Black Diamond (train)
The Black Diamond, officially the Black Diamond Express, was the flagship passenger train of the Lehigh Valley Railroad (LV). It ran daily from New York City to Buffalo, covering about 463.5 miles, from 1896 until May 11, 1959. LV passenger service ended shortly after, with all LV passenger trains gone by February 4, 1961.
What it did
- Route: New York City to Buffalo, with an LV terminal in Buffalo.
- Schedule: Daily service; trains 9 (northwestbound) and 10 (southeastbound).
- Early operation: In 1896, service between Jersey City and Buffalo began, using the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Exchange Place Station and ferries to New York. In 1913 the eastern end moved to Communipaw Terminal, and in 1918 all LV trains were routed to New York Penn Station to centralize traffic.
- Competition and reputation: It faced competition from other railroads but became famous for its style, earning nicknames like “the Handsomest Train in the World” and “the Honeymoon Express.”
New look and power
- In 1940, the Black Diamond got its first lightweight streamlined coaches designed by Otto Kuhler.
- The locomotives changed from steam 4-6-2 Pacifics to Alco PA-1 diesels, painted Cornell red with black trim.
Other notes
- The train had a companion night service, The Star, between New York City and Buffalo.
- From Sayre to Geneva, both the Black Diamond and the Star used a secondary route serving Ithaca and other Central New York cities.
- There was also a Philadelphia branch that connected in Bethlehem via the Reading Railroad.
- The train’s name comes from coal, the LV’s main cargo, which was nicknamed “the black diamond.” The LV slogan was “The Route of the Black Diamond.”
- The LV also ran similar streamlined trains, such as trains 28 and 29 (the John Wilkes).
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 13:27 (CET).