Royal Blue

[Irish Chieftain]

Anyone on here ever ride this train from endpoint to endpoint? Would like to hear some accounts, especially during the diesel streamliner days.

Here's an account of a trip on the Royal Blue back in 1892, as recorded by "Engineering News":
http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/rbxprs.Html

[matthewsaggie]

I never did, but my father used to. Lived in DC and visited family in NY- said it was nicer then the PRR and he liked the ferry trip at the end. I guess that explains all the boats he bought over the years since then.

[pdman]

I did twice just months before it was cut. The observation car was fantastic. It had a speed gauge. Coming up the Trenton Line, if it was late, it would get up to 95 mph and arrive in Plainfield on time or early. The parlor car would often have only one or two passengers in it.

It was like a ship with class service all the way up to the end. None of the typical of taking off the parlor, then the diner, then, the observation, etc. etc.

[Trainheartedguy]

Herbert Harwood wrote a book "The Royal Blue Line" with the history and many photos of the trains and the route.(Have it in front of me as I type it) very nice. I wish I had gotten a chance to see it behind a P7.

[pdman]

I worked at C&O/B&O in the late 60s in the Marketing Dept. in Baltimore. We were responsible for watching car fleet trends, proposing new ones, assigning cars to big customers, etc. Every once in a while I would interact with Herb Harwood on serious work stuff. Then after that was over I would ask him a rail fan or rail history question. He was always good for reaching into a desk drawer or file lower file cabinet drawer and pull out a model of some old equipment to explain in great detail whatever was being discussed. Always an open and neat guy. He was an oasis.

[hutton_switch]

I worked at C&O/B&O in the late 60s in the Marketing Dept. in Baltimore. We were responsible for watching car fleet trends, proposing new ones, assigning cars to big customers, etc. Every once in a while I would interact with Herb Harwood on serious work stuff. Then after that was over I would ask him a rail fan or rail history question. He was always good for reaching into a desk drawer or file lower file cabinet drawer and pull out a model of some old equipment to explain in great detail whatever was being discussed. Always an open and neat guy. He was an oasis.

Herb is a wonderful person. Always helpful to anyone who wants to learn about the railroads he is knowledgeable on. He helped my son earlier this year to develop his thesis about the history of the early B&O to fit the theme of the National History Day competition, which resulted in his winning first place in his category for the Virginia state competition. I am truly grateful to Herb for his help to my son. I had the fortuitous opportunity to run into and visit with Herb at the Great Scale Train Show held on the Maryland State Fair Grounds at Timonium, MD this past Saturday.

Herb contributes regularly to the B&O forum, plus the Chessie one as well, over at Railfan.net, under the moniker, "CSXVet." As always, Herb is his usual, extremely knowledgeable self on various topics discussed there.

[Passenger Extra]

Everything Ive always heard, read or seen about Royal Blue is that it was a class act. While the Pennsy went bonkers with a greater number of ordinary trains well run, the B&O went for quality of service on what they had. Ive heard FDR before he was President, was a regular rider, as was the Vanderbilts and Astors on their trips to Washington. Not a bad clientel I'd say.

[pdman]

When FDR was President (of the U.S.) and needed to go Northeast (typically to New York), his train routing was nearly always the B&O. When I worked for the company in the 60s there were still towermen and other crew guys around who would talk about how the entire line was nearly shut down in order for FDR's train to run through.

[Passenger Extra]

Yes I can imagine. POTUS was the Air Force One of its day, and sometimes run in two sections.

Course Harry Truman was a regular on the National Ltd to St Louis when he was Senator. Truman was also a great fan of the B&O commissary department and ordered a B&O Dining car assigned to his whistle stop tour in 48. They covered over 11,000 miles and served over 3,000 meals

[kevikens]

I never rode on the Royal Blue but I watched for it every day to pass my school. My school was in Cheltenham, Pa. right along side the Reading's Cheltenham Junction. The only Reading passenger train was the Newtown local but every day, until 1958, I think, the Royal Blue would go through the junction at speed and whereas the other kids played ball or tag I would go over to the station (burned down about 1993) and watch the Reading freight movements on their New York Shortline. The highlight of my recess was when the Royal Blue went through, the only B&O passenger trains NOT to use the Jenkintown route. On a few occasions I saw it stop at Wayne Junction in Philly as my father would always ride the B&O when he travelled (he hated the Pennsy). I have always thought the blue and gray livery was the finest in the East and next to the Espee's Daylight the most beautiful train in America.

[pdman]

kevikens, JC-Washington, #27 would pass your school at about 10:30 am. The return #28 would pass at about 6:45pm.

#27 left Plainfield at 9:59am and the next stop was Wayne Junction at 10:54 -- 62.2 miles according to the Railway Guide.

I always thought it trite when people would say, "Those were the days." But, when thinking back at such a beauty as the Royal Blue, it was one of the things that makes that statement an apt one.

[kevikens]

PDMAN: That's just about right as we went out to recess at !0:30 AM for some twenty minutes. Even if I missed the Royal Blue I'd surely catch a Reading freight or two pulled by the ever present F7 and quite frequently there would be an Alco RS3 burbling away next to the station and school yard waiting for a chance to get onto the New York Shortline from the Newtown track. In addition to the steam drawn Newtown local (steam till 1952, Alco and RDC later) I once saw a Reading steam hauled work train with the big hook go past about 1953 or so but by that time there were not many Reading steamers left in the Phila. region. I never saw a B&O steamer on that line or at Wayne Junction. I think B&O may have picked up Jersey Central locomotives at Park Junction or East Side Yard. The school I went to is still there, though with a needed addition. The Cheltenham station burned down some ten years ago and the local is now an MU electric Septa that goes no further than Fox Chase but the freight line, now single tracked is still pretty busy with CSX trains headed for West Trenton and Bound Brook. The kids at recess don't seem to pay much attention to the trains, though. I know there was plenty wrong with America in the '50's, but there was a lot that was very right and kids watching trains was one of them. Still, I hope that when they grow up the school, the trains and their kids will still be there.

[pennsy]

Hi Y'All,

Y'All pretty much agree with what I heard about the Royal Blue. Beautiful train, superb service, always a seat available.

And that is what did the train in. There was ALWAYS a seat available. The PRR competition often had NO seats available, and the rest is history.

[hutton_switch]

Hi Y'All,

Y'All pretty much agree with what I heard about the Royal Blue. Beautiful train, superb service, always a seat available.

And that is what did the train in. There was ALWAYS a seat available. The PRR competition often had NO seats available, and the rest is history.

I hate to be anal here, but I think an obvious statement such as the one posted here by pennsy intentionally ignores the actual reason why the Pennsylvania Railroad succeeded in its Washington-to-NYC service where the B&O did not.

ANY railroad's passenger service, regardless of the name on the equipment, having access to downtown NYC where passengers can be discharged and taken on, is bound to succeed. Such was the case for the Pennsylvania Railroad. ANY railroad's passenger service relegated to having to discharge and take on its passengers across the Hudson in Jersey City and force them to take a boat to or from downtown NYC to connect with the train service is bound to fail. Such was the case with the B&O, despite its efforts to provide superior service.

[BaltOhio]

My own suspicion is that Daniel Willard knew it was a losing battle in 1926 when the Pennsy finally evicted the B&O from Penn Station, which it had used beginning in WWI. But for him it was a matter of pride and prestige, plus the fact that New York was the HQ of many major B&O customers as well as the financial institutions that helped support it. As long as it could be supported, it was unthinkable that the third of the "big three" trunk lines didn't have a presence there.