Ambassador (B&O)

The "Ambassador" was a named train of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) on its route between Baltimore, Maryland and Detroit, Michigan with major station stops in Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Toledo, Ohio. Inaugurated in 1930, the Ambassador was discontinued in 1964.

History

The B&O began passenger service from Detroit to Washington, D.C. in 1920. [cite web|last=Berry|first=Dale|title =Michigan's Internet Railroad History Museum | work =MichiganRailroads.com|url = http://www.michiganrailroads.com/RRHX/Timeline/1920s/TimeLine1920.htm| accessdate =2007-11-16 ] Until 1925, the B&O offered a through Washington - Detroit Pullman sleeping car running on a Washington-Chicago train to Deshler, Ohio then added to a Cincinnati - Detroit train.

In June 1925, the B&O started a through overnight Washington - Detroit train named the "Washington-Detroit Limited" (although it actually originated in Baltimore). This train operated coaches, a dining car, a lounge car, and sleepers. In 1930, this train was renamed "The Ambassador". The train typically used the cutoff through North Baltimore, Ohio skipping Deshler. Up through 1946, it operated into Fort Street Station in Detroit, then B&O moved operations to the landmark Michigan Central Station.cite web|last=Berry|first=Dale|title =Michigan's Internet Railroad History Museum | work =MichiganRailroads.com|url = http://www.michiganrailroads.com/RRHX/NamedTrains/Ambassador(B&O).htm| accessdate =2007-11-16 ]

Accident

On September 24, 1942 "The Ambassador" ran into the back of the "Cleveland Express" near Dickerson, Maryland northwest of Washington, DC. Twelve passengers and two crew members were killed in the worst accident that the B&O suffered since 1907. [cite book|last=Stover|first=John F.|title =History of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad | publisher=Purdue University Press |date=1995|isbn= 1557530661]

Decline and end of the train

In 1961, as railroad passenger traffic was declining, "The Ambassador" became just a section of the combined "Capitol Limited" - "Columbian". It had one coach, a sleeping car, and a combination sleeper-lounge. The train operated separately from Willard, Ohio to Detroit with a dining car added.

In 1964, "The Ambassador" name disappeared entirely, and the train was renamed the "Capitol-Detroit". Now that the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad had acquired control of the B&O, the train was rerouted over the C&O from Toledo to Fort Street Station.

References

External links

*http://www.michiganrailroads.com/RRHX/NamedTrains/Ambassador(B&O).htm