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''Mercury'' was the name used by the New York Central Railroad for a family of daytime streamliner passenger trains operating between midwestern cities. The ''Mercury'' train sets were designed by the noted industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss, and are considered a prime example of Art Deco design. The success of the ''Mercury'' led to Dreyfuss getting the commission for the 1938 redesign of the NYC's flagship, the ''20th Century Limited'', perhaps the most famous train in America. The first ''Mercury'', operating on a daily roundtrip between Cleveland and Detroit, was introduced on July 13, 1936.〔Cook, p. 2〕 The ''Chicago Mercury'', between Chicago and Detroit, and the ''Cincinnati Mercury'', between Cincinnati and Detroit, followed.〔Cook, pp. 7, 10〕 The ''Mercury''s lasted until the 1950s, with the final survivor, the original ''Cleveland Mercury'', making its last run on July 11, 1959.〔Cook, p. 11〕 A fourth train, the ''James Whitcomb Riley'' between Chicago and Cincinnati, used the same design for its train sets and is considered part of the ''Mercury'' family, although it did not bear the ''Mercury'' name. The ''Riley'' debuted in 1941 and lasted into the Amtrak era, though no longer a streamliner.〔Cook, p. 9〕〔James Whitcomb Riley (passenger train)〕 ==Design== In the mid-1930s, the New York Central launched an experiment to enhance its passenger traffic in the midwest. The goal was a new streamlined service focusing on speed and innovation. "Mercury," the name of the Roman god of messengers, was chosen for its connotations of speed. The new train was marketed as the "Train of Tomorrow" (not to be confused with the General Motors concept train of the 1940s), reflecting the emphasis on innovation. In 1934, Dreyfuss had gained attention for the New York Central with his streamlined design for the ''Commodore Vanderbilt'' locomotive.〔1934 in rail transport#December events〕 This was his first railroad design; he was best known for his work on consumer products like telephones, fountain pens and vacuum cleaners.〔Henry Dreyfuss〕 In 1935, the Central asked him to take on the new project. Here is his description of how the plan developed: 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mercury (train)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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