In 1944, while World War II was still in progress, the Chesapeake & Ohio's Michigan affiliate Pere Marquette placed an order with Pullman-Standard for 14 cars to equip two trainsets of a new regional streamliner. The equipment was delivered in 1946 and the new Pere Marquettes had the distinction of being the first all-new postwar streamliners to enter service on August 10 of that year. They also held the distinction of being the first Diesel-powered streamliners on the C. & O. system and the first trains equipped with the ergonomically designed Heywood-Wakefield "Sleepy Hollow" coach seats, giving coach passengers superior comfort. The trainsets consisted of a baggage car, mail car, two coach-lounges, two coach-observations (one at each end, to facilitate turning) and a dining car staffed by waitresses instead of the usual male stewards. The consist was led by a new EMD E7 2,000 horsepower Diesel locomotive. The new equipment was used on the run between Grand Rapids and Detroit, with quick turnarounds at each end to allow two trainsets to cover three round trips per day.


From the pages of the Official Guide, June 1947

Pere Marquette Script Logo

The Pere Marquettes

Pere Marquette Railway
February 9, 1947

Connecting Train Number 47
0 Toledo, OH (Union Sta.) (ET) Dp 6 05A
64 Detroit, MI (Fort St. Sta.) (ET) Ar 8 00A
Train Number 77 7 5 3
Miles Su Only Daily Ex Su Daily
0 Detroit, MI (Fort St. Sta.) (ET) Dp 8 55P 5 15P 12 15P 8 15A
24 Plymouth, MI 9 25P 5 48P 12 48P 8 48A
45 Brighton, MI 1 10P
54 Howell, MI 1 21P
62 Fowlerville, MI F 1 30P
73 Williamston, MI F 1 42P
87 Lansing, MI 10 30P 6 51P 2 04P 9 52A
99 Grand Ledge, MI F10 45P 2 18P
120 Lake Odessa, MI 11 08P 2 40P
152 Grand Rapids, MI (ET) Ar 11 45P 7 55P 3 15P 10 55A
Connecting Train Number 7 7 5 3
0 Grand Rapids, MI (ET) Dp 12 35A 12 35A 4 50P 11 40A
184 Chicago, IL (Grand Central Sta.) (CT) Ar 6 30A 6 30A 8 15P 3 15P

Connecting Train Number 2 6
T C Chicago, IL (Grand Central Sta.) (CT) Dp 11 30P 10 50A
T C M Grand Rapids, MI (ET) Ar 6 45A 4 25P
Train Number 2 4 6 66
Services Daily Ex Su Daily Su Only
T C M Grand Rapids, MI (ET) Dp 7 40A 1 00P 5 30P 9 00P
T C Lake Odessa, MI 1 35P 9 35P
T C Grand Ledge, MI 1 57P F 9 57P
T C Lansing, MI 8 46A 2 15P 6 38P 10 15P
T C Williamston, MI F 2 32P
T C Fowlerville, MI 2 44P
T C Howell, MI 2 53P
T C Brighton, MI 3 04P
T C Plymouth, MI 9 47A 3 27P 7 37P 11 19P
T C M Detroit, MI (Fort St. Sta.) (ET) Ar 10 20A 4 00P 8 10P 11 50P
Connecting Train Number 46
T C M Detroit, MI (Fort St. Sta.) (ET) Dp 5 40P
T C M Toledo, OH (Union Sta.) (ET) Ar 7 20P

Train 77: 4 stops, 2:50, 53.6 MPHTrains 3 & 7: 2 stops, 2:40, 57.0 MPH

Train 5: 8 stops, 3:00, 50.7 MPHTrains 2 & 6: 2 stops, 2:40, 57.0 MPH

Train 4: 8 stops, 3:00, 50.7 MPHTrain 66: 4 stops, 2:50, 53.6 MPH


Note: Trains 66 and 77 will also operate May 30, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.

Note: Connecting Train 5 from Grand Rapids to Chicago will operate one hour later than schedule on Sundays and on May 30, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.

Note: Connecting Trains 3 and 6 between Chicago and Grand Rapids do not operate on Sundays.


EQUIPMENT

THE PERE MARQUETTES.
Trains Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 66 and 77.
Diesel Electric—Streamlined All Coach Train.

All seats are reserved and assigned in advance.

Between Detroit and Grand Rapids—
Dining car and reclining reserved seat coaches—Pay-On-Train Service.

Pere Marquette Timetable Cover from August 1946

A Pere Marquette timetable cover from 1946. [PM Historical Society]

Pere Marquette promotional ink blotter

A promotional ink blotter distributed by the Pere Marquette. [PM Historical Society]

On June 6, 1947 the Pere Marquette Railway was formally merged into the Chesapeake & Ohio system. After the merger, C. & O. would in 1948 assign new equipment from the abortive Chessie streamliner to upgrade the service from Grand Rapids to Chicago. The two services, Chicago-Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids-Detroit, would both share the Pere Marquette name although they would continue to operate with two separate sets of equipment. Eventually, once more new equipment had arrived, the 1946 trainsets would be sold to the Chicago & Eastern Illinois and replaced with C. & O.'s 1610-series coaches. [Thanks to Fritz Milhaupt of the Pere Marquette Historical Society for this valuable supplemental information and for the promotional images which appear above.]


Consist Information
Contributed by Alan L. Pettet

PERE MARQUETTE
Ordered March 1944
Delivered August 1946
Built by Pullman Standard

CONSIST ONE
Departing Detroit
August 10, 1946

101 EMD E7A 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit
51 15’ Railway Post Office Baggage Car
61 Baggage Car
21 58 Revenue seat Coach 10 seat Smoking Lounge Observation (Blunt)
31 56 Revenue seat Coach with 10 seat Smoking Lounge
11 22-seat Dining Kitchen 22 seat Dining Car
33 56 Revenue seat Coach with 10 seat Smoking Lounge
23 56 Revenue seat Coach 10 seat Smoking Lounge Observation (Blunt)

CONSIST TWO
Departing Grand Rapids
August 10, 1946

102 EMD E7A 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit
50 15’ Railway Post Office Baggage Car
60 Baggage Car
20 58 Revenue seat Coach 10 seat Smoking Lounge Observation (Blunt)
30 56 Revenue seat Coach with 10 seat Smoking Lounge
10 22-seat Dining Kitchen 22 seat Dining Car
32 56 Revenue seat Coach with 10 seat Smoking Lounge
22 58 Revenue seat Coach 10 seat Smoking Lounge Observation (Blunt)