I’ve been reading all the posts with great interest!! Thanks. I can use some of the history in my nomination of Omaha’s former Union Station (now the Durham Museum) as a National Historic Landmark. I’m still doing research - so this information is really useful. I’ve always been interested how Omaha became the hub for the U.P. - including the site for its headquarters - over Council Bluffs. Especially since Council Bluffs was determined (by law) to be the eastern terminus of the western route of the transcontinental railroad in the 1860s-1870s. Keep posting! -Mark
Thanks to everyone for clarifying my comments re MP-C&EI Chicago to Omaha service.
Did MP offer and market passenger service between Chicago-Omaha after controlling C&EI?
RE Omaha Union Station’s history you might contact Camerail Club members who meet in Omaha the 3rd Friday each month at Creighton University, Hickson-Lied Building, Room G04, 7.30PM. The building is on Burt Street just west of 24th. Some members worked in Omaha operations when the station had 100+ trains a day. They could provide insight into some of the station’s historic operating practices.
MP got hold of C&EI in 1963. At that point in time, C&EI’s passenger service consisted of a Chicago-Evansville local train, and the northern portion of the Georgian, Hummingbird and Dixie Flyer, all south and southeastern trains. In theory, a Chicago-Omaha C&EI/MP passenger service would have been possible, but it would have been uncompetitive, since a through passenger would have to travel by way of St. Louis. Also, keep in mind that C&EI pulled out of the Chicago-St. Louis market in 1949.
fascinating discussion especially the one from ‘agentkid’ about how old names still linger. when i lived in sacramento CA 1957-59, trains approaching Elvas Tower at a junction east of the city would call their destinations by radio to the towerman so that he could line the route for them. crews heading west would call, ‘heading for the Cal-Pee’, a reference to a competing railroad, the California Pacific; merged with SP in 1871! -arturo
Gentlemen. IC dropped its Omaha section of the Hawkeye on 17 July 1939. A Council Bluffs mixed ended in 1941. CGW ended its once great Twin Cities/Nebraska Limited on 28 September 1965. C&EI had nothing to do with MP in Nebraska. Two mainlines were built to Omaha in the 1880s if I recall. The first up through Weeping Water, Nebraska, then the present main via Nebraska City and Union. CRIP built its main in the 1890s. The Rocky Mountain Rocket ended service in 1966. My father hated this train as it blocked all the main streets in Lincoln when he came in from the west trying to get to his Pitne Bowes office just on the east side of the tracks.
Arrow service ended on the Milw around 1967. Wabash ended its mixed remnant of Trains #11 & 14 in 1968 after N&W took over. C&NW destroyed its own services with a crack to UP and SP about the Cities services to the effect of “we don’t want the _______ trains.” These were dropped in 1955 and C&NW never really did recover. Heineman didn’t help either. I could go on and on. My favorite subject.
MDBudka icomaha
As I must get back to work, other IC stuff: The Iowan stayed as a Chicago-Sioux City train till about 1950. It was gradually cut back over the years. 1st Fort Dodge, then to a Dubuque train. The Iowan was also the end of Omaha Day Express service. Soon after it received the name Iowan, the Omaha section was dropped in 1930.
IC started its Omaha service in January, 1900. CB mixed services started in December,1899 upon the completion of the Ft. Dodge & Omaha. IC used the East Omaha Bridge for passenger trains from 1900 to 1921 then again in 1938 to 1939. IC did no transfer of passengers in Council Bluffs. This was done at Omaha Union. Love it! Have fun!
MDBUDKA icomaha
One of the very first interline freight run-throughs was established between the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy at Galesburg, Ill. and the Union Pacific at North Platte, Nebr. By interchanging the trains at Grand Island, Nebr. instead of Omaha or Council Bluffs, U.P. forewent some of its line-haul revenue in exchange for expedited handling across the Missouri River. On the Q, between Pacific Junction, Iowa and Lincoln, Nebr., I believe these trains ran via the Q’s Plattsmouth bridge and the Q’s “southern route” bypassing Omaha altogether rather than the longer route via Council Bluffs, Omaha, and Ashland, Nebr.
The IC’s “Hawkeye” from Chicago to Sioux City lasted until AMTRAK and the Sioux Falls portion of the Milwaukee “Arrow” came off in Sept of 1965 so I assume the Omaha section did too.
C&NW made a similar move to bypass Omaha by interchanging its through trains at Fremont, NE.
I rode the Arrow from Marion, IA to Chicago in August, 1967. The “Notice of Proposed Discontinuance” was posted. I remember reading that loss of passenger train service to Mt. Carroll, IL was one factor in Shimer College’s move from there to Waukegan, IL.
The only really dedicated Omaha - Chicago passenger service in the 1960’s was offered by Rock Island and Burlington. Burlington offered the Nebraska Zephyr which left Omaha at 10:55AM and arrived 9:15PM into Chicago and the Ak-Sar- Ben Zephyr which left Omaha at10:30 PM and arrived at Chicago at 7:50 AM. Westbound Chicago Nebraska Zephyr left at 11:00 AM and arrived at Omaha at 9:15 PM. Westbound Ak-Sar-Ben Zephyr left Chicago at 10:00PM and arrived Omaha at 7:45 AM. Rock Island’s Corn Belt Rocket left Omaha at 10:45AM and arrived at 8:30 PM into Chicago. The Rocky Mountain Rocket Left Chicago at 12:40 PM and arrived at Omaha at 10:30 PM. The Rock Island also operated Train No 9 which left Chicago at 9:00 PM and arrived in Omaha at 8:00 AM. This train carried a Rock Island sleeping car which only operated as far as Des Moines(arrives into Des Moines at 4:25 AM). The Ak-Sar-Ben Zephyr operated Pullman sleeping cars through to Omaha.
The Milwaukee’s service to Omaha was nocturnal. You could ride the City of Denver from Chicago to Omaha westbound and arrive in Omaha before midnight. The Arrow was an overnight operation both east and westbound. The eastbound Arrow would offer a Pullman sleeper to Omaha passengers which could be boarded at Manilla Iowa at 9:50 PM easbound with an 8:50 AM arrival in Chicago. Westbound, however, Omaha passengers would arrive in Manilla Iowa at 5:20AM and have to ride the the final part of the trip coach. The sleeper assigned to the Arrow ran Chicago- Sioux City and Soiux Falls. I used an April 1964 timetable.