Wabash Railway passenger trains: All through January 2024, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the history and heritage of the Wabash.

A black and white photo of a train on the tracksWabash’s Banner Blue
Chicago–St. Louis Banner Blue at Chicago Ridge, Ill., August 1948.
Bob BorcherdingA black and white photo of a train on the tracksA black and white photo of a close up of a locomotive sitting on the tracksWabash E7 1001
One of Wabash’s four E7’s, Nos. 1000–1003, built 1947; colors dark blue, gray, and white; blank dark blue panel was for train names, used only for a short time on one unit, assigned to the City of Kansas City.
Electro-MotiveA black and white photo of a close up of a locomotive sitting on the tracksA black and white photo of passengers sitting in a lounge carParlor car in Wabash service
Heavyweight parlor-lounge car owned and operated by Pullman assigned to service on the Wabash.
Classic Trains coll.A black and white photo of passengers sitting in a lounge carGL131202-4Wabash E7’s on the City of St. Louis
St. Louis–Cheyenne, Wyo., City of St. Louis arriving Denver on the Union Pacific with Wabash E7’s, which ran St. Louis–Denver for a time; November 1947.
R. H. KindigGL131202-4A train departing a city on a cold winter dayWabash’s Blue Bird
St. Louis–Chicago Blue Bird departing Decatur, Ill., with Pullman-Standard dome-parlor ahead of Budd dome-parlor-observation, March 1960.
R. R. WallinA train departing a city on a cold winter dayA black and white overhead shot of passengers walking to a trainWabash’s Blue Bird
Chicago–St. Louis Blue Bird at Dearborn Station, which Wabash shared with several other roads, including the Santa Fe.
Linn H. WestcottA black and white overhead shot of passengers walking to a trainA black and white photo of the back of a locomotiveWabash’s Banner Blue
Chicago–St. Louis Banner Blue at Chicago Ridge, Ill., August 1948. The train carried an open-platform parlor-observation car until the mid-1960s.
Bob BorcherdingA black and white photo of the back of a locomotiveA black and white distant and overhead shot of a train leaving a stationWabash Oreland Park suburban train
4-4-0 departing Dearborn Station, Chicago, with nameless local train to Oreland Park, Ill., 1931.
A. JohnsonA black and white distant and overhead shot of a train leaving a stationA black and white photo of a train with white smoke coming out of its chimney as it passes a buildingWabash’s Chicago Express and St. Louis Special
Pacific 668 leads combined trains 79 (Chicago Express) and 1 (St. Louis Special) out of Detroit in 1939; at Fort Wayne, Ind., the train will separate into Chicago and St. Louis sections.
Robert A. HadleyA black and white photo of a train with white smoke coming out of its chimney as it passes a buildingA locomotive travelling through a snowy cityWabash Cannon Ball
St. Louis–Detroit Wabash Cannon Ball at Decatur, Ill., January 1961. Wabash had a total of four Alco PA’s.
R. R. WallinA locomotive travelling through a snowy cityA black and white photo of a locomotive picking up passengers at a stationWabash Cannon Ball
St. Louis–Detroit Wabash Cannon Ball at Litchfield, Ill., March 1956. Engine 1007 was one of Wabash’s 14 E8’s.
John C. IllmanA black and white photo of a locomotive picking up passengers at a stationA black and white photo of two locomotives picking up passengersWabash’s Blue Bird and Wabash Cannon Ball
St. Louis–Chicago Blue Bird (left, powered by E8 1000) and St. Louis–Detroit Wabash Cannon Ball (right, with E8 1007) at Decatur, Ill., November 1953.
Walter A. PetersA black and white photo of two locomotives picking up passengersA black and white photo of a locomotive with white smoke coming out of its chimneyWabash semi-streamlined Hudson
Class P-1 No. 700, first of seven 4-6-4s rebuilt by the Wabash from 2-8-2s in 1943; used mainly between St. Louis and Chicago, where 700 is pictured in 1950.
Wallace W. AbbeyA black and white photo of a locomotive with white smoke coming out of its chimneyA black and white photo of two locomotives travelling side by sideWabash’s City of St. Louis
St. Louis–Cheyenne, Wyo., City of St. Louis overtaking a Rock Island freight train (exercising RI trackage rights on UP) west of Limon, Colo., 1949.
E. C. StormA black and white photo of two locomotives travelling side by sideA black and white photo of two locomotives turning a corner at the same timeWabash’s Banner Blue
Chicago–St. Louis Banner Blue backing into St. Louis Union Station as GM&O’s Ann Rutledge departs, February 1954.
Jim ScribbinsA black and white photo of two locomotives turning a corner at the same timeA black and white picture of empty seats inside a trainWabash’s Blue Bird
Interior view of dome-parlor-observation car for Chicago–St. Louis Blue Bird from front of car.
Classic Trains coll.A black and white picture of empty seats inside a trainA black and white photo of a train with black smoke coming out of its chimneyWabash’s Banner Blue
Chicago–St. Louis Banner Blue at Landers, Ill., 1940s; photographer arranged smoke and steam effects with crew in advance.
H. W. PontinA black and white photo of a train with black smoke coming out of its chimneyA black and white photo of passengers boarding a trainWabash’s Blue Bird
Chicago–St. Louis Blue Bird ready for departure at Dearborn Station, Chicago.
Classic Trains coll.A black and white photo of passengers boarding a trainA black and white photo of the inside of an empty dining passenger car Wabash’s Blue Bird
Interior view of diner-lounge of Chicago–St. Louis Blue Bird.
Budd Co.A black and white photo of the inside of an empty dining passenger car A black and white photo of a locomotive with smoke coming out of its chimneyWabash’s Blue Bird
Chicago–St. Louis Blue Bird just south of Palos Park, Ill., 1940s.
Richard J. CookA black and white photo of a locomotive with smoke coming out of its chimney

Please enjoy this photo gallery of Wabash Railway passenger trains, originally published online in May 2019.