What's in a name?

[jdcnosse]

Saw this on Amtrak's facebook...thought it was interesting.

http://www.amtrak.co...d=1248542886769

The tradition of naming trains is as old as railroading itself, following the convention of naming ships to give some character and personality to these big machines. Historical figures, cities, states geographic features and significant events are all favorite themes, sometimes mixed with descriptive adjectives that evoke a bit of romance or adventure. Amtrak trains often have a fascinating lineage - take a look at how these trains got their names.

 

[the_traveler]

Somehow I find this funny!

The Lake Shore Limited is named after Lake Erie, along which the train travels for much of its journey.

Most of the journey along Lake Erie is at night. Even if it was daylight, I don't believe you can even see the lake!

 

[Shanghai]

Dave,

There are a few places east of Cleveland where you can see the lake.

 

[AlanB]

Dave,

There are a few places east of Cleveland where you can see the lake.

Agreed, I've seen Lake Erie several times from the train.

On the other hand, it can be rather eerie to arrive so late at night in Erie, PA. :lol:

 

[eagle628]

Somehow I find this funny!

The Lake Shore Limited is named after Lake Erie, along which the train travels for much of its journey.

Most of the journey along Lake Erie is at night. Even if it was daylight, I don't believe you can even see the lake!

All to often the LSL is late enough that it is daylight along the lake.

 

[AlanB]

Somehow I find this funny!

The Lake Shore Limited is named after Lake Erie, along which the train travels for much of its journey.

Most of the journey along Lake Erie is at night. Even if it was daylight, I don't believe you can even see the lake!

All to often the LSL is late enough that it is daylight along the lake.

Actually if one is eastbound and on time, getting up for breakfast at around 6:30 or so will usually find you seeing the Erie station and some of the lake views.

On my recent trip however, we left late due to a delayed inbound LSL, so for the first time ever I was having breakfast while in Cleveland. Only other time I've ever arrived into CLE in daylight was back when the Pennsy was still running to Chicago.

 

[eagle628]

Somehow I find this funny!

The Lake Shore Limited is named after Lake Erie, along which the train travels for much of its journey.

Most of the journey along Lake Erie is at night. Even if it was daylight, I don't believe you can even see the lake!

All to often the LSL is late enough that it is daylight along the lake.

Actually if one is eastbound and on time, getting up for breakfast at around 6:30 or so will usually find you seeing the Erie station and some of the lake views.

On my recent trip however, we left late due to a delayed inbound LSL, so for the first time ever I was having breakfast while in Cleveland. Only other time I've ever arrived into CLE in daylight was back when the Pennsy was still running to Chicago.

Eh, I personally find the GE locomotive factory more interesting. Water is common. Shiny new locomotives? Not so much.

 

[DET63]

Somehow I find this funny!

The Lake Shore Limited is named after Lake Erie, along which the train travels for much of its journey.

Most of the journey along Lake Erie is at night. Even if it was daylight, I don't believe you can even see the lake!

All to often the LSL is late enough that it is daylight along the lake.

Sounds like we know how the "Limited" got into the LSL's name.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

From the Facebook page, and the 'don't believe everything you read' catagory:

Capitol Limited
Taking its name from the predecessor train that ran its same route, the Capitol Limited travels daily from the nation's capitol, Washington, D.C. to Chicago.

This is not accurate. While the 'end points' are the same, it follows a different route between PGH and CHI than the predecessor, which followed the old B&O line.

Also the Southwest Chief and the Wolverine entries could use some editing...

But a good read, nevertheless. Thanks for sharing! :hi:

 

[Shanghai]

Maybe the Lake Shore Limited was named for Lake Michigan??

 

[jphjaxfl]

The Lakeshore Limited was named after The Lakeshore &Michigan Southern Railroad which was a New York Central subsidiary prior to the consolidation. The logo of the LS&MS use to be seen at the old LaSalle Street Station in Chicago.

 

[trainman74]

From the Facebook page, and the 'don't believe everything you read' catagory:

Capitol Limited
Taking its name from the predecessor train that ran its same route, the Capitol Limited travels daily from the nation's capitol, Washington, D.C. to Chicago.

This is not accurate. While the 'end points' are the same, it follows a different route between PGH and CHI than the predecessor, which followed the old B&O line.

I assume they're just simplifying things, interpreting "route" as merely "Washington to Chicago," not paying attention to the exact trackage used.

However, if that "capitol" spelling was copied correctly from the Facebook page, then that's wrong: Washington is the nation's capital, which is home to the Capitol building.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

From the Facebook page, and the 'don't believe everything you read' catagory:

Capitol Limited
Taking its name from the predecessor train that ran its same route, the Capitol Limited travels daily from the nation's capitol, Washington, D.C. to Chicago.

This is not accurate. While the 'end points' are the same, it follows a different route between PGH and CHI than the predecessor, which followed the old B&O line.

I assume they're just simplifying things, interpreting "route" as merely "Washington to Chicago," not paying attention to the exact trackage used.

However, if that "capitol" spelling was copied correctly from the Facebook page, then that's wrong: Washington is the nation's capital, which is home to the Capitol building.

Actually the correct spelling of the train's name IS Capitol Limited.

And if they are interpreting route in the way you describe, it is a very loose interpretation of the word, as a route is usually defined as a particular line, or course, of travel from one place to another.

 

[MrFSS]

I can remember two train names that were people - Ann Rutledge and Phoebe Snow (OK a fictional person).

The Ann Rutledge was also an Amtrak train on the Illinois Service.

Anyone remember any other trains with the names of people (real or fictional)?

 

[CHamilton]

Anyone remember any other trains with the names of people (real or fictional)?

The James Whitcomb Riley, a predecessor to today's Cardinal. A friend used to call it the Charles Nelson Reilly.

 

[Shanghai]

I can remember two train names that were people - Ann Rutledge and Phoebe Snow (OK a fictional person).

The Ann Rutledge was also an Amtrak train on the Illinois Service.

Anyone remember any other trains with the names of people (real or fictional)?

OK Tom, here goes:

Abraham Lincoln - CHI / STL

Commodore Vanderbilt - NYP / CHI

Booth Tarkington - CHI / CIN

DeWitt Clinton - CHI / TOL

Ethan Allen - NYP / Rutland, VT ( Just didn't make it to Transit54!!

James Whitcomb Riley - CHI / WAS

John Wilkes - NYP / Coxton, PA

John Quincy Adams - NYP / BOS

Sam Houston - FTW / Houston, TX

Tom Taber Express - Hoboken, NJ / Dover, NJ (with a Flag Stop in Chatham, NJ)

Will Rodgers - STL / SFO

 

And then we need to mention the following trains:

The Super Chief, named for AlanB

The Commander, named for Eric

The Cavalier, named for the-traveler

The Diplomat, named for PennyK

The Marylander, named for Ryan

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I can remember two train names that were people - Ann Rutledge and Phoebe Snow (OK a fictional person).

The Ann Rutledge was also an Amtrak train on the Illinois Service.

Anyone remember any other trains with the names of people (real or fictional)?

While I don't personally remember it: The Davy Crockett! :blink: hboy: :lol:

 

[Ispolkom]

Also, the Mark Twain Zephyr and General Pershing Zephyr.

 

[Bob Dylan]

While it wasnt "Official", the old SP Milk Run#8 Steamer was known as the Felix Garrett,he was the District Super between Sanderson and Valentine in West Texas and my grandfather! :wub: The saying went that the ride on Felix Garretts tracks were so smooth you could sleep all night even in the chair cars! :lol:

IINM there was also a George Washington, too lazy too Googgle it up, time for a nap! :lol: :lol: :lol:

BTW-Werent there lots of Pullmans and Business Cars named after various people, places and things also? (ie George Pullman etc.)

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

The Lakeshore Limited was named after The Lakeshore &Michigan Southern Railroad which was a New York Central subsidiary prior to the consolidation. The logo of the LS&MS use to be seen at the old LaSalle Street Station in Chicago.

Way to go !!! You came up with the exact answer instead of a speculation. I was about to speculate something like this, maybe the train's original schedule many years ago followed by the lakes during the daylight much more so than now. To aid in this I found a scattering of New York Central timetables back to 1948. However the schedule has not changed substantially since then so scratch that.

You came up with the exact answer anyway, so so much for the theory I was working with.

 

[Ispolkom]

Nancy Hanks was the name of Abraham Lincoln's mother, but wasn't the Central of Georgia's Nancy Hanks II named after a race horse?

 

[bobnabq]

That was very interesting. Thanks for posting it. :hi:

 

[zephyr17]

I can remember two train names that were people - Ann Rutledge and Phoebe Snow (OK a fictional person).

The Ann Rutledge was also an Amtrak train on the Illinois Service.

Anyone remember any other trains with the names of people (real or fictional)?

The Empire Builder. Named for James J. Hill, founder of the GN and nicknamed an empire builder.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Nancy Hanks was the name of Abraham Lincoln's mother, but wasn't the Central of Georgia's Nancy Hanks II named after a race horse?

Yes, named after a race horse, that is correct.

 

[George Harris]

IINM there was also a George Washington, too lazy too Googgle it up, time for a nap! :lol: :lol: :lol:

BTW-Werent there lots of Pullmans and Business Cars named after various people, places and things also? (ie George Pullman etc.)

George Washington was a Chesapeake adn Ohio train between Washington DC and Cincinatti, the premier train on that route. It lasted to A-day. It ahd a Newport News section that was put with the DC section at Charlottesville and a Louisville KY section that was taken off at Ashland KY. For quite a bit of its life it had a profile of Washington's head on the drumhead on the observation car. It was also a study in railroad cooperation, whether willing or otherwise at taht time. Although operated by C&O all teh way, if you were to ride Washington DC to Louisville KY you would be on the tracks of five diferent railroads, four before getting out of Virginia.

1. Washington Terminal Company trackage Union Station to Virginia Tower

2. Pennsylvania Railroad, Virginia Tower to the south end of the Patomac River Bridge

3. RF&P from there to AY(?) tower a little ways south of Alexandria VA,

4. Southern Railway AY tower to Orange VA

5. C&O's own rails from there to somewhere around Frankfort KY,

6. Over L&N rails teh rest of teh way to Louisville.

Actually one more at the very end, as for most of its life the C&O trains did not use the L&N station in Louisville, but anohter, i think the ICRR's.