NEW
YORK CENTRAL SYSTEM
The Water Level Route—You Can Sleep
PULLMAN,
COACH AND DINING CAR SERVICE EASTBOUND
Regularly assigned cars are air-conditioned.
Air-conditioned equipment is assigned as far as possible but the right
is reserved to employ non air-conditioned cars as necessitated by
volume of traffic or emergencies.
No. 28—New
England States—Daily—Streamliner.
Observation Lounge Sleeping Car...Chicago
to Boston—5 Double Bedrooms—Buffet.
Lounge Sleeping Car...Chicago to Boston—6
Double Bedrooms—Buffet.
Sleeping Cars...Chicago to Boston—10
Roomette, 6 Double Bedroom.—(Five.)
Pittsburgh
to Boston—10 Roomette, 5 Double Bedroom (from P. & L. E. No.
33-N.Y.C. No. 284 at Buffalo).
Dining Service.
Reclining Seat Coaches...Chicago to
Boston—all seats reserved and assigned in advance.
Diner Lounge Coach.
PULLMAN,
COACH AND DINING CAR SERVICE WESTBOUND
Regularly assigned cars are air-conditioned.
Air-conditioned equipment is assigned as far as possible but the right
is reserved to employ non air-conditioned cars as necessitated by
volume of traffic or emergencies.
No. 27—New
England States—Daily—Streamliner.
Observation Lounge Sleeping Car...Boston
to Chicago—5 Double Bedroom—Buffet.
Lounge Sleeping Car...Boston to Chicago—6
Double Bedroom—Buffet.
Sleeping Cars—Open at Buffalo 9:00
p.m.
Boston
to Chicago—10 Roomette, 6 Double Bedroom (Five).
Buffalo
to Chicago—10 Roomette, 6 Double Bedroom.
Dining Service.
Reclining Seat Coaches...Boston to
Chicago—all seats reserved and assigned in advance.
Diner Lounge Coach.
Here is another train suggested by a correspondent; Mr. Gib Gardner. He relates memories of riding this train west from Springfield in the late '40s/early '50s:
"In the earlier years the States (as we called) would roar into Springfield behind one of NYC's larger steam engines, having made the trip from Boston's South Station in just two hours. Getting everyone on board took a long time because — although seats were reserved — no one ever knew where their numbered car would be. The coaches were generally up front, followed by (maybe) a lounge and diner, with the sleepers behind. I rode both coach and sleeper. The coaches were standard NYC and quite comfortable with a lot of leg room, but no foot rests, and I remember sleeping well. It was a fast-moving trip except for the grade east of Springfield which was very dramatic with huge amounts of steam. I do remember one especially long train with two engines.
"We would stop briefly at Albany (the old Albany station, not the present one on the east side of the Hudson River), then Schenectady, and of course Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. The departure from Springfield was around 4 or 5 p.m., and I remember arrival into LaSalle St. Station around 8 or 9 the next morning. On my trips it was always on time."Mr. Gardner remembers stopping at Albany and I'm sure that happened at some point during this train's life, but at this particular point in time a notation on the timetable clearly states, "Through train; Does not enter Albany station". Exact routings were of course subject to change at the whim of the railroad, which happened frequently.