What was America's finest Passenger Train?

[mucable]

I'm really surprised at you guys...

Haven't you heard of the IC's Panama Limited?

[jabrown1971]

HMMMMM-I am partial to the North Coast Limited-love those dome sleepers. I tend to follow the less is more school of thought and have to go with the Wabash Bluebird. I train I only know from memories, everyone elses, not mine.

[Anonymous]

I have 3 trains for you.
1- ATSF's Super Chief
2- ACL's Champion
3- PRR's Broadway Limited

[twhite]

Fjor sheer scenic value, my vote goes to the SHASTA DAYLIGHT in it's prime, when it was pulled by A-B-B PA's and had those incredible wide-vista windows in its coaches. Sure, it was an all-coach trip between Oakland and Portland, but that didn't mean you were chained to your seat. Neat club car, super diner, and later on, one of those quirky home-built 3/4 SP dome lounges. Miles of beautiful scenery up the Sacramento River Canyon to Mt. Shasta, then east-California/Oregon high volcanic plateaus, then Oregon forest crowding in on the tracks, and spectacular, sheer, SCARY Cascade Summit, with the tracks clinging to the narrowest shelf this side of the Silverton Line in Animas Canyon. And finally the Willamette Valley of Oregon just to let you know how lu***he pacific coast can be. Gorgeous trip. Wish Amtrak's 'Coast Starlight' ran the same schedule.

[agentatascadero]

On what basis? Equipment? Route? RR? Service? We're probably describing favorites, and I have mine too. Perhaps we should revisit DPM's concept of the ultimate, (or was it ideal?), passenger train. Accomodations would have to range from sections(lower berth is the best bed on rails) to master rooms, and didn't we always need those showers in the sleepers? Must have domes for the "back-seat driver" factor in addition to the excellent view. Observation car is mandatory, the view to the rear is second only to that of the dome, or that unlikely cab ride! I prefer open platform, but enclosed will do, round end please for my sense of esthetics. Those who have ridden the Lark or Cascade Club might agree that these represent the best public room on rails, certainly the largest. Must have a foreward lounge, DPM favored the Capitol Limited version, to be near the locomotive action. Coaches? Parlors? That would depend on the route and/or schedule. This does quite nearly describe the Capitol Limited, so I guess that would be my entry for a train which actually existed.

[Anonymous]

ACL's Champion was a very under rated train in its day.

[passengerfan]

SP CASCADE was all Pullman all deluxe when first streamlined and the CASCADE CLUB was unforgettable rode the train many times and SP never disappointed me on this route. Far better than Shasta Daylight that train was just to many hours for a coach only trip but Cascade was exceptionally fine.

[Anonymous]

CNJ Blue Comet.

[Anonymous]

East bound, the Super Chief out of LA
East bound out of Chgo, the 20th Century Limited along with a ATSF pullman car
then the Broadway.

[Anonymous]

The Empire Builder was (and still is)the best in the west due to the Great Dome Lounge and the Sightseer lounge from Amtrakbeingput near the middle of the train affording all passengers tremendous scenic views. The East was best served by the Broadway Limiteddue to its schedule and services affording scenic vistas in the Allegheny Mountains. Unfortunatelythe 2oth Century and Lake Shore Limited doesn't give good viewing time of the lakeshores it passes.

[route_rock]

Golden State hands down.20th Century also,and give me a Chief for good measure.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Amtrak Jack

I agree with what WAS the best, but what IS:

Acela!

Good point. Moreover, what with two buck a gallon gasoline, clogged and decrepit highways, and roughly 100 million more people in the USA than in the 1950s, there's no reason rail passenger travel shouldn't break even or better in certain markets. Maybe the era of 40 buck a gallon crude will prompt public and private sector folks to put their thinking caps on and do it!

[Anonymous]

LVRRs Black Diamond. Full service and clean windows to the end... MCFarrand (hometown: Geneva, NY)

[Anonymous]

Another best in the Midwest, was the Chicago Mercury on the New York Central lines between Detroit,Mich. and Chicago,Il. during late forties and late fifties.


ldolby,Denver,CO.

[Anonymous]

Santa Fe's Super Chief was the best in my humble opinion.[:)]

[Anonymous]

ATSF'S SUPER CHIEF.

[e-mail]

[Anonymous]

From what I heard the Texas Chief was the jewel of the heartland.

BNSF ALL THE WAY!!!

[JanOlov]

Any train pre AMTRAK.
Otherwise I can't make up my mind, there's far too many passenger trains that I like, like the Hiawatha's, Empire Builder and North Coast Limited, just to name a few.

[Anonymous]

For me, it was the Texas Eagle in the late fifties..... as an undergraduate college student, I would catch the Eagle at Little Rock and sit in the Astro-Dome all the way to St. Louis, watching the signal bridges between North Little Rock and Hoxie....... and yes, I have traveled on the California Zephyr- and the Southern Pacific Lark, between Los Angeles and San Francisco.... but the Texas Eagle has the memories for me- and isn't that what makes a great train? Remember the demitasse of hot coffe offered at your sitting in the diner-lounge car? and the bottle of Mountain Valley Water on every table? Need I say more? Remember the distinctive portholes at ends of the cars?

[gbrewer]

Ah, IS: The Canadian would probably be my choice in regular service. Or, if special trains are allowed, the Royal Canadian Pacific or the American Orient Express.

[Anonymous]

I agree with what WAS the best, but what IS:

Acela!

[gbrewer]

Of course, you are right, Ted. I would argue that the finest trains, equipment wise, were back in the days of the last of wooden Pullmans. Those things were works of art.

[Anonymous]

From the many comments on various roads and trains, wouldn't it seem the time frame enters into the equation? When top varnish on eastern roads, for example, had detiorated to little more than locals, the Super Cheif was still extra fairs, all pullman Chicago to Los Angeles. There may be some personal bias as well. That is to be expected. After all, there was a wide choice, wasn't there?

[METRO]

Best Overall: NYC 20th Century Limited
Best In The Northeast (Excluding 20th Cen): B&O Royal Blue
Best In The Southeast: Southern Crescent
Best In The Southwest: SP Daylights
Best In The Northwest: NP North Coast Limited
Best In The Midwest: Milwaukee Afternoon Hiawatha
Best Long Distance: CP Canadian
Best Modern Streamliner: VIA Enterprise

[Anonymous]

Big Boy is my sussgsetion it was one of the powerful Armican steam trains i think that anyway

[pkeppers]

I'll vote for the North Coast Limited. I don' t think any train looked as nice as the mid 50's version, after the dome cars were added but before the stainless steel slumbercoach cars wrecked the look of the train. It's hard to believe that in the 70 or so years it ran there was a total of one passenger fatality on this train, and it was a "freak" type of death. The train derailed on an embankment that had become unstable after weeks of steady rain. The car slid down the embankment end first, plowing into the muddy soil which eventually caused the end door to give way. A young girl was buried alive when the mud came in the doorway. Terrible thing, but when you consider the millions of passenger miles traveled and that there were more than a couple wrecks in those years it's hard to believe there was just one fatality.

[passengerfan]

Just to throw one more name into the hat, how about the ARIZONA LIMITED All Pullman All Room Extra Fare between Chicago and Tucson/Phoenix winter only for two winters before WW II. This was probably the finest winter only train ever operated and that includes the FLORIDA SPECIAL. The 1950 SUPER CHIEF was probably just as luxurious for a postwar train and it ran daily requiring six sets of equipment. Their were only two ARIZONA LIMITED consists providing every other day service over the Rock Island - Southern Pacific route between Chicago and Phoenix.

[CG9602]

Oh, come on. In the North Central Midwest? CNW's 400. In other parts of the Midwest? The Southern Belle, run by KCS.

[Anonymous]

My vote would have to go to the Burlington Zephyr for it's design, innovation and fast service.. It's legendary non-stop high speed "Dawn to Dusk " runs from Denver to Chicago set a new standard for rail travel back in the 1940's, 1950's and early 1960's. The train would depart Denver at 5AM and arrrive in Chicago at 6PM the same day.
I had the pleasure to tour the original train a few weeks ago at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. The seats are wide and comfortable, it was completely air conditioned, the food service was offered at your seats on portable table, and the train was modernistic looking. This was also the first passenger service to offer ice cream as a desert. The fare was a measly $6 in coach and $15 in first class.

[chmoore]

I would have to say CP's Canadian. Rode it Montreal to Vancouver and back three times in the 70's. Second choice would be the CZ.

C. Moore