Another timetable which springs from an inbound email; correspondent Chuck Ross inquired about the probable route of the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox for the 1946 World Series. He pointed out, accurately, that for many decades the Boston to St. Louis run was the longest traveling distance encountered in major league baseball. This sent me scurrying to my computer; after a few minutes research I saw that the New York Central was the obvious choice for this run. (Technically, it could also be accomplished via the Pennsylvania's St. Louisan leaving St. Louis at 6:00 p.m.; arriving New York at 4:15 p.m. the next day; then transferring to the Senator leaving New York at 5:00 p.m. and arriving Boston at 10:10 p.m. However I consider this routing highly unlikely.)

While this timetable gives the probable routing of the teams between St. Louis and Boston and return, it is not the actual train the teams would have taken. Were I the traveling secretary, I would have booked my team out of St. Louis on train No. 38, the Missourian, leaving St. Louis at 6:00 p.m. after the second game (they were all day games in that era) and  arriving Albany the next day at 3:33 p.m. Transfer in Albany to train No. 40, the North Shore Limited, leaving Albany at 3:53 p.m. and arriving Boston that night at 9:15, just in time to check in to the hotel. For the return trip after Game 5, I would plan to put my team on No. 29, the Niagara, leaving Boston at 7:00 p.m. and arriving Buffalo at 6:45 the next morning. Transfer in Buffalo to train No. 159 leaving Buffalo at 7:52 a.m. and arriving Cleveland at 11:10 a.m. One more transfer in Cleveland to No. 407, the Cleveland-St. Louis Special, departing at 12:05 p.m. and finally arriving St. Louis at 11:10 that night. Of course, if the game was over quick enough it might be possible to rush and catch the premium Southwestern Limited leaving Boston at 4:50 p.m.; that would put our team into St. Louis at 4:58 p.m. the next day.

Finally, Chuck asked my opinion on the possibility of a special train for teams making this trip. I replied that I think that an actual special train was unlikely—baseball owners then as now are loath to spend unnecessary money, and there were plenty of other transportation options—but a special car reserved entirely for the baseball team was another matter and in fact a near certainty. A baseball team, after all, fills a 12-section sleeper almost perfectly, and the railroad would be able to shunt it between trains as required so that the players and coaches would not have to bother making any of the connections between trains. Not to mention the added benefit of keeping the various autograph seekers and "looky-loos" at bay....


From the pages of the Official Guide, March 1946

New York Central System herald

The Knickerbocker

New York Central System
March 1, 1946

41 Train Number 24
Daily Miles Services Daily
2 00P Dp 0.0 New York, NY (Grand Central Tml.) (ET) C Ar 12 35P
R 2 47P 32.7 Harmon, NY C D11 40A
3 25P 58.3 Beacon, NY (Newburgh via ferry) C
3 45P 72.8 Poughkeepsie, NY C 10 53A
4 05P 88.4 Rhinecliff, NY C
4 36P 113.7 Hudson, NY (Catskill via bus) C
5 16P Ar 142.2 Albany, NY C Dp 9 40A
Boston Section
49 Train Number 124
11 20A Dp 0.0 Boston, MA (South Station) (ET) C Ar 3 10P
11 24A Trinity Place, MA C
Huntington Ave. Station 3 05P
11 36A 8.1 Newtonville, MA C D 2 52P
11 53A Ar 21.4 Framingham, MA C
11 54A Dp
12 22P Ar 44.3 Worcester, MA C Dp 2 04P
12 26P Dp Ar 1 59P
1 35P Ar 98.3 Springfield, MA C Dp 12 47P
1 47P Dp Ar 12 37P
2 03P Ar 107.9 Westfield, MA C Dp 12 21P
2 06P Dp Ar 12 20P
2 34P 125.8 Chester, MA (See Note) 11 55A
F 141.9 Hinsdale, MA (See Note)
3 12P 145.3 Dalton, MA (See Note)
3 23P Ar 150.6 Pittsfield, MA C Dp 11 16A
3 28P Dp Ar 11 11A
4 07P Ar 177.2 Chatham, NY (See Note) C 10 33A
4 08P Dp
4 45P Ar 200.4 Albany, NY C Dp 10 00A
Through Sleepers Chicago-Boston
Connecting Train Number 10
0.0 Albany, NY C Ar 9 03A
292.8 Buffalo, NY (Central Tml.) C Dp 3 35A
477.9 Cleveland, OH (Union Tml.) (ET) C Dp 11 50P
818.1 Chicago, IL (La Salle St. Sta.) (CT) C Dp 4 30P
5 00P Dp 200.4 Albany, NY C
5 30P 217.3 Schenectady, NY C
6 45P Ar 295.0 Utica, NY C
6 49P Dp
7 07P 308.8 Rome, NY C
8 00P Ar 347.8 Syracuse, NY C
8 05P Dp
8 57P 398.3 Newark, NY C
9 38P Ar 428.1 Rochester, NY C
9 42P Dp
10 55P Ar 493.2 Buffalo, NY (Central Tml.) C
41Continuing Train Number24
5 23P Dp 142.2 Albany, NY C Ar 9 30A
5 53P 159.1 Schenectady, NY C 9 04A
7 07P Ar 236.8 Utica, NY C Dp 7 48A
7 11P Dp Ar 7 45A
7 29P 250.6 Rome, NY C DF 7 30A
8 12P Ar 289.6 Syracuse, NY C Dp 6 50A
8 17P Dp Ar 6 40A
9 09P 340.1 Newark, NY C
9 51P Ar 369.9 Rochester, NY C Dp 5 19A
9 55P Dp Ar 5 16A
11 10P Ar 435.0 Buffalo, NY (Central Tml.) C Dp 4 09A
246 Connecting Train Number 207
8 05P Dp 0.0 Suspension Bridge, NY (ET) C Ar 8 07A
8 22P Dp 1.8 Niagara Falls, NY C Ar 7 56A
9 30P Ar 26.9 Buffalo, NY (Central Tml.) C Dp 7 00A
Through Sleepers Cleveland-Toronto
821-382 Connecting Train Number (Canadian Pacific-T. H. & B.) 371-712
8 05P Dp 0.0 Toronto, ON (Union Station) (ET) C Ar 8 00A
9 05P Dp 40.0 Hamilton, ON Ar 6 55A
11 12P Ar 103.2 Buffalo, NY (Central Tml.) C Dp 5 01A
41 Continuing Train Number 24
11 29P Dp 435.0 Buffalo, NY (Central Tml.) C Ar 4 00A
2 40A Ar 620.1 Cleveland, OH (Union Tml.) C Dp 12 50A
Through Sleepers New York-Cincinnati
15 Connecting Train Number 424
11 59P Dp 0.0 Buffalo, NY (Central Tml.) C
185.1 Cleveland, OH (Union Tml.) C Ar 12 15A
4 44A Ar 264.5 Galion, OH C Dp 10 25P
5 53A Ar 322.7 Columbus, OH C Dp 8 55P
6 50A Ar 367.7 Springfield, OH C Dp 7 52P
7 30A Ar 392.8 Dayton, OH C Dp 7 15P
7 56A Ar 413.6 Middletown, OH C Dp 6 45P
8 45A Ar 445.1 Cincinnati, OH (Union Tml.) (CT) C Dp 6 00P
Through Sleeper Buffalo-St. Louis
5 Connecting Train Number
8 10P Dp 0.0 Buffalo, NY (Central Tml.) C
12 25A Ar 185.1 Cleveland, OH (Union Tml.) C
3 05A Dp 620.1 Cleveland, OH (Union Tml.) C Ar 12 20A
3 15A 626.3 Linndale, OH C D12 02A
4 47A 699.5 Galion, OH C
5 58A Ar 760.4 Bellefontaine, OH C Dp 9 38P
Through Cars Detroit-Indianapolis/St. Louis
307 Connecting Train Number
11 30P Dp 0.0 Detroit, MI (ET) C
1 20A Dp 57.6 Toledo, OH C
3 40A Ar 160.3 Bellefontaine, OH C
6 03A Dp 760.4 Bellefontaine, OH C Ar 9 33P
F 6 26A 783.4 Sidney, OH (ET) C
F 5 54A 818.4 Union City, IN-OH (CT) C
F 6 03A 827.5 Winchester, IN C
6 30A 849.2 Muncie, IN C 7 05P
6 54A 867.0 Anderson, IN C 6 42P
7 45A Ar 903.5 Indianapolis, IN (Union Station) C Dp 6 00P
13 Connecting Train Number 14
11 00A Dp 0.0 Indianapolis, IN (Union Station) C Ar 4 40P
3 55P Ar 165.8 Bloomington, IL C Dp 11 52A
5 30P Ar 211.4 Peoria, IL (Union Station) (CT) C Dp 10 20A
7 55A Dp 903.5 Indianapolis, IN (Union Station) C Ar 5 50P
DF 8 35A 942.5 Greencastle, IN C
9 13A 975.1 Terre Haute, IN C 4 25P
10 22A 1031.7 Mattoon, IL C 3 25P
1 10P Ar 1155.7 St. Louis, MO (Union Station) (CT) C Dp 1 00P

Train 41 (New York-St. Louis): 26 stops; 24:10; 47.8 MPHTrain 49-41 (Boston-St. Louis): 31 stops; 26:50; 45.2 MPH

Train 24 (St. Louis-New York): 17 stops; 22:35; 51.2 MPHTrain 24-124 (St. Louis-Boston): 21 stops; 25:10; 48.2 MPH

NOTE for Train 124 at Chatham and Chester: "Stops Sunday Only."
NOTE for Train 49 at Hinsdale: "Stops Friday and Sunday Only."
NOTE for Train 49 at Dalton: "Stops daily, except Saturday, Sunday and holidays."
NOTE for Boston sections: Trinity Place (on the NYC outbound line) and Huntington Avenue (on the inbound line) stations are within walking distance of the New Haven's Back Bay station.

NEW YORK CENTRAL SYSTEM
The Water Level Route—You Can Sleep

PULLMAN, COACH AND DINING CAR SERVICE EASTBOUND
Regularly assigned cars are air-conditioned.
Air-conditioned equipment is assigned as far as possible but the right is reserved to employ non air-conditioned cars as necessitated by volume of traffic or emergencies.


No. 24—The Knickerbocker—Daily.

Lounge Sleeping Car...St. Louis to New York—6 Double Bedroom—Buffet.

Sleeping Cars...St. Louis to New York—10 Roomette, 5 Double Bedroom.

St. Louis to New York—6-Section, 6 Double Bedroom.

St. Louis to New York—8-Section, Drawing-room, 2 Compartment.

St. Louis to Boston—8-Section, Drawing-room, 2 Compartment (in No. 124 from Albany).

Cincinnati to New York—10-Section, 2 Double Bedroom, 1 Compartment (from No. 424 at Cleveland).

Cincinnati to New York—12-Section, Drawing-room (from No. 424 at Cleveland).

Cleveland to Toronto—12-Section, Drawing-room (in No. 371 from Buffalo) (open 9:30 p.m.).

Coach...St. Louis to New York.

Dining Service.


No. 124—The Knickerbocker—Daily.

Sleeping Cars...St. Louis to Boston—8-Section, Drawing-room, 2-Compartment (from No. 24 at Albany).

Chicago to Boston—6-Section, 6 Double Bedroom (from No. 10 at Albany).

Chicago to Boston—12-Section, Drawing-room (from No. 10 at Albany).

Coach...Albany to Boston.

Dining Service.


PULLMAN, COACH AND DINING CAR SERVICE WESTBOUND
Regularly assigned cars are air-conditioned.
Air-conditioned equipment is assigned as far as possible but the right is reserved to employ non air-conditioned cars as necessitated by volume of traffic or emergencies.


No. 41—The Knickerbocker—Daily.

Lounge Sleeping Car...New York to St. Louis—8-Section—Buffet.

Sleeping Cars...New York to St. Louis—10 Roomette, 5 Double Bedroom.

New York to St. Louis—6-Section, 6 Double Bedroom.

New York to St. Louis—12-Section, Drawing-room.

New York to Cincinnati—6-Section, 6 Double Bedroom (in No. 15 from Buffalo).

Boston to St. Louis—8-Section, Drawing-room, 2 Compartment (from No. 49 at Buffalo).

Buffalo to St. Louis—8 Section, Buffet (from No. 5 at Cleveland).

Cleveland to St. Louis—10-Section, 2 Double Bedroom, Compartment (open 9:30 p.m.)

Detroit to St. Louis—12-Section, 2 Double Bedroom (from No. 307 at Bellefontaine).

Detroit to Indianapolis—10-Section, 3 Double Bedroom (from No. 307 at Bellefontaine).

Detroit to Indianapolis—10-Section, 2 Drawing-room (from No. 307 at Bellefontaine).

Dining Service.

Coaches...New York to St. Louis.

Boston to St. Louis (from No. 49 at Buffalo).

Detroit to Indianapolis (from No. 307 at Bellefontaine).


No. 49—Advance Knickerbocker—Daily.

Sleeping Cars...Boston to St. Louis—8-Section, Drawing-room, 2 Compartment (in No. 41 from Buffalo).

Boston to Cincinnati—10-Section, Drawing-room, 2 Compartment (in No. 15 from Buffalo).

Coach...Boston to St. Louis (in No. 41 from Buffalo).

Dining Service.