History Aerotrain (GM)

starting in february 1956 pennsylvania railroad ran pennsy aerotrain between new york city , pittsburgh, pennsylvania, leaving new york @ 7:55 a.m.; schedule 7 hours 30 minutes each way. june 1956 june 1957 ran between philadelphia , pittsburgh.

in 1956 aerotrain no. 2 leased demonstrator new york central , ran between cleveland , chicago.

in march 1956 aerotrain made experimental runs atchison, topeka , santa fe railway in california san diegan between los angeles , san diego. use ended because trainset had turned after each trip , needed helper locomotives on sorrento grade north of san diego.

starting december 1956 union pacific ran ex-new york central aerotrain city of las vegas between los angeles , las vegas. train relegated chicago commuter service on chicago, rock island , pacific railroad.

the washington park , zoo railway s 5/8-scale replica aerotrain has been in operation since 1958.

gm s lightweight heavyweight future introduced @ time when passenger train revenues declining due competition airlines , private automobiles. though featured streamlined design, aerotrain failed capture public s imagination. cars, based on gm s bus designs , using air cushioning system, rough riding , uncomfortable. design of locomotive section made routine maintenance difficult , underpowered. both trainsets retired in 1966 after decade of use. museum of transportation in st. louis, missouri, , national railroad museum in green bay, wisconsin, each have 1 of locomotives , 2 of cars.

disneyland had scale version of aerotrain, known viewliner, 1957 1959 (see below). since 1958 washington park , zoo railway in portland, oregon, has operated scale, diesel-powered replica of aerotrain (dubbed zooliner) transport zoo visitors. idlewild park in reno, nevada, has train ride fashioned after aerotrain s locomotive.