First of all, I'm sorry if this has already been brought up. If you could travel one train ran by a freight railroad (before May 1, 1972), which would it be? Why? I think I would ride the Broadway Limited or California Zephyr. They were both high profile trains that sound so elegant. What are your personal experiences on pre-Amtrak trains?
The rights of neutrality will only be respected, when they are defended by an adequate power. A nation, despicable by its weakness, forfeits even the privilege of being neutral. -Alexander Hamilton
...one train that ran before Amtrak. Hmmm Let me think ...
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
I would go with my favorite, the Bi-Level Peninsula 400 as re-equipped by C&NW in 1958. It was a train designed with the short haul in mind.
In 1963 I rode on NP from Chicago to the west coast (I forget the train name). I'd do it again.
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Aside from some trains I did get a chance to ride, I would name three in the Midwest:
1. CB&Q Morning Zephyr to the Twin Cities
2. C&NW Kate Shelly 400 (in 1956)
3. IC Land of Corn
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
I grew up on its route, so The Super Chief has to be at the top of list. The 20th Century Limited and the Olympian Hiawatha would be right behind it. Why? Well the equipment, the routes, the service mentality of the road running the trains.
I'm sorry.......I have 3! City of San Francisco, The Super Chief, and the Southern Belle. All had great service, were elegant, and just a flat out great ride!
Super Chief.
Would be nice to experience the first class service of this famed train.
Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, COClick Here for my model train photo website
Paul of Covington In 1963 I rode on NP from Chicago to the west coast (I forget the train name). I'd do it again.
North Coast Lmited. On the 1959 timetable you would have left Chicago at 12:10pm, arrived Minneapolis 7:40pm, arrived Billings 10:18am, arrived Spokane 10:45pm, arrived Seattle 7:50am. There was also a section of the train that split at Spokane for Portland.
Southwest Chief Super Chief. Would be nice to experience the first class service of this famed train.
The "James Whitcomb Riley" from Cincy to Chi was a great ride. The meals were excellent right up to "The end."
I would have loved to ride the "20th Century Limited" in its heyday, pulled by a Dreyfuss Hudson, just to see if it was everything Lucius Beebe and E.M. Frimbo said it was. Also, any passenger train on the Northern Pacific, the "Road of the Great Big Baked Potato." Have you ever seen a photo of the baked potatoes they served? My God!
I'm fortunate, having ridden the Panama Limited, the 20th Century, and the Broadway while they were all premium all-PUllman trains. And I rode the Super Chief shortly after Amtrak takeover, before there was any deteioration of service, and the train was still Santa Fe in spirit and elan, even to warbonnet F-7's on the menues! But of all the trains I have ridden, I would still pick the California Zephyr for its scenery and the number of domes it had to let one see it in style. I'd settle for a roomette, of course, but if cost was no object, then a bedroom or compartment in the observation car would be tops.
And at the same time, I'd like to ride the Shavno or possibly settle for the San Juan (D&RGW narrow gauge) in the parlor at the rear.
CSSHEGEWISCH I would go with my favorite, the Bi-Level Peninsula 400 as re-equipped by C&NW in 1958. It was a train designed with the short haul in mind.
Right there with you! Even though I grew up only a handful of miles away, I never rode the North Western's trains (and I only recall seeing them out on the line once)-though an aunt of mine used them to come home on vacation a few times a year.
any CNW train to green bay, Wisconsin when the bears were playing the packers. amtrak doesn't go to Green bay anymore, which is sad because green bay looks like a nice home style city.
Easy. The UP-MILW "Cities" Streamliners. Simply the most gorgeous, handsome passenger trains that graced God's green earth, IMHO.
Would loved to have been able to ride on either the "Land O' Corn" or the "Hawkeye" on the IC as well.
Probably the Milwaukee Road's Olympian Hiawatha. Especially, to ride the electrified part of it. Having taken Amtrak's (and before that Great Northern) Empire Builder, it would have been interesting to compare the two routes.
I remember going to college on the all-Pullman Southern Railway Crescent. What a way to travel! My mother was quite insistent about riding in a Pullman as coach did not suit her. Of course, I was required to dress for all meals. LOL! Needless to say, Southern kept their passenger trains long after Amtrak had acquired others; I rode the Crescent for two to three years before switching to the airlines. I still miss the experience.
“Things of quality have no fear of time.”
Being fortunate enough to ride most of the great trains before Amtrak or Via Rail My top five would be Super Chief, Empire Builder, California Zephyr, Twentieth Century Limited, and Canadian.
No disagreement with the above. including the order, but then just to continue the list further, I would add the Broadway, the Panama Limited, the City of Los Angeles, the Silver Meteor, the 1952 Senator and Congessionals, the Denver and Twin Cities Zephyrs, the Shasta Daylight, the Florida Special, the Capitol LImited, and the North Shore's Electroliner.
pick just one train? I'd take a time machine and go back to the 'Havana Special', on the Florida East Coast Railway from Miami to Key West! what a beautiful trip that must have been!
getting back to the conventional 'pre amtrak' question: it's hard to beat the California Zephyr with it's spectacular scenery seen from the vista domes! and I have always been intriqued by the Olympian Hiawatha because of it's unusual observation car and the 'great domes'.
I thought Burlington's Zephyrs were the best. The ride along the Mississippi; breakfast and lunch in the diner, nothing better. I regret that I didn't take this ride in a parlor car. I also think that Pennsy's General was an excellent and very overlooked train. I am glad I rode her.
Regrets; I wish I had ridden the B&O's Capitol Limited, IC's Panama Limited, and ACL or Seaboard to Florida.
One train I did ride and wished I hadn't was the Golden State which I took in June of 1966. It was combined with the Sunset Limited as far as El Paso and it was really sad to see the automat car on the Sunset. We also spent time in the hole for freights. Things didn't improve after El Paso. The Golden State had a full diner; but eating breakfast in the hole for a westbound RI freight was not a cherished memory of mine. By the time RI limped into KC the Golden State was 3 hours late and half the coaches had air conditioning that didn't work including the RI coach that I had a reserved seat. Kansas in June is very hot! I finished my journey home aboard a Braniff BAC One Eleven.
I also had a train trip that included a Braniff BAC 1-11. My dad was both a railfan and airline enthusiast. Every summer there was a convention he attended, that was held in various cities around the country. He would arrange these circuitous trips to get there. We lived in far southern IL, and the journey generally originated from the IC station in Carbondale, or the airport in Paducah KY.
In 1965 I was 12 years old, and traveled with my dad to Minneapolis for that summers convention. We boarded the northbound "Louisiane" at Carbondale. In Chicago, we transfered by bus from Central Station to Union Station, and boarded "The North Coast Limited" to Minneapolis.
Coming back, we flew on Braniff from Minneapolis to St. Louis. I believe the BAC 1-11 had just been added that April. At St. Louis, we road an airport limousine to Union Station. An airport limousine in those days, wasn't what one thinks of as a limousine. It was a taxicab for all intents and purposes, dedicated for travel to and from the airport. At Union Station we boarded the IC's "Chickasaw". It was a St. Louis to Memphis train. I recall there not being many passengers, and the conductor let my dad and I stand at the back of the rear car with him. It was interesting to see the various trains as we rolled out of the station train shed. I remember my dad and the conductor discussing what sad shape that many of the railroads passenger trains had become. We left "The Chickasaw" at Carbondale, and drove home.
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