No. 10374 Electro-Motive F-3 AA Diesel Locomotive, heading up the "20th Century Limited" Streamlined Passenger Train

New York Central Railroad

In the late 1920s, the New York Central Railroad needed a new steam locomotive to power its longer and heavier elegant first class passenger trains at faster speeds. The result was the handsome Alco-built 4-6-4 "Hudson"-type, and it proved to be extremely successful, heading up such famous trains as the "20th Century Limited" (No.  10073) and "Empire State Express" (see No. 10062). It went into service in 1927. This locomotive could pull heavy thirteen to fifteen-car trains at high rates of speed. A total of 275 "Hudson"-class locomotives were built for the New York Central 1927-1941.

In the mid-1930's, some of these locomotives were covered with streamlined shrouding conceived by noted industrial designers, such as Henry Dreyfuss (see No.  10215).

These dependable locomotives remained in service until the late 1940s, when they were replaced by more efficient diesel locomotives, such as Electro-Motive's F-3 A and B units (1500 horsepower per unit) introduced to America's railroads in 1945.  Electro-Motive also offered the new 2000 horsepower E-7s at this time.

The "20th Century Limited" was perhaps the grandest, most elegant passenger train to run in the United States, capturing the heart and imagination of America. On its New York-Chicago daily run, it was an all-reserved, all-Pullman, all-first-class extra-fare train. Her bedroom compartments were roomy, comfortable, and air conditioned. The observation car contained a bridal suite, and the dining car became an elegant nightclub as soon as the desserts were cleared away. There was a secretary on board to cater to the needs of busy executives - also, a barber, fresh and salt water baths, valet service, a ladies' maid, and a manicurist - in short, the train was a "luxury liner on wheels," and fast, too - 16 hours New York to Chicago, 961 miles, with 8 sleeper Pullmans and 150 passengers, by 1938, behind the powerful new "Hudsons" and, after 1950, by the sleek new F-3 and E-7 diesel locomotives.  It was promoted as the "Fastest Long Distance Train in the World," and was so popular it frequently ran in several sections.

As a review, the precursor of the "20th Century Limited" was the "Lakeshore Limited", established in 1897 on a 24-hour schedule from New York to Chicago (see No. 10046).  The "20th Century Limited" was introduced in 1902 with 5 cars accommodating 42 passengers on a 20-hour schedule for the overnight runs. It was a grand all-Pullman train, a proud addition to New York Central's "Great Steel Fleet."

The "Hudsons" were phased out in 1947-1948, to usher in the diesel era with Electro-Motive F-3s and E-7s by General Motors. The "20th Century Limited" train changed in April, 1958, from an extra-fare all-Pullman showcase of rail elegance to a standard coach-and-sleeper operation, which by combining with the "Commodore Vanderbilt" and its coaches (see No. 10572),  ran until December 2, 1967, when it was terminated due to economic problems.  It had been in service since 1902, perhaps America's most famous train.  

Notable were the streamlined versions of the "Hudsons" to head up the train in the 1930s (see No. 10065 and 10156) and the unique 6' x 260' red carpet that was unrolled each day to welcome passengers aboard at Grand Central Terminal from 1922 to 1967.

No. 10374 represents an accurate scale model of New York Central's F-3 AA diesel locomotive by Electro-Motive, heading up the lightweight streamlined 6-car sleeper-equipped "20th Century Limited" (Nos. 10375 and 10376), as it would have been seen on its overnight run between New York City and Chicago 1948 through the 1950s, the locomotives in dark and light gray with their distinctive Lightning Stripe livery.  The locomotives and cars are in "0" gauge by K-Line.

After 1946, New York Central's passenger train fleet was marketed as the "Dreamliner" fleet, as the railroad took delivery of new all-room sleeping cars, each room with its own climate control and toilet/washroom facilities. Also new were the heavily promoted "Lookout Lounge" observation cars with their significantly enlarged windows.  The cars were conservatively painted in dark gray with light gray window bands, separated by narrow white stripes above and below the window bands.  Car roofs were dark gray.  The 720 new cars delivered just postwar constituted the largest single order for passenger equipment ever, on any railroad, a total of $56 million, from American Car & Foundry, Budd, and Pullman-Standard.