NEW ORLEANS'S PASSENGER TRAINS

OF THE PAST

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

THE STATIONS

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

Union Passenger Terminal
1001 Loyola Ave.
Opened 1954

Number of station tracks: 12 stub
Interlocked switches controlled from Clara Street Tower

In 1954, the new New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal replaced the following older separate stations.

Union Station
1001 S. Rampart St.
Opened 1892

Number of station tracks: 4 stub
Non interlocked switches

Rampart Street Station
705 S. Rampart St.
Opened 1923

Number of station tracks: 2 stub
Non interlocked switches

Terminal Station
1125 Canal St.
Opened 1908

Number of station tracks: 4 stub
Non interlocked switches

Canal Street Station
Canal St. at the Mississippi River
Opened 1902

Number of station tracks: 3 stub
Non interlocked switches

Annunciation Station
1300 Annunciation St.
Opened 1916

Number of station tracks: 3 (?) stub
Non interlocked switches

ILLINOIS CENTRAL

(Union Station)

Departures



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

 32                        Baton Rouge     7:10
 24                        Jackson MS     12:01
  4  Louisiane             Chicago         8:40       12:01 pm
 54  Panama Limited        Chicago         2:00    6   4:15 pm     4:15 pm
 12  Planter               Memphis         2:15
 58  Miss Lou              Jackson MS      5:30
  2  Creole (City of NO)   Chicago         8:30        7:15 am     7:00 pm
 26  Northern Express      Chicago         8:45    8   8:45 pm
Arrivals



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

  1  Creole (City of NO)   Chicago         8:45       12:15 am     1:30 am
 55  Panama Limited        Chicago         9:15    5   9:30 am    10:15 am
 15  Planter               Memphis         9:50
 25  Southern Express      Chicago        10:45        9:00 am
 59  Miss Lou              Jackson MS     10:50
 33                        Baton Rouge     4:30
  3  Louisiane             Chicago         7:40        4:55 pm
 27                        Jackson MS      9:15
Passenger service retained by Amtrak in 1971, with the City Of New Orleans.

MISSOURI PACIFIC

(Union Station)

Departures



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

  3  Orleanean             Houston         8:30 am     8:35 am
  9  Houstonian            Houston        10:25 pm    10:10 pm
Arrivals



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

 10  Houstonian            Houston         7:25 am     7:05 am
  4  Orleanean             Houston         7:10 pm     7:15 pm
Passenger service discontinued in 1967.

SOUTHERN PACIFIC

(Union Station)

Departures



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

  1  Sunset Limited        Los Angeles    11:00 am    11:30 pm    12:01 pm
  3  Acadian               Houston         9:20 pm     8:30 pm
  5  Argonaut              Los Angeles    11:00 pm    10:30 am
Arrivals



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

  6  Argonaut              Los Angeles     7:20 am     5:45 am
  8  Acadian               Houston         7:30 am 4   7:20 am
  2  Sunset Limited        Los Angeles     5:45 pm     4:00 pm     8:10 pm
Passenger service retained by Amtrak in 1971, with the Sunset Limited.

KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN

(Rampart Street Station)

Departures



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

  6  Flying Crow           Shreveport      9:00 am
  2  Southern Belle        Kansas City    10:45 pm     4:00 pm
 10                        Kansas City                 9:30 pm
Arrivals



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

  9                        Kansas City                 7:00 am
  1  Southern Belle        Kansas City     7:20 am    10:00 am
  5  Flying Crow           Shreveport      9:30 pm
Passenger service discontinued in 1969, last train was the Southern Belle.

SOUTHERN RAILWAY

(Terminal Station)

Departures



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

 48  Southerner            New York        8:00 am     8:00 am 2   6:45 am
 44  Queen And Crescent    Cincinnati      8:20 am
 42  Pelican               Washington      8:30 pm     9:00 pm
Arrivals



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

 41  Pelican               Washington      7:45 am     6:00 am
 43  Queen And Crescent    Cincinnati      6:30 pm
 47  Southerner            New York        8:15 pm     8:50 pm 1   8:40 pm
Southern Railway initially did not join Amtrak, and was required to continue operation of its remaining trains beyond 1971.

GULF MOBILE & OHIO

(Terminal Station)

Departures



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

  2  Rebel                 St. Louis       6:00 pm
Arrivals



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

  1  Rebel                 St. Louis      10:20 am
Passenger service discontinued in 1954, last train was the Rebel.

LOUISVILLE & NASHVILLE

(Canal Street Station)

Departures



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

  4  Azalean               Cincinnati      8:45        8:20
  8                        Mobile          3:20
  6  Humming Bird          Cincinnati                 10:30
 10                        Ocean Springs   5:20   12   5:15
 34  Piedmont Limited      New York        6:15        5:00
 98  Pan American          Cincinnati      8:35        9:00    8   5:15 pm
 38  Crescent              New York       10:00       11:00
Arrivals



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

 99  Pan American          Cincinnati      7:45        7:20    9  10:35 am
 33  Piedmont Limited      Washington      8:00        8:05
  9                        Ocean Springs   8:45        8:40
  5  Humming Bird          Cincinnati                  3:10
  5                        Montgomery      3:15
  1  Azalean               Cincinnati      7:55        8:00
 37  Crescent              New York       10:15        6:55
Passenger service discontinued in 1971 with the creation of Amtrak, last train was the Pan American.

TEXAS & PACIFIC

(Annunciation Station)

Departures



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

 23  Texas Colorado Ltd.   Marshall TX     3:30   27   7:30 am
715                        Little Rock     9:40 pm
 21  Louisiana Limited     Marshall TX    10:30 pm     7:50 pm
Arrivals



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

 26  Louisiana Limited     Marshall TX     7:30   22   6:15 am
716                        Little Rock     7:59 am
 24  Texas Colorado Ltd.   Marshall TX     1:15   28   8:35 pm
Passenger service discontinued in 1969.

STATIONS TODAY

New Orleans is the last major city in the United States, to replace multiple downtown terminals with a single new Union Station, opened in 1954. All five older stations were subsequently demolished.

Old Train Stations of New Orleans
Crescent City Choo Choo
New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal (Wikipedia)

Links to Web sites containing further historical information on New Orleans stations.

MAPPING THE STATIONS AND RAILROADS

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