The attack on Pearl Harbor plunged the nation into war at a most inconvenient time for the Illinois Central; the new streamlined equipment intended for its flagship Panama Limited was even then under construction in the shops of Pullman-Standard. In short order luxury railroad passenger car production would be curtailed; what carbuilding still occured would have to be directly related to the war effort. Happily, though, after a brief delay the War Production Board allowed P-S to complete the order for I.C.'s Panama and the new streamlined equipment entered service on May 1, 1942. The streamlined and Diesel-powered Panama made the run from Chicago to New Orleans in 18 hours, down from 20 for its heavyweight predecessor, and the train sported a chocolate-and-orange livery which would become the standard for all IC varnish after the end of the war.


From the pages of the Official Guide, August 1944

Illinois Central RR herald

The Panama Limited

Illinois Central System
June, 1944

55 Train Number 54
Daily Miles Services Daily
3 15P Dp 0.0 Chicago, IL (Central Station) (CT) C Ar 9 15A
3 22P 5.1 Chicago, IL (53rd St.) T C 9 03A
3 25P 6.5 Chicago, IL (63rd St.) T C 8 59A
F 4 10P 54.4 Kankakee, IL T C D 8 00A
5 20P Ar 126.4 Champaign, IL (Urbana) T C Dp 6 40A
5 23P Dp Ar 6 35A
F 6 08P 170.9 Mattoon, IL T C 5 45A
F 6 33P 197.8 Effingham, IL T C D 5 18A
7 28P Ar 250.9 Centralia, IL T C Dp 4 22A
7 31P Dp Ar 4 15A
8 25P Ar 306.7 Carbondale, IL T C Dp 3 15A
Through Cars St. Louis - New Orleans
255 Train Number 16
5 50P Dp 0.0 St. Louis, MO (Union Station) (CT) C Ar 7 30A
6 08P 3.2 East St. Louis, IL C 7 02A
6 33P 17.7 Belleville, IL T C 6 30A
7 32P 64.4 Pinckneyville, IL T C 5 25A
7 48P 74.2 Du Quoin, IL T C 4 57A
8 15P Ar 93.9 Carbondale, IL T C Dp 4 30A
Ar 4 10A
114.5 Anna, IL T C F 3 42A
147.4 North Cairo, IL T C Dp 3 00A
Ar 2 55A
192.2 Fulton, KY T C Dp 1 48A
55 Continuing Train Number 54
8 34P Dp 306.7 Carbondale, IL T C Ar 3 15A
9 44P Ar 360.2 North Cairo, IL T C Dp 2 10A
9 47P Dp Ar 2 07A
10 40P Ar 405.0 Fulton, KY T C Dp 1 10A
10 50P Dp Ar 12 55A
F11 36P 449.3 Dyersburg, TN T C F12 05A
1 07A Ar 527.4 Memphis, TN C Dp 10 35P
1 20A Dp Ar 10 25P
3 10A Ar 626.6 Grenada, MS T C Dp 8 27P
3 14A Dp Ar 8 24P
F 3 46A 649.5 Winona, MS T C F 8 01P
5 00A Ar 714.8 Canton, MS T C Dp 6 58P
5 03A Dp Ar 6 53P
5 28A Ar 738.1 Jackson, MS T C Dp 6 27P
155 Connecting Train Number (Gulf & Ship Island RR)
8 00A 0.0 Jackson, MS
1 30P 160.3 Gulfport, MS (CT)
5 38A Dp 738.1 Jackson, MS T C Ar 6 17P
F 6 34A 792.4 Brookhaven, MS T C F 5 24P
6 58A Ar 815.9 McComb, MS T C Dp 5 03P
7 01A Dp Ar 5 00P
8 00A 867.9 Hammond, LA T C 4 14P
9 06A 918.8 New Orleans, LA (Carrollton Ave.) 3 22P
9 15A Ar 921.2 New Orleans, LA (CT) T C Dp 3 15P

Train 55: 20 stops, 18:00, 51.2 MPHTrain 255-55: 17 stops, 15:25, 46.0 MPH

Train 54: 20 stops, 18:00, 51.2 MPHTrain 54-16: 18 stops, 16:15, 43.6 MPH


NOTE: THE PANAMA LIMITED—Diesel-Electric Streamlined All Pullman Air-Conditioned Train—Customary Special Service Charge is discontinued for the Duration. Only carries revenue passengers having Pullman accommodations.

PULLMAN COACH AND DINING CAR SERVICE
REGULARLY ASSIGNED CARS ARE AIR-CONDITIONED
All passenger trains shown herein carry coaches, except as indicated otherwise.


SOUTHBOUND

THE PANAMA LIMITED. Daily
Diesel-Electric Streamlined Train. All Pullman
No. 55—Chicago to New Orleans
No. 255-55—St. Louis to New Orleans

Sleepers—

Chicago to New Orleans, 6-Section, 6 Roomette, 4 Double Bedroom [15].

Chicago to New Orleans, 6-Section, 6 Roomette, 4 Double Bedroom [17].

Chicago to New Orleans, 6-Section, 6 Roomette, 4 Double Bedroom [19].

Chicago to New Orleans, 6-Section, 6 Roomette, 4 Double Bedroom [21].

Chicago to New Orleans, 18 Roomette [11].

Chicago to New Orleans, 3 Double Bedroom, 1 Drawing-room, 1 Compartment-Lounge [9].

Chicago to New Orleans, 2 Drawing-room, 4 Compartment, 4 Double Bedroom [7].

St. Louis to New Orleans, 6-Section, 6 Roomette, 4 Double Bedroom [5]. (255 St. Louis to Carbondale, Ill., 55 Carbondale to New Orleans.)

Chicago to Jackson, Miss., 6-Section, 6 Roomette, 4 Double Bedroom [3]. (May be occupied at Jackson, Miss., until 8:00 a.m.)

Chicago to New Orleans, 2 Double Bedroom, 1 Drawing-room, 2 Compartment-Observation [1].

Diner—Chicago to New Orleans.

Cafe Car—(Radio.)—No. 155 Jackson, Miss., to Gulfport, Miss.

Parlor-Lounge Car—No. 155 Jackson, Miss., to Gulfport, Miss. [25]. (G. & S. I. Tickets.)

Cafe-Lounge Car—St. Louis to Carbondale. (Radio.) Sandwiches—Refreshments. (Complete dining car service train No. 55 Carbondale to New Orleans.)

No Coaches.

The Panama Limited is completely air-conditioned—radio—Valet. Two-way inter-car phone service.


NORTHBOUND

THE PANAMA LIMITED. Daily
Diesel-Electric Streamlined Train.
All Pullman Train.
No. 54—New Orleans to Chicago
No. 54-16—New Orleans to St. Louis


Sleepers

New Orleans to Chicago, 6-Section, 6 Roomette, 4 Double Bedroom [14].

New Orleans to Chicago, 6-Section, 6 Roomette, 4 Double Bedroom [4].

New Orleans to Chicago, 6-Section, 6 Roomette, 4 Double Bedroom [16].

New Orleans to Chicago, 6-Section, 6 Roomette, 4 Double Bedroom [18].

New Orleans to Chicago, 18 Roomette [12].

New Orleans to Chicago, 3 Double Bedroom, 1 Drawing-room, 1 Compartment-Lounge [10].

New Orleans to Chicago, 2 Drawing-room, 4 Compartment, 4 Double Bedroom [8].

Jackson, Miss. to Chicago, 6-Section, 6 Roomette, 4 Double Bedroom [20].

New Orleans to St. Louis, 6-Section, 6 Roomette, 4 Double Bedroom [6]. (No. 16 from Fulton, Ky.)

New Orleans to Chicago, 2 Double Bedroom, 1 Drawing-room, 2 Compartment-Observation [2].

Diner—New Orleans to Chicago.

No Coaches.

The Panama Limited is completely air-conditioned—Radio—Valet. Two-way inter-car phone service.