The Erie Limited debuted on June 2, 1929, replacing the Southern Tier Express, which had run between Jersey City and Buffalo, New York.

[2] The train included a Buffalo section with parlor and buffet service which split at Hornell, New York.

[4] Erie began offering packaged tours in the early 1930s as the Great Depression curtailed patronage.

The train continued running after the Erie's 1960 merger with the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, but was renamed the Erie-Lackawanna Limited in January 1961.

The Erie Lackawanna dropped the Phoebe Snow name on October 28, 1962, and put the Erie-Lackawanna Limited back on the ex-Erie route.

By 1963 sleeping cars ran between Chicago and Binghamton only, although coaches continued to run through to the East Coast.

[8] Cutbacks continued through 1963: sleeping car service now ended at Hornell, while the diner-lounge ran between Hoboken and Youngstown, Ohio.

After World War II the Erie acquired seven more lightweight sleepers from Pullman-Standard, each with ten roomettes and six double bedrooms.