Business: The Elegance Departs

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In the great age of railroads, one of the symbols of elegance was the New York Central's Twentieth Century Limited. In the last 56 years, the Twentieth Century acquired such features as barbershops, valets, showers, radiotelephone service, gift corsages, earned about $200 million as the most luxurious way of traveling between New York and Chicago. At its popular peak, the train ran seven sections. But the Century's patrons have been gradually defecting to the airlines. The passengers dwindled from hundreds to as few as 75 recently, and the Central has lost $1.50 for every $5 it took in. This week the Central stripped the Century of luxury features, combined it with the Commodore Vanderbilt, added day coaches, made it just another train "for the summer." But railroaders guessed it would be permanent.