The Detroit-Cleveland Mercury was New York Central’s first streamlined train, though it was actually a heavyweight with shrouds over the steam locomotive and passenger cars to make them look streamlined. Originally introduced in 1936 and designed by Henry Dreyfuss, the … Continue reading
This timetable, scans for which were contributed by a Streamliner Memories reader, went into effect just 40 days after New York Central inaugurated the Henry Dreyfus-designed streamlined 20th Century Limited. Wikipedia says this “was probably the most famous American passenger … Continue reading
In September, 1948, New York Central invited General Dwight Eisenhower to inaugurate the postwar 20th Century Limited, which consisted of all-new passenger cars pulled by nearly new Diesel locomotives. The railroad printed up this “First Trip” envelope to be hand … Continue reading
The Empire State Express began operating on September 14, 1891, and this otherwise undated brochure says it celebrates the train’s golden jubilee. That dates it to 1941. Specifically, on December 7, 1941, the New York Central inaugurated streamlined, Budd-built trains … Continue reading
This menu is undated, but someone had handwritten “June 12 1959” on it (which I photoshopped out). The front, as shown, shows an E or F locomotive with an engineer and two children. The back has a stainless steel observation … Continue reading
Jointly issued by nine different railroads in 1948, this brochure unfolds into the equivalent of a 12-page 8″-by-9″ booklet. About a quarter of the brochure describes the “East’s luxurious modern trains,” while most of the rest features potential destinations. The … Continue reading
By 1951, New York Central had its post-war fleet of trains going at full strength, and due to declining ridership it probably did not place many orders for new passenger cars other than the ultra-lightweights of 1956. Instead of new … Continue reading
This 4-page brochure announces new schedules for the new trains advertised in yesterday’s timetable. The back page includes condensed schedules for 21 trains between New York/Boston and Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland, and other major cities. Click image to download a … Continue reading
The full-page ad on the front cover of this timetable (the back cover is shown below) announces “28 new streamliners for 1948.” This translated to fourteen pairs of trains, ranging from new all-Pullman 20th Century Limiteds and Commodore Vanderbilts to … Continue reading
During his proxy battle to take over the New York Central, Robert Young famously said, “A hog can cross the country without changing trains–but you can’t.” But that wasn’t quite true. As shown on page 2 of this timetable, New … Continue reading
