Penn Central FL9s 5020 and 5041 with Amtrak's "The Connecticut Yankee", at New Haven, CT on June 13, 1972. Photo by Marty Bernard. Click to enlarge.
(© 2015 Marty Bernard, All rights reserved, Used by Permission. See more at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/129679309@N05/albums/)
CONNECTICUT YANKEE
The Connecticut Yankee was a long-distance train in western New England, that in its first two decades was an international night train, established in 1936, that extended from New York City into southeastern Quebec, to Sherbrooke and Quebec City, a 549-mile (884 km) trip. The pooled train covered railroad territories of the New York, New Haven and Hartford, Boston and Maine, Canadian Pacific Railway and the Quebec Central Railway. It was the last U.S.-Canadian train serving the Sherbrooke to eastern Vermont route.
The train had some sharing of sleeping cars with the Boston & Maine's overnight Red Wing (the night train counterpart to the Alouette) which went from Boston to Montreal. In Newport, Vermont, the train would pick up sleepers from the B&M train and continue to Sherbrooke and Quebec.
The Connecticut Yankee at Rye station on July 5, 1985.
(Hikki Nagasaki, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Railroad territories and major stops
New Haven Railroad - New York City to Springfield, Massachusetts
Grand Central Terminal, Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, Springfield, Massachusetts
Boston & Maine - Springfield to Wells River, Vermont (except between Windsor and White River Junction)
Springfield, Northampton, Greenfield, Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, Claremont Junction, White River Junction, Wells River
Central Vermont - Windsor to White River Junction (then resuming travelling north on B&M trains)
Canadian Pacific - Wells River to Sherbrooke
Wells River, St. Johnsbury, Newport, Sherbrooke
Quebec Central - Sherbrooke to Quebec City
Sherbrooke, Tring Jonction in Robert-Ciche, Vallée Jonction in La Nouvelle-Beauce, Quebec City (Gare du Palais)
Decline
Between the summer of 1951 and autumn of 1952, the route ended in Wells River, Vermont, marking the end of international train service directly south of Quebec City toward New England. (Passengers from New England wishing to reach Sherbrooke or Quebec City needed to take a bus between Wells River and Sherbrooke, whereupon they could take a train to Quebec City.) However, the train took a diversion at Wells River along Canadian Pacific tracks to Newport, Vermont, then a northwest-ward path toward Montreal. It was a night train on the northbound-Montreal trip; yet it was a day train on the southbound trip. As such, the train had no sleeping car for either direction of the trip.
Between the summer of 1958 and spring of 1959, the route had its northern limit cut from Wells River to Springfield, Massachusetts, the end of the New Haven territory for its route. Boston & Maine having begun scaling back its longer distance routes, the B&M offered a train, timed to connect, from Springfield to White River Junction. In 1961 the train continued for its NY-Springfield route, but it bore the name Bankers for the southbound trip. (The Pennsylvania Railroad and New Haven Railroad's Montrealer, traveling between Washington, D.C. and Montreal, another train serving the upper Connecticut River Valley, would continue service north of Springfield until September, 1966.)
The train regained the name for both directions and persisted into the Penn Central and Amtrak periods. It was Springfield to Philadelphia train southbound and Washington to Springfield train northbound until ending in 1977. Amtrak briefly resumed the train from 1983 to 1995.
A Boston & Maine Timetable from 1946. Click image to download a 30.7 MB PDF File of this 44-page booklet.
(Boston & Maine Railroad, Public domain via StreamlinerMemories.info)
Overview
Service type: Inter-city rail
Status: Discontinued
Locale: Northeastern United States / Quebec
First service: 1936
Last service: 1977; 1995
Former operators: New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, Boston & Maine, Canadian Pacific Railway, Quebec Central Railway, Penn Central (1969–1971), Amtrak (1971–1977, 1983–1995)
Route Termini: New York City / Quebec City
Distance traveled: 549 miles (884 km) (1936)
Service frequency: Daily
Train numbers: Southbound: 74; Northbound: 79 (1936–c. 1956)
On-board services
Seating arrangements: Coach
Sleeping arrangements: Sections and drawing rooms
Catering facilities: Dining car
Observation facilities: Parlor car
Entertainment facilities: Lounge car
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)