINERS
BALTIMORE & OHIO
(DOME ERA)
The Capitol Limited and the Columbian operated close together, with the Capitol Limited all sleeping cars, and the Columbian all coaches. Baltimore & Ohio modernized both trains prior to World War II with rebuilt heavyweight cars. After the war, the Columbian received new streamlined consists in 1949. But the Capitol Limited and National Limited were gradually reequipped, with a few rebuilt heavyweight cars still operating in 1956. The dome cars and observation cars on the Capitol Limited were acquired second hand from the Chesapeake & Ohio, which had overly ambitious plans to introduce the finest passenger trains available. But the Chesapeake & Ohio found it necessary to curtail many of the car orders, and resell many of the new cars to other railroads. Around 1957, streamlining of the Capitol Limited was completed, with the acquisition of twin unit diners secondhand from the New York Central, along with some more sleepers from the Chesapeake & Ohio. But in 1958, the Capitol Limited and the Columbian were combined into a single train, with sleeping cars and coaches. The National Limited was also fully streamlined around the same time. The National Limited carried two 14 roomette 4 bedroom sleepers operating through to and from Fort Worth via Missouri Pacific, and to and from Dallas via St. Louis San Francisco and Missouri Kansas Texas, sleepers presumably were pooled with similar sleepers provided by those railroads. The National Limited carried observation cars acquired second hand from New York Central.
Only streamlined trains and the most important stations are shown.
April 29, 1956 #26 #6 #2
--------------------------------------------
Chicago 3:55 pm 4:15 pm -----
Garrett 7:42 pm 8:05 pm -----
Willard 9:53 pm 10:10 pm -----
Akron 11:03 pm 11:23 pm -----
Youngstown 11:58 pm 12:18 am -----
Pittsburgh 1:31 am 1:46 am -----
St. Louis ----- ----- 9:45 am
Mitchell ----- ----- 1:40 pm
Cincinnati ----- ----- 5:55 pm
Parkersburg ----- ----- 9:59 pm
Grafton ----- ----- 12:41 am
Keyser ----- ----- 2:56 am
Cumberland 5:11 am 5:26 am -----
Washington 8:20 am 9:00 am 7:00 am
Baltimore ----- 9:40 am 7:40 am
Philadelphia ----- 11:34 am 9:29 am
Jersey City ----- 1:15 pm 11:10 am
--------------------------------------------
April 29, 1956 #5 #25 #1
--------------------------------------------
Jersey City 11:45 am ----- 1:55 pm
Philadelphia 1:30 pm ----- 3:37 pm
Baltimore 3:20 pm ----- 5:20 pm
Washington 4:30 pm 4:40 pm 6:30 pm
Cumberland 7:30 pm 7:45 pm -----
Keyser ----- ----- 9:57 pm
Grafton ----- ----- 12:28 am
Parkersburg ----- ----- 3:15 am
Cincinnati ----- ----- 7:30 am
Mitchell ----- ----- 8:58 am
St. Louis ----- ----- 1:00 pm
Pittsburgh 11:09 pm 11:24 pm -----
Youngstown ----- 12:46 am -----
Akron ----- 1:45 am -----
Willard ----- 3:22 am -----
Garrett 4:00 am 4:27 am -----
Chicago 7:00 am 7:20 am -----
--------------------------------------------
(Philadelphia-Jersey City via Reading/Central of New Jersey)
NATIONAL LIMITED (#1-#2)
(required 3 sets St. Louis-Washington)
(Jersey City cars required 4 sets)
54 Seat Coach 3550-3557 (from series) (rebuilt heavyweight) (JC)
54 Seat Coach 3550-3557 (from series) (rebuilt heavyweight) (JC)
Diner 1077-1080 (rebuilt heavyweight) (Jersey City)
14R/4BR Sleeper 7010-7017 (from series) or pool (PS 1948) (MP to FTW)
14R/4BR Sleeper 7010-7017 (from series) or pool (PS 1948) (to Dallas)
16DUP/4BR 7100-7110 (from series) (Budd 1953) (JC-Louisville)
2BR/1C/1DR Obs. 7510-7512 (PS 1939/ex New York Central)
CAPITOL LIMITED (#5-#6)
(required 2 sets Chicago-Washington)
(Jersey City cars required 3 sets)
Baggage Dorm Club Capitol Garden/Capitol Hill (rebuilt heavyweight)
Diner 1061-1062 (rebuilt heavyweight)
12S/1DR Sleeper (5 cars available) (rebuilt heavyweight)
10R/6BR Sleeper 7040-7049 (from series) (PS 1950)
10R/6BR Sleeper 7040-7049 (from series) (PS 1950)
10R/6BR Sleeper 7040-7049 (from series) (PS 1950)
16DUP/4BR 7100-7110 (from series) (Budd 1953)
16DUP/4BR 7100-7110 (from series) (Budd 1953) (Jersey City)
14R/4BR Sleeper 7010-7017 (from series) (PS 1948) (Jersey City)
5R/1BR/3DR Dome 7601-7602 (Budd 1953)
5BR Observation 7500 - Nappanee/7501 - Wawasee (PS 1950/ex C&O)
COLUMBIAN (#25-#26)
(required 2 sets)
(all cars built by Pullman-Standard in 1949)
Baggage Dorm Lounge 1350 - Harpers Ferry /1351 - Silver Spring
56 Seat Coach 5500 - Connellsville /5501 - Cumberland
56 Seat Coach 5502 - Gary /5503 - La Paz
Dome Coach 5550 - High Dome /5551 - Sky Dome
Diner 1090 - Akron /1091 - Pittsburgh
56 Seat Coach 5504 - Martinsburg /5505 - McKeesport
56 Seat Coach 5506 - New Castle /5507 - Youngstown
Tavern Lounge Obs. 3315 - Chicago /3316 - Washington