# B & O Capitol Limited



## profwebs (Oct 1, 2009)

Anybody know a good place to find info on the train? Googled for a bit but can't find much info or pictures.


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## Bill Haithcoat (Oct 1, 2009)

I googled "Capitol Limited B&O" and it looked fairly informative to me. What sort of info are you looking for? Maybe I can help in some way. I can give you an equipment listing possibly if you give me date. At my desk I keep a 1957 Official Guide. Would you like that info?

It was a grand old train with conservative royal blue beauty. Not as "flashy" as some streamliners but a good steady business person's train.Managed to blend some well rebuilt heayweight cars in with mostly lightweight.

Several cars from it are or were on display at the Baltimore museum.


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## Long Train Runnin' (Oct 1, 2009)

There is this book. I leafed through it at my local book store I'd say it would satisfy one's curiosity.


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## profwebs (Oct 1, 2009)

Bill Haithcoat said:


> I googled "Capitol Limited B&O" and it looked fairly informative to me. What sort of info are you looking for? Maybe I can help in some way. I can give you an equipment listing possibly if you give me date. At my desk I keep a 1957 Official Guide. Would you like that info?
> It was a grand old train with conservative royal blue beauty. Not as "flashy" as some streamliners but a good steady business person's train.Managed to blend some well rebuilt heayweight cars in with mostly lightweight.
> 
> Several cars from it are or were on display at the Baltimore museum.


I'm probably looking for most of what is in the book that LTR suggested above. I'm more interested in pictures of the train, inside and out. I bet it was something to ride! I'll definitely have to take a trip to the museum also. What type of cars are there?


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## MrFSS (Oct 1, 2009)

Would this *link* help?


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## rrdude (Oct 1, 2009)

profwebs said:


> Bill Haithcoat said:
> 
> 
> > I googled "Capitol Limited B&O" and it looked fairly informative to me. What sort of info are you looking for? Maybe I can help in some way. I can give you an equipment listing possibly if you give me date. At my desk I keep a 1957 Official Guide. Would you like that info?
> ...


Good description given above as "Not as "flashy" as some streamliners but a good steady business person's train........" We had one of the cars on our dinner train, the EnterTrainment Line, in Maryland for a while. The little bit of research I did coincides with what Bill wrote. Steady train, on time, good patronage, had it's share of celebs, but just "took care of business"......... Kinda like Virgin or SWA does today...........


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## profwebs (Oct 1, 2009)

MrFSS said:


> Would this *link* help?


Some good info there too, thanks..


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## Bill Haithcoat (Oct 1, 2009)

Some other trains on the same line were the Shenandoah and the Columbian. Then there were other routes such as St. Louis to Washington,Baltimore to Detroit,Philadlephia to Pittsburgh,Cincinnati to Detroit,etc.

While not as busy as the giant Pennsylvania RR and the New York Central, nonetheless B&O was definately no slacker.

Let me add this: the CL was not a train that everybody swooned over (like, say, the Super Chief) but they respected the living heck out of it and for most of its life probably set their watches by it. I would wager it was known for spectacular dishes, too, but not sure what.Probably a great Maryland crab.

It's route from Chicago to Pittsburgh differed somewhat from the route today.

B&O got some CHI to WAS competition from the PRR. Its most notable CHI to WAS train was the Liberty Limited.

The B&O trains went from Chicago and other places to New York via going to Washington, then going north terminating in Jersey City. Then rail buses to a couple of stops in the Big Apple.

Here is the equipment from 1957.

club car lounge CHI to WAS

Observation lounge double bedrooms CHI to WAS

Strata dome car, 5 roomettes 3 drawiing rooms CHi to WAS

sleepers:

10 roomettes, 6 double bedrooms Los Angeles to Washington (from Santa Fe Super Chief in Chicago)

14 roomettes 4 double bedrooms CHI to New York

16 duplex roomettes, 4 doube bedrooms CHI to New York

16 duplex roomettes, 4 double bedrooms CHi to WAS

10 roometts 6 double bedrooms CHI to WAS

10 roomette 6 double bedrooms CHI to WAS

10 roometes 6 double bedrooms CHI to WAS

14 section 1 drawing room CHI to WAS

dining car CHI to WAS

It was--at that time--still advertised as an all pullman train. However there were coaches between WAS and NY but that was not purely the Capital Limited--that ran combined with the Columbian. a coach train.

That equipment from WAS to NY was diner, parlor car with drawing room,lounge car,coach lounge and coach.

It had what was at that time called a stewardess nurse from CHI to WAS.

It left WAS 4.30 pm arrived CHI 7 a.m.

It left CHI 4.10pm arrived WAS 8.25 a.m.

I am sure that round about route from CHI to NY probably benefited people at intermediate stops more than those going all the way. There were plenty of more direct NYC and PRR trains to do that.

The book which Long Train Runnin' pointed out looks like it would wrap this all up very nicely.


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## profwebs (Oct 2, 2009)

Yeah the book is probably my best bet. I know alot here have the knowledge, but I'm looking to "feel" what the train was like. Kinda hard to do that not being able to physically be on it...

Thanks


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## Bill Haithcoat (Oct 3, 2009)

profwebs said:


> Yeah the book is probably my best bet. I know alot here have the knowledge, but I'm looking to "feel" what the train was like. Kinda hard to do that not being able to physically be on it...
> Thanks


Do you have any experiece with any other pre Amtrak trains to know how to compare how it feels?

Meanwhile in my long post above I mentioned food and suggested that Maryland crab might be on the menu. I have checked further and find the following as being among the offerings: crab imperial, oyster pie,chicken with corn fritters and Smithfield ham. Also a "Help Yourself Salad" and bottled water from the spring at Deer Park, Maryland. This from a book I recommend showing many of the better trains all across the country.

It is "Classic American Streamliners" by Mike Schafer and Joe Welsh,1997 by Motorbooks Intrrnational. I recommend highly if you are interested in the pre-Amtrak trains in general, not just the Cap.


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## profwebs (Oct 3, 2009)

Bill Haithcoat said:


> profwebs said:
> 
> 
> > Yeah the book is probably my best bet. I know alot here have the knowledge, but I'm looking to "feel" what the train was like. Kinda hard to do that not being able to physically be on it...
> ...


Nope, all the "pre-Amtrak" trains were gone before i came around, lol. Maybe I'll look into that book also...

I did find this youtube user: gothpapa with a lot of cool old 8mm videos of various trains. You might like them too.


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## Long Train Runnin' (Oct 5, 2009)

profwebs said:


> Bill Haithcoat said:
> 
> 
> > profwebs said:
> ...


Bill sold me on "Classic American Streamliners" it really is worth every penny it is PACKED with great information!


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## profwebs (Oct 28, 2009)

> It is "Classic American Streamliners" by Mike Schafer and Joe Welsh,1997 by Motorbooks Intrrnational. I recommend highly if you are interested in the pre-Amtrak trains in general, not just the Cap.


Ordered it today, can't wait till it gets here... Glad Amazon has used books.. $171 for a new copy?


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## Bill Haithcoat (Oct 28, 2009)

profwebs said:


> > It is "Classic American Streamliners" by Mike Schafer and Joe Welsh,1997 by Motorbooks Intrrnational. I recommend highly if you are interested in the pre-Amtrak trains in general, not just the Cap.
> 
> 
> Ordered it today, can't wait till it gets here... Glad Amazon has used books.. $171 for a new copy?


Hope you enjoy it. Do not hesitate to ask questions, since I grew up in that era.


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## Long Train Runnin' (Oct 28, 2009)

profwebs said:


> > It is "Classic American Streamliners" by Mike Schafer and Joe Welsh,1997 by Motorbooks Intrrnational. I recommend highly if you are interested in the pre-Amtrak trains in general, not just the Cap.
> 
> 
> Ordered it today, can't wait till it gets here... Glad Amazon has used books.. $171 for a new copy?


A good choice it has plenty of photos and old ads I think you will enjoy it. I was able to get a copy for list price through Borders about a year ago I guess the copies in print are starting to dry up.


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## como (Oct 28, 2009)

Long Train Runnin said:


> profwebs said:
> 
> 
> > > It is "Classic American Streamliners" by Mike Schafer and Joe Welsh,1997 by Motorbooks Intrrnational. I recommend highly if you are interested in the pre-Amtrak trains in general, not just the Cap.
> ...


Mr. LTR,

It may be a little hard to find but check out the two volume "The Trains We Road" by Lucious Bebee and Charles Clegg. There writing style is way over the top, but their description of the Capitol Limited and other trains is thorough and there are lots of pictures.


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