Well–I thought i would add a post about the possibilities of a train traveler between Minneapolis and Chicago.
At one time there were seven passenger train routes that I could choose from. Most ended by the late 1950’s or early 1960’s.
I would like to hear from fellow passenger train fans what route(s) I should choose.
Ed Burns
Happily retired from the NP-BN-BNSF at Northtown (Minneapolis). Just think-I got paid to watch passenger and freight trains!
I can think of 6 routes: SOO, C&NW, MILW, CB&Q, C&GW, and CRI&P. What was the 7th route?
Midland Mike:
Close–put on your thinking cap and refer to an old “Official Guide”.
ejb
Wouldn’t it be the GN?
Rich
That would be the IC/M&StL.
I never had an occasion to make the trip but my choice would have been one of the Burlington Zephyrs. From what I understand it was the most scenic route and I’d have been able to ride it in a dome.
Mark
GN went West out of the Twin Cities - CB&Q handled GN trains from the Twin Cities to Chicago, as well as NP trains - in slack traffic times the Empire Builder and North Coast Limited were consolidated into a single train from the Twin Cities to Chicago.
ahh, OK, thanks for that clarification. I wasn’t sure about that.
Rich
Zephyr Overland:
Old man Burns has a trick(s) up his sleeve.
MSTL/IC would be one way. In looking at a 1936 Official Guide I found one or two other routings, assuming you wanted a variety of passenger trains. .
Ed Burns
So, the seven routes are SOO, C&NW, MILW, CB&Q, C&GW, CRI&P, and IC/M&StL ?
Rich
The CB&Q where nature smiles for 300 miles. 2nd choice would be the Milwaukee with the C&NW 3rd.
All:
This was fun!! In looking at a 1936 Official Guide, I found a number of options on the MSTL part of the trip. one was MSTL to Albert Lea, IC to Waterloo, and IC to Chicago.
Others included the MSTL to Marshalltown and CNW beyond. MSTL to Oskaloosa and CNW beyond, MSTL to Des Moines and RI beyond, and MSTL to Peoria and RI beyond.
It all depended on how much rare mileage and routing you wanted.
The easy way was to take the CBQ or MILW to Chicago.
Thanks for all the fun.
Ed Burns of Anoka, MN
Retired NP-BN-BNSF Clerk from Minneapolis.
Rich…that would be CGW. No “&” sign in Chicago Great Western.
LOL
My bad, but the real culprit is Midland Mike, I just copied and pasted. [;)]
Rich
Keep in mind each of these routes would probably have several different trains running. In the thirties there probably were 30-40 different passenger trains you could take between the Twin Cities and Chicago. Even in the sixties there would be quite a few, some daytime trains and some overnight.
I’ve ridden both the old Burlington and Milwaukee mainlines along opposite banks of the Mississippi on Friends of 261 excursions and it would hard to pick which one was most scenic, they’re both great.
As mentioned, the CB&Q/C&NW/MILW routes were the most famous(and the fastest - 6-7 hours). The Soo Line ran a rather leisurely route and could take up to 12 hours. The Rock Island had no ‘thru’ service, changing trans at Davenport(Zephyr Rocket) or Des Moines(Twin Star Rocket) were required. The CGW dropped the Twin Cities Ltd and the Legionnaire back in the depression days. Connecting service at Oelwein(Mill Cites Ltd) was possible until the Chicago train was dropped in the 50’s. The M&StL had connection service, but the passenger trains were long gone by the 50’s. Just a few GE or RDC runs in rural areas. If there was a joint MSL/IC passenger train between the Twin Cities and Chicago, it was long gone.
Like many others, I rode the Zephyr and Hiawatha in the late 50’s and early 60’s. I also ‘sampled’ the GN/NP trains using the special excursion fare of 32 cents for a one way ticket between Mpls & St Paul.
Jim
The Rock Island did have Chicago-Minneapolis through service - 2 trains - until WW1.
ALL:
Thanks to all for the many responses.
After 1963 (the end of the CNW passenger service and to 1969 there was still two ways to ride from Minneapolis to Chicago.
Of course, the CBQ and MILW were the easiest,.
Can anyone tell me if the “Plainsman” (RI) from Minneapolis to Des Moines still made a connection with a Chicago bound Rock Island train?
Ed Burns
Yes, Ed. I do not have my schedules handy, but I recall seeing the eb train at the station in Des Moines when I rode from KC to Minneapolis in September of 1968.
This topic is one which has puzzled me for some time. Why were there so many trains (and “named” trains) between the Twin Cities and Chicago in the 30’s through the early 60’s? At the time the population of the Twin Cities wasn’t but around 500,00 until after WWII. I can understand the Chicago-Seattle trains that passed through the Twin Cities but what accounted for the business that the railroads had beyond that. I would be surprised if it was just the mill business.