NYC "20th Century Limited" - WB Buffalo, NY - October 2, 1948 - NYC Photo

The company photographer captured this superb scene of the WB "20th Century" meeting EB Train 8 the "Wolverine" at Buffalo. The "Wolverine" arrived in Buffalo at 1:10 am and was due out of this station twelve minutes later.

This scene also nicely encapsulates the NYC's postwar passenger investment program, which was reported in the February 1945 "Trains" as a 300-car order. Subsequent reporting by that magazine noted the order had grown to 712 cars by October 1946. Each set of cars for the post-war "20th Century" cost the NYC about $2 million, capped off by the classic Pullman-Standard deep-end-window observation-lounge-sleeper cars. The E7s of the "Wolverine" demonstrate what NYC ads were touting around the time of this photo - 26 of their mainline trains were now dieselized.

E7 4020 had a long and eventful career. Built by EMD in April 1947 (serial 4175), the unit was wrecked and rebuilt by EMD as an E8 in June of 1953. The unit survived the marriage of the NYC and the PRR and became Amtrak 255. It was finally sold for scrap in July 1975.

PRR DR-646-2000 5787 "The General" - EB Englewood, IL - July 31, 1952 - TH Desnoyers Photo

Pennsy inaugurated "The General" on April 25, 1937, naming the new train in honor of its recently-deceased President, WW Atterbury. The train was essentially a second section of the "Broadway Limited" - virtually its equal in terms of speed and amenities.

This train had been restored to all-Pullman status in January 1948. The 16-hour schedule was resumed in June 1949, about the same time the train benefitted from PRR's significant post-war passenger car purchases (214 cars at a cost of $20.5 million). Despite all these positive developments, PRR's 1946 deficit forced management action. Over the next seven years, the road slashed passenger train miles by 37%. One step in this initiative was the combining of the "General" with the all-coach "Trail Blazer,"" effective September 30, 1951. Thanks to actions like these, PRR's passenger deficit for 1952 was 15% less than it had been the previous year.

Power for today's "General" is a rare A-B-A set of passenger "sharks."" Lead unit 5787 was built by Baldwin in December 1948. Tom was lucky to catch this unit in passenger service, as it was converted to a freight unit (PRR Class BF16z) later this year. It remained in freight service until being retired in September 1962.

B&O E6 52 "Capitol Limited" - WB Washington, DC - 1955

B&O's reputation for unmatched hospitality, along with an exceptional dining experience (Maryland Crab Cakes, Oyster Pie and Hush Puppies among its unique offerings) won it the loyalty of important clientele in the Washington-Chicago market. The "Capitol" was THE train in this market and B&O repeatedly re-equipped the train to maintain its attractiveness.

In addition to equipment bought new post-war, B&O took advantage of the active second-hand market to augment its fleet. C&O's reduced passenger car needs allowed B&O to acquire additional cars in 1950 and again in 1951. In 1954, B&O bought new "slumbercoaches" from Budd. Around the time of this photo, a typical "Capitol" was a 12-car consist, including cars that had come down from New York, as well as those added in DC. A transcontinental 10-6 sleeper (handed off to the Santa Fe in Chicago) was still being handled.

Train 5 is led by 2nd locomotive 52, an E6 of October 1940. Re-numbered to 52A during 1950, the unit re-acquired its original number in 1952. It was wrecked in a collision with a landslide near Cornwallis, WV on May 31, 1956.

Erie E8 825 "Erie Limited" - WB Binghamton, NY - ca. 1956 - N McDonald Photo

There were many fine trains on the New York-Chicago run that weren-t surrounded by the intense pressure that the NYC and PRR managements put on their flagship trains. The "Erie Limited" had a reputation for providing comfortable accommodations and was generally uncrowded. In addition, it offered the benefit of passing through some superb scenery in New Jersey and Pennsylvania during daylight hours. The :Limited: carried Jersey City-Chicago sleepers and added sleepers from Salamanca, Youngstown and Akron while en-route.

In this view it is shown during the 10 or so minutes it was due to dwell in Binghamton, NY (due there around 1:50 pm). Lead engine 825 (EMD s/n 12223, built February 1951) sits on the bridge over the Chenango River just west of the Erie depot. Erie worked their E8s intensively - in late 1951, "Trains" noted that the locomotives that worked the "Erie Limited" into Chicago had less than 3 hours to be serviced before being scheduled to depart with the eastbound "Lake Cities."

PRR GG1 4900 "Broadway Limited" - EB Trenton, NJ - ca. May 1963

The graceful Morrisville-Trenton Railroad Bridge is the setting for this portrait of the EB "Broadway Limited."" The 18-span, segmental arch bridge was built between 1901 and 1903. Deep bedrock and a series of floods slowed construction.

The early 1960s were interesting times for the PRR - the merger with the NYC was "on again," after having flopped back-and-forth. Just a year prior to this image, stockholders of both roads had approved the merger and the two lines had filed their application with the ICC.

PRR management was committed to the "Broadway" - it remained an all-Pullman train even after the Central had added coaches to the "Century" on April 27, 1958. There were challenges in this approach - in mid-1961, it was noted the train was grossing $5 million annually, but this was only two-thirds of what it needed to break even. In late 1967, PRR consolidated the "Broadway" and the "General" eliminating the all-Pullman status of the great train. Management estimated this move would save $1.4 million.