Passenger Two for Tuesday

This week’s two for Tuesday takes us to Central Union Terminal in Toledo back on Nov. 29, 1968.

A Detroit-bound Chesapeake & Ohio passenger train is making its station stop in Toledo.

At the time time the only C&O varnish scheduled into Toledo was Nos. 46 and 47, which operated between Detroit and Ashland, Kentucky, and were a section of the George Washington.

These trains also stopped in Columbus, Marion and Fostoria, and carried through coaches between Detroit and Washington.

One of the coaches was a food bar coach that operated between Detroit and Ashland serving light meals and beverages.

The presence of a Union Pacific sleeper on the rear of the train is something of a mystery.

Nos. 46 and 47 were not assigned sleeping cars in late 1968.

The car shown is one of the Star series of UP sleepers. These cars were built in 1956 by Pullman Standard as City series sleeper-lounge cars with five double bedrooms and a buffet lounge.

Seven of those cars were converted in 1965 into the Star series with 11 double bedrooms. All seven of these cars were leased to Seaboard Coast Line in late 1970 and eventually ended up on Amtrak’s roster.

It may be that this car would later pass through Toledo on the Lake Shore Limited.

As for this car in 1968, it may have been on the C&O as a special move or a chartered car.

A footnote to this story is that the photographer and two friends were making their first overnight journey together.

They had planned to stay for the night in Toledo but instead would up in London, Ontario.

Photographs by Robert Farkas

Tags: C&O passenger trains, Chesapeake & Ohio, passenger trains, Robert Farkas photography, Toledo, Toledo Central Union Terminal