Since Atlas is entering passenger train production in a grand way with the California Zephyr (I can hardly wait for these new scale length cars), I am wondering what are your favorite 3 passenger trains from the streamlined era (east and west) and your favorite 3 passenger trains from the heavyweight era (east and west).

Mine are as follows:

West - Streamlined

1. California Zephyr
2. City of Los Angeles
3. Empire Builder

East - Streamlined

1. 20th Century Limited
2. Southern Crescent
3. Pocahontas


West - Heavyweight

1. Los Angeles Limited
2. The Challenger
2. The Exposition Flyer

East - Heavyweight

1. The 20th Century Limited
2. The Powhattan Arrow
3. The Crescent Limited

West - Streamlined

1. California Zephyr
2. City of Los Angeles
3. Super Chief

East - Streamlined

1. NYC 20th Century Limited, 1948 version
2. DL&W Phoebe Snow
3. Southern Crescent



West - Heavyweight

1. Los Angeles Limited
2. The Overland Limited
3. Exposition Flyer

East - Heavyweight

1. The 20th Century Limited
2. The Broadway Limited
3. The LIRR Sunrise Special


A little fact about the exposition flyer. In postwar years , the train carried Through New York to San Francisco Sleepers . In its last months of operation just prior to the California Zephyr, Budd had delivered PRR's "Silver Rapids" to the PRR and this car ran on the Exposition Flyer in that pre California Zephyr period: