Trail Blazer (train)

Trail Blazer
Overview
Predecessor The General
First service July 28, 1939
Last service July 26, 1959
Successor General
Former operator(s) Pennsylvania Railroad (1939–1959)
Route
Stops
  1. New York, NY (Pennsylvania Station) (ET)
  2. Newark, NJ
  3. Trenton, NJ
  4. Philadelphia, PA (North Philadelphia Station)
  5. Paoli, PA
  6. Lancaster, PA
  7. Harrisburg, PA
  8. Altoona, PA
  9. Pittsburgh, PA
  10. Canton, OH
  11. Mansfield, OH
  12. Crestline, OH
  13. Lima, OH (ET)
  14. Fort Wayne, IN (CT)
  15. Plymouth, IN
  16. Gary, IN
  17. Englewood, IL (Union Station)
  18. Chicago, IL (Union Station) (CT)
Distance travelled 907.7 miles (1,460.8 km)
Average journey time 17 hours
Service frequency Everyday
Train number(s) 76 (Chicago to New York
77 (New York to Chicago)
On-board services
Seating arrangements 644 (14-car consist, incl. 72 Lounge seat)
Catering facilities Twins-Unit Dining Car
Observation facilities Lounge observation car
Entertainment facilities Radio broadcast, magazines and drinks
Baggage facilities Combine Baggage car provided
Other facilities Extra lounge car at the front
Technical
Operating speed 53.4 mph (86 km/h)
PRR S1 #6100 hauling the Trail Blazer, PRR's premier, luxury all-coach train between New York and Chicago in Nov 1942.

The Trail Blazer was a deluxe all-coach train, inaugurated between New York and Chicago via Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on 17:25 schedule operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Trail Blazer was one of the first all-coach trains (along with the Santa Fe's El Capitan) to provide premium services comparable to a Pullman train. Two day before service began, The Trail Blazer equipment, including streamlined P70's, twin-unit diner, and observation designed by Raymond Loewy, exhibited at PennStation and makes press runs to Philadelphia; returns to New York on July 28 after display at Philadelphia. On July 28, 1939, service officially began, and was an immediate success. On July 29, 1939, First eastbound Trail Blazer arrives at New York World's Fair for special ceremony; eastbound trips continue to run direct to Fair.

According to LIFE magazine, reservation were made as far as 6 weeks during the first month of service. The PRR felt very pleased with the performance of this new coach-only train, Instead of the originally eight car consist planned, the train had to carry an average of 10.[1] The number of passengers on the Trail Blazer frequently exceeded those of the Pennsylvania's better-known train, the Broadway Limited and PRR's rival, New York Central's coach-only train the Pacemaker. New York Central's Pacemaker offering identical service and schedule but with ordinary heavyweight equipment inaugurated on same day; Trail Blazer name first used for East St. Louis-Pittsburgh preferred freight VL-6 in 1927. The Trail Blazer has carried about 132,000 passengers in the first year and 175,000 in the second, in 1940-41 it sometimes operates in second and third sections. [2]

According to the PRR's roster on 26 November 1943, The consist of Train #77 The Trailblazer had 14 rebuilt heavyweight passenger cars with streamlined features in total which including one PB70ER passenger baggage car, nine P70KR coaches, two D70CR and D70DR Diner, one P70GSR coach, and one POC70R coach-observation.[3] Historical photographic and films evidence showing that PRR S1 #6100 "The Big Engine" was the preferred engine of this popular, highly profitable (It carried 35 times more passengers than Broadway Limited in 1939, Gross Revenue equal to $2,260,000 in 1940 or $39,477,530 today.) and one of the longest and heaviest passenger train (more than 1000 tons) during the heyday of PRR's passenger services in early 40s. Beside PRR S1 #6100, Streamlined K4s, PRR S2 Direct-drive Steam Turbine Engine #6200 and PRR T1 were assigned to haul the train occasionally.

In 1948, PRR requiped the Trail Blazer with new EMD E8 Diesel Engines, new lightweight P85b 44-seat coaches and new twin-unit dining car built by PRR's own shop and ACF. In 1951, due to rapidly decline of demand, the Pennsylvania combined the Trail Blazer and General into one service. However, their time table still distinguished the two trains until July 26, 1959, when the Trail Blazer's name was removed.[4]

References

  1. LIFE 21 Aug 1939
  2. http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1941.pdf | THE PRR CHRONOLOGY 1942
  3. "Pennsy Streamliners: The Blue Ribbon Fleet by Joe Welsh, 1999, Page 54
  4. Welsh, Joe (2006). Pennsylvania Railroad's Broadway Limited. Saint Paul, MN: Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-2302-1.


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