Panama Limited

The "Panama Limited" was a premier all-Pullman car service between Chicago, Illinois and New Orleans, Louisiana. For most of the trains' history a St. Louis section also operated between St. Louis, Missouri and Carbondale, Illinois where it connected to the main train.

The "Panama Limited" was operated until the advent of Amtrak in 1971 by the Illinois Central Railroad, and by Amtrak until 1974. The train ran on an overnight schedule between Chicago's Central Station, St. Louis Union Station and New Orleans Union Station (replaced in 1954 by the current New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal. At various times during the history of the train it also carried through sleepers for connections to Gulfport, Mississippi, Little Rock and Hot Springs, Arkansas and San Antonio, Texas.

The train, which commenced service on February 4, 1911, replaced an earlier train, the "Chicago and New Orleans Limited" and was named in honor of the anticipated opening of the Panama Canal.

The first "Panama Limited" ran as train numbers 3 northbound and 4 southbound carrying only sleepers, dining and lounge cars between Chicago and Memphis and adding coaches south of Memphis. In 1912 the train was replaced with an all-steel, all electric, all-Pullman consist for its entire route. On September 15, 1916 the "Panama Limited" was again upgraded with new steel equipment. The train was renumbered as 7 northbound and 8 southbound with the earlier numbers re-assigned to a slower companion, the "Louisiane". The "Panama's" schedule was reduced to 23 hours, and in keeping with its luxury status the Illinois Central charged an extra fare.

The train was temporarily discontinued between 1932 and 1935 due to low ridership during the great depression. On December 2, 1935 service was resumed with upgraded, air-conditioned equipment on an 18 hour schedule. After 1935, it ran as Illinois Central train 5/105 southbound from Chicago/St. Louis and 6/16 northbound until 1971.

treamliner

The "Panama Limited" was streamlined in 1942. The United States War Department allowed delivery of the new lightweight equipment by Pullman-Standard, the builder, because the construction of the train-sets were nearly completed. It was the last delivery of passenger equipment for any railroad until the end of World War II. The first diesel/electric-powered streamlined run of the "Panama" was inaugurated on May 1, 1942 on an 18 hour schedule. For the duration of the War the Illinois Central dropped the extra fare. Following World War II the schedule was reduced to 16 hours, 30 minutes and again charged the extra fare.

The "Panama Limited" maintained a high level of service until the Amtrak era, ranking it among the nations' finest trains. It was noted particularly for its dining car service, employing a first rate culinary staff and offering creole fare in the "Vieux Carre"-themed dining cars, a service which the Illinois Central marketed heavily. A well-known multi-course meal service on the Panama Limited was the 'Kings Dinner', which was on the menu for approx. $10 (note that other deluxe, complete meals such as steak or lobster, including wine or cocktail, were typically priced around $4-$5 at that time). In 1952 the Illinois Central acquired several 2-unit 175 foot dining cars from the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad which it used for operation on the "Panama" to further promote this service. Along with the Pennsylvania's "Broadway Limited" it was the among the last two "all-Pullman" trains in the United States.

In 1967, due to losses incurred by the operation of the train, the Illinois Central combined it with a coach-only train called the "Magnolia Star". After 1970 the separate designation of "Magnolia Star" was dropped from the timetable and Illinois Central discontinued the St. Louis section of the "Panama Limited", replacing it with a connecting bus service between St. Louis and Carbondale.

Amtrak Service

The final day of operation of the "Panama Limited" by the Illinois Central Railroad took place on 30 April, 1971. On May 1, 1971, Amtrak took over the operation of the service, but dropped the name in 1974 in favor of that belonging to the "City of New Orleans", which during the days of the Illinois Central operations was the daytime equivalent (chair cars only) of the "Panama Limited". The name change was made due the popularity of a hit song performed by Arlo Guthrie, recorded in 1972, which called attention to the route. The folksinger Tom Rush previously honored the train with the song "Panama Limited", adapted from a blues tradition of train songs. Also, a British band of the late 1960s and early 1970s called itself Panama Limited Jug Band, later shortened to Panama Limited.

ee also

* Passenger train service on the Illinois Central Railroad