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Lake Cities

The Lake Cities in Marion, Ohio in 1969
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	discontinued
Locale	Midwestern United States/Northeastern United States
First service	1939
Last service	1970
Former operator(s)	Erie Lackawanna
Route
Termini	Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S. Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Distance travelled	977.0 miles (1,572.3 km) (1969)
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	5 (westbound), 6 (eastbound)
On-board services
Seating arrangements	coach
Sleeping arrangements	sections, Roomettes and Double Bedrooms
Catering facilities	diner-lounge
Route map v t e Legend Hoboken pre-1960 route   Passaic Newark-Broad Street Paterson Brick Church Ridgewood Summit Goshen Dover New Jersey New York Blairstown Middletown Port Jervis New York Pennsylvania New Jersey Pennsylvania Shohola East Stroudsburg Lackawaxen Pennsylvania New York Cresco Narrowsburg Callicoon Hancock Pocono Summit Deposit New York Pennsylvania Susquehanna Scranton Pennsylvania New York Binghamton Endicott Owego Waverly Elmira Corning Hornell Wellsville Cuba Olean Salamanca Randolph Jamestown New York Pennsylvania Corry Union City Cambridge Springs Meadville Greenville Sharon Pennsylvania Ohio Youngstown Warren Ravena Kent Akron Ashland Mansfield Galion Marion Kenton Lima Ohio Indiana Huntington Rochester Hammond Indiana Illinois Englewood Chicago

The Lake Cities was a passenger train operated by the Erie Railroad and successor Erie Lackawanna Railway between Chicago and Jersey City, New Jersey and then Hoboken, New Jersey.

History

The Lake Cities began in 1939 as the Midlander, a Jersey City to Chicago service with sections to Cleveland, and Buffalo, New York. From its eastern terminus, the Erie's Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City, the route ran through Port Jervis to Binghamton, New York over the traditional Erie main line through Sullivan and Orange County in New York's Southern Tier and on to Chicago. Unlike other New York City to Chicago trains, it bypassed Buffalo to the south, running through Jamestown, Youngstown, Akron, and Marion in Ohio.

A few years before the Erie's 1960 merger with the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, the Lake Cities began running into the Hoboken Terminal in Hoboken. Upon the merger, it was routed over the Lackwanna's Poconos main line route in northern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania. Between 1961 and 1962, the train was known as the "Chicago Lake Cities/Buffalo Lake Cities", but reverted to Lake Cities. Sleeper service ended on October 28, 1962. From April 26 until October 25, 1964, the Lake Cities was renamed The World's Fair in connection with the 1964 World's Fair in New York. After the conclusion of the fair in 1965, the Lake Cities name was restored to the train. On November 28, 1966, the Lake Cities regained diner and sleeper service to compensate for the withdrawal of the Phoebe Snow (which had its final run the previous day), but by 1967 the sleeping service went no further west than Marion, Ohio, while the dining car stopped at Huntington, Indiana.

On August 30, 1969, the Erie–Lackawanna asked for permission from the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to discontinue the service effective August 30, 1969. The ICC ordered a 120-day stay to allow for hearings on the proposal in cities along the route of the service. The railroad then planned to end service after December 30, 1969, but continued it until January 4, 1970, due to additional ridership at the end of the holidays. After January 4, the Erie–Lackawanna withdrew the train, which was its last intercity service. Eliminating the service was expected to save the railroad $1.2 million a year.

Equipment

After World War II the Erie acquired seven lightweight sleepers from Pullman-Standard, each with ten roomettes and six double bedrooms. The Lake Cities carried one in each direction between New York and Chicago.

Station stops

This late 1960s timetable with the New Jersey and Pennsylvania stops reflects a consolidation of service with the Phoebe Snow train, which was discontinued in 1966.

Before the 1960 Erie-Lackawanna merger, the Lake Cities' route ran through New York's Sullivan and Orange Counties.

References

1. "The Lake Cities". Streamliner Schedules. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
2. Erie Railroad timetable, October 29, 1958, Table 1
3. Erie Lackawanna timetable, April 27, 1961, Table 1
4. Sanders, Craig (2003). Limiteds, Locals, and Expresses in Indiana, 1838–1971. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-34216-4.
5. "Erie's Long Distance Service Ends With Lake Cities Finale". Asbury Park Press. January 5, 1970. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
6. Wayner, Robert J., ed. (1972). Car Names, Numbers and Consists. New York: Wayner Publications. p. 111. OCLC 8848690.
7. "Now in Service! All-Room Sleeping Cars". Erie Railroad Magazine. 45 (5): 11. July 1949.
8. Erie-Lackawanna timetable. Erie Lackawanna Railway. June 25, 1961. reflecting Lake Cities not taking the Orange County route, and instead taking the Poconos route
9. Erie Lackawanna Time Table (PDF). Erie Lackawanna Railway. June 15, 1969. Retrieved August 6, 2013.

v t e Named trains of the Erie Railroad
Atlantic Express Erie Limited Lake Cities Midlander Mountain Express Pacific Express Southern Tier Express Steel King Washingtonian

• Passenger rail transportation in Illinois
• Passenger rail transportation in Indiana
• Passenger rail transportation in New Jersey
• Passenger rail transportation in New York (state)
• Passenger rail transportation in Ohio
• Passenger rail transportation in Pennsylvania
• Passenger trains of the Erie Lackawanna Railway
• Passenger trains of the Erie Railroad
• Night trains of the United States
• Named passenger trains of the United States
• Railway services introduced in 1939
• Railway services discontinued in 1970