Different Train Names in Each Direction

In most cases, American passenger trains had the same name in each direction. For example, it was the Broadway Limited and 20th Century Limited, whether it was operating from New York to Chicago or from Chicago to New York.

For a project, I need an example of a pair of trains that had different names in each direction. I know these existed, but not on the railroads I know best. Can anyone cite an example of a train pair with two different names?

Many thanks.

How about the Atlantic Express and Pacific Express on the ERIE, Jersey City to Chicago, or the Washingtonian and Montrealer on the PRR, NH, CV, CN route.

Great examples. Thanks.

Nickel Plate in post World War II years City of Cleveland/City of Chicago, New Yorker/Westerner, Blue Dart/Blue Arrow. Illinois Central on Meridian-Shreveport route Northeastern Ltd./Southwestern Ltd.

Joint PRR-Wabash Chicago-Detroit service. Chicago Arrow/Detroit Arrow.

How about a situation where a train continues through a terminal, carrying a different name than it had when it arrived?

For a period in the 1960's, the Union Pacific's "City of Denver", after arrival from Chicago, would continue on to Portland as "The City of Portland". This was reversed, of course, on the eastbound move.

I think this is still common in forwarding train consists. The AMTRAK "Lake Shore Limited" leaves Chicago westbound as the "California Zephyr", or used to, at least.

Les

Desertdweller wrote:How about a situation where a train continues through a terminal, carrying a different name than it had when it arrived?

For a period in the 1960's, the Union Pacific's "City of Denver", after arrival from Chicago, would continue on to Portland as "The City of Portland". This was reversed, of course, on the eastbound move.

Are you saying the City of Denver and City of Portland operated as one train? When arriving at Denver (I assume this was at Denver), some passengers got off, some stayed on, some more boarded, and the train headed on its way? Or are you just talking about the planned equipment rotations?

If passengers can't ride through, then it's not the same train but just a matter of how the railroad chose to route its equipment.

I think this is still common in forwarding train consists. The AMTRAK "Lake Shore Limited" leaves Chicago westbound as the "California Zephyr", or used to, at least.

Never. LSL uses single-level equipment; CZ has always been Superliners (before some tries to correct that, Amtrak's CZ started in 1983; before that, it was the SFZ).

Amtrak has done some through-routing of equipment from one train to another but never as a through-train operation. Passengers disembark, train is serviced, passengers board as the new train. No different then when I have flown (many times) from A to C with a connection (different flight number) at B only to find myself boarding the same plane.

AMTRAK's Cal. Zephyr was not a continuation of the Lake Shore Limited. I was thinking of something else, maybe the City of New Orleans. Anyway, both trains used Superliner equipment.

As to the City of Portland/City of Denver, this train for a period in the 60's did as described. The train would arrive as either the City of Denver (from Chicago) or the City of Portland (from Portland). It would then depart as the other train. This operation began in January 1959 and lasted until the fall of 1967. After then, the City of Denver was just a stub train between Denver and North Platte, where cars were switched into and out of their grand juggernaut. City of Portland cars from Denver to Portland were added to the City of St. Louis at Cheyenne after the fall 1967 change.

I suppose this was done to make maximum use of equipment. Could a person purchase a ticket at either Portland or Chicago to ride through? Undoubtedly. Could a person holding that ticket remain on the train while it was turned at Denver? I don't see why not.

Passengers on the Portland Rose would continue on through Denver enroute from Portland to Kansas City until the train was discontinued east of Denver. In December 1969, the Portland Rose between Denver and KC was replaced by a mixed train that did not connect with the Rose in Denver.

You might be wondering why a through train would even have to be turned at Denver. All UP trains entered the Denver Station from the north (railroad direction east) end. They would then depart from the direction they entered. This was also true of the California Zephyr. UP had three main lines feeding into Denver from the north. The Cheyenne line (Denver Pacific) ran north-south between the two cities. The Julesburg line (Denver Pacific) connected with the Cheyenne line at LaSalle, north of Denver. Both lines connected with the Transcon Main. The Kansas City line (Kansas Pacific) entered the Denver area from the southeast, and connected with the Cheyenne line at Commerce City.

The City of St. Louis was another through train that ducked in and out of Denver, using the routing used by the Portland Rose.

I've personally ridden a lot of trains in and out of Denver, but never through Denver, so I can't attest to what trains permitted through passengers to remain aboard while the trains were turned.

At least as far as the 1960's are concerned, I can find no passenger trains that actually operated through (arriving and then continuing on through the terminal in the same direction). This has always seemed a little strange to me, as the station is constructed as a through station. But it actually served as a double-ended stub terminal with capability for through movements, like Union Station in Chicago.

Les

I believe the Lake Shore shares equipment through NYP with either the Crescent, Silver Meteor, or Silver Star.