Interstate Express

The Interstate Express was a long-distance passenger train operating between Syracuse, New York, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, jointly operated by the Reading Railroad, the Central Railroad of New Jersey and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. These lines offered a long distance overnight line in Train 1301 (north-bound)/ 1306 (south-bound). Connecting service by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad offered continuing service south from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.[1]

Interstate Express
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusDiscontinued
LocaleNortheastern United States
First service1929
Last service1957
Former operator(s)
Route
StartSyracuse, New York
EndWashington, D.C.
Distance travelled376.2
Average journey timeSouthbound: 13 hrs 25 min
Northbound: 15 hrs 35 min (1954)
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)Southbound: 1306
Northbound: 1301
On-board services
Seating arrangementsNo coach between Binghamton and Wilkes-Barre
Sleeping arrangementsSections and single bedrooms
Catering facilitiesDiner-Lounge
Technical
Rolling stockStreamlined passenger cars by Pullman Standard
Track gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

Service limitations

The train was presented as affording Washington to Syracuse travel. However, the trip required a change from riding a B&O train in metropolitan Philadelphia to a train originating from the Reading Terminal. The one-station transfer would be available at Wayne Junction in North Philadelphia. However, the Interstate Express in most years did not stop at Wayne Junction in the northbound direction; so, passengers would need to transfer at Lansdale station. Riders seeking to transfer in Philadelphia would need to disembark at the B&O's 24th & Chestnut Station in Philadelphia, take a cab or the Market Street subway to Reading Terminal for the originating northbound DLW train. Southbound, this transfer would be available.[2][3] Indeed, by 1954, the Wayne Junction stop would be eliminated from the timetable, so a transfer at Lansdale station transfer would be needed in both directions in latter years of the train.[4]

Originally, the entire trip was possible via coach.[5] However, by mid-1949, there were no coaches between Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and the next stop, Binghamton, New York.[6] Thus, full-length travel was only possible by sleeper car. The Binghamton to Syracuse segment was joined by cars from a direct DLW Railroad train from that company's Hoboken Terminal.[7] However, the operators allowed for passengers to split their trip between part of the trip in sleeping cars or in parlor cars and other parts of the trip in coaches.[4]

The train's service ended by 1957.

The scheduled stops

Reading southbound as one reads down

Connecting spur from Buffalo to Binghamton

The train was timed to receive passengers from the Hoboken to Buffalo night train, the Owl (#15). Southbound, the connecting train was the New York Mail (#10).[9]

Reading west-east as one reads down

Connecting Baltimore & Ohio service from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.

Reading north-south as one reads down

Services

This overnight train offered sleeper car service from Philadelphia to Syracuse. The connecting Washington to Philadelphia service offered a dining car-parlor car.[1]

Notes
  1. "Lackawanna Railroad's full schedule" (PDF). April 25, 1954. p. 2.
  2. Lackawanna timetable, June 30, 1939, Table 9
  3. "Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, Table 9". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 82 (8). January 1950.
  4. "Lackawanna Railroad's full schedule" (PDF). April 25, 1954. p. 13.
  5. Lackawanna timetable, June 8, 1946, consists section
  6. Official Guide of the Railways, August 1949, Lackawanna section, p. 152
  7. "Lackawanna Railroad's full schedule" (PDF). April 25, 1954. p. 10.
  8. Official Guide of the Railways, August 1936, Reading Railroad section, Condensed table
  9. Lackawanna timetable, June 30, 1939, Table 7
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