The Rail History of Elwood, Indiana - Elwood Passenger Trains

The Elwood Chronicles

The Rail History

of Elwood, Indiana

Elwood Passenger Trains

TRACK 3

Richmond – Logansport (PRR/PC)

Added: October 24, 2013

CINCINNATI NIGHT EXPRESS/CHICAGO NIGHT EXPRESS

Est. 3/22/1914 from CHICAGO MIDNIGHT SPECIAL and MIDNIGHT EXPRESS;

#9-12; overnight train Cincinnati-Logansport-Chicago; renumbered #236-237

5/28/1916; #236 renamed THE SOUTHLAND 7/1/1917; restored as #236

11/25/1917; renumbered #202 (12/1918-2/10/24); renumbered #200 and

renamed CINCINNATI MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (2/10/24-4/24/27) (#236 assigned

to SOUTHLAND 5/22/19-2/10/24); old name and number #236-237 restored

12/2/1928; name dropped 4/27/1951; last trip 6/28/1952; reduced to RichmondLogansport local. (NOTE: SOUTHLAND runs as separate train, winter-only in 191819)

THE SOUTHLAND

Est. 11/21/1915 by renaming THE SOUTH ATLANTIC LIMITED and extending it to

Chicago; PRR #16-17; through train Chicago-Fort Wayne-Ridgeville-RichmondCincinnati-Atlanta-Jacksonville via L&N-CofG-ACL; renumbered PRR #206-207/L&N

#32-33 5/28/1916; renumbered #236-207 7/1/1917; renumbered #206-207

11/25/1917 - prob. separate train only in winter; renumbered #307-336 (7/1/17-7/

/18); (last trip for war 6/22/1918; revived ___); renumbered #201-236

12/14/1922; revived as year-round train, Cincinnati-Atlanta 4/30/1922 (?); through

cars to St. Petersburg added 12/16/1922; through cars to Miami added 12/1/1923;

through sleepers to Tampa via Ft. Wayne and Detroit-Ft. Wayne-St. Petersburg

added 12/2/1928; renumbered #200-201 11/1/1928; called THE NEW SOUTHLAND

12/11/1935-11/6/1938; west coast section combined with DIXIE FLYER south of

Albany, Ga., 12/12/1946; shifted from route via Fort Wayne to via Logansport and

Ridgeville 9/26/1948; shifted to direct route between Logansport and Richmond

4/30/1950; east coast cars combined with DIXIE FLYER south of Atlanta 7/15/1952;

renumbered #74-75 4/29/1956; discontinued 11/29/1957 including last ChicagoFlorida sleepers; PRR portion of train renamed THE BUCKEYE 12/1/1957.

INDIANA ARROW

Est. 9/27/1936 by naming #319-320; Chicago-Louisville and #219-220

Logansport-Richmond; last trip 4/24/1937; replaced by unnamed local #319-320.

THE UNION

Est. 4/2/1933; #207-208; day train Chicago-Cincinnati via Fort Wayne and

Ridgeville; rerouted to direct line via Logansport and Richmond 4/27/1937;

renumbered #71-72 4/29/1956; last trip Logansport-Columbus connection #80-81

10/27/1956; name dropped eff. 10/25/1959; Chicago-Dayton coach discontinued

7/29/1959; #72 discontinued Chicago-Crown Point and Richmond-Cincinnati

10/25/1959; #72 discontinued Crown Point-Richmond 7/6/1960; #71 renumbered

#65 4/28/1968; last trip #65 4/30/1971.

The UNION on the left

THE RED BIRD

Est. 12/12/1952 by renaming CHICAGO/CINCINNATI DAYLIGHT EXPRESS;

#215-216; Chicago-Cincinnati via Logansport; renumbered #70-73 4/29/1956;

name dropped and #73 discontinued Chicago-Crown Point and RichmondCincinnati, last trip 10/24/1959; #73 discontinued Crown Point-Richmond

7/6/1960; #70 retained as unnamed local; renumbered #66 4/28/1968;

discontinued 4/30/1971.

THE BUCKEYE

Est. 12/1/1957 by renaming PRR section of the former SOUTHLAND; #74-75;

Cincinnati-Chicago via Richmond and Logansport; renumbered #67-68 and name

dropped 4/28/1968; last trip 2/19/1969; connecting train #86-87 between

Richmond and Columbus last trip 2/4/1969.

The Rail History

of Elwood, Indiana

Elwood Passenger Trains

TRACK 4

Muncie – Frankfort (LE&W/NKP)

Updated: October 24, 2013

What's in a Name?

Probably the least heralded Nickel Plate long-distance trains were the Cleveland - St. Louis Nos. 9/10. Inaugurated February 19, 1928, the trains went unnamed

until October 28, 1956, when they became the Blue Arrow (westbound) and the

Blue Dart (eastbound).

The only Nickel Plate passenger trains to operate over all three predecessor

railroads, Nos. 9/10 ran on the New York, Chicago & St. Louis, the Lake Erie &

Western, and the Clover Leaf. Consequently, Nos. 9/10 were the last scheduled

Nickel Plate passenger trains to operate on the Clover Leaf and the Lake Erie &

Western.

NKP #9 "Blue Arrow" last arrival in STL and #10 "Blue Dart" last departure STL

on 3-14-59.

*Over on the St. Louis - Cleveland route, the unnamed trains 9/10 received names

beginning October 28, 1956; westbound was named the BLUE ARROW and its

eastbound counterpart was named the BLUE DART. The westbound BLUE ARROW

made its final run March 13, 1959, and the following day, the eastbound BLUE

DART made its final run.

3/21/1959 Trains 9/10 discontinued in Indiana 10/17/1959. Last runs in Ohio for

Trains 9/10 known as the Blue Arrow and Blue Dart.

*Blue Arrow: (Cleveland - St. Louis) – Blue Dart: (St. Louis - Cleveland)

VII_Elwood_Passenger_Trains.docx