ALBANY'S PASSENGER TRAINS

OF THE PAST

Intercity passenger trains serving Albany in 1942, 1956, and 1971 immediately prior to the creation of Amtrak.


THE STATIONS

The major stations serving Albany, during the golden age of passenger trains.

Union Station
575 Broadway
Opened 1900

Number of station tracks: 8 through
Interlocked switches controlled as follows:
Signal Station A: controlled the south end of the station
Signal Station B: controlled the north end of the station


NEW YORK CENTRAL

Departures-Westbound



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 29  Niagara               Buffalo        12:40
 59  Iroquois              Chicago        (skip)  35   1:15   63   2:00
 35  Fast Mail             Detroit         1:44   99  (skip)
159  Buffalo Express       Buffalo         2:28
 61  Seneca                Utica           4:30
 43  South Shore Express   Chicago         5:30        5:10
335                        Syracuse        6:15
705                        Troy            6:45
  9  Mail                  Buffalo         9:00   95   9:50
107  Syracuse Local        Syracuse       10:40    7   9:15
 51  Empire State Express  Cleveland      11:38       10:50   71  11:15
 55  Central Express       Syracuse       11:47
711                        Troy           11:50
  5  Mohawk                Chicago        12:58
769  Green Mountain Flyer  Montreal        1:03
 39  North Shore Limited   Det.-Chicago    3:50        2:57   73   3:15
441                        Syracuse        4:01
 41  Knickerbocker         St. Louis       5:38        5:20
  1  Pacemaker             Chicago        (skip)       5:55
 15  Ohio State Limited    Cincinnati      6:54        6:46
 67  Commodore Vanderbilt  Chicago         7:16        7:15   75   7:15
 27  New England States    Chicago         7:30       (skip)  61   9:30
367  Upstate Special       Utica           7:40  167   7:48
 25  20th Century Limited  Chicago         8:40        7:45
 33  New Eng. Wolverine    Det.-Chicago    8:55        7:53
 17  Wolverine             Det.-Chicago    9:05        8:15
 19  Lake Shore Limited    Chicago         9:33        9:22
 47  Detroiter             Detroit         9:59       10:00
455                        Syracuse       10:05  155   8:50
 11  Southwestern Limited  St. Louis      10:52   57  10:33
 57  Cleveland Limited     Chicago        11:01       (skip)
 21  Lake Erie             Cleveland      11:20


Arrivals-Westbound



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 29  Niagara               Boston         12:15   35  12:10
 29  Niagara               New York       12:20
 59  Iroquois              New York       (skip)  35  12:41   63   1:25
159  Buffalo Express       Boston          1:25
 35  Fast Mail             New York        1:44   99  (skip)
 61  Seneca                New York        4:00
 43  South Shore Express   Boston          4:50        4:20
 43  South Shore Express   New York        5:15        4:25
199                        New York        8:15  699   7:12
  9                        Weehawken       8:20        7:30
  9                        Pittsfield      8:25  621   7:15
  9  Mail                  New York        8:28   95   9:37
107  Syracuse Local        New York       10:28    7   8:10
  3                        Boston         11:18       10:15
 51  Empire State Express  New York       11:31       10:45   71  11:10
 55  Central Express       New York       11:42
143  Laurentian            New York       (bypass)55  11:55
  5  Mohawk                New York       12:43
575  New York Berkshire    Boston          1:15
 93                        New York        3:23               81   1:10
 39  North Shore Limited   New York        3:39        2:42   73   3:10
  7                        Weehawken       3:40
 41  Knickerbocker         Boston          5:23   49   4:15
 41  Knickerbocker         New York        5:26        5:15
  1  Pacemaker             New York       (skip)       5:50
 15  Ohio State Limited    New York        6:49        6:40
 67  Commodore Vanderbilt  New York        7:16        7:15   75   7:10
 27  New England States    Boston          7:20       (skip) 427   8:55
367  Upstate Special       New York        7:25  167   7:30
161                        New York        8:21               83   5:10
 23  Albany Express        New York        8:32
 25  20th Century Limited  New York        8:40        7:45
 33  New Eng. Wolverine    Boston          8:40        7:25
 13                        Weehawken       8:50
 17  Wolverine             New York        8:55        8:03
 19  Lake Shore Limited    New York        9:21        9:00
 47  Detroiter             New York        9:59       10:00
 11  Southwestern Limited  Boston         10:35        8:35
 11  Southwestern Limited  New York       10:52   57  10:33   85  11:10
 57  Cleveland Limited     New York       11:01       (skip)
 21  Lake Erie             New York       11:20
 31                        New York       11:23  127  11:10   61   9:10
  3                        Weehawken      11:30        8:25


Departures-Eastbound



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  6                        Weehawken      12:50
 42  Boston Express        Boston          1:00   52  12:50
 32  Mail                  New York        1:20   52  12:30
 36  Genesee               New York        2:45
 30  Iroquois              New York        3:20
 46  Boston Special        Boston          3:45        3:35
 44  New York Special      New York        4:00        4:05
  6  Fifth Avenue Special  New York        4:31       (skip)  64   4:20
 44                        Boston          4:50
  2  Pacemaker             New York        5:10        5:49
 28  New England States    Boston          5:38       (skip) 428   7:40
  8  Wolverine             New York        5:40        6:15
 16  Ohio State Limited    New York        5:42        5:29
 26                        Weehawken       5:50
 26  20th Century Limited  New York        6:03       (skip)
 98  New Eng. Wolverine    Boston          6:10    8   6:25
154                        New York        6:20        6:45   62   7:20
  6                        Boston          7:00        5:25
168  Hudson River Express  New York        7:30               80   9:20
 10  Water Level Limited   New York        8:30  138   7:45
 24  Knickerbocker         New York        9:25        9:38
 10  Water Level Limited   Boston          9:30
  8                        Weehawken      10:10
142  Cayuga                New York       10:25
 22  Lake Shore Limited    New York       11:36       10:05
 22  Lake Shore Limited    Boston         11:40       10:10
 54  Mohawk                New York        1:00  698   4:25
 40  North Shore Limited   New York        2:26   38   1:45   70  11:20
 38  Missourian            New York        3:25   40   2:37   82   1:20
  2                        Weehawken       3:30        1:40
 40  North Shore Limited   Boston          3:35  690   4:15
 90  Forest City           New York        4:45        4:12   72   3:20
134                        New York        5:20   56   7:20   84   5:20
514                        Boston          5:35  624   4:30
 18                        Weehawken       5:40        4:50
 34  Seneca                New York        6:00
 50  Empire State Express  New York        6:50        6:35   74   7:20
 56  DeWitt Clinton        New York        8:37   96   5:20


Arrivals-Eastbound



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 52  Easterner             Chicago        12:25       11:50
 36  Genesee               Syracuse        2:34
 30  Iroquois              Buffalo         3:07
 46  Boston Special        Buffalo         3:27        3:20
 44  New York Special      Det.-Chicago    3:50        3:35
  6  Fifth Avenue Special  Chicago         4:23       (skip)  64   3:30
472  Mount Royal           Montreal        4:30
  2  Pacemaker             Chicago         5:10        5:44
 28  New England States    Chicago         5:18       (skip)  62   7:10
  8  Wolverine             Det.-Chicago    5:33        5:50
 16  Ohio State Limited    Cincinnati      5:42        5:24
 98  New Eng. Wolverine    Buffalo         5:50
 26  20th Century Limited  Chicago         6:03       (skip)
 64  Green Mountain Flyer  Montreal        6:20
702                        Troy            7:50
 10  Water Level Limited   Chicago         8:20  138   7:30
400                        Utica           9:05
 24  Knickerbocker         St. Louis       9:13        9:20
142  Cayuga                Buffalo        10:10
 22  Lake Shore Limited    Chicago        11:24        9:50
 54  Mohawk                Troy           12:50
 58  Niagara               Buffalo         2:09       (skip)
 40  North Shore Limited   Det.-Chicago    2:17   38   1:26   70  11:10
724                        Troy            2:20
 38  Missourian            St. Louis       3:15   40   2:30
 90  Forest City           Chicago         4:35        3:50   72   3:10
 34  Seneca                Syracuse        5:41
706  Green Mountain Flyer  Montreal        6:20        6:05
 50  Empire State Express  Cleveland       6:42        6:28   74   7:10
 56  DeWitt Clinton        Buffalo         8:25   96   5:05
766                        Troy            9:22
424                        Syracuse       10:45
 42  Boston Express        Buffalo        11:43


Passenger service retained by Amtrak in 1971.


DELAWARE & HUDSON

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  7                        Montreal       12:05       11:15    9   2:15
  1                        Rouses Point    7:00        6:10
302                        Binghamton      7:05
  3                        Whitehall      12:15       10:55
 35  Laurentian            Montreal        1:05       12:15       11:25
308                        Binghamton      4:15  208   3:15
  5                        Plattsburg      5:15        4:15
 41                        Glens Falls     7:20        7:45


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  8                        Montreal        4:30        2:55   10   3:50
 40                        Saratoga Spr.   8:05        7:05
305                        Binghamton     11:20  205  10:45
  2                        Plattsburg     12:45        1:05
 36  Laurentian            Montreal       (bypass)     4:35   34   3:00
  4                        Whitehall       5:40        5:50
309                        Binghamton      6:30


Passenger service discontinued in 1971 with the creation of Amtrak.


STATIONS TODAY

After ceasing to serve as a station in 1968, the old Union Station building was preserved as a bank office building. Amtrak continues to use the new station across the Hudson River in Rensselaer.

Union Station (Wikipedia)
Link to a Web site containing further historical information on Albany Union Station.


MAPPING THE STATIONS AND RAILROADS

Links to locations of past and present stations and railroads, using Google Maps. Satellite views are also available.