Red Arrow (PRR train)

The Red Arrow was a night train operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad that ran from New York City to Detroit. It was named after Michigan’s Red Arrow infantry division of World War I.^[1] It had an additional section going to and from Washington, D.C. This was an unusual train, in that the PRR had few trains that ran to Detroit. More of the PRR trains went west to Chicago or St. Louis. The Red Arrow became the premier PRR train on the New York–Detroit circuit.^[2]

Red Arrow

Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	discontinued
Locale	Midwestern United States/Mid-Atlantic States
First service	1925
Last service	1960
Former operator(s)	Pennsylvania Railroad
Route
Termini	Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Detroit, Michigan
Distance travelled	756.6 miles (1,217.6 km) Detroit-New York
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	68 (eastbound), 69 (westbound); 574 (branch to Washington), 569 (from Washington)
On-board services
Seating arrangements	coaches (1950)
Sleeping arrangements	Sleeping cars: sections, roomettes, duplex rooms, double bedrooms, drawing room (1950)
Catering facilities	Bar-lounge car -New York-Detroit, dining cars New York-Detroit and Washington to Harrisburg (1950)
Route map Legend Detroit 35.7 Monroe Michigan Ohio 56.2 Toledo (Summit St.) 98.7 Tiffin 142.0 Mansfield 215.6 Canton Ohio Pennsylvania 317.3 Pittsburgh 431.2 Altoona 562.0 Harrisburg York Pennsylvania Maryland Baltimore Maryland District of Columbia 685.4 Washington Lancaster 645.2 Paoli 670.7 North Philadelphia Pennsylvania New Jersey 698.5 Trenton 746.6 Newark Jersey City (Exchange Place) New Jersey New York New York (Hudson Terminal) 756.6 New York (Pennsylvania Station) This diagram: view talk edit

History

The train began as an eastbound-only train, from Detroit to Pittsburgh in 1925. In the next year it went in both directions, #69, westbound, #68 eastbound. By 1938 the train was extended to New York and Washington, with the route split at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Detroit terminus was the Fort Street Union Depot in downtown Detroit.^[2][3]

Route

Going south from Detroit, the route went through Toledo, Ohio, joined the PRR main line at Mansfield, Ohio, and continued east. In the easterly direction the train made a stop in Canton, Ohio. In the westbound direction the train made no stops between Pittsburgh and Mansfield.^[4]

Derailment

On February 18, 1947, the eastbound Red Arrow was derailed at Bennington Curve near Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, killing 22 of the 200 people on board at the time. The cause of the accident was determined to be excessive speed around the curve, derailing the two K4s steam locomotives and many of the passenger cars.^[5]

Decline

Between April 29, 1956 and July 26, 1959 the route was shrunk in steps, eventually to a local train between Detroit and Toledo. It had its last run on July 26, 1960.^[2][3]