If you could go back to the 50's

If you could go back to the 50;s and ride ONE train, which would it be and why ?

The Super Chief

Weren't there such things as "colored" cars back in the 1950s, as well as separate waiting rooms?

The Northern Pacific North Coast Limited......Good memories in the Dome Cars....Nostalgia....

The Kansas City Florida Special. A long slow ride. I would like to have boarded at night In a freezing cold Kansas City. Roll gently through two nights and in the second afternoon airive in a warm Miami In a bedroom Not a luxury train but one I always liked.

Denver, Rio Grande and Western Royal Gorge. The Royal Gorge was originally a St. Louis to Oakland train that operated Mo Pac to Colorado Springs, DRG&W Colorado Springs to Salt Lake City, WP Salt Lake City-Oakland. In the 1950s and early 60s, it was a DRG&W Denver - Colorado Springs-Salt Lake City Train via the Royal Gorge Route which was as beautiful as the California Zephyr route via the Moffat Tunnel. Unfortunately I didn't get to ride this train before it was discontinued and now it would be impossible because the route through the Royal Gorge has been truncated. If I remember correctly, DRG&W ran a Dome car almost to the end. D&RGW bought some of the excess Chessie cars bulit by C&O for their illfated Chessie train between Washington, DC and Cincinnati. The Domes were perfect for the Rocky Mountains. Some of these cars survived into Amtrak.

California Zephyr

The Phoebe Snow from New York City to Corning NY via Scranton PA. It was the train that my Great Aunt took when we picked her up in Corning.

Powered by clean burning anthracite. Phoebe never got her white gloves dirty

BCL said:

Weren't there such things as "colored" cars back in the 1950s, as well as separate waiting rooms?

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Yes, on intrastate trains in Dixie.

California Zephyr for me

Broadway Limited through Pennsylvania.

The Great Northern Empire Builder

Pre-diesel Southern Pacific Daylight, Los Angeles to San Francisco.

The Olympian Hiawatha with a room in one of the Creek series Skytops.

Twin Star Rocket. I just like the name.

Great Northern Empire Builder and Illinois Central all Pullman overnight train Chicago to New Orleans. I did ride these two on my first long distance train vacation trip in 1965.

Bill Haithcoat said:

The Kansas City Florida Special. A long slow ride. I would like to have boarded at night In a freezing cold Kansas City. Roll gently through two nights and in the second afternoon airive in a warm Miami In a bedroom Not a luxury train but one I always liked.

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Good one, Bill. For the same reasons - my choice is Seaboard's Palmland. Left Washington late evening, arrived Ft. Lauderdale, where I got off, second morning. It featured a heavyweight grill-lounge car that former editor Trains Magazine said served the coldest beer. I concur.

Tennessee Traveler said:

Great Northern Empire Builder and Illinois Central all Pullman overnight train Chicago to New Orleans. I did ride these two on my first long distance train vacation trip in 1965.

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The Panama Limited..... when at my grandmothrs ( 2 houses from the mainline ) we always walked to the tracks to wave to the Panama

20th Century Limited. That train had class, especially with the streamlined locomotive. It was, in my opinion, one of the best looking trains ever to roll. Never saw it, of course, by the time I came around, Amtrak had already been around a couple of years, but I fell in love with it, when I got an issue of Model Railroader Magazine for Christmas back in 87 or 88, had a module layout of the NYC along the water level route, with that train on the cover. That kinda hooked me.

Thee 20th Century Limited, of course I'd have to order the brook trout and a Gibson...

Northern Pacific's North Coast Limited. "Four Domes West" Why? Because it was the most beautiful of the post war streamliners and it travelled through some of the most spectacular scenery you could see by rail. (YES, IMHO, the NPs route was much more scenic than the GNs that survive as AMTRAK'S Empire Builder today). In addition, its dining car was known throughout the nation as the BEST. White linen, silver service, Montana brook trout and a GREAT BIG BAKED POTATO!

"It was TERRIFFIC! It was NORTHERN PACIFIC!"

Anything pulled by a steam engine, which by the mid-50's were all but gone from mainline service.

Hard Choice but since I actually got to Ride a Couple of the Classic Trains (I'm Old! :giggle: ) I'd go with the 20th Century Ltd. with Eva Marie Saint in a Drawing Room from NYC-CHI and then the Super Chief with a Drawing Room and Dinner in the Torquoise Room with Clark Gable, Claudet Colbert and other Movie Stars from CHI-LAUS!!! :wub:

**That North Coast Limited Sounds Pretty Nice, Id probably have to ride up the Coast and take it home Via SPs Daylight to SFO and then on to SEA on the Best LD that ran this Route to SEA!

A route that you should still be able to ride today, the Dixie Flagler.