James Whitcomb Riley (train)

Last updated

James Whitcomb Riley
American Trains (Charlottesville, 1974).jpg
The James Whitcomb Riley at Charlottesville, Virginia in 1974.
Overview
Service type Inter-city rail
StatusDiscontinued
Locale Midwestern United States
First service1941
Last service1977
Successor Cardinal
Former operator(s) New York Central (19411968)
Penn Central (19681971)
Amtrak (19711977)
Route
Termini Chicago
Cincinnati, Ohio (19411971)
Newport News, Virginia (19711976)
Washington, D.C. (19711977)
Distance travelled884 mi (1,422.66 km)
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)50, 51
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)

The James Whitcomb Riley was a passenger train that operated between Chicago, Illinois, and Cincinnati, Ohio, via Indianapolis, Indiana. Originally operated by the New York Central Railroad, it was taken over by Amtrak in 1971. Under Amtrak, it merged with the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway's George Washington to become a Chicago-Washington/Newport News train. In 1977, it was renamed the Cardinal , which remains in operation.

Contents

History

The James Whitcomb Riley was introduced by the New York Central on April 28, 1941, as a daytime, all-coach train between Chicago and Cincinnati by way of Indianapolis. [1] :146 It was named after the Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley, known for his celebration of Americana. The Riley was a companion to the Mercury streamliners which operated on the Chicago-Detroit and Chicago–Cleveland routes. [2] :91 The Riley was retained by the Penn Central (as trains 303 and 304) [3] after its formation from the merger of the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroad, but in 1968 it petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) for permission to abandon the service, citing the loss of a mail contract and the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway's termination of through sleepers on the Chicago–Newport News route. The ICC refused, and the Riley survived until the formation of Amtrak. [2] :93

CityDeparture time
Chicago (Central Station)4:30 p.m.
Woodlawn, 63rd Street 4:40 p.m.
Kankakee5:35 p.m.
Lafayette 6:52 p.m.
Indianapolis 8:00 p.m.
Cincinnati (Union Terminal)11:00 p.m.
Source: Official Guide of the Railways , June 1941. [4]

Amtrak

1975 map of the James Whitcomb Riley and the Mountaineer James Whitcomb Riley and Mountaineer 1975 map.png
1975 map of the James Whitcomb Riley and the Mountaineer
The eastbound James Whitcomb Riley in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1977 James Whitcomb Riley in Charlottesville, March 1977.jpg
The eastbound James Whitcomb Riley in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1977

Amtrak, upon its 1971 commencement of operations, kept the Riley intact. During the summer, it began integrating the Riley with the George Washington , an old C&O sleeper running from Cincinnati to Washington, with a section splitting off at Charlottesville, Virginia to continue to Newport News. The George began exchanging Washington-Chicago and Newport News-Chicago through coaches with the Riley at Cincinnati on July 12, and a through sleeping car began September 8. [5] :33 Earlier, the George had handed its sleepers to the Riley for most of the 1950s. [6]

With the November 14, 1971, schedule, the Riley and George Washington merged into a single long-distance Chicago-Washington/Newport News train. The merged train was known as the George Washington eastbound and the James Whitcomb Riley westbound. At the same time the route was extended from Washington to Boston, Massachusetts, and was assigned train numbers 50 eastbound and 51 westbound.

On March 6, 1972, the train was rerouted from Chicago's Central Station into Union Station. On April 30, the northern terminus was truncated back to Washington. A broadcast by CBS's 60 Minutes in 1973 revealed that the Riley was limited to 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) in Indiana due to deteriorating Penn Central track. In 1974 the Riley was re-routed off Penn Central trackage altogether along with the Floridian . [5] :86 On May 19, 1974, the Washington and Riley were fully merged, with the Riley name now used in both directions.

James Whitcomb Riley, March 1975
Trains 50 and 51Trains 450 and 451
CityDepartureCityDeparture
Chicago, IL (Union Station)2:35 p.m.
Peru, IN6:00 p.m.
Muncie, IN7:25 p.m.
Richmond, IN (300 North 3rd Street)8:25 p.m.
Cincinnati, OH (River Road Station)11:32 p.m.
Catlettsburg, KY (Tri-State Station)2:50 a.m.
Huntington, WV3:12 a.m.
Charleston, WV4:11 a.m.
Prince, WV (Beckley)5:46 a.m.
Hinton, WV6:26 a.m.
White Sulphur Springs, WV7:26 a.m.
Clifton Forge, VA8:27 a.m.
Staunton, VA9:36 a.m.
Charlottesville, VA (Union Station)10:35 a.m.
Charlottesville, VA (Main Street Station)11:10 a.m.Charlottesville, VA (Main Street Station)11:00 a.m.
Alexandria, VA1:00 p.m.Richmond, VA (Main St. Station)1:05 p.m.
Washington, DC1:30 p.m.
(arrival)
Williamsburg, VA (Jamestown)1:55 p.m.
Newport News, VA2:35 p.m.
(arrival)
Source: The Mountaineer /The James Whitcomb Riley , Amtrak brochure, March 1975

A new train, the Mountaineer began service between Norfolk, Virginia (Lambert's Point Station), and Chicago (Union Station), in March 1975. It ran combined with the Riley between Russell Yard, the former C&O freight yard near Ashland, Kentucky, and Chicago. [7]

In October 1975, Main Street Station in Richmond, Virginia, closed and the Riley moved to the C&O depot at Ellerson, on the outskirts of Richmond. A bus connected passengers to Broad Street Station, which itself was soon replaced by Staples Mill Road Station. [8]

The section between Newport News and Charlottesville was discontinued on June 14, 1976. [8] The Colonial began running over its former route between Newport News and Richmond, continuing northward to Washington and New York. The Riley ran between Chicago and Washington, via Charlottesville.

In 1977 the Mountaineer was replaced by the Hilltopper , which ran between Washington and Cattlettsburg, where it connected with the Riley for Chicago. A connecting bus via Petersburg, Virginia, served Norfolk.

The James Whitcomb Riley was renamed the Cardinal on October 30, 1977, as the cardinal was the state bird of all six states through which it ran. It was discontinued September 30, 1981 (by then having been extended to New York from Washington) and brought back by Congressional mandate on January 8, 1982.

Related Research Articles

<i>Broadway Limited</i> Former Pennsylvania Railroad and Amtrak passenger train

The Broadway Limited was a passenger train operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) between New York City and Chicago. It operated from 1912 to 1995. It was the Pennsylvania's premier train, competing directly with the New York Central Railroad's 20th Century Limited. The Broadway Limited continued operating after the formation of Penn Central (PC) in February 1968, one of the few long-distance trains to do so. PC conveyed the train to Amtrak in 1971, who operated it until 1995. The train's name referred not to Broadway in Manhattan, but rather to the "broad way" of PRR's four-track right-of-way along the majority of its route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesapeake and Ohio Railway</span> Defunct American Class I railway

The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P. Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Richmond to the Ohio River by 1873, where the railroad town of Huntington, West Virginia, was named for him.

<i>Cardinal</i> (train) Amtrak service from Chicago, IL to New York, NY

The Cardinal is a long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between New York Penn Station and Chicago Union Station via Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Charlottesville, Charleston, Huntington, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis. Along with the Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited, it is one of three trains linking the Northeast and Chicago. Its 1,146-mile (1,844 km) trip between New York and Chicago takes 2814 hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Station (Chicago terminal)</span> Railroad terminal in Chicago, Illinois

Central Station was an intercity passenger terminal in downtown Chicago, Illinois, at the southern end of Grant Park near Roosevelt Road and Michigan Avenue. Owned by the Illinois Central Railroad, it also served other companies via trackage rights. It opened in 1893, replacing Great Central Station, and closed in 1972 when Amtrak rerouted services to Union Station. The station building was demolished in 1974. It is now the site of a redevelopment called Central Station, Chicago.

The Colonial, also known as the Colonial Express, was a service of the Pennsylvania Railroad and New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad between Washington Union Station in Washington, D.C. and South Station in Boston, Massachusetts. It was operated until 1973 by Amtrak.

<i>Floridian</i> (Amtrak train, 1971–1979) Former Amtrak train between Chicago and Florida

The Floridian was a train operated by Amtrak from 1971 to 1979 that ran between Chicago and Florida, with two branches south of Jacksonville terminating at Miami and St. Petersburg. For its Nashville to Montgomery segment, its route followed that of several former Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N) passenger trains, including the Pan-American and the Humming Bird. Originating in Chicago, the train served Lafayette and Bloomington, Indiana; Louisville and Bowling Green, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; Decatur, Birmingham, Montgomery and Dothan, Alabama; and Thomasville, Valdosta and Waycross, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlottesville Union Station</span> Railway station in the United States

The Charlottesville Union Station, located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, is served by Amtrak's Cardinal,Crescent, and daily Northeast Regional passenger trains. It is Amtrak's third-busiest station in Virginia, aside from its all-auto Auto Train station in Lorton. The station is situated in the northeast quadrant of the junction between two railway lines. The Cardinal uses the east–west line, owned by the state of Virginia, and formerly by CSX Transportation, and operated by the Buckingham Branch Railroad, while other services use the north–south line owned and operated by Norfolk Southern Railway. The station is within walking distance of the University of Virginia, which is the major employer in the area.

<i>George Washington</i> (train) Cincinnati-DC passenger rail service

The George Washington was a named passenger train of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway running between Cincinnati, Ohio and Washington, D.C. that operated from 1932, the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington, to 1974. A section divided from the main train at Gordonsville, Virginia and operated through Richmond to Phoebus, Virginia. From the west, a section originated in Louisville and joined at Ashland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newport News station</span> Former Amtrak inter-city train station in Newport News, Virginia

Newport News station was an Amtrak inter-city train station in Newport News, Virginia. When it closed, it was the southern terminus of two daily Northeast Regional round trips. It has a single side platform adjacent to a large CSX rail yard. An Amtrak Thruway motorcoach connection to Norfolk station effectively doubles the frequency between each station and Washington. It was replaced by the Newport News Transportation Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Portsmouth–South Shore station</span> Railway station in South Shore, Kentucky

South Portsmouth–South Shore station is an Amtrak intercity rail station in South Shore, Kentucky. It primarily serves the city of Portsmouth, Ohio, located across the Ohio River.

<i>Hoosier State</i> (train) Amtrak train route between Chicago, Illinois and Indianapolis, Indiana

The Hoosier State was a 196-mile (315 km) passenger train service operated by Amtrak between Chicago and Indianapolis. It ran on the four days each week that the Cardinal did not run, giving daily rail service to the Chicago–Indianapolis corridor.

<i>Hilltopper</i> (train)

The Hilltopper was a passenger train operated by Amtrak in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It ran daily from South Station in Boston, Massachusetts to Catlettsburg station in Catlettsburg, Kentucky. The 1,674 mi (2,694 km) run made 34 stops in 11 states and the District of Columbia.

<i>Shenandoah</i> (Amtrak train) Former Amtrak train between Washington, DC, and Cincinnati, OH

The Shenandoah was a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak between Washington and Cincinnati from 1976 until 1981.

<i>Manhattan Limited</i>

The Manhattan Limited was a passenger train of the Pennsylvania Railroad which served the Chicago—New York City route.

<i>New England States</i> American named passenger train (1938–1967)

The New England States was a passenger train operated by the New York Central Railroad and its successor Penn Central over the Water Level Route between Chicago and Boston. It was launched in 1938, in tandem with the relaunch of the newly-streamlined 20th Century Limited, and assumed responsibility for that train's Boston sleepers. In 1949 it became the first Chicago–Boston streamliner. The New York Central dropped the name in 1967; an unnamed remnant continued running until 1971. Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited now serves the route.

<i>National Limited</i> (Amtrak train) Defunct passenger rail service in the Eastern United States

The National Limited was a passenger train that ran between Kansas City, Missouri, and both New York City and Washington, D.C., splitting in Pennsylvania. Amtrak operated the train from 1971 to 1979.

The Fast Flying Virginian (FFV) was a named passenger train of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway.

<i>Mountaineer</i> (train) Former Amtrak passenger train in the eastern US

The Mountaineer was a passenger train operated by Amtrak between Norfolk, Virginia, and Chicago, Illinois, via Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the first train to use the Norfolk and Western Railway's tracks since the creation of Amtrak in 1971 and followed the route of the Pocahontas, the N&W's last passenger train. Service began in 1975 and ended in 1977. A new train, the Hilltopper, operated over much of the Mountaineer's route but was itself discontinued in 1979.

<i>Colonial</i> (Amtrak train)

The Colonial was an Amtrak intercity passenger train that operated between Boston, Massachusetts, and Newport News, Virginia, from 1976 to 1992. It was introduced on June 15, 1976, to replace the lightly-used Charlottesville-Newport News section of the James Whitcomb Riley. Certain trips were known as the Senator and Tidewater beginning in the late 1970s. The Richmond-New York City Virginian was added in 1984, with some trips called Potomac from 1985 to 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cincinnati River Road station</span> Amtrak rail station in Ohio, US

Cincinnati River Road station was an Amtrak intercity rail station located south of River Road west of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. It opened in October 1972 to replace the underused Cincinnati Union Terminal, and closed in July 1991 when Amtrak moved service back to the restored Union Terminal.

References

  1. Solomon, Brian; Schafer, Mike (2007). New York Central Railroad. Saint Paul, MN: MBI and Voyageur Press. ISBN   9780760329283. OCLC   85851554.
  2. 1 2 Sanders, Craig (2003). Limiteds, Locals, and Expresses in Indiana, 1838–1971. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN   978-0-253-34216-4.
  3. Craig Sanders (September 16, 1996). "Routes and Trains on the Eve of Amtrak". Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
  4. Official Guide of the Railways . New York: National Railway Publication Co. June 1941. OCLC   6340864.
  5. 1 2 Lynch, Peter E. (2004). Penn Central Railroad. Saint Paul, MN: MBI. ISBN   0760317631. OCLC   53356627.
  6. Schafer, Mike; Welsh, Joe (1997). Classic American Streamliners. Osceola, Wisconsin: MotorBooks International. ISBN   978-0-7603-0377-1.
  7. "Amtrak's 'Mountaineer' makes first run today". Williamson Daily News. March 24, 1975. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  8. 1 2 Sanders, Craig (2006). Amtrak in the Heartland. Indiana University Press. p. 40. ISBN   9780253027931.