It was possibly the most famous train in
American history: The Twentieth Century
Ltd ran between Grand Central Terminal and Chicago for 65 years, offering the
finest in accommodations and services.
The first train of this name ran in 1902,
making the journey in 20 hours, four hours faster than before. By 1905 the running time was cut to 18 hours. So confident was the operator, New York
Central RR, of delivering on-time performance, they offered each passenger $1
per hour for any delays. And that’s when
a one-way fare was about $50 for a sleeping section.
The train was like a land cruise,
complete with two-car dining car, observation lounge and bar, a valet, barber
and even a secretary who could take dictation.
By 1928, its peak year, the Twentieth Century was bringing in $10
million a year, making it the most profitable train in the world.
It was so popular, it didn’t just run
one train a night but as many as seven different sections, each outfitted with
the same equipment and staff. By the end
of the decade departure was pushed back to 5:30 pm as passengers boarded from a
purpose-built red carpet rolled out each evening on the GCT platform.
All of the premium compartments and
bedrooms were arranged so they faced the Hudson River so passengers could enjoy
the view. The powerful Hudson class of locomotives could
pull the 18-car train at a steady 90 mph.
To save time in refueling, it even took on water for its steam boilers running
at speed using a pan and scoop system built in the middle of the tracks, still
visible today south of Albany.
Billed as “the water level route”, the
NY Central competed well against its arch rival The Pennsylvania RR’s “Broadway
Limited”. Travel times were similar, but
the Century promised a smoother ride compared to the Pennsy’s which crossed the
Allegheny Mountains.
In 1939 the Century got a major makeover
by Henry Dreyfuss, a theatrical
designer who had moved into industrial design.
Dreyfuss went on to bring streamlined design to vacuum cleaners,
telephones and dozens of household items.
His remake of the Century included everything from car interiors to
dinnerware.
Service continued during World War II
and by 1948 another redesign saw steam locomotives replaced with diesels. The NY Central ordered 500 new cars and its
flagship train now offered such innovations as fluorescent lighting and an
onboard shower. But increased competition by airliners was eating into the
train’s profits.
A three hour flight between NY and
Chicago required a crew of six. But a 16
hour train ride on the Century had a crew of 50 and the engineers would change
shifts every 100 miles and receive a day’s pay.
This was an expensive train to operate.
By the mid-1950’s the train lost its
Mail & Express cars while construction of the NY Thruway, paralleling its
route, saw a further loss of passengers and revenue.
On December 2, 1967 the once glorious
Century made its last run from Grand Central, only half-full and almost 10
hours late into Chicago.
Today Amtrak offers a similar run, The
Lakeshore Ltd, which completes the journey in 19 hours… and is usually late. It has sleeping cars and coaches, but the
dining car no longer serves hot food, only a boxed lunch.
Posted with permission of Hearst CT Media
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