Baltimore and Ohio's Capitol Limited and National Limited » (REV)

Joe Welsh is currently a transportation planner for the City of Auburn, Washington. Prior to working in public-sector traffic and rail engineering, he served as a senior transportation consultant to nationally recognized transit agencies. A regular contributor to Trains magazine, he is the author of nine books, including the critically acclaimed Pennsy Streamliners (Kalmbach Publishing), By Streamliner New York to Florida (Andover Junction), and The American Railroad and Classic American Streamliners (MBI). His 2004 book Travel by Pullman (MBI), co-authored with William F. Howes, Jr., was nominated for the 2005 Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Book Award.

With 40-plus years of passenger service already to its credit, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in 1923 inaugurated the Baltimore–Washington–Chicago Capitol Limited. Two years later, it followed with the Baltimore–Washington–St. Louis National Limited. The two trains would become renowned for outstanding services and cuisine.

Noted passenger-train authority Joe Welsh (Travel by Pullman and Pennsylvania Railroad’s Broadway Limited), takes readers along on a marvelously illustrated account describing the development, motive power, and amenities of both trains from the heavyweight era through their respective demises in 1971 and 1968. Illustrated throughout with rare archival photography in both black-and-white and color, along with period ads, timetables, and menus, this look back at the heyday of the passenger train in America also describes the Capitol’s and National’s principle competitors, as well as their B&O running mates. The result is a fitting tribute to one of the most celebrated “name” trains in the annals of U.S. railroading.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1 A Trip on the National Limited, February 1960
Chapter 2 Predecessors and Early Years, 1880s–1923

Chapter 3 The Standard Heavyweight Era, 1923–1938

Chapter 4 The Streamlined Era, 1938–1958

Chapter 5 An Honorable Retreat, 1958–1971

Chapter 6 Running Mates

Chapter 7 The Competition

Epilogue

Bibliography

Index