The 'image page' is where we put a changing variety of New Haven Railroad photographs and advertising
material for you to enjoy. Be sure to check back here often because we plan to refresh these images on a regular
basis.
System Timetables
April 1st, 1998
Here is a selection of New Haven Railroad system timetables used between 1900 and 1968. System
timetables presented the New Haven Railroad's main line and branch line passenger train schedules. The New
Haven Railroad also published 'condensed' timetables which listed main line train schedules, 'local' timetables
listing commuter and branch line passenger train schedules and also books of freight train schedules. Advertising
materials from the collection of Marc Frattasio. All images have been reproduced at
approximately 10% actual size.
This 1902 system timetable is typical of the main line schedules published by the New Haven Railroad
during the latter years of the 19th Century and during the first decade of the 20th Century. At this time, the
New Haven Railroad split its operations into 'Lines West' and 'Lines East', with the dividing line at New
London, Ct. Separate passenger schedules were published for 'Lines East' and 'Lines West'. This is a
'Lines West' timetable. Early New Haven Railroad timetables, such as this one, were often printed on rag
paper and when found today can be in surprisingly good condition.
Here is a 'Lines West' timetable from 1915. This timetable is typical of New Haven Railroad passenger
schedules published between 1910 and the late 1920s. At this time, the New Haven Railroad used a poor
quality paper with a very high acid content for its timetables. Consequently, surviving timetables from this
period are often brittle and discolored. The so-called 'script' logo, which was prominently used on the
covers of New Haven Railroad timetables during the first three decades of the 20th Century, was designed
by General Passenger Agent C. T. Hemp in 1891.
By the late 1920s the New Haven Railroad had dropped enough passenger trains that its passenger
train schedules could be printed in one timetable. Thus, the old 'Lines West' and 'Lines East' timetables
became a thing of the past, replaced by a combined timetable known as 'Form 200'. This Form 200
timetable from 1928 has artwork of New Haven Railroad boxcab electrics and an I-4 class steam
locomotive on its cover.
This Form 200 timetable from 1930 features artwork advertising the New Haven Railroad's famous
'Yankee Clipper' train. Each parlor car on the 'Yankee Clipper' of this era was named after a New England
Clipper Ship. The 'Yankee Clipper' and 'Merchants Limited' were the most exclusive passenger trains
operated by the New Haven Railroad between Boston and New York City.
For a brief time during the mid 1930s the New Haven Railroad used this unusual art-deco style artwork
cover on Form 200 timetables. This New Haven Railroad timetable was published during the spring of
1935. The text on the cover of this timetable advertises the 'Yankee Clipper' and the 'Merchants Limited'.
The art-deco experiment did not stand the test of time and more conventional railroad themes returned
to the New Haven Railroad's system timetables in 1936. The cover of this Form 200 timetable features an
I-4 class steam locomotive hauling a train of heavyweight passenger cars.
The New Haven Railroad purchased ten streamlined steam locomotives from the Baldwin Locomotive
Works during 1937. These I-5 class locomotives were the pride of the New Haven Railroad's passenger
fleet during the late 1930s and were prominently featured on timetables and other passenger service
advertising material through the first half of the 1940s. This Form 200 timetable was printed during 1939.
The
New Haven
Railroad's
I-5
streamlined
steam
locomotives
were
bumped off
the Form
200
timetables
by
streamlined
electric and
diesel
locomotives
in the
immediate
postwar
era. On the
front cover
of this 1946
timetable is
a General
Electric
EP-4
electric and
on the back
is an
Alco/GE
DL-109
diesel. The
DL-109s,
which were
delivered
during the
Second
World War,
were used
in
passenger
service
during the
day and in
freight
service at
night.
By
1948 the
diesel was
understood
to be the
locomotive
of the
future.
Thus, we
now see the
DL-109 in
the position
of honor on
the front
cover of the
New Haven
Railroad's
system
timetables.
Note the
short lived
orange and
green
'pinstripe'
livery on
the DL-109
and EP-4
locomotives
and the
postwar
Pullman
Standard
streamlined
passenger
cars. This
timetable
cover
design was
used on
Form 200
through
1954 but
only the
first one,
dated
September
26th 1948,
had a full
color cover.
In late 1954 president Patrick B. McGinnis hired Herbert Matter, a famous Swiss born photographer
and graphic designer, to design a new corporate logo and corporate colors for the New Haven Railroad.
This logo was used on Form 200 system timetables starting in April 1955. This cover design was used
through the mid 1960s with the red color alternating with blue and green to indicate seasonal train schedule
changes. This Form 200 system timetable was published during the spring of 1956.
The New Haven Railroad dumped Herbert Matter's 1955 Form 200 system timetable design in favor of
this one which featured an EMD FL-9 diesel-electric-electric locomotive. The FL-9s could operate as DC
third rail electrics when in the vicinity of Grand Central Terminal in New York City. This eliminated the
need to change locomotives at New Haven, Ct. This same timetable cover design was used up until the end
of the New Haven Railroad's corporate existence on January 1st, 1969. In fact, this in the last New Haven
Railroad Form 200 system timetable. White covers alternated with red to indicate seasonal train schedule
changes.
