Historic Train Names for Meeting Rooms

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

The company I work for has 7 new meeting rooms and are looking to name them. I was wondering if any one in the train community could give me some names of famous steam locomotives in American history. Hopefully those that helped pioneer the expansion of US transporation, and were important to the industrial era and passenger travel.

It would be nice to have names of those locomotives across the entire US to spark conversion with customers that visit from all over the US. Three in the general areas of Richmond, VA, Minneapolis,MN and Phoenix,AZ
(our company locations).

If the company goes with this theme it would be great to maybe get a picture and a little history to post in each meeting room.

Thanks for your help.

Rowe

hellorowe@juno.com

2

Thank you Dave. This is helpful and a good start. Tom Thumb would be appropriate for one of the smaller meeting rooms.

Rowe

3

Are you interested in the neames of famous passenger trains or actual locomotives? The naming of locomotives in the United States pretty much ended by the Civil War, so there would be no named locomotives associated with Phoenix. Almost all locomotives after the Civil War that WERE named were named after politicians or railroad owners and I’m not sure you would want to open that can of worms. Trains would be much safer. For example, “Orange Blossom Special” for Richmond, “Hiawatha” for Minneapolis, and “Sunset Limited” for Phoenix. You can’t leave out the “Super Chief” or the “Twentieth Century Limited”. Other famous luxury trains would be “Panama Limited” (IC), “Broadway Limited” (PRR), “Merchants Limited” (NH), “Empire Builder” (GN).

4

Thanks Gregg. I think you are right that thname of trains, not locomotives, would be better suited for naming the meeting rooms.

I appreciate the tip.

Rowe

5

I can think of a few famous locomotives.
some of the earliest were the Dewitt Clinton,Best Friend of Charleston, and the Stourbridge Lion.
all of these locomotives were from the 1830s
some other that I know are The Pioneer,(Chicago and Northwestern’s first engine) and The Minnetonka (Northern Pacific’s first engine).

6

I forgot to mention Baltimore and Ohio’s Tom Thumb
probably one of the more famous steam engines due to it’s race with a horse drawn rail car.

7

“Pheobe Snow”
I never can remember which railroad had her, but I have always thought that it was the THE BEST train name I’ve ever heard.
I think your idea is very good & I hope it goes through.
Matt