Nostalgia & History > The Crack Varnish? Which would you travel.

If you could ride any passenger train, in any era you choose which would it be and when. Me the California Zephyr from Chicago to Oakland in 1957, on a day when one set of the Grande\'s ALCo PA\'s would be pulling it.

The Lackawanna\'s Phoebe Snow, circa 1951 from Hoboken to Buffalo in a Nickel Plate Road "City" series through sleeper to Chicago.

Tim

I would take the RDG Crusader to Jersey City, ferry, subway to Penn Station, LV Black Diamond to Buffalo behind PA\'s, 20th Century Limited back to NY, PRR Congressoinal back to Philly.

Illinois Central\'s Panama Limited in the 1960\'s

Santa Fe\'s Chief---Chicago /LA

A good category to bring up...my choice is far from "Varnish" , but I wish I could have ridden SP trains between Dunsmuir & Grants Pass. Without going into my EMP TT, I think that they were numbered 327/328. This train traversed some really beautiful country & in its last years, had anything on the head end for power. I have negs of Pacifics, Mikes, Decks (2-10-2\'s) & MT\'s. There were a couple of Mikes assigned to this train in the early 50\'s: 3249 & 3265.

The 1939 Super Chief, and The Hiawatha\'s, Speed for the sake of speed!

Chesapeake and Ohio Train 3, the FFV, circa 1953, which traversed western Virginia and West Virginia in daylight. And I\'ll take a roomette in a City-series sleeper, please.

No question, the New York Central 20th Century Limited, New York to Chicago, in the steam era. As a kid, I rode NY Central passenger trains, but only local "milk runs," never the grand Century.

No bout a doubt it...The Olympian Hiawatha. Running over 600 miles under wire through some of the most remote and interesting scenery in the west.

cp1400

NY - CHI: 20th Century Limited, staying in the Master Room (only one on the train), or Broadway Limited, same accomodations.

CHI- LA, Super Chief, again in the Master Room (or Drawing Room, if the Master Room was unavailable.

Great Northern\'s Empire Builder, 1956.

I\'d travel the "City of Portland" so I could see my Uncle Joe again (He was a conductor) and I\'d want to take the 50\'s Empire Builder as well.

And while I\'m at it, book me on the Super Chief

I\'d also liked to have taken the Broadway Limited, New York to Chicago. It was the greatest train in the East, after all 20th Century ceased to be all Pullman in the mid-50s, the Pennsy was proud of that train, the only other train that compaired was the Super Chief.

The Golden State (Rock Island) between Kansas
City and Tucumcari, New Mexico behind
E-8 #652;

Also maybe any RI Chicago commuter train
behind E-6 #630.


bnsf100

Wow, good question.
In no particular order:

NYC 20th Century Limited behind a steamlined Hudson

PRR Broadway behind steam (S-1 perhaps?)

LV Black Diamond circa 1910

ATSF Super Chief in the late 1930s

California Zephyr in the late 1950s

GM&O Lil\' Rebel circa 1940

UP City of Salina (M-10000)

GM&O gas electric from Bloomington to KC in the 50\'s

CP Canadian early 1960s

IC Panama Limited early 1960s

Southern Crescent, early 1970s

I\'ll second the Olympian Hiawatha, in 1953, from Chicago to Seattle, with return on the Empire Builder. Four years later, in 1957 I would do the North Coast Limited from Chicago to Seattle, and return from Portland on the City of Portland.

Without a doubt ....... ATSF "Super Chief" having dinner in the Turquoise Room.

Not sure whether all these qualify as "crack varnish" but:

Overnight sleeper from Denver, then a parlor car seat on the San Juan from Alamosa to Durango.

The CP through train over Crowsnest Pass and the Coquihalla.

The Olympian Hiawatha.

And last but not least the Texas Zephyr. The first three were basically before my time, but I had a trip pass for the Texas Zephyr and checked out its often interesting selection of equipment from the Q\'s bizarre roster at DU many times. But just never got around to riding it.

Do you have to ask?

The C&O FFV Circa 50\'s!

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