Track 3 - The Northeast

Home to the greatest concentration of railroads in North America, the Northeast was and remains the region with the broadest and most comprehensive passenger service on the continent. I cannot begin to do justice to the full breadth of operations in this region. What you see here must regrettably be a mere taste of a banquet too vast for any one man to devour completely. Still, I hope that you can leave here with some sense of its flavor.

The Trains:

The Black Diamond

Through passenger service between New York City and Buffalo operated by the Lehigh Valley, with occasional connecting service to and from Philadelphia operated by Reading.
Black Diamond - December, 1940

The Capitol Limited

Baltimore & Ohio's flagship train competed against the Pennsylvania in the New York/Washington to Chicago market.
Capitol Limited - June, 1941
Capitol Limited/The Ambassador/The Columbian - August, 1963

The Commodore Vanderbilt

The New York Central's backup train to the 20th Century Limited. Originally all-Pullman like the Century; later downgraded to coach-and-Pullman and eventually consolidated with the Century.
The Commodore Vanderbilt/Advance Commodore Vanderbilt - May, 1948

The Congressionals

The Pennsylvania's premier trains along the Northeast Corridor between New York and Washington, DC.
The Congressionals - December, 1952

The Crusader

Reading operated this pocket streamliner which provided premium amenities on the quick run between New York (Jersey City) and Philadelphia.
The Crusader - September, 1938

The Erie Limited

The Erie Railroad's namesake flagship between New York and Chicago. After the Lackawanna merger, would operate briefly as the Erie-Lackawanna Limited.
Erie Limited - March, 1951

The Federal

The Pennsylvania and the New Haven combined on this overnight train connecting Boston and Washington, DC via New York.
Federal Express - September, 1938
The Federal - April, 1971

The Flying Yankee

A pioneering streamliner, only the third one ever built, this three-car articulated trainset served Boston and Portland & Bangor, Maine over the B. & M. and Maine Central routes.
Flying Yankee - May, 1936

The General

The Pennsylvania Railroad's coach-and-Pullman backup to the Broadway Limited between New York and Chicago could have qualified as a premier train on many other railroads.
The General - December, 1948
The General - June, 1967

The Keystones

These "Tubular Trains" would be the last hurrah for Pennsylvania's in-house design department when they made their debut between New York and Washington DC in 1956.
The Keystones - July, 1956

The Lake Cities

The Erie Railroad operated this service between New York (Jersey City) and Chicago, with connections at Youngstown for Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
Lake Cities - July 1956

The Liberty Limited

The Pennsylvania Railroad's flagship on the Washington to Chicago run.
Liberty Limited - September, 1938
Liberty Limited - April, 1955

The Merchants Limited

The New Haven's crack train between New York (Grand Central Terminal) and Boston was the last all-parlor-car train in North America, retaining its exclusive all-first-class status until mid-1949.
Merchants Limited, February 1933
Merchants Limited, March 1949

The Metroliners

These experimental high-speed trains, the first U.S. trains to achieve 125 miles per hour in revenue service, served on the Penn Central's Northeast Corridor between New York and Washington.
The Metroliners - February, 1970

The National Limited

Baltimore & Ohio's entry between New York/Washington and St. Louis, via Cincinnati.
National Limited - June, 1941

The New England States

New York Central's crack through train between Chicago and Boston, via Albany and Buffalo.
New England States - March, 1951

The Penn Texas

Operated by the Pennsylvania to serve as the connecting link between New York and trains to Texas and the southwest via St. Louis.
Penn Texas - December, 1948

The Phoebe Snow

The Lackawanna's answer to mighty New York Central in the New York to Buffalo market. Later extended by successor Erie Lackawanna through to Chicago.
Phoebe Snow - July 1954
Phoebe Snow - December 1964

The Potatoland Special

Bangor and Aroostook's oddly named local made every stop between Bangor and Van Buren, Maine.
Potatoland Special - July, 1954

The Royal Blue/The Columbian

Baltimore & Ohio's daytime streamliner service between New York (Jersey City) and Washington DC.
Royal Blue/Columbian - September, 1938

The St. Louisan

The Pennsylvania Railroad's secondary train in the St. Louis to New York market.
St. Louisan - July, 1956

The Senator

The crack daytime express service along the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, operated by the Pennsylvania and the New Haven.
The Senator - April, 1955

The "Spirit of St. Louis"

Pennsylvania's premium service between New York/Washington and St. Louis. All-Pullman for most of its life and teamed with the Jeffersonian which provided premium coach service on nearly the same schedule.
The "Spirit of St. Louis"/The Jeffersonian - May, 1948

The Westerner/The New Yorker

Through trains between New York (Hoboken, NJ) and Chicago by the Nickel Plate/Lackawanna team.
The Westerner/The New Yorker - September, 1960

The Wolverine

Overnight service between Chicago/Detroit and New York City via the Windsor/Buffalo corridor, operated by the New York Central and its affiliate Michigan Central.
The Wolverine - August, 1950