Buffalo Day Express

File:PRR 1955 schedule.jpg

From Washington, the train's route went northeast to Baltimore on the Pennsy's electrified Washington–New York mainline. At Baltimore, the train diverged to the PRR's Northern Central Railway subsidiary line north to York and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Because of the way the tracks were aligned at Baltimore Penn Station, it was necessary for the train's cars to face rearward for the short {{convert|40|mile|km|adj=on}} journey between Washington and Baltimore, where a steam locomotive (and later diesel) would be coupled to what now became the train's front end. Arriving in Harrisburg, it picked up equipment from Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. From there it continued north to Williamsport, from where it shifted northwest to Emporium, Pennsylvania; from which it headed north to Olean, New York, and then to Buffalo, New York.{{cite journal |title=Pennsylvania Railroad, Table 155|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=74 |issue=1 |date=June 1941}}

In the early 1940s it carried coaches from Washington to Buffalo and from Philadelphia to Buffalo. Both branches also carried parlor cars. From Washington to Harrisburg it had cafe coaches; and from Philadelphia to Harrisburg it had a dining car, and from Harrisburg to Buffalo it had a separate dining car.{{cite journal |title=Pennsylvania Railroad, Table 155|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=74 |issue=1 |date=June 1941}} In the early the 1950s, the Philadelphia service was extended to New York City.Pennsylvania Railroad timetable, January 18, 1954, Table 31 http://streamlinermemories.info/PRR/PRR54-1TT.pdf However, by 1957, the eastern trains only originated in Philadelphia, and they ended in Harrisburg. Passengers would transfer trains to continue to Buffalo.{{cite journal |title=Pennsylvania Railroad, Table 82|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=90 |issue=7 |date=December 1957}} Throughout its lifetime, the train's consist included considerable head end equipment carrying mail and express.

The Pennsylvania railroad also operated the Dominion Express over these Washington-Buffalo and Philadelphia-Buffalo sections. The Dominion Express, for both north and south directions had coach, cafe coach and sleeper equipment.{{cite journal |title=Pennsylvania Railroad, Table 155|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=74 |issue=1 |date=June 1941}} Even in the 1950s period of origin from Philadelphia to New York, the southbound Dominion Express ended in Philadelphia, not New York.Pennsylvania Railroad timetable, January 18, 1954, Table 31 http://streamlinermemories.info/PRR/PRR54-1TT.pdf Northbound, the Dominion Express afforded connection at Williamsport with a local PRR train to Elmira, New York and then Rochester, New York. Southbound, the train from Rochester would meet up with the Southern Express at Williamsport.{{cite journal |title=Pennsylvania Railroad, Tables 84|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=87 |issue=7 |date=December 1954}}

In February, 1958 the Dominion Express ended, and the overnight service was picked up by the Washington, D.C.–Erie, Pennsylvania Northern Express, #575 (Southern Express, #574, when heading south-bound). The Erie and Buffalo originating branches of that train would converge at Emporium, Pennsylvania, and continue south to Washington. A supplemental set of through sleepers operated from Buffalo to New York and back. By this time, the train's sleeper equipment eliminated open-sections and consisted only of roomettes and other private rooms.{{cite journal |title=Pennsylvania Railroad, Tables 82, 83|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=91 |issue=3 |date=August 1958}}

From 1958 to 1968 the southbound version of the train, #570, was called the Baltimore Day Express. Excepting on Sundays, passengers bound east of Harrisburg would need to transfer at Harrisburg.{{cite journal |title=Pennsylvania Railroad, Table 82|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=92 |issue=7 |date=December 1959}}

The Buffalo Day Express as a named train ended upon the 1968 merger of the Pennsylvania Railroad with the New York Central Railroad into the Penn Central Railroad. The Penn Central ran the train as a multi-segment overnight train. The train ran as #575, departing at 11:35 pm from Harrisburg to Buffalo. It picked up passengers from #3 (the Penn Texas) from New York to Harrisburg. There was no Washington-originating train synchronized to meet the train in the Penn Central years. This train also dropped sleeper car service.{{cite journal |title=Penn Central, Table 42|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=101 |issue=1 |date=June 1968}}

When Amtrak began on May 1, 1971, it dropped the line altogether, ending decades of service between Harrisburg and Buffalo, leaving medium-sized cities such as Williamsport outside of the national passenger train network.

• Northern Central Railway

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Category:Named passenger trains of the United States

Category:Passenger rail transportation in Maryland

Category:Passenger rail transportation in New York (state)

Category:Passenger rail transportation in Pennsylvania

Category:Passenger trains of the Pennsylvania Railroad

Category:Railway services discontinued in 1968

{{PRR named trains}}