CLEVELAND'S PASSENGER TRAINS

OF THE PAST

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

THE STATIONS

The major stations serving Cleveland, during the golden age of passenger trains. Most passenger trains used Union Terminal.

Union Terminal
50 Public Square
Opened 1930

Number of station tracks: 12 through
Interlocked switches controlled from CT Tower

Union Depot
Front Ave. east of West 9th St.
Opened 1866

Number of station tracks: unknown
Non interlocked switches controlled by Seneca switchtender

Erie Railroad Station
Southwest of intersection of Columbus Rd. and Canal Rd.
Opened 1881

Separate stations were used by the Erie Railroad until 1948, and by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Pennsylvania Railroad actually used the "old" Union Depot, which had also been used by the New York Central Railroad, until the opening of Union Terminal.

Prior to the opening of Union Terminal, the following stations also existed.

Baltimore & Ohio Station
829 Canal Rd.
Opened 1898

Nickel Plate Depot
South side of Broadway at East 14th St.
Opened 1883

NEW YORK CENTRAL

Departures-Westbound



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

 89  Forest City           Chicago        12:20
  5  Cincinnati Express    Cincinnati     12:35  417  11:45
  5  Mohawk                Chicago         1:05       11:55
 41  Knickerbocker         St. Louis       2:55        2:13
 15  Ohio State Limited    Cincinnati     (bypass)    (bypass)     8:30 am
 23  Missourian            St. Louis       3:30
629                        Toledo          5:55
 19  Lake Shore Limited    Chicago         6:40        6:28
447                        Cincinnati      7:00
 11  Southwestern Limited  St. Louis       7:37        6:40
 75  Mercury               Chicago         7:45        7:00
 57  Cleveland Limited     Chicago         8:00   59   9:40
421  Cincinnati Special    Cincinnati      8:05        7:30
 59  Iroquois              Chicago        11:20   35  11:28   63   1:15 pm
433  Cincinnati Special    Cincinnati     12:15       12:05
151  Interstate Express    Chicago        12:30
407  St. Louis Special     St. Louis      12:35       12:25
435  Cincinnati Special    Cincinnati      3:05
609  Prairie State         Chicago         4:00   73   2:45
627                        Toledo          5:25
 43  South Shore Express   Chicago         5:40        6:15   51  10:20 pm
445  Capital City Special  Columbus        5:50        6:10
431  St. Louis Special     St. Louis       6:10
425                        Cincinnati      8:15
427  Gateway               St. Louis       9:55        8:35  315  11:50 pm
  9  Mail                  Chicago        10:35        9:20
Arrivals-Westbound



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

  5  Mohawk                New York       12:20       11:05
 41  Knickerbocker         New York        2:36        1:49
 19  Lake Shore Limited    New York        6:25        6:02
207  Cleveland Mail        Buffalo         7:15  221   8:30
 11  Southwestern Limited  New York        7:20   57   7:05
 57  Cleveland Limited     New York        7:30   59   9:23
 21  Lake Erie             New York        8:55
 59  Iroquois              New York       11:10   35  11:06   63  12:20 pm
151  Interstate Express    Buffalo        12:10
 43  South Shore Express   New York        5:20        5:40
 51  Empire State Express  New York        8:30        8:00        8:50 pm
 83  Pittsburgh Cleveland  Buffalo         9:35
Departures-Eastbound



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

 24  Knickerbocker         New York       12:35       12:07
132  Henry Hudson          Buffalo        12:40
 22  Lake Shore Limited    New York        2:12
 18  Number Eighteen       Buffalo         2:17
 38  Missourian            New York        5:55   40   5:25
 90  Forest City           New York        7:10        6:15   98   6:15 am
 60                        Buffalo         8:25
 50  Empire State Express  New York        9:55        9:40
 52  Easterner             Albany         12:30       11:25
244                        Buffalo         3:45
 14  Interstate Express    Buffalo         5:45   46   5:47
  6  Fifth Avenue Special  New York        7:15        6:54   64   5:28 pm
 20  Cleveland Limited     New York        8:15   12   8:50
 12  Southwestern Limited  New York        9:20
 28  New England States    Boston         (bypass)    (bypass)     9:55 pm
  2  Pacemaker             New York       (stop)       9:45
 10  Water Level Limited   New York       11:28
Arrivals-Eastbound



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

424  Knickerbocker         Cincinnati     12:15        9:00 pm
 24  Knickerbocker         St. Louis      12:20       11:39
418                        Indianapolis    1:40
 22  Lake Shore Limited    Chicago         1:57
 80  Maumee                Chicago         5:20  290   7:00
 38  Missourian            St. Louis       5:40   40   5:02
428                        Cincinnati      6:30
420  Cleveland Special     Indianapolis    6:45
442  Midnight Special      Cincinnati      6:50        5:45
 90  Forest City           Chicago         6:55        5:37   98   5:15 am
626                        Toledo          7:45
444  Cleveland Express     Columbus       11:10       11:00
446  Cleveland Special     St. Louis      11:45       10:55  316   4:05 pm
 52  Easterner             Chicago        12:18   32  10:25
426  Cleveland Special     Cincinnati      3:10        3:20
 14  Interstate Express    Chicago         5:30   46   5:17
404  New York Special      Cincinnati      5:38
  6  Fifth Avenue Special  Chicago         7:05        6:39   64   4:38 pm
 76  Mercury               Chicago         8:30        8:20
 16  Ohio State Limited    Cincinnati      9:00       (bypass)18  10:00 pm
 12  Southwestern Limited  St. Louis       9:05        8:25
 28  New England States    Chicago        (bypass)    (bypass)     9:55 pm
  2  Pacemaker             Chicago        (stop)       9:20
448                        Cincinnati      9:55
640                        Toledo         10:00
132  Henry Hudson          Chicago        11:05
 10  Water Level Limited   Chicago        11:16
Passenger service initially discontinued in 1971 with the creation of Amtrak.

Several New York Central through passenger trains bypassed Cleveland Union Terminal, during some periods of their existences. Not listed are certain through trains which never served Cleveland Union Terminal during the eras covered. Most notably the Twentieth Century Limited, between Chicago and New York City. These trains used the trackage along Cleveland's lakefront, trackage presently used by Amtrak trains.

NICKEL PLATE ROAD

Departures



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

  6                        Buffalo         8:15 am     7:25 am
  7  Westerner             Chicago         9:30 am     8:15 am
  9                        St. Louis       6:00 pm     6:00 pm
  8  New Yorker            New York        6:01 pm     5:45 pm
  5  Nickel Plate Limited  Chicago        11:50 pm    10:55 pm
Arrivals



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

  6                        Chicago         7:59 am     7:05 am
 10                        St. Louis       8:59 am     8:30 am
  7  Westerner             New York        9:15 am     8:00 am
  8  New Yorker            Chicago         5:51 pm     5:30 pm
  5  Nickel Plate Limited  Buffalo        11:35 pm    10:30 pm
Passenger service discontinued in 1965.

BALTIMORE & OHIO

Departures



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

 18  Wash. Night Express   Washington      9:15 pm     8:40 pm
Arrivals



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

 17  Clev. Night Express   Washington      7:55 am     7:45 am
Passenger service discontinued in 1962, last train was the Cleveland Night Express.

Until late 1920's, Baltimore & Ohio passenger trains operated west via Cleveland Subdivision.

ERIE RAILROAD

(Erie Railroad Station until 1948)

Departures



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

687  Lake Cities Special   Toledo          3:40
688  Pittsburgh Special    Pittsburgh      4:25
624  Washingtonian         Baltimore       8:20        7:10
626                        Pittsburgh      1:15       12:01
  6  Lake Cities           Youngstown      5:00
628                        Youngstown      5:30        4:20   28   5:20 pm
686  Evening Steel King    Pittsburgh      6:00        6:00
Arrivals



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

679                        Pittsburgh     12:03
687  Lake Cities Special   Pittsburgh      3:28
688  Pittsburgh Special    Toledo          4:13
629                        Youngstown      8:03        6:50   29   7:40 am
  5  Lake Cities           Youngstown     11:50  625  10:35
685                        Pittsburgh      3:40        2:15
623  Washingtonian         Baltimore       9:15        8:00
Intercity passenger service discontinued in 1963, last trains were numbers 623 and 624.

Commuter rail service discontinued in 1977, last trains were numbers 28 and 29.

The Erie Railroad used a separate terminal in Cleveland until 1948. Trains 687 and 688 operated via New York Central west of Cleveland, and were the only New York Central trains at the time stopping at a Cleveland station other than the Cleveland Union Terminal. Several trains operated between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, operating via Pittsburgh & Lake Erie east of Youngstown.

Until the late 1930's, also using Erie Railroad Station were Wheeling & Lake Erie passenger trains. Actually listed in 1935 as at "Commercial St."

PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD

(Union Depot)

Departures



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

302                        Pittsburgh      1:00
324  Morning Steeler       Pittsburgh      8:00  360  7:00
374                        Pittsburgh     10:15
604                        Columbus        1:10
332                        Pittsburgh      2:30
338  Afternoon Steeler     Pittsburgh      5:00  362  4:30
252                        Alliance        5:25
316  Buckeye               Pittsburgh      6:20
 38  Clevelander           New York        8:10       7:30
624                        Columbus       10:00
Arrivals



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

301                        Pittsburgh      6:50
253                        Alliance        7:50  353   6:40
625                        Columbus        8:10
 39  Clevelander           New York        8:25        7:45
303  Morning Steeler       Pittsburgh     11:30  361   9:50
367                        Pittsburgh     12:40
605                        Columbus        1:45
333  Afternoon Steeler     Pittsburgh      6:20  363   6:40
313                        Pittsburgh      8:20
323                        Pittsburgh     11:45
Passenger service discontinued in 1965, last train was the Clevelander.

The Pennsylvania Railroad was the only railroad which continued to use the "old" Union Depot, after the new Cleveland Union Terminal opened in 1930. In 1953, the Pennsylvania Railroad began terminating trains at its Euclid Avenue station, at East 55th Street east of downtown Cleveland.

STATIONS TODAY

When Amtrak was formed in 1971, Cleveland was announced as the largest city in the country to be left without intercity rail passenger service. An attempt was made to operate a New York to Chicago Amtrak train via the former New York Central route, which served Cleveland Union Terminal. But funding problems resulted in the train's discontinuance in 1972. When Amtrak introduced its "Lake Shore Limited" in 1975, a modest new station was opened along the former New York Central lakefront trackage. The former Erie Railroad commuter train to Youngstown continued to use Cleveland Union Terminal until its discontinuance in 1977.

Tower City Center
Link to an official Web site, showing how this great old station has been preserved and transformed for other uses.

Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
In 1955, rapid transit trains joined the main line intercity passenger trains, operating through the lower track level of this station. These rapid transit trains are now the only types of trains continuing to use this station.

Cleveland Union Terminal Collection
Tower City Center (Wikipedia)
Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

Links to some interesting Web sites containing further historical information on Cleveland's stations and railroads.

The Pennsylvania Railroad continued to use the old Union Depot until 1953, when the Pennsylvania Railroad began terminating all trains at its Euclid Avenue station. Union Depot was demolished in 1959, the present Amtrak station is a short distance east.

Cuyahoga County Ohio Railroad Stations
Link to a Web page containing further information on the historic stations.

MAPPING THE STATIONS AND RAILROADS

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