luxury trains on the B&M and/or MEC?

I'm talking strickly for the upper crust. No coach sections at all.

Off the top of my head, the answer is no. The B&M and MEC ran plenty of trains with sleepers and diners, but nothing all-Pullman that I'm aware of, at least in the steel car era from the 1920s onward. My knowledge of turn-of-the-last-century operations is much more limited so there might have been something way back then.

If memory is right, the pulp era of Railroad Magazine had mention of an all-parlor car (SUF and bowler/boater hat era) RT service between North Station and Saratoga for the race season, probably a WW I/USRA casualty. There was also supposed to be a subscribers-only parlor car service between North Station and the North Shore, possibly suffering a similar fate. The Forum section of the B&MRRHS site might be a good place to try if you haven't already.

Both railroads were participants in the operation of the BAR HARBOR EXPRESS which ran until September, 1960. It was all-Pullman and until the end had some heavyweights in the consist. If you check some late 1940s public timetables, there were coaches, Sunday evening only, Bangor to Portland only. For the period the coaches were in the consist, the B & M had a Sunday night, non-stop train, Portland to Boston. Arrival in Boston was just before midnight. The B & M train was probably operated primarily to return coaches back to Boston after the weekend rush.

Thanks for the responses. Was the Saratoga train a joint operation with the New York Central?

Probably a joint operation with the Boston & Albany, later part of the NYC System.

edbear wrote:Both railroads were participants in the operation of the BAR HARBOR EXPRESS which ran until September, 1960. It was all-Pullman and until the end had some heavyweights in the consist. If you check some late 1940s public timetables, there were coaches, Sunday evening only, Bangor to Portland only. For the period the coaches were in the consist, the B & M had a Sunday night, non-stop train, Portland to Boston. Arrival in Boston was just before midnight. The B & M train was probably operated primarily to return coaches back to Boston after the weekend rush.

Looking at the June 28, 1958, timetable reveals that north of Portland, the train split: part of it went to Rockland, the other part went to Bangor. All sleepers, except a coach up to Rockland on Saturdays only; back to Portland Sundays only. Fridays only in the summer from DC; Sundays only going back. Had just about every sleeping accomodation, lounge [to/from Bangor], but interestingly enough no dining car at least on the B&M/MEC segment. Train numbers were 84 & 85 on both railroads.

NRGeep » Thu Oct 20, 2011 8:36 am
Thanks for the responses. Was the Saratoga train a joint operation with the New York Central?

Back when the now-gone Saratoga and Schuylerville Branch was still not just operational but in good shape, It coulda-shoulda-woulda been a straight B&M shot. It was some time ago -- mebbe late '50s or early 60s -- that I saw the article in a then-old magazine, and I don't recall any mention of B&A involvement.

NRGeep » Thu Oct 20, 2011 8:36 am
Thanks for the responses. Was the Saratoga train a joint operation with the New York Central?

Back when the now-gone Saratoga and Schuylerville Branch was still not just operational but in good shape, It coulda-shoulda-woulda been a straight B&M shot. It was some time ago -- mebbe late '50s or early 60s -- that I saw the article in a then-old magazine, and I don't recall any mention of B&A involvement.

Saratoga Springs never was on the New York Central/B&A, it was (and still is--and is an Amtrak stop on The Adirondack) on the Delaware & Hudson (now CP). The B&M connected with the D&H at Mechanicville and/or Troy. This would have provided an alternate route to the Saratoga and Schuylerville Railroad, which is shown on the map in the September 1946 B&M timetable as a separate road, not part of the B&M system.

The usual references not being handy, I can't give dates, but the line to Saratoga had been obtained by the B&M some time before 1911, possibly as part of the lease of the Fitchburg. It was sold to the Saratoga & Schuylerville short line just before or after WWII, and didn't last long thereafter. It never had much traffic, so never got much investment, and IIRC it wasn't heavily enough built to support even the later 2-8-0s and 4-6-2s. So I'd agree with the Boston - Fitchburg - Greenfield - Saratoga routing, but maybe pre-SUF and hauled by a ten-wheeler.

Meanwhile, back at the original question:

Look around the forum and you'll find a discussion on the (North Shore) Dude Train, a parlor-car-only commuter train that was patronized by seasonal subscription for the upper crust of the North Shore, back when it was referred to as Boston's Gold Coast. No riff-raff permitted.

PBM