Xplorer (New York Central Railroad train)

The Xplorer was a named train of the New York Central Railroad (NYC), between Cleveland, Ohio and Cincinnati, Ohio. It was first announced in the April 1956 timetable, however, it was actually introduced in the July timetable. The Xplorer, or Ohio-Xplorer, 423-westbound, 424-eastbound, as it appeared on the company's timetables, was an attempt by the NYC to modernize intrastate rail travel in Ohio and lure people out of their cars. The train was built by Pullman to their lightweight Train-X design, and was powered by a Baldwin RP-210 Diesel-hydraulic locomotive.[1][2]

Xplorer
New York Central Railroad's Xplorer in 1956
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusDiscontinued
LocaleMidwestern United States
First service1956
Last service1957
Former operator(s)New York Central Railroad
Route
StartCincinnati, Ohio
EndCleveland, Ohio
Distance travelled290.0 miles (466.7 km)
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)421: southwest-bound; 422: northeast-bound
On-board services
Seating arrangementsReclining seat coaches
Catering facilitiesFood service
Observation facilitiesLounge coach
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)

The train consisted of nine, short, all-aluminum cars articulated together. The center car had two axles (one at each end), with the remaining cars having a single axle each, being supported by adjacent cars at the end opposite the axle. The ride was rough, as with most of the other lightweight trains of the period, and the train was not a success.[3]

As a train, the names Ohio-Xplorer or Xplorer did not reappear on the October 1957 timetable.[4] The equipment was retired in 1960, and was sold to Jones Tours, for excursion service. After a long period of storage in South Carolina, the train and locomotive were scrapped around 1970.[5]

See also

Footnotes
  1. April 1956 New York Central timetable, cover, and Table 23 http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/ptt/images/tt-0456.pdf
  2. July 1956 New York Central timetable, Table 23 http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/ptt/images/tt-0456.pdf
  3. Doughty, Geoffrey H. (July 1997). New York Central and the Trains of the Future. Motorbooks International. ISBN 1-883089-28-X.
  4. October 1957 New York Central timetable http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/ptt/images/tt-1057.pdf
  5. "The Baldwin Diesel Zone - RP-210". Yardlimit.railfan.net. Retrieved 2016-07-25.

References
  • Kirkland, John F. (November 1994). The Diesel Builders Volume 3: Baldwin Locomotive Works. Interurban Press. ISBN 0-916374-93-9.
  • Dolzall, Gary W.; Dolzall, Stephen F. (1984). Diesels From Eddystone: The story of Baldwin Diesel Locomotives. Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 0-89024-052-3.
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