Article remembering Royal Blue's last run

... appeared in The Baltimore Sun on 4/27/08.

Here it is... http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/ ... 040.column

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The neat thing about this line was its variety.

Ferries, then busy, mulit-carrier terminal, The four track CNJ mainline was through heavy commuter territory. Then onto the Reading's Trenton line was the feeling of a mid-20th century version of the TGV. Reading's commuter territory again, and big city, bridges, and river run to Park Station. Then, all of a sudden the train was in single track territory for 60 some miles with winding curves and rural scenery. Baltimore gave great sights of freights and industry including a tunnel with two stops. From Baltimore to Washington was a fast sprint again. Into Washington Terminal the Royal Blue head her head high against the likes of Florida streamliners.

A ride in the observation car was like few other on this line. Sad thing was that though I was only 12 to 14 at the time, I worried about being the only person in that car along with attendant. I didn't keep him very busy with my hourly ginger ale (at 15 cents each).

This Philadelphia-area native would have loved to experienced the route of the Royal Blue. But I was 40 months from being born when B&O nixed service east of Baltimore.

OTOH my mother, while growing up in Chester, PA, would take B&O from Chester every once in a while to Camden Station to see her aunt (my great aunt) in South Baltimore. Like my mom, I was born in Chester.

I never saw the Chester B&O station (a victim of I-95 construction and the lowering and single tracking of the ex-Royal Blue Line) either.

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Was in not the "Royal Blue" from whence came the "Blue Plate Special" on the B&O?

Thanks for this link. It does bring back memories. I remember pestering my dad to drive me to the Wilmington station to see the last run of the Royal Blue and somewhere I have a picture as it leaves the station.

We often took the train to Phila and it was always the B&O as my parents thought the PRR was cold and impersonal, which it was. The weekend before service ended, our parents let a buddy and I take the Speedliner to Baltimore for a last ride and a visit to the B&O museum.

The highlight of each year when growing up was our annual visit to grandmother's house in Tennessee. This always started with a much anticipated trip on the National Limited. We would board our sleeper in Wilmington at 4:02pm and always had a great trip. Hard to get too excited about Amtrak after experiencing that.

You're welcome, palmland, as are all others who enjoyed the article.

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I have the fondest memories of the Royal Blue. I went to elementary school in Cheltenham, Pa.in the 1950's (Presentation) The school was located at Cheltenham Junction where the Reading's NY Shortline branched off to the northeast and eventually Neshaminy Junction. Except for the commuter Newtown Local (still steam until 1952) the B&O's Royal Blue was the only passenger service that went through that location. Other passenger trains to NYC went through Jenkington. When we went out to recess I would go over to the railing above the station and watch trains. The morning run to NYC would come through every day at recess and many a time I imagined myself on that train heading for what unknown adventures in far off NYC. To a great extent my love of trains came from those eight years, 1949-1957, watching the reading and B&O at lunch and recess. That school is still there though the station burned down abot 15 years ago and was only recently replaced. Septa's electric MU's have replaced the Reading's G class pacifics, Alco RS 3's and F 3's but B&O's sucessor CSX still runs several freights a day that use the NY Shortline cut off. I still sometimes on occasion go back and look at that spot and my old school but I have never seen a student go over to the railing and watch the trains go by.

The Pennsylvania Railroad periodically issued what they called "A-notices" (prefixed with A and serially numbered) alerting passenger department employees about changes in service on the PRR and other railroads. When the B&O discontinued service to New York the PRR devoted an entire A-notice to it and gave a heads-up to the effect that the former B&O passengers, who presumably would shift to the PRR, were accustomed to excellent on-board service and PRR people should try to measure up to it. (I thought I had saved a copy of the notice but could never find it.) All in all, an extraordinary tribute from one railroad to a competitor. (H. L. Mencken commented in his memoirs that he always took the B&O to New York.)

ExCon90 wrote:When the B&O discontinued service to New York the PRR devoted an entire A-notice to it and gave a heads-up to the effect that the former B&O passengers, who presumably would shift to the PRR, were accustomed to excellent on-board service and PRR people should try to measure up to it.

And no doubt, that notice went unheeded by PRR employees!

I never heard any reports at the time indicating a marked improvement in PRR's on-board service following the B&O discontinuance.