I grew up in a little community about twenty miles east of St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, the ‘Railroad Capital of Canada.’ I loved to watch the trains on the Wabash Railroad, which ran through there. As I watched the names on the various types of cars on the freight trains, I became familiar with the names of many railroads in Canada and the United States. My train traveling was done between 1945 and 1955. I hope that this will bring back some pleasant memories for those who traveled by train in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s and some transportation history for all.
This list includes trains from North America only. This gives an idea of the number of passenger trains operating in Canada and the United States in 1948. The name trains have been listed according by railroad that they traveled over. In some cases just the Pullman equipment traveled over these lines.
- Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe (AT&SF)
- Antelope
- California Limited
- California Special
- Cavern
- Centennial State
- Chicagoan
- Chief
- El Capitan
- El Pasoan
- Fast Mail Express
- Golden Gate
- Grand Canyon
- Kansas Cityan
- Oil Flyer
- Ranger
- San Diegan
- Scout
- Super Chief
- Texas Chief
- Tulsan
- West Texas Express
- Atlanta and West Point (A&WP)
- Crescent
- Piedmont Limited
- Atlantic Coast Line (ACL)
- Champion (East Coast)
- Champion (West Coast)
- City of Miami
- Dixie Flagler
- Dixie Flyer
- Dixie Limited
- Everglades
- Flamingo
- Georgian
- Havana Special (East Coast)
- Havana Special (West Coast)
- Miamian
- Palmetto
- Seminole
- South Wind
- Southland
- Sunchaser
- Baltimore and Ohio (B&O)
- Ambassador
- Capitol Limited
- Cincinnatian
- Cleveland Night Express
- Columbian
- Diplomat
- Marylander
- Metropolitan Special
- National
- Royal Blue
- Shenandoah
- Boston and Maine (B&M)
- Alouette
- Flying Yankee
- Green Mountain
- Gull
- Kennebec
- Minute Man
- Monadnoch
- Montrealer
- Mount Royal
- Mountaineer
- New Englander
- Penobscot
- Pine Tree
- Red Wing
- State of Maine
- Washingtonian
- Canadian National Railways (CNR)
- Ambassador
- Continental Limited
- Gull
- Inter-City Limited
- International Limited
- LaSalle
- Maple Leaf
- Maritime Express
- Montrealer
- New Englander
- Northland
- Ocean Limited
- Owl
- Scotian
- Washingtonian
- Winnipeg Limited
- Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)
- Alouette
- Chicago Express
- Chinook
- Dominion
- Frontenac
- Great West
- Gull
- Kettle Valley Express
- Kootenay Express
- Laurentian
- Michigan
- Montreal Limited
- Overseas
- Red Wing
- Royal York
- Viger
- Winnipeger
- Central of Georgia (CG)
- City of Miami
- Flamingo
- Nancy Hanks
- Seminole
- Southland
- Sunchaser
- Central Vermont (CV)
- Ambassador
- Montrealer
- New Englander
- Vermonter
- Washingtonian
- Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O)
- F. F. V.
- George Washington
- Resort Special
- Sportsman
- Chicago and Eastern Illinois (C&EI)
- Cardinal
- Dixie Flagler
- Dixie Flyer
- Dixie Limited
- Dixie Mail
- Georgian
- Meadowlark
- Silent Knight
- Chicago and Northwestern (C&NW)
- Arrowhead Limited
- Ashland Limited
- Ashland Mail
- Capitol 400
- Chicago Limited
- City of Denver
- City of Los Angeles
- City of Milwaukee 400
- City of Portland
- City of San Francisco
- Columbine
- Commuter 400
- Duluth-Superior Limited
- Flambeau 400
- Gold Coast
- Los Angeles Challenger
- Green Bay 400
- Kate Shelly 400
- Los Angeles Limited
- Minnesota 400
- Mondamin
- Nightingale
- North American
- Northwestern Limited
- Pacific
- Peninsula 400
- San Francisco Challenger
- San Francisco Overland
- Shoreline 400
- Twin Cities 400
- Utahn
- Valley 400
- Victory
- Viking
- Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy (Burlington Route) (CB&Q)
- Ak-Sar-Ben
- Alaskan
- American Royal
- Black Hawk
- California Zephyr
- Denver Zephyr
- Empire Builder
- Exposition Flyer
- Mainstreeter
- Mark Twain Zephyr
- Nebraska Zephyr
- North Coast Limited
- Oriental Limited
- Sam Houston Zephyr
- Silver Streak Zephyr
- Texas Zephyr
- Twin Cities Zephyr (am, pm)
- Western Star
- Zephyr Rocket
- Chicago Great Western (CGW)
- Mill Cities Limited
- Minnesotan
- Nebraska Limited
- Omaha Express
- Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville (Monon) (CI&L)
- Bluegrass
- Thoroughbred
- Tippecanoe
- Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific (Milwaukee Road) (CMSP&P)
- Afternoon Hiawatha
- Chippewa
- Olympian Hiawatha
- Morning Hiawatha
- Pioneer Limited
- Southwest Limited
- Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific (Rock Island) (CRI&P)
- Choctaw Express
- Corn Belt Rocket
- Des Moines-Chicago Rocket
- Des Moines-Omaha Limited
- Golden State
- Hot Springs Limited
- Imperial
- LaSalle St. Limited
- Mid-Continental Special
- Peoria-Chicago Express
- Rocky Mountain Rocket
- Short Line Express
- Southwest Express
- Texas Rocket
- Twin Star Rocket
- Zephyr Rocket
- Delaware and Hudson (D&H)
- Laurentian
- Montreal Limited
- Mountain Express
- Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western (Lackawanna) (DL&W)
- Chicagoan
- Keystone Express
- Lackawanna Limited
- Merchants Express
- New York Mail
- New Yorker
- Nickel Plate Limited
- Owl
- Phoebe Snow
- Pittsburgh Express
- Pocono Express
- Westerner
- Denver and Rio Grande Western (Rio Grande) (D&RGW)
- California Zephyr
- Colorado Eagle
- Exposition Flyer
- Mountaineer
- Prospector
- Royal Gorge
- Yampa Valley Mail
- Dominion Atlantic (DA)
- Gull
- Erie (Erie)
- Atlantic Express
- Erie Limited
- Lake Cities
- Mountain Express
- Pacific Express
- Southern Tier Express
- Florida East Coast (FEC)
- Champion (East Coast)
- City of Miami
- Dixie Flagler
- Dixie Flyer
- Dixie Limited
- Everglades
- Flamingo
- Florida Special
- Georgian
- Havana Special (East Coast)
- Kansas City
- Florida Special
- Memphian
- Miamian
- Palmland
- South Wind
- Southland
- Sunchaser
- Grand Trunk Western (GTW)
- Inter-City Limited
- International Limited
- New York Express
- LaSalle
- Great Northern (GN)
- Badger
- Cascadean
- Empire Builder
- Fast Mail
- Gopher
- Oriental Limited
- Pacific Coast Express
- Red River
- Western Star
- Winnipeg Limited
- Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe (GC&SF)
- California Special
- Ranger
- Texas Chief
- Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio (GM&O)
- Abraham Lincoln
- Alton Limited
- Ann Rutledge
- Gulf Coast Rebel
- Midnight Special
- Night Hawk
- Prairie State Express
- Illinois Central (IC)
- Chickasaw
- City of Miami
- City of New Orleans
- Daylight
- Green Diamond
- Hawkeye
- Illini
- Iowan
- Land O’Corn
- Louisiane
- Miss Lou
- Night Diamond
- Northern Express
- Northwestern Limited
- Panama Limited
- Planter
- Seminole
- Southern Express
- Southwestern Limited
- Sunchaser
- Kansas City Southern (KCS)
- Flying Crow
- Shreveporter
- Southern Belle
- Lehigh Valley (LV)
- Asa Packer
- Black Diamond
- John Wilkes
- Major
- New York Express
- Star
- Louisville and Nashville (L&N)
- Azalean
- Dixie Flagler
- Dixie Flyer
- Dixie Limited
- Flamingo
- Georgian
- Hummingbird
- Pan-American
- Piedmont Limited
- South Wind
- Southland
- Maine Central (MC)
- Gull
- Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway (M&SL)
- Day Express
- Night Express
- Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Sault Ste. Marie (Soo Line) (MSP&SSM)
- Laker
- Soo Dominion
- Winnipeger
- Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy) (MKT)
- Bluebonnet
- Katy Flyer
- Katy Limited
- Sooner
- Texas Special
- Missouri-Pacific (MP)
- Colorado Eagle
- Houstonian
- Louisiana Sunshine Special
- Missouri River Eagle
- Missourian
- Orleanean
- Ozarkan
- Pioneer
- Rainbow Special
- Royal Gorge
- Southerner
- Star
- Sunshine Special
- Texan
- Texas Eagle
- Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis (NC&SL)
- Dixie Flagler
- Dixie Flyer
- Dixie Limited
- Georgian
- National Railways of Mexico (NRM)
- Sunshine Special
- New York Central (NYC)
- Berkshire
- Booth Tarkington
- Buffalo-Pittsburgh Express
- Canadian
- Chicago Express
- Chicago Mercury
- Chicagoan
- Cincinnati Special
- Cleveland Limited
- Cleveland Mercury
- Cleveland-Columbus Special
- Columbus-Cleveland Special
- Commodore Vanderbilt
- Detroiter
- DeWitt Clinton
- Easterner
- Empire State Express
- Fifth Avennue Special
- Forest City
- Gateway
- Great Lakes
- Hendrick Hudson
- Interstate Express
- Iroquois
- James Whitcomb Riley
- Knickerbocker
- Laurentian
- Michigan
- Michigan Special
- Midnight Special
- Midwestern
- Minute Man
- Missourian
- Mohawk
- Montreal Limited
- Motor City Special
- Mountain Express
- New England States
- New York Special
- Niagara
- North Shore Limited
- North Star
- Northerner
- Ohio Special
- Ohio State Limited
- Ontarion
- Overseas
- Pacemaker
- Pittsburgh-Buffalo Express
- Royal York
- South Shore
- Southwestern State Special
- Sycamore
- Texas Special
- Tuscarora
- Twentieth Century Limited
- Twilight Limited
- Wolverine
- New York, Chicago, and St. Louis (Nickel Plate Road) (NYC&SL)
- Chicagoan
- New York Mail
- New Yorker
- Nickel Plate Limited
- Westerner
- New York, New Haven, and Hartford (New Haven) (NH)
- Bankers
- Champion
- Colonial
- Cotton Blossom
- Everglades
- Federal
- Havana Special
- Merchants Limited
- Miamian
- Montrealer
- Palmetto
- Palmland
- Patriot
- Peach Queen
- Pilgrim
- Quaker
- Senator
- Silver Meteor
- Silver Star
- Sunland
- Valley Express
- William Penn
- Washingtonian
- Norfolk and Western (N&W)
- Birmingham Special
- Cannon Ball
- Cavalier
- Chicago Daylight Express
- Chicago Night Express
- Cincinnati Daylight Express
- Cincinnati Night Express
- Pelican
- Pocahantas
- Powhatan Arrow
- Southerner
- Tennessean
- Union
- Northern Pacific (NP)
- Alaskan
- Mainstreeter
- North Coast Limited
- St. Paul-Winnipeg
- Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR)
- Admiral
- American
- Azalean
- Birmingham Special
- Broadway Limited
- Cannon Ball
- Champion
- Chicago Arrow
- Chicago Daylight Express
- Chicago Night Express
- Cincinnati Daylight Express
- Cincinnati Limited
- Cincinnati Night Express
- Clevelander
- Colonial
- Congressional
- Cotton Blossom
- Crescent
- Detroit Arrow
- Duquesne
- Everglades
- F. F. V.
- Federal
- Fort Pitt
- General
- George Washington
- Golden Triangle
- Gotham Limited
- Havana Special
- Hummingbird
- Iron City Express
- Jeffersonian
- Juanita
- Keystone Express
- Liberty Limited
- Manhattan Limited
- Miamian
- Mid-City Express
- Montrealer
- Northern Arrow
- Palmetto
- Palmland
- Pan American
- Patriot
- Peach Queen
- Pelican
- Pennsylvania Limited
- Pennsylvanian
- Philadelphia Express
- Philadelphia Night Express
- Piedmont Limited
- Pilgrim
- Pittsburgh Express
- Pittsburgher
- Quaker
- Rainbow
- Red Arrow
- Red Bird
- Senator
- Silver Comet
- Silver Meteor
- Silver Star
- South Wind
- Southerner
- Southland
- Spirit of St. Louis
- Sportsman
- St. Louisan
- Sunland
- Tennessean
- Texas Eagle
- Texas Special
- Trailblazer
- Union
- Valley Special
- Washingtonian
- William Penn
- Pittsburgh and Lake Erie (P&LE)
- Buffalo-Pittsburgh Express
- Pittsburgh-Buffalo Express
- Washingtonian
- Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac (RF&P)
- Cannon Ball
- Champion
- Cotton Blossom
- Everglades
- Havana Special
- Miamian
- Palmetto
- Palmland
- Silver Comet
- Silver Meteor
- Silver Star
- Sunland
- St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) (SLSF)
- Firefly
- Florida Special
- Kansas City-Florida Special
- Lone Star
- Memphian
- Meteor
- Morning Star
- Oklahoman
- Sunnyland
- Texas Special
- Will Rogers
- St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt) (SLSW)
- Lone Star
- Morning Star
- Seaboard Air Line (SAL)
- Cotton Blossom
- Orange Blossom Special
- Palmland
- Silver Comet
- Silver Meteor
- Silver Star
- Sunland
- Southern Pacific (SP)
- Acadian
- Alamo
- Argonaut
- Beaver
- Border Limited
- Cascade
- City of San Francisco
- Coaster
- Del Monte
- Gold Coast
- Golden State
- Hustler
- Imperial
- Klamath
- Lark
- Morning Daylight
- Noon Daylight
- Oakland Lark
- Owl (2)
- Passenger (2)
- Rouge River
- San Francisco Challenger
- San Francisco Overland
- Sunbeam
- Sunset Limited
- West Coast
- Southern Railway (SR)
- Aiken-Augusta Special
- Asheville Special
- Birmingham Special
- Carolina Special
- Crescent
- Florida Special
- Peach Queen
- Pelican
- Piedmont Limited
- Ponce de Leon
- Royal Palm
- Southerner
- Sunnyland
- Tennessean
- Toronto, Hamilton, and Buffalo (TH&B)
- Ontarion
- Union Pacific (UP)
- Butte Special
- City of Denver
- City of Los Angeles
- City of Portland
- City of St. Louis
- City of San Francisco
- Columbine
- Gold Coast
- Idahoan
- Los Angeles Challenger
- Los Angeles Limited
- Northwest Special
- Pacific
- Pony Express
- Portland Rose
- San Francisco Challenger
- San Francisco Overland
- Spokane
- Utahn
- Yellowstone Special
- Wabash Railroad (WAB)
- Banner Blue
- Blue Bird
- City of Kansas City
- City of St. Louis
- Detroit Limited
- Midnight Special
- Omaha Limited
- Red Bird
- St. Louis Limited (2)
- Wabash Cannon Ball
- Western Pacific (WP)
- California Zephyr
- Exposition Flyer
- Royal Gorge
- Western Railway of Alabama (WRA)
- Piedmont Limited