# Erie Limited > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Erie_Limited > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Erie_Limited.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_Limited > Source revision: 1325158717 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) The ***Erie Limited*** was a [streamlined](/source/Streamliner) [passenger train](/source/Passenger_train) operated by the [Erie Railroad](/source/Erie_Railroad) between [Jersey City, New Jersey](/source/Jersey_City,_New_Jersey) (for [New York City](/source/New_York_City)) and [Chicago](/source/Chicago), [Illinois](/source/Illinois) via the [Southern Tier](/source/Southern_Tier). It operated from 1929 to 1963. After the merger of the Erie and the [Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad](/source/Delaware,_Lackawanna_and_Western_Railroad) (DL&W) in 1960 it was known as the ***Erie-Lackawanna Limited***. Once the premier passenger train on the Erie, repeated service reductions in the 1950s and 1960s left it a shell of its former self. The *[Phoebe Snow](/source/Phoebe_Snow_(train))* replaced it in 1963. ## History The *Erie Limited* debuted on June 2, 1929, replacing the *[Southern Tier Express](/source/Southern_Tier_Line)*, which had run between Jersey City and [Buffalo, New York](/source/Buffalo,_New_York).[2] The new service joined two other Jersey City–Chicago trains: the *Atlantic Express*/*Pacific Express* and *Chicago Express*/*New York Express*.[3] The train included a Buffalo section with parlor and buffet service which split at [Hornell, New York](/source/Hornell,_New_York).[4] The primary competitors to the *Erie Limited* were the [New York Central Railroad](/source/New_York_Central_Railroad)'s *[20th Century Limited](/source/20th_Century_Limited)* and the [Pennsylvania Railroad](/source/Pennsylvania_Railroad)'s *[Broadway Limited](/source/Broadway_Limited)*. Both trains were well-established on the New York–Chicago run and enjoyed several advantages over the Erie Limited: direct access to Manhattan, faster running times (16 hours versus 24), and more luxurious accommodations. The Erie eschewed competition on these fronts and scheduled the *Erie Limited* for a morning departure from Jersey City so that it traversed the "spectacular..[Delaware](/source/Delaware_River) and [Susquehanna](/source/Susquehanna_River) river valleys" in daylight.[5] Erie began offering packaged tours in the early 1930s as the [Great Depression](/source/Great_Depression) curtailed patronage.[6] One such was the "3-way tours" announced in 1930, which involved a combination of bus, train, and [steamship](/source/Steamship) travel. The Erie offered a "Six Day All Expense Personally Conducted" tour for US$85, originating from [Pavonia Terminal](/source/Pavonia_Terminal) in Jersey City, which included a tour of the [Finger Lakes](/source/Finger_Lakes) area, a steamship journey to [Alexandria Bay, New York](/source/Alexandria_Bay,_New_York) in the [Thousand Islands](/source/Thousand_Islands), a tour of Toronto, and trip across [Niagara Falls](/source/Niagara_Falls) via the [Great Gorge Route](/source/Great_Gorge_Route).[7] The Erie later expanded these tours to "4-way", adding air travel to the mix. Passengers would take the *Chicago Express* to [Cleveland, Ohio](/source/Cleveland,_Ohio), fly to [Detroit, Michigan](/source/Detroit), take a steamship to [Buffalo, New York](/source/Buffalo,_New_York), tour [Niagara Falls](/source/Niagara_Falls), then return to New York on the *Erie Limited*. All this still in six days, and at "moderate" price.[8] The Erie discontinued the Buffalo section on February 12, 1951. The train continued running after the Erie's 1960 merger with the [Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad](/source/Delaware,_Lackawanna_and_Western_Railroad), but was renamed the *Erie-Lackawanna Limited* in January 1961. The train was re-routed over the Lackwanna's line between Hoboken and Binghamton and combined with the *[Phoebe Snow](/source/Phoebe_Snow_(train))* between Hoboken and Elmira. This change, carried out on April 30, 1961, proved short-lived. The Erie Lackawanna dropped the *Phoebe Snow* name on October 28, 1962, and put the *Erie-Lackawanna Limited* back on the ex-Erie route. By 1963 sleeping cars ran between Chicago and Binghamton only, although coaches continued to run through to the East Coast.[9] Cutbacks continued through 1963: sleeping car service now ended at Hornell, while the diner-lounge ran between Hoboken and [Youngstown, Ohio](/source/Youngstown,_Ohio). The final blow came with the arrival of a new president of the Erie Lackawanna, William H. White. Although favorably disposed to passenger service, White had served as president of the Lackawanna from 1941–1952. White upgraded the *Erie-Lackawanna Limited* with a tavern-lounge car and restored through sleeping car service, but he also ordered it renamed the *Phoebe Snow*, effective October 27, 1963.[10] ## Equipment In its original incarnation the *Erie Limited* had [Pullman](/source/Pullman_(car_or_coach)) [sleeping cars](/source/Sleeping_car), coaches, a [dining car](/source/Dining_car), and a [club-lounge](/source/Lounge_car).[3] All the equipment was heavyweight.[11] The Erie acquired four American series sleeping cars from Pullman-Standard in 1942. These lightweight cars had six sections, six [roomettes](/source/Roomette), and four double bedrooms. One ran on each train. After [World War II](/source/World_War_II) the Erie acquired seven more lightweight sleepers from Pullman-Standard, each with ten roomettes and six double bedrooms.[12] The *Erie Limited* was assigned three of the sleepers: one in each direction between New York and Chicago, and one on the westbound *Erie Limited* between Akron and Chicago which returned on the *[Atlantic Express](/source/Atlantic_Express_and_Pacific_Express)*.[13] ## Route See also: [Main Line (NJ Transit)](/source/Main_Line_(NJ_Transit)) The *Erie Limited* used the Erie's main line between the [Pavonia Terminal](/source/Pavonia_Terminal) in Jersey City and Chicago's [Dearborn Station](/source/Dearborn_Station). From Jersey City passengers traveled to [Manhattan](/source/Manhattan) via [bus](/source/Coach_(bus)) or the [Pavonia Ferry](/source/Pavonia_Ferry). Major stops included [Binghamton, New York](/source/Binghamton,_New_York) and [Akron, Ohio](/source/Akron,_Ohio) ([Union Station](/source/Akron_Union_Station)). In 1956 the eastern terminal shifted to the DL&W's [Hoboken Terminal](/source/Hoboken_Terminal).[9] For a short period in 1961–1963 the train used the ex-Lackawanna line between Hoboken and Binghamton.[9] ## Notes 1. Wayner, p. 42 1. Grant 1994, p. 15 1. Sanders 2003, p. 143 1. Erie Railroad System (April 26, 1931). ["Time Table"](http://acumen.lib.ua.edu/u0003_0000633_0000106/id/55292#list%3D2%3B) 1. Grant 1994, p. 57 1. Sanders 2003, p. 144 1. *3-Way Tours*. Erie Railroad System. 1. Grant 1994, p. 17 1. Sanders 2003, p. 145 1. Sanders 2003, p. 146 1. Welsh 2006, p. 147 1. Wayner 1972, p. 111 1. ["Now in Service! All-Room Sleeping Cars"](https://books.google.com/books?id=m4szAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA14-PA11). *Erie Railroad Magazine*. **45** (5): 11. July 1949. ## References - Wayner, Robert J. *Passenger Train Consists 1923–1973*. New York: Wayner Publications. [OCLC 36495026](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/36495026) ## External links - [1951 timetable](https://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track3/erieltd195103.html) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Erie Limited](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_Limited) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_Limited?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.