The Pennsylvania Railroad's train No. 173, the Federal Express, cruises through Washington, D.C. on August 3, 1939.

The Federal Express was a named passenger train run by the Pennsylvania Railroad and New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad between Washington, DC's Union Station and Boston, Massachusetts's South Station. At different times, its route has taken it across the Hudson River via a car float between Port Morris and Jersey City (the ferry Maryland), the Poughkeepsie Bridge, and finally the Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad. The final routing was identical to today's high-speed Northeast Corridor. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full year calendar). ... The following is a list of named passenger trains and some summary information about them. ... 1893 map The Pennsylvania Railroad (AAR reporting mark PRR) was an American railroad that was founded in 1846 and merged in 1968 into Penn Central Transportation. ... The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (AAR reporting mark NH) was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... Union Station is the grand ceremonial train station designed to be the entrance to Washington, DC when it opened in 1907. ... Nickname: Location in Massachusetts, USA Coordinates: Country United States State Massachusetts County Suffolk County Government  - Mayor Thomas M. Menino (D) Area  - City  89. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk in Mahican, is a river that runs through the eastern portion of New York State and, along its southern terminus, demarcates the border between the states of New York and New Jersey. ... A railroad car float is an unpowered barge with rail tracks mounted on its deck. ... Location of Jersey City within New Jersey. ... The ferryboat Dongan Hills, filled with commuters, about to dock at a New York City pier, ca. ... The Poughkeepsie Bridge (sometimes known as the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge or the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge is a steel Cantilever bridge single track railway bridge spanning the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie, New York on the east shore and Highland, New York on the west shore. ... The Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad was an important part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system, comprising the tunnels and approaches from New Jersey and Long Island to New York Penn Station. ... French designed Eurostar and Thalys TGVs side-by-side in the Paris-Gare du Nord. ... Most of the NEC (those sections shown in red, except Boston to the Rhode Island state line) is owned by Amtrak. ...

On October 18, 1912 the Federal Express (and the Colonial Express) began using the new Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad into New York Penn Station. However, an omnibus transfer was required to get to Grand Central Terminal to continue to Boston, and the next day it was rerouted via the Poughkeepsie Bridge. The route took it along the PRR's Belvidere Delaware Railroad from Trenton, New Jersey to Belvidere, New Jersey, the Lehigh and Hudson River Railway from Belvidere to Maybrook, New York, and the NYNH&H's Central New England Railway across the Poughkeepsie Bridge, Dutchess County Railroad to Hopewell Junction, New York, New York and New England Railroad to Hawleyville, Connecticut, Housatonic Railroad to New Haven, and the normal route the rest of the way to Boston. October 18 is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years). ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad was an important part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system, comprising the tunnels and approaches from New Jersey and Long Island to New York Penn Station. ... For the Pennsylvania Station in Newark, New Jersey or Baltimore, Maryland, see Pennsylvania Station (Newark) or Pennsylvania Station (Baltimore). ... Parisian Omnibus, late nineteenth century Omnibus is a Latin word meaning for all (people) and has several meanings in standard English: bus, a vehicle for transporting large numbers of people Omnibus, a law which covers many different subjects, or has had many unrelated additions tacked onto it. ... The main concourse Grand Central Terminal (GCT, often unofficially called Grand Central Station) is a terminal rail station at 15 Vanderbilt Avenue (42nd Street and Park Avenue) in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. ... The Poughkeepsie Bridge (sometimes known as the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge or the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge is a steel Cantilever bridge single track railway bridge spanning the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie, New York on the east shore and Highland, New York on the west shore. ... The Belvidere Delaware Railroad (Bel Del) was a railroad running along the eastern shore of the Delaware River from Trenton, New Jersey north via Phillipsburg, New Jersey to Belvidere, New Jersey. ... Nickname: Trent, T-Town Location of Trenton inside of Mercer County Coordinates: Country United States State New Jersey County Mercer County Founded circa 1719 Mayor Douglas H. Palmer Area    - City 21. ... Belvidere is a town located in Warren County, New Jersey. ... The Lehigh and Hudson River Railway (L&HR) was the smallest of the six component railroads that were merged into Conrail. ... This caboose along Route 208 in Maybrook commemorates the villages days as an important rail hub. ... The Central New England Railway (CNE) was a railroad across northern Connecticut and west across the Hudson River in New York. ... The Poughkeepsie Bridge (sometimes known as the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge or the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge is a steel Cantilever bridge single track railway bridge spanning the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie, New York on the east shore and Highland, New York on the west shore. ... Hopewell Junction is a hamlet (and census-designated place) located in Dutchess County, New York. ... The New England Railroad was the final name for a railroad system connecting New York state with Providence, Rhode Island, Boston, Massachusetts and other parts of New England before its 1898 lease by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. ... The Housatonic Railroad (AAR reporting mark HRRC) is a Class III railroad operating in southwestern New England. ... City nickname: The Elm City Location in the state of Connecticut Founded April 24, 1638 County New Haven County Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. ...

Due to freight congestion on the NYNH&H section, the train was discontinued January 9, 1916. With the opening of the New York Connecting Railroad and its Hell Gate Bridge on April 1, 1917, the Federal Express was restored via New York City, running through via the new connection. This final routing was made in 12 hours 10 minutes. January 9 is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... The New York Connecting Railroad or NYCR is a rail line in Queens, New York City. ... The Hell Gate Bridge (originally the New York Connecting Railroad Bridge) is a 1,017-foot (310 m) steel arch railroad bridge between Astoria in the borough of Queens and Randalls and Wards Islands (which are now joined into one island and are politically part of Manhattan) in New York... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... New York, NY redirects here. ...

GG1 #4876 after the crash.

Image File history File links CrashedGG1. ... Image File history File links CrashedGG1. ...

Notorious wreck

One of the more interesting moments in the history of the Federal Express took place on the morning of January 15, 1953 at Washington's Union Station. Due to a brake line angle cock (valve) that was closed when switching a car out at Baltimore, Maryland, the train (en route from Boston) was unable to apply the brakes on part of the train. Pushed by the unbraked cars, the GG1 engine and two passenger cars ran off the end of Track 16 and crashed through the floor of Union Station and into the baggage room. In a remarkable demonstration of the durability of the GG1 engine, engine #4876 was later cut into three pieces, hoisted from the baggage room, and reassembled at the Altoona (PA) shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It then re-entered commercial service and went on to be one of the last-serving GG1 engines. January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Burnhams Union Station: the central block of the immense front façade of Union Station Union Station is the grand ceremonial train station designed to be the entrance to Washington, DC when it opened in 1907. ... Nickname: Motto: The Greatest City in America,[3] Get in on it. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... PRR GG1 number 4890 on display at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, WI. The Pennsylvania Railroads GG1 class of electric locomotives were built between 1934 to 1943, with a total of 139 units constructed. ...

References

• PRR Chronology
• 1915 L&HR timetable
• The Crash of Runaway Train #173

External links

• Washington DC Chapter NRHS Wreck of the Federal Express