Royal Blue

The Royal Blue on theThomas Viaduct inRelay, Maryland in 1937
Overview
Status	Discontinued
Locale	Eastern United States
First service	June 24, 1935
Last service	April 26, 1958
Former operator	Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Route
Termini	Jersey City Washington, D.C.
Stops	7
Distance travelled	224.6 miles (361.5 km)
Average journey time	4 Hours, 15 Minutes
Service frequency	Daily
Train numbers	27: westbound 28: eastbound
On-board services
Seating arrangements	Reclining seating coaches
Catering facilities	Dining car
Observation facilities	Observation car
Other facilities	Onboard Telephone Service
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Route map v t e Jersey City Elizabeth Plainfield New Jersey Pennsylvania Wayne Junction Philadelphia Pennsylvania Delaware Wilmington Delaware Maryland Baltimore (Mt. Royal Station) Baltimore (Camden Station) Maryland Washington D.C. Washington DC

TheRoyal Blue was theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O)'s flagshippassenger train between New York City and Washington, D.C., in the United States, beginning in 1890. The Baltimore-based B&O also used the name between 1890 and 1917 for its improved passenger service between New York and Washington, collectively dubbed theRoyal Blue Line. Using variants such as theRoyal Limited andRoyal Special for individualRoyal Blue trains, the B&O operated the service in partnership with theReading Railroad and theCentral Railroad of New Jersey. Principal intermediate cities served werePhiladelphia,Wilmington, andBaltimore. Later, as Europe reeled from the carnage of World War I and connotations of European royalty fell into disfavor, the B&O discreetly omitted the sobriquetRoyal Blue Line from its New York passenger service and theRoyal Blue disappeared from B&O timetables. Beginning in 1917, formerRoyal Blue Line trains were renamed: theRoyal Limited (inaugurated on May 15, 1898), for example, became theNational Limited, continuing west from Washington toSt. Louis viaCincinnati. During theDepression, the B&O hearkened back to the halcyon pre-World War I era when it launched a re-christenedRoyal Blue train between New York and Washington in 1935. The B&O finally discontinued all passenger service north of Baltimore on April 26, 1958, including theRoyal Blue.

Railroad historian Herbert Harwood said, in his seminal history of the service, "First conceived in late Victorian times to promote a new railroad line ... it was indeed one of the most memorable images in the transportation business, an inspired blend of majesty and mystique ... Royal Blue Line ... Royal Blue Trains ... theRoyal Blue all meant different things at different times. But essentially they all symbolized one thing: the B&O's regal route."^[1][2] Between the 1890s and World War I, the B&O's six dailyRoyal Blue trains providing service between New York and Washington were noted for their luxury, elegant appearance, and speed. The car interiors were paneled inmahogany, had fully enclosed vestibules (instead of open platforms, still widely in use at the time on U.S. railroads), then-modern heating and lighting, andleaded glass windows. The car exteriors were painted a deep "Royal Saxony blue" color withgold leaf trim,^[3] a color personally chosen by the B&O's tenth president,Charles F. Mayer.^[4][5]

The B&O's use ofelectrification instead of steam power in a Baltimore tunnel on the Royal Blue Line, beginning in 1895, marked the first use of electric locomotives by an American railroad and presaged the dawn of practical alternatives to steam power in the 20th century.^[6] Spurred by intense competition from the formidablePennsylvania Railroad, the dominant railroad in the lucrative New York–Washington market since the 1880s, theRoyal Blue in its mid-1930s reincarnation was noted for a number of technological innovations, includingstreamlining and the first non-articulateddiesel locomotive on a passenger train in the U.S., a harbinger of thesteam locomotive's eventual demise.^[7]

The route of theRoyal Blue (inblue)

Advertisement in the January 1896 issue ofMcClure's magazine

Prior to 1884, the B&O and the Philadelphia-basedPennsylvania Railroad both used the independentPhiladelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad (PW&B) betweenBaltimore, Maryland, andPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, for their New York–Washington freight and passenger trains. In 1881, the Pennsylvania Railroad purchased a controlling interest in the PW&B, and in 1884 it denied the B&O further use of the PW&B to reach Philadelphia.

The B&O then built a new line from Baltimore to connect to thePhiladelphia and Reading Railroad in Philadelphia, completed in 1886.^[2] The B&O's passenger trains then used the Reading'sNew York Branch northward from Philadelphia toBound Brook, New Jersey, where the Jersey Central's rails were used to reach theCommunipaw Terminal inJersey City. From Communipaw passengers connected to ferries for a twelve-minute crossing of theHudson River to eitherLiberty Street Ferry Terminal orWhitehall Terminal on New York's Manhattan Island.^[3][8]

The new route presented problems in Baltimore, because a ferry boat was necessary to cross the harbor betweenLocust Point andCanton to connect with the B&O's Washington Branch.^[3] The solution was theBaltimore Belt Line, which included a 1.4-mile (2.3 km) long tunnel under Howard Street in downtown Baltimore.^[9] Work began on the tunnel in 1891 and was completed on May 1, 1895, when the first train traversed the tunnel. To avoid smoke problems from steam engines working upgrade in the long tunnel under the middle of Baltimore, the B&O pioneered the first mainlineelectrification of a U.S. railroad, installing an overheadthird rail system in the tunnel and its approaches.^[3][10] An electric locomotive first pulled aRoyal Blue train through the Howard Street tunnel on June 27, 1895.^[6]

Electric locomotive and steam locomotive withRoyal Blue at Mount Royal Station, 1896

Mount Royal Station's interior

The project also included the construction of B&O's second passenger terminal in Baltimore,Mount Royal Station, at the north end of the Howard Street tunnel in the fashionableBolton Hill neighborhood. Designed by Baltimore architectE. Francis Baldwin in a blend of modifiedRomanesque andRenaissance styling, the station was built of Marylandgranite trimmed withIndiana limestone, with a red tile roof and landmark 150-foot (46 m)clocktower. The station's interior featured marble mosaic flooring, a fireplace, and rocking chairs. It opened the following year on September 1, 1896.^[11] "It was considered," saidthe Baltimore Sun, "the most splendid station in the country built and used by only one railroad."^[12] That evaluation was shared by railroad historianLucius Beebe, who proclaimed Mount Royal "one of the celebrated railroad stations of the world, ranking in renown withEuston Station, London, scene of so many ofSherlock Holmes' departures, theGare du Nord in Paris, and the feudal fortress of thePennsylvania [Railroad] atBroad Street, Philadelphia".^[13]

Even before the Baltimore Belt Line project was finished, the B&O launched itsRoyal Blue service on July 31, 1890. Powered by4-6-0steam locomotives having exceptionally large 78-inch (198 cm) diameterdriving wheels for speed, theRoyal Blue trains occasionally reached 90 mph (145 km/h). After the Baltimore Belt Line project was completed, travel time between New York and Washington was reduced to five hours, compared to nine hours in the late 1860s.^[14][15]

Royal Blue Line car built by Pullman in 1890

Dining carQueen in 1895

The trains were noted for their elegance and luxury. The parlor cars' ceilings and upholstery were covered in royal blue, and the dining carsQueen andWaldorf, panelled inmahogany, featured elaborate cuisine such asterrapin andcanvasback prepared by French-trained chefs.^[16] ARailway Age magazine article of the time reporting on theRoyal Blue called it "the climax in railway car building".^[17]

As a result of the U.S. entry into World War I and resulting congestion on the nation's railroads, the wartimeUnited States Railroad Administration (USRA) ordered the Pennsylvania Railroad to permit B&O passenger trains to use itsHudson River tunnels andPennsylvania Station in Manhattan, beginning April 28, 1918, eliminating the B&O's need for the ferry connection from Jersey City.^[18] Following the end of World War I, the Pennsylvania Railroad continued to allow B&O passenger trains to use Pennsylvania Station for another eight years. On September 1, 1926, the Pennsylvania Railroad terminated its contract with the B&O, and the latter's trains reverted to the use of theJersey Central'sJersey City terminal.^[18] Passengers were then transferred to buses that met the train right on the platform. These buses were ferried across the Hudson River intoManhattan andBrooklyn, where they proceeded to various "stations" around the city on four different routes, including theVanderbilt Hotel,Wanamaker's,Columbus Circle, andRockefeller Center.^[19] B&O's busiestRoyal Blue bus terminal, located in theChanin Building at Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan, opened on December 17, 1928. Connected toGrand Central Terminal by an undergroundconcourse, it was trimmed inmarble and furnished withArt Deco lighting fixtures and leather sofas.^[20] This arrangement would continue until the eventual demise of theRoyal Blue in 1958.

Recalling the past glamor of the 1890sRoyal Blue Line, the B&O introduced itsColonial-series dining cars such as theMartha Washington, which were particularly noted for their freshChesapeake Bay cuisine, served onDresden china in ornate cars with glass chandeliers and colonial-style furnishings.^[21] The B&O's manager of dining car services said his department's objective was "...to be hospitable to our patrons in all respects – to make them feel the comfort, convenience and homelike atmosphere of our accommodations as soon as they step on our trains."^[3] Dining car specialties included oysters and Chesapeake Bay fish served with cornmeal muffins. B&O presidentDaniel Willard personally sampled his dining cars' cuisine while traveling about the line, and recognized particularly pleasing meals with letters of appreciation and autographed pictures given to the dining car chefs.^[16]

As the 1930s dawned, the B&O's New York passenger service faced two significant competitive disadvantages, compared to the Pennsylvania Railroad. First, the B&O lacked direct access to Manhattan Island, resulting in slower overall travel time. Second, the Pennsylvania's move in the early 1930s to replace steam power with modern, smokelesselectric service along its entire New York–Washington mainline was met with enthusiastic public approval.^[2] The B&O responded by introducingDiesel locomotives, air conditioning, andstreamlining on its New York trains. On June 24, 1935, the B&O inaugurated the first lightweight, streamlined train in the eastern U.S., when it began operating a re-christenedRoyal Blue train between Washington and New York.^[22] When the specially modified4-4-4-type steam locomotive prepared for the run proved less than satisfactory in terms of stability at speed, it was replaced by a newEMC 1800 hp B-B diesel-electric "box-cab" locomotive with a carbody byGeneral Electric and mechanicals byElectro-Motive Corporation. Designated # 50 by the B&O, this marked the first single-unit, passenger road diesel locomotive use in the U.S.^{[7][23][24][25]} Previously, early experiments withinternal combustion engines to replace steam in railroad applications included short, articulated trainsets (such asBurlington'sPioneer Zephyr andUnion Pacific'sM-10000), double-head sets of box-cab locomotives (developed by EMC) used to power the 1936 version of theAT&SF (Santa Fe)Super Chief (similar to number 50), and the cab/booster unit combinations developed with Union Pacific'sM-10002 andM-10003 – M-10006 trainsets.^[26]

The B&O was not entirely satisfied with the ride quality of the lightweightRoyal Blue train, however, and replaced it on April 25, 1937, with streamlined, refurbished heavyweight equipment, painted light gray and royal blue with gold striping, designed byOtto Kuhler. The B&O conveyed the displaced trainset to theAlton Railroad, where it ran as theAbraham Lincoln for decades.^[27] Ungainly box-cab locomotive #50 was replaced with the demurely streamlined locomotive # 51 and booster # 51x, the 3,600 h.p.EMC EA/EB model built by General Motors'Electro Motive Company. Praised for its beauty and handsome profile, this was the first streamlined single-unit diesel locomotive to enter service in the U.S.^[23] It "dazzled the press and public", said one magazine writer of the groundbreaking locomotive's introduction.^[7][25] The E units took the most advanced developments of diesel locomotive technology and made them available to all operators using the consists of their choice. The earliest adopters of the new E units demonstrated the improved flexibility, efficiency and reduced maintenance costs of diesel power in daily service compared to steam and gave impetus to the dieselization of the railroad industry.^[28][29]

Kuhler also streamlined one of B&O's4-6-2 "Pacific"steam locomotives for use on theRoyal Blue.^[30] Its bullet-shaped shroud became an iconic image for theRoyal Blue and was modeled for years byAmerican Flyer.Time magazine, in reporting on the precarious financial condition of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and other Depression-ravaged rail lines in 1937, referred to the B&O's "swashbuckling" Royal Blue streamliner launched that year as having "symbolize[d] the new era in railroading ..."^[31]

In 1930, the B&O introduced air conditioning, the first U.S. railroad to do so for regularly assigned equipment, when it installed air conditioning on theMartha Washington dining car.^[19][32] The following year, the B&O'sColumbian on theRoyal Blue Line became the first fully air-conditioned train on any railroad, giving the B&O a temporary advantage over arch-rival Pennsylvania Railroad, which did not equip its New York–Washington trains with air conditioning until 1933.^[32][33]

President of the United StatesFranklin D. Roosevelt was a frequent passenger on the B&O'sRoyal Blue Line during his time in office (1933–1945), when he traveled between Washington and his family home inHyde Park, New York. A special presidential train from Washington used the regular B&O–Reading–Jersey Central route to Jersey City, continuing on theNew York Central Railroad'sWest Shore Line along theHudson River toHighland, New York (oppositePoughkeepsie), where the President was met by automobile.^[28]

Along with most other rail passenger services in the U.S. during World War II, theRoyal Blue enjoyed a surge in passenger traffic between 1942 and 1945 as volume doubled to1.2 million passengers annually on B&O's eight daily New York–Washington trains.^[34] Following the end of the war, however, passenger volumes soon dropped below prewar levels and the B&O discontinued one of its daily New York–Washington trains. In addition to its flagshipRoyal Blue, six other B&O passenger trains continued to serve New York until April 1958: theMetropolitan Special,Capitol Limited,National Limited,Diplomat,Marylander, andShenandoah.^[35]

Although all of B&O's Washington–Jersey City passenger trains had been fully dieselized by September 28, 1947, no new passenger cars were built for theRoyal Blue in the postwar period. The refurbished8-car 1937Royal Blue trainset continued in operation to the end. The overwhelming market dominance of the Pennsylvania Railroad was evident when it introduced the18-carstainless steelMorning Congressional andAfternoon Congressional streamliners in 1952.^[36] By the late 1950s, most U.S. passenger trains suffered a steep decline in patronage as the traveling public abandoned trains in favor of airplanes and automobiles, utilizing improvedInterstate Highways. TheRoyal Blue was no exception, as operating deficits approached$5 million annually and passenger volume declined by almost half between 1946 and 1957.^[2][24][37] Amidst the downward trend, the Royal Blue Line briefly recaptured the regal splendor of its early years on October 21, 1957, whenQueen Elizabeth II andPrince Philip travelled on the B&O from Washington to New York.^[38]

As financial losses mounted, the B&O finally ceded the New York–Washington market to the Pennsylvania Railroad altogether, discontinuing all passenger service north of Baltimore on Saturday, April 26, 1958, and bringing the venerableRoyal Blue to an end.^[39] As the engineer was about to ease the locomotive's throttle open for theRoyal Blue's final departure fromWashington Union Station at 3:45 p.m., the event was covered in a trainsideremote broadcast byEdward R. Murrow on aCBS networkSee It Nowtelevision special.^[40] The train's 7:49 p.m. arrival at Jersey City Terminal was met by news reporters fromThe New York Times, theNew York Post,Life magazine andThe Saturday Evening Post, on hand to cover the legendaryRoyal Blue's demise.^[37] In an editorial the next day, theBaltimore Sun lamented the end of theRoyal Blue, saying it "may have been one of the most famous named trains in history".^[37]

The New York Times, in afront page article accompanied by a photograph of train engineer Michael Goodnight bidding farewell to a 7-year old passenger, said "It was a sad and simple story yesterday as the nation's oldest railroad discontinued its crackRoyal Blue and its five other passenger trains ... end[ing] sixty-eight years of continuous through service, operated in a gentlemanly fashion ... a kind of ante-bellum, gracious way of life ... and the reputation for very special service."^[41]

Mount Royal Station continued as the eastern terminus of B&O's passenger service until June 30, 1961, when it closed permanently as a rail passenger facility.^[12] It was one of thirteen Baltimore buildings selected in 1959 for theHistoric American Buildings Survey.^[12] The building andtrainshed were subsequently acquired by theMaryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in 1964 and are preserved as examples of late 19th century industrial architecture.^[42]

In the 1890s–1910s period, theRoyal Limited operated in both directions simultaneously, with 3 p.m. departures in New York and Washington, arriving at its destination five hours later, at 8 p.m. During the steam era,track pans at various locations on the Royal Blue Line were used to replenish locomotive water without stopping, the only place on the B&O system where this was done.^[23] TheP-7 class started use on the route in 1927. In 1935, travel time between Jersey City and Washington was reduced to four hours, with theRoyal Blue attaining speeds of up to 96 miles per hour (154 km/h) on sections of the Reading's fast track in New Jersey.^[43] From 1935 to the end of service in 1958, theRoyal Blue made a daily round trip, departing New York in the morning and returning from Washington in the evening. According to theOfficial Guide of February 1956, theRoyal Blue operated on the following schedule as train#27 (unconditional stops highlighted in  blue, bus connections in  yellow).

Eastbound, the train departed Washington at 3:45 p.m. as train # 28, arriving at Jersey City 7:40 p.m.

Between 1937 and 1958, theRoyal Blue was equipped with air-conditioned coaches, parlor cars with privatedrawing rooms, alounge car for coach passengers, a fulldining car serving complete meals, and a flat-endobservation car with a "cafe-lounge" bringing up the rear of the train.^[27][35] Beginning in mid-August 1947, onboard telephone service was provided, making the B&O (along with the Pennsylvania Railroad and theNew York Central Railroad) one of the first three railroads in the U.S. to offer telephone service on its trains, using a forerunner ofcell phone technology.^[35][44]

• B&O Railroad Museum (Baltimore), where selected equipment, dinerchina andsilverware, and other artifacts from variousRoyal Blue trains are exhibited.

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• Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, viaNew Jersey City University

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