The Black Diamond, The Lehigh Valley Railroad's Flaghip Passenger Train

Due to its small size and operations in a market dominated by larger railroads like the New York Central, Pennsylvania Railroad, and even the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, the Lehigh Valley Railroad is not well remembered for its passenger services. However, it did have one notable train that has left its mark over the years and was part of the railroad’s slogan, “Route of the Black Diamond,” the flagship Black Diamond itself. The train operated between New York and Buffalo and is most well known after receiving streamlining in 1940. Due to stiff competition and slower Buffalo-New York running times than those railroads mentioned above the LV, a marginal railroad during most of the 20th century anyway, bowed out of the passenger business by the early 1960s. Today, the Black Diamond is long gone along most of the LV’s main line to Buffalo.

The Lehigh Valley Railroad was another of the many Northeastern carriers built to move anthracite coal from eastern Pennsylvania to points east and west (the Great Lakes). So, its motto, Route Of The Black Diamond, was quite befitting. The LV has also gained much interest to those who study American railroading history and the now-fallen flag carriers along the way; likely because of the railroad’s underdog status in the markets it served (Buffalo to New York City).

Unfortunately the Lehigh Valley was never a strong carrier following the Great Depression and of all the Northeastern Class I railroads, the LV was without doubt the weakest, struggling to make ends meet for much of its last four decades of existence. Following the railroad’s inclusion into Conrail in 1976 its routes were mostly abandoned in favor of its surrounding competitors and today, much of the LV is but overgrown paths and walking trails.

The Black Diamond was not the only notable passenger the LV operated and was actually the last to receive streamlining. The Lehigh Valley began delving into the streamliner craze in 1938, in an attempt to compete with the larger railroads, when it hired noted industrial designer Otto Kuhler to modernize its train. The first two trains to receive very modest, but noted, streamlining were the Asa Packer and John Wilkes.

After seeing the success these streamlining efforts brought the LV decided to go all out on its flagship, the Black Diamond. While the LV did purchase a small fleet of lightweight, streamlined equipment for the Diamond many of the cars used for its streamlined trains were built by its own shop forces of older heavyweight equipment. The original version of the Black Diamond unveiled by Kuhler featured a handsomely streamlined 4-6-2 Pacific Type steam locomotive bedecked in a striking livery of Cornell red and black, playing on the theme of the railroad’s movement of anthracite coal.

The interior of the train likewise featured themes of coal and “black diamonds” and was quite classy, even while the Lehigh Valley was always pressed for cash (the on board attendants even wore uniforms with the name of the train and the diamond logo).

Later, the LV upgraded its head-end power for the Diamond with the American Locomotive Company’s beautiful PA passenger diesels, which were adorned in a striking new version of the LV’s Cornell red and black passenger livery (red replaced black as the dominate color, with the latter used in a pinstriping pattern similar to the “cat whiskers” used on the Penny’s GG1s).

As competition grew through the 1950s and the LV began to sink further and further into red ink it decided it was time to bail out of the passenger business and petitioned the ICC for approval, which was eventually granted, and the railroad ceased all through operations in 1961.

For more reading on streamliners like the Black Diamond you might want to also consider the book Streamliners: History of a Railroad Icon from renowned author Mike Schafer who covers in detail most of the well-known and remembered “classic” passenger trains to operate in the country. If you have any interest in such you should very much enjoy Mr. Schafer’s book.

Also, for a superb general history of passenger trains consider the book American Passenger Train from Mike Schafer. Using plenty of colored photographs complemented with lots of good information, if you are interested in passenger trains or would like to learn more about them this book will get you started.