Panama Limited
The Panama Limited was a premier all-Pullman car service between Chicago, Illinois and New Orleans, Louisiana. For most of the trains' history a St. Louis section also operated between St. Louis, Missouri, and Carbondale, Illinois, where it connected to the main train.
The Panama Limited was operated until the advent of Amtrak in 1971 by the Illinois Central Railroad, and by Amtrak until 1974. The train ran on an overnight schedule between Chicago's Central Station, St. Louis Union Station and New Orleans Union Station (replaced in 1954 by the current New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal. At various times during the history of the train it also carried through sleepers for connections to Gulfport, Mississippi, Little Rock and Hot Springs, Arkansas and San Antonio, Texas.
The train, which commenced service on February 4, 1911, replaced an earlier train, the Chicago and New Orleans Limited and was named in honor of the anticipated opening of the Panama Canal.
The first Panama Limited ran as train numbers 3 northbound and 4 southbound carrying only sleepers, dining and lounge cars between Chicago and Memphis and adding coaches south of Memphis. In 1912 the train was replaced with an all-steel, all electric, all-Pullman consist for its entire route. On September 15, 1916 the Panama Limited was again upgraded with new steel equipment. The train was renumbered as 7 northbound and 8 southbound with the earlier numbers re-assigned to a slower companion, the Louisiane. The Panama's schedule was reduced to 23 hours, and in keeping with its luxury status the Illinois Central charged an extra fare.
The train was temporarily discontinued between 1932 and 1935 due to low ridership during the great depression. On December 2, 1935 service was resumed with upgraded, air-conditioned equipment on an 18 hour schedule. After 1935, it ran as Illinois Central train 5/105 southbound from Chicago/St. Louis and 6/16 northbound until 1971.
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[edit] Streamliner
The Panama Limited was streamlined in 1942.{{Citation needed|:"Some Classic Trains" by Arthur Dubin. The United States War Department allowed delivery of the new lightweight equipment by Pullman-Standard, the builder, because the construction of the train-sets was nearly completed. It was the last delivery of passenger equipment for any railroad until the end of World War II. The first diesel/electric-powered streamlined run of the Panama took place on May 1, 1942 on an 18 hour schedule. For the duration of the War the Illinois Central dropped the extra fare. Following World War II the schedule was reduced to 16 hours, 30 minutes and again charged the extra fare.
The Panama Limited maintained a high level of service until the Amtrak era, ranking it among the nations' finest trains. It was noted particularly for its dining car service, employing a first rate culinary staff and offering creole fare in the Vieux Carre-themed dining cars, a service which the Illinois Central marketed heavily. A well-known multi-course meal service on the Panama Limited was the 'Kings Dinner', which was on the menu for approx. $10 (note that other deluxe, complete meals such as steak or lobster, including wine or cocktail, were typically priced around $4–$5 at that time). In 1952 the Illinois Central acquired several 2-unit 175-foot (53 m) dining cars from the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad which it used for operation on the Panama to further promote this service. Along with the Pennsylvania's Broadway Limited it was the among the last two "all-Pullman" trains in the United States.
In 1967, due to losses incurred by the operation of the train, the Illinois Central combined it with a coach-only train called the Magnolia Star. After 1970 the separate designation of Magnolia Star was dropped from the timetable and Illinois Central discontinued the St. Louis section of the Panama Limited, replacing it with a connecting bus service between St. Louis and Carbondale.
[edit] Amtrak service
The final day of operation of the Panama Limited by the Illinois Central Railroad took place on 30 April 1971. On May 1, 1971, Amtrak took over the operation of the service, but retained the City of New Orleans over the Panama Limited. Because this train made no connections with other trains at either New Orleans or Chicago, Amtrak moved the train to an overnight schedule on November 14, 1971 and revived the Panama Limited name.[1]:94
Amtrak restored the City of New Orleans name, while retaining the overnight schedule, on February 1, 1981. Amtrak hoped to capitalize on the popularity of the eponymous song written by Steve Goodman and recorded in 1972 by Arlo Guthrie.[1]:96
[edit] "The Panama Limited" song
A song immortalizing the train under its original name is credited to blues singer Bukka White, who recorded it in the 1930s.[2] "The Panama Limited" was popularized by folk singer Tom Rush on his self-titled debut album in 1965[3] and was recorded later by folk musicians Mike Cross and Doug MacLeod.[4] Also, a British band of the late 1960s and early 1970s called itself Panama Limited Jug Band, later shortened to Panama Limited.
[edit] See also
- Passenger train service on the Illinois Central Railroad
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Panama Limited kitchen, circa 1910s to 1930s.
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The Limited's club car in 1917.
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The observation car in 1917.
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Telephone service was also offered on the Limited.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Sanders, Craig (2006). Amtrak in the Heartland. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-34705-X.
- ^ Ward, Thomas. "Bukka White: The Panama Limited". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-panama-limited-r603287. Retrieved 2011-11-6.
- ^ Eder, Bruce. "Tom Rush: Tom Rush". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/tom-rush-1965-r347153. Retrieved 2011-11-6.
- ^ "The Panama Limited". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/search/track/The+Panama+Limited/order:default-asc. Retrieved 2011-11-6.
