NY & NE "White Train"

Zman

Member
Here's an interesting article from March 16, 1891 in the Boston Herald.

Rolling out of the New York and New England Railroad station at 3 pm yesterday afternoon, the New England Limited took all the glories that could be attached in a complete new train resplendent in white and gold.
For three months past, items have appeared in the daily papers about a new departure in car decoration that the NY&NE Railroad was about to inaugurate, and yesterday saw the fulfillment of those announcements.
The Pullman Palace Car Company has built for the service seven parlor cars, four passenger coaches, and two royal buffet smokers. These cars are divided into two trains, owned by the New England and the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroads. The New England road has provided a dining car of the same general design to run between Boston and Willimantic, Connecticut. The cars are heated by steam directly from the locomotive and are lighted by the Pintsch system of gas. The parlor cars are furnished with velvet carpets, silk draperies, and white silk curtains. The chairs are upholstered in old gold plush, and large plate glass mirrors set off the car handsomely. Three of them have each a stateroom and 26 chairs in the main salon, while the other four have 30 chair each. The royal buffet smokers which will be run in addition to the ordinary smoking cars are decorated in the same manner as the parlor cars and contain 20 handsome upholstered chairs for the passengers.
Two cards tables with stationary seats, and writing desks with all needed stationery for letters of telegrams are also provided. The regular passenger coaches seat 60 persons and are comfortable and easy riding. The train that left Boston yesterday was seen by crowds and people who were lined enroute to gaze with mingled curiosity and delight at its handsome appearance.


The White Train attracted national attention, and President Benjamin Harrison rode the line from New York to Boston. Rudyard Kipling also rode these rails from Boston to New York. The following verse was widely circulated:

Without a jar, or roll or antic,
Without a stop to Willimantic,
The New England Limited takes its way
At three o'clock each day,
Maids and Matrons, daintily dimited,
Ride every day on the New England Limited;
Rain nor snow ne'er stops its flight,
It makes New York at nine each night.
One half the glories have not been told
Of that wonderful train of white and gold
Which leaves each day for New York at three
Over the N.Y. & N.E.



I thought it might be fun to model this train, although there aren't any extant photos (that I can find). Does anyone have any pics of Pullman cars from 1891? I wonder what kind of engine they were using...a 2-8-0 Consolidation perhaps, or were the old Moguls still running? I suspect the only way I'm going to find out is to visit the University of Conn. library where they still have all the minutes of the NY & NE board of directors meetings archived.
 

Zman

Member
P.S. Here's an anonymous artist's rendition of the "white train", or the "ghost train" as it became to be known. That looks like a Mogul to me, but who knows it the artist knew for sure?
 

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eightyeightfan1

Now I'm AMP'd
Here's an actual picture of the "White Train" taken in Thompson Connecticut in 1891.
Sorry it isn't a better shot. It was scanned from the book"Connecticut Railroads"
 

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