GEORGE DANIELS scored his greatest triumph with the inauguration of the Twentieth Century Limited on June 15, 1902. His selection of the Century name was pure genius. With this one move he imparted to the new train the historical thrill of passing from one century to another. With the new 20-hour schedule he symbolized the growth of American mechanical superiority.

On the appointed day a large number of railroad men and other spectators gathered in Grand Central Terminal, New York, to see the Century's first westward departure at 2:45 p.m. A similar scene was enacted at Grand Central (La Salle Street) Terminal in Chicago (see ad at right). Said an English newspaper:

Surely it is only an experiment. There are over 900 miles between the two American cities. Can so high a rate of speed as will be necessary to accomplish the feat be maintained daily without injury to the engine, the rails, and the coaches? The operators will soon find that they are wasting fortunes in keeping their property in condition and then, loving money better than notoriety, the 20-hour project will be abandoned.

Engine 2960, buffet-library car, two sleepers, dining car, and compartment-observation car made up the first

train. Although there were accommodations for 42 passengers, only 27 persons, including "Bet-a-Million" Gates, braved the first trip.

In an age when the finest in railway travel was frontpage copy, the new equipment was described by the press in glowing terms:

These trains express the latest art in carbuilding. No effort nor expense has been spared to provide the traveling public with all the comforts and conveniences that are afforded by the highest grade hotels, the furnishings and fittings being complete in every detail. The exterior of the cars is painted Pullman standard green color, the ornamentation in gold being simple, but very artistic; gothic lights and oval windows of stained glass set in metal frames lend additional beauty to the exterior elevation.