Train-Off Date for Tr's 1 & 2 - "The Shenandoah Valley Cannonball"

[NW Mailing List]

 From: Rick Morrison

.... [N&W Trains] 1 & 2 were discontinued between Waynesboro and Hagerstown
May 19, 1962.  The RPO service also ended that day.  I was aboard the last
northbound train between Shenandoah Jct and Hagerstown.  The end of these
trains was precipitated when PRR dropped 638 & 645 between Harrisburg and
Hagerstown February 25, 1962.  The PRR trains were actually 1 & 2's consist
except for an engine change in Hagerstown. (The RPO ran on to Harrisburg
"closed pouch.") As of that date,  N&W continued to provide sleeper service
on the remaining Waynesboro run, routing the sleeper over C&O trains to
Washington and New York.  Dining car service discontinued on February 25,
1962 as well. So February 2, 1963 was the end for 1 & 2 for good.
Interesting that Pennsylvania PUC had denied PRR permission to drop 638 &
645, but PRR turned around and did it anyway, presumably paying a fine.  As
early as 1957 PRR diverted revenue off their trains by trucking Railway
Express to stations between Hagerstown and Harrisburg.  Sometime in 1957-58
the sealed PRR B-60 car Harrisburg-Roanoke disappeared.  My guess is that
what mail that car might have carried went on the N&W car when it was
extended to Harrisburg.

October 4, 2013

Thank you, Rick, for the concise overview of the end of passenger services
on the N&W Shenandoah Division.

Best wishes,

Dr. Frank R. Scheer, Curator
Railway Mail Service Library, Inc.
f_scheer at yahoo.com
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