Railroads: Toward the End of The Twentieth Century

In its prime, nothing better epitomized travel in the age for which it was named than the Twentieth Century Limited. A 1902 passenger once declared that it made New York and Chicago practically suburbs of each other. It did so with an all-Pullman splendor that offered both fresh-and saltwater baths, barbers and a library. Soprano Nellie Melba, the Armours, the Swifts and Teddy Roosevelt rode the train, and oldtime waiters recall that early-rising Herbert Hoover was invariably first up for breakfast. But in recent years, ordinary coaches had to be added to match the fare ($43) at which jets now fly, in two hours, as against the train's 16-hour run.

The end of the Twentieth Century, whose 80-man crew now often outnumbers passengers, approached last week when New York Central President Alfred E. Perlman announced plans to abandon, starting Jan. 1, all passenger routes of over 200 miles.

Profits & Previews. Over 80 years ago, according to legend, William H. Vanderbilt was asked if he operated the passenger trains of his New York Central & Hudson River Railroad for profit or for public service. "The public be damned!" was his immortal reply. "We run them because we have to. They don't pay." The modern New York Central has changed its manner, if not its mind. Along with the Central's Twentieth Century and New York—Detroit Wolverine, the venerable Spirit of St. Louis may also be eliminated if the Interstate Commerce Commission approves the request of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which is now more or less set to merge with the Central on Oct. 1.

In place of the great old trains and of its other long-haul passenger runs, the New York Central plans to start swift, spartan (no club cars) daytime shuttle service between some 80 cities along its 10,000-mile system. This, said Perlman, will "best serve the needs of the traveling public"—not to mention the Central's balance sheet.

In a preview of the kind of service to come, a self-propelled Central car, fitted with a streamlined snout and topped with a pair of Air Force surplus jet engines, last week whined through the flat farm country between Butler, Ind., and Stryker, Ohio, at a U.S. rail record of 184 m.p.h. The test indicated that with existing technology and only minor changes in roadbeds, U.S. passenger trains can easily reach the 125-m.p.h. speed at which experts say railroads can profitably compete with airlines for the short-haul passenger trade. Said Perlman, 63, who acted as "copilot" on the run: "The future of rail passenger services now hinges on the economic and marketing aspects of the business."

Even Faster. Operating every three hours during the day, a fast train shuttle could cut the time of the 142-mile New York-Albany trip by a third, to not much more than the two hours it takes by air. The probable cost: $5, or $1.78 less than the present train fare, and about $8 less than the price of a plane ticket. Special high-speed trains now being developed by the Budd Co. and United Aircraft may roll up passenger traffic—and profits—even faster.