Eastern Railroad Discussion > What did I ride

On June 5, 1968, my wife, two little kids, and I boarded a train in Madison Sq Gardens (I think) and road that train through Cincinnati to Louisville, KY.  We had gotten off a ship in NY and went to the far end of Long Island. Our ticket for the train was June 4th, but when we drove to the station in NYC we got caught in a traffic jam and just missed the train.  The next day we left 2 hours earlier and made it to the train early.  I think it left in the morning some time.  I know we arrived in Cincinnati when it was dark, maybe early morning, and heard Robert Kennedy had been shot and killed.  I don't think we changed trains, but maybe.  Then we arrived in Louisville some time the morning of June 6th.  Can anyone tell me what rail road we rode on, then actual time the train left, and when we arrived in Louisville. Also how about the train name.  I was not into rail road things much then and did not give this info a thought.  I am now 84 and think my kids would like to know as a point of personal history.  To the person or persons who can help, a hardy thank you in advance. 

coach or sleeping car?

 

Almost definitely Penn Central (former PRR). Madison Square Garden was built above Penn Station. There was no train between New York and Louisville. Pennsy had a Chicago-Louisville line that was served by the South Wind. They also ran several trains between New York and St Louis. This line crossed the Louisville line at Indianapolis.

The Penn Texas left New York at 6:45 PM  and arrived Indianapolis at 12:05 PM. The South Wind from Chicago arrived there at 1:37, arriving Louisville at 3:55 p.m. This is likely the route you took. You also could have taken the Spirt of St Louis to Indy, which left NY at 4:05 PM and got to Indy at 9:20 a.m., which allowed much more time to make the connection with the South Wind.

Here's a Pennsy timetable from 1967 to peruse:

http://prr.railfan.net/documents/pdf/timetables/Timetable_Form01_1967-07-30_1st_RS.pdf



 

"...rode that train through Cincinnati to Louisville.."  
Woodman, you probably rode #31 The Cincinnati Limited to Union Terminal
in Cincinnati and then transferred to an L&N train to Louisville. Probably
the Cincinnati - New Orleans train, but I forget the name. The Hummingbird?

CPMorris Wrote:
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> "...rode that train through Cincinnati to
> Louisville.."  
> Woodman, you probably rode #31 The Cincinnati
> Limited to Union Terminal
> in Cincinnati and then transferred to an L&N train
> to Louisville. Probably
> the Cincinnati - New Orleans train, but I forget
> the name. The Hummingbird?

I agree. The L&N train was The Pan-American.

A sleeping car was available from NY to Cincinnati . The connection at Cincinnati would have been tight.

Yea, The Pan-American. That's it. Thanks ts1457.

There was a through New York to Louisville sleeping car on C&O's "George Washington" in 1968, although since the original poster mentions arriving in Cincinnati, that's probably not the way he went.

mike woodruff
spokane wa

I really enjoy these historic quizzes! It's sad to think that not many railfans remember the network of pre-Amtrak passenger service that existed, even if this service was in a state of decay. But we'll always have the Official Guide to remind us!

swaool Wrote:
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> There was a through New York to Louisville
> sleeping car on C&O's "George Washington" in 1968,
> although since the original poster mentions
> arriving in Cincinnati, that's probably not the
> way he went.
>
> mike woodruff
> spokane wa

Around that time period, the line was Louisville to NY, but in the other direction, it was only DC to Louisville. Seems a bit strange.

Thanks guys, we traveled by coach.  I only remember we left NYC in the AM.  We could have transfered at Indy to Louisville.  I am not sure when we got to Louisvillle.  But I think it was late in the AM.  Thanks for trying.  I wish I had written things down.

Woodman Wrote:
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> Thanks guys, we traveled by coach.  I only
> remember we left NYC in the AM.  We could have
> transfered at Indy to Louisville.  I am not sure
> when we got to Louisvillle.  But I think it was
> late in the AM.  Thanks for trying.  I wish I
> had written things down.

At that time, you had no viable connection  at Indianapolis for the times you remember.

You would have left Penn Station at 4:05 PM, if via Cincinnati.

You must have taken the C&O George Washington, handled by the Penn Central from NY to DC, departing Penn Station at 11:00 am.  Arrival would have been at Louisville KY at 10:50 am. The Louisville section would have been split off at Ashland KY so you would have missed Cincinnati.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/23 15:24 by ts1457.

Between Cincinnati and Louisville would have been one of the L&N trains.  That was a very direct route, about 2 hours unless it was the mail train that made a dozen stops between the two cities,  Between Cincinnati and NYC, both the New York Central and the Pennsylvania would have served those cities.  I went from Louisville to the New York World's Fair in 1964.  From Cincinnati, we rode the NYC north to Cleveland, over to around Albany, and down the Hudson to New York.  On our trip, we rode the PRR through Pennsylvania (and Horseshoe Curve) to Cincinnati.

The George Washington went from Louisville to Washington via Frankfort and Lexington, Ky., then West Virginia and Virginia.  It did not go to Cincinnati.  The L&N Hummingbird left Cincinnati somewhere a little after 7 PM.  There was another train (the mail train) that left a little after 11 PM and arrived in Louisville around 2 AM  That may have been the train you rode.  It didn't have a Pullman, just a single coach and a bunch of mail and express cars.  I'm sorry, but I can't supply any train numbers at this time.  I think the L&N train was number 1, 2, 3, or 4.
 
John  (in Louisville.)

As mentioned above, I'm guessing you'd have ridden the Cincinnati Limited. By 1968, it wasn't much. It was usually just a coach or two and a sleeper tacked onto the back of the Penn Texas or Spirit of St. Louis (whichever left NYP around 3pm) and was switched out at Columbus for the trip to Cincinnati via Xenia.

Up into the mid 60s I believe, there was a thru sleeper off the Cincinnati Limited to Memphis via the L&N through Louisville and Nashville.

Posted from Android

I think you were on a very late (~20 hours) Penn Central Cincinnati Limited.  It would have arrived in Cincinnati in daylight if on time given it was June 5.   My December '67 Official Guide doesn't show the through sleepers to Louisville and beyond so you would have had to change in Cinncinnati.  Penn Central was falling apart in 1968 so a 20 hour late train would be no surprise.   The L&N's Pan-American would have been the connection to Louiville.

Running down questions like this are fun. 

Neil

Thanks Neil, I think what you said makes the most since.  I remember talking to the conductor or some trian man early morning in Cin and heard about Robert Kennidy.  I don't remember when we got into Louisville but it should have been morning.  Thanks to all of you for our intelligent discussion.  I only wish I had kept records then, but I did not think it was improtant back then.  i was  young, two small kids, so I might have had other things on my mind.  Where is the Time Machine?  LOL

Woodman Wrote:
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> Thanks Neil, I think what you said makes the most
> since.  I remember talking to the conductor or
> some trian man early morning in Cin and heard
> about Robert Kennidy.  I don't remember when we
> got into Louisville but it should have been
> morning.  Thanks to all of you for our
> intelligent discussion.  I only wish I had kept
> records then, but I did not think it was improtant
> back then.  i was  young, two small kids, so I
> might have had other things on my mind.  Where is
> the Time Machine?  LOL

You didn't need a 20 hour late Cincinnati Limited for that scenario - just an late afternoon departure instead of a memory of a late morning departure.

You would have changed trains in Cincinnati. Do you have memory of that?