Nickel Plate Road Passenger Trains

Nickel Plate Road passenger trains are often forgot about since the railroad (officially known as the New York, Chicago & St. Louis) served markets that were stiff in competition from other well known carriers like the New York Central, Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Ohio, and Norfolk & Western. However, at least for a few years it held its own in the Midwest region, in conjunction with the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, with trains like the Nickel Plate Limited, New Yorker, City of Cleveland, and City of Chicago. Still, it was tough to compete with the big boys and coupled with increased competition from outside forces like highways and air travel, the Nickel Plate bailed out of the passenger business in the early 1960s.

The New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, historically known as simply the Nickel Plate Road, was a medium sized Class I operating in the Midwest from Buffalo and Pittsburgh in the east to Chicago and St. Louis in the west. Although this railroad is usually associated as another David among Goliaths in the Northeast-Midwest rail market it held its own and operated excellent freight service throughout its area of operations. The NYC&StL gained its name, Nickel Plate, from an Ohio newspaper columnist as a compliment for the railroad’s high standard of construction when it was completed and opened in 1881.

The original Nickel Plate Road main line ran between Buffalo and Chicago and closely paralleled New York Central’s future affiliate the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern. Wanting no part of competition along its main line to Chicago the NYC quickly purchased a controlling interest in the Nickel Plate soon after it opened and the railroad would linger on until 1916 as an unwanted predecessor of its parent.

Restored hope for the Nickel Plate Road arrived that year when the NYC was forced (due to new anti-trust laws) to let go of either the NKP, Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, or the Michigan Central. Although not wanting to let go of any, the NYC settled on the Nickel Plate and the little railroad would go on to be a thorn in its former owner’s side for the rest of its life until it was purchase by the Norfolk & Western in 1962.

Aside from the railroad’s underdog status, which continues to make it an interesting study even today, it is also remembered for a number of other things including its famous 4-8-4 Berkshires and its beautiful blue and gray “Bluebird” passenger livery (albeit the railroad never had a strong market for passenger service). The famous Berks, which was a diverse and extremely capable locomotive for the railroad (it was used for everything from heavy freight to speedy passenger service), soldiered on for the Nickel Plate as late as the summer of 1958.

Nickel Plate Road passenger trains were modest, yet classy and respectable. Flagship among its trains was the Nickel Plate Limited which connected Chicago with Buffalo, and then on to Hoboken near New York City courtesy of ally Lackawanna aboard that carrier’s train, the New York Mail. This streamliner began operations in 1950 and featured light and heavyweight passenger equipment from Pullman-Standard with power courtesy of the American Locomotive Company’s legendary PAs.

The train was adorned in a stylish blue and white livery dubbed the “Bluebird” scheme (not to be confused with the Wabash’s passenger train of the same name) and through the 1950s the train, along with sister New Yorker (which followed the same route but on a different schedule), actually remained profitable. Also during this time the trains were renamed as the City of Chicago and City of Cleveland.

While Nickel Plate Road passenger trains were somewhat successful in the 1950s the 1960s were much different. Increased competition from not only larger railroads but also other modes of transportation eventually caused the NKP to throw in the towel on passenger services to focus on what it did best, moving freight very fast and efficiently. Then, only a year from having discontinued most of its passenger operations the Nickel Plate was folded into the Norfolk & Western along with what remained of its passenger services.

Today, all Nickel Plate Road passenger trains have been discontinued with little chance of Amtrak reviving any of them. However, an ex-Santa Fe Alco PA is currently being completely restored into the Nickel Plate’s famous “Bluebird” livery and numbered 190. Work has been ongoing since 2002 and while a completion date is not yet known one day you will be able to once again glimpse a bit of what the Nickel Plate’s passenger operations once looked like.

For more reading on Nickel Plate Road passenger trains 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.