ATHEARN 1892 HO-scale NEW YORK CENTRAL STD DINING CAR KIT NYC 105 *NOS* NEW OLD STOCK - ORIGINAL VENDOR BLUE BOX OVP DARK GREEN with GOLD LETTERING 1892-style CLERESTORY ROOF PULLMAN DINER SIX-WHEEL TRUCKS

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Additional Information from Internet Encyclopedia

Steam locomotives of the New York Central Railroad were optimized for speed on that flat raceway of a main line, rather than slow mountain lugging. Famous locomotives of the system included the well-known 4-6-4 Hudsons, particularly the 1937�38 J-3a's; 4-8-2 World War II�era 1940 L-3 and 1942 L-4 Mohawks; and the 1945�46 S-class Niagaras: fast 4-8-4 locomotives often considered the epitome of their breed by steam locomotive aficionados (railfans).

For the first two-thirds of the 20th century, New York Central Railroad had some of the most famous trains in the United States. The 20th Century Limited (Century), begun in 1902, ran between Grand Central Terminal in New York City and LaSalle Street Station in Chicago, and was its most famous train, known for its red-carpet treatment and first-class service. Its last run was made on December 2�3, 1967.

In the mid-1930s, many railroad companies were introducing streamlined locomotives; until the New York Central introduced the Commodore Vanderbilt, all were diesel-electric. The Vanderbilt was the NYC's first streamlined steam locomotive.

The railroad hosted the streamlined steam-powered Rexall Train of 1936, which toured 47 states to promote the Rexall chain of drug stores and to provide space for company conventions. The steam-powered Century, which followed the Water Level Route, could complete the 960.7-mile trip in 16 hours after its June 15, 1938 streamlining (and did it in 151⁄2 hours for a short period after World War II). Also famous were the NYC's Empire State Express, which traveled from New York City through upstate New York to Buffalo and Cleveland, and the Ohio State Limited, which ran between New York City and Cincinnati.

At various times, beginning in 1946 and continuing into the mid-1950s, the Century and other NYC trains exchanged sleeping cars in Chicago with western trains such as the Super Chief and the City of San Francisco. The cars, which contained roomettes, double bedrooms and drawing rooms, provided through sleeper service between New York City and Los Angeles or San Francisco (Oakland Pier).

Despite having some of the most modern steam locomotives anywhere, NYC's difficult financial position caused it to convert to more-economical diesel-electric power rapidly. The Boston and Albany line was completely dieselized by 1951. All lines east of Cleveland, Ohio were dieselized between August 7, 1953 (east of Buffalo) and September 1953 (Cleveland-Buffalo). Niagaras were all retired by July 1956. On May 3, 1957, H7e class 2-8-2 Mikado type steam locomotive No. 1977 is reported to have been the last steam locomotive to retire from service on the railroad. But, the economics of northeastern railroading became so dire that not even this switch could change things for the better.

Prominent New York Central trains:

New York to Chicago

20th Century Limited: New York to Chicago (limited stops) via the Water Level Route 1902�1967

Chicagoan: New York�Chicago

Commodore Vanderbilt: New York�Chicago (a few more stops) via the Water Level Route

Fast Mail: New York�Chicago

Fifth Avenue Special: New York�Chicago

Iroquois: New York-Chicago

Lake Shore Limited: New York�Chicago via Cleveland with branch service to Boston and St. Louis 1896�1956, 1971�present (Reinstated and combined with New England States by Amtrak in 1971)

North Shore Limited: New York�Chicago

Pacemaker: New York�Chicago all-coach train via Cleveland

Water Level Limited: New York�Chicago

Wolverine: New York-Chicago via southern Ontario and Detroit

The Mercuries

Chicago Mercury: Chicago-Detroit

Cincinnati Mercury: Cleveland-Cincinnati

Cleveland Mercury: Detroit�Cleveland

Detroit Mercury: Cleveland-Detroit

New York to St. Louis

Knickerbocker: New York�St. Louis

Southwestern Limited: New York�St. Louis, from 1889 to 1966

Other trains

Empire State Express: New York�Buffalo and Cleveland via the Empire Corridor 1891�present (as far as Niagara Falls, New York as Empire Service).

Cleveland Limited: New York�Cleveland

Detroit Special: Chicago-Detroit

Detroiter: New York�Detroit

Great Lakes Aerotrain: Chicago-Detroit/Cleveland 1956 (Special experimental lightweight train)

James Whitcomb Riley: Chicago-Cincinnati

Michigan: Chicago-Detroit

Motor City Special: Chicago�Detroit

New England States: Boston-Chicago via the Water Level Route 1938�1971 (Retained by Penn Central and, for Amtrak, combined with reinstated Lake Shore Limited)

Niagara: New York-Niagara Falls

North Star: New York-Cleveland, branches to Toronto and Lake Placid

Ohio State Limited: New York-Cincinnati via Empire Corridor

Ontarian: New York-Toronto

Seneca: New York-Syracuse

Ohio Xplorer: Cleveland-Cincinnati 1956�1957 (Special experimental lightweight train)

Twilight Limited: Chicago�Detroit

Trains left from Grand Central Terminal in New York, Weehawken Terminal in Weehawken, New Jersey, South Station in Boston, Cincinnati Union Terminal in Cincinnati, Michigan Central Station in Detroit, St. Louis Union Station, and LaSalle Street Station and Central Station (for some Detroit and CincinnatI trains) in Chicago.

The New York Central had a network of commuter lines in New York and Massachusetts. Westchester County, New York had the railroad's Hudson, Harlem, and Putnam lines into Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan (Putnam Division trains required a change at High Bridge, New York), while New Jersey and Rockland County, New York were serviced by the West Shore Line between Weehawken and Kingston, New York, on the west side of the Hudson River.