Columbian (MILW train)

Last updated
Columbian
The Columbian 1927.JPG
The Columbian in 1927
Overview
First serviceMay 29, 1911 (1911-05-29)
1947 (1947)
Last service1930 (1930)
January 21, 1955 (1955-01-21)
Former operator(s) Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
Route
Termini Chicago, Illinois
Seattle, Washington or
Tacoma, Washington
Distance travelled2,189 miles (3,523 km) (Chicago-Seattle),
2,207 miles (3,552 km) (Chicago-Tacoma)
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)17/18


The Columbian was a named passenger train operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad ("the Milwaukee Road") between Chicago, Illinois, and Seattle/Tacoma, Washington. The westbound train was Milwaukee Road train #17, and the eastbound train was train #18. It was launched on Monday, May 29, 1911. [1] The same day, the faster, limited-stop and more luxurious Olympian also launched. [1] These were the first passenger trains to take advantage of the Milwaukee Road Pacific Extension, which had opened to freight in 1909. [2]

Contents

The first Columbian: 1911–1930

One of the last great railroad construction projects in the United States took place in the Pacific Northwest between 1906 and 1909, when the Milwaukee Road built its new line from the Midwest to Puget Sound. The new route gave the Milwaukee Road a continuous line from Chicago to Seattle/Tacoma, an asset claimed by no other single railroad. The subsidiary Chicago Milwaukee and Puget Sound Railway Company was chartered in 1905 to build from the Missouri River to Seattle and Tacoma. [3] At the completion in 1909, the Milwaukee began operating through freight trains on the route. Two daily Chicago - Puget Sound passenger trains were instituted on May 29, 1911—the Olympian and the Columbian. [4] The Olympian was the premiere train on the route, with a faster schedule and more luxurious equipment; the Columbian was a secondary train, providing a more basic level of service on a slower schedule.

Both trains operated throughout the 1910s and 1920s, initially surviving the bankruptcy of the Milwaukee Road in 1925. The Columbian, however, was discontinued in 1930, the victim of a downturn in rail traffic caused, in part, by the Great Depression. The Olympian continued to serve the entire Chicago - Tacoma line, and shorter-distance trains provided additional service on parts of the route.

The 1947–1955 Columbian

After the end of World War II, most American railway companies—including the Milwaukee Road—quickly began working to modernize their passenger services with new, lightweight streamliner equipment and faster schedules. By 1946, the Milwaukee had decided to re-equip the Olympian as a streamliner, adding it to its famed fleet of Hiawatha passenger trains. The new Olympian Hiawatha entered service on June 29, 1947, running on a significantly faster schedule with fewer stops. Simultaneously, the Columbian was resurrected to again provide secondary service on the entire Chicago - Tacoma route. [5] The revived Columbian used the equipment and schedule of the pre-1947 Olympian.

As before, the 1947 Columbian served passengers traveling shorter distances (or to smaller towns), and hauled of mail and express. Compared to the Olympian Hiawatha, the Columbian was slower, made more stops, and had fewer passenger amenities. A typical timetable (from 1951) showed that the westbound Columbian was scheduled to complete the 2227-mile Chicago-Tacoma run in 61 hours, 5 minutes. In contrast, the westbound Olympian Hiawatha traveled the same route in 46 hours, 30 minutes. An end-to-end trip on the Columbian occupied three nights and two days. The train's passenger equipment included standard and "tourist" (economy) sleeping cars, coaches, and a diner-lounge car. [6] The Columbian was the first train to use the Milwaukee Road's new station in Tacoma, arriving there on April 20, 1954. [6] : 176 

The revival of the Columbian proved to be short-lived. Passenger traffic on the western lines of the Milwaukee Road declined significantly in the 1950s, resulting in the discontinuance of the Columbian as a through train on January 21, 1955. At the time, the operation of interstate passenger trains was partially regulated by the states, and individual state approvals were required prior to a train's discontinuance; consequently, the end of the Columbian was piecemeal. The January 21 schedule change eliminated only the western end of the Columbian run, between Avery, Idaho and Tacoma. That spring, the train's western terminus was shifted still further east—to Marmarth, North Dakota -- and by summer trains 17 and 18 only operated as far west as Aberdeen, South Dakota. Soon, the Columbian was gone entirely.

Accidents

The initial debut eastbound Columbian, which left Tacoma at 5:45 pm on May 29, 1911 derailed at 4:45 a.m. on May 30, 1911. [7] The accident occurred on sharp curve near Marengo in southeastern Washington, about 60 miles from the Idaho border. [8] The engineer and fireman were killed, five porters seriously hurt, and a baggage handler and one passenger suffered minor injuries.

On December 18, 1911, the second section of the eastbound 18 Columbian ran into the back of the first section at Odessa, Minnesota. [9] [10] The engine of the second 18 forced itself under the west end of the sleeper 'Beverly'. The sleeper pushed into the dining car, which telescoped into the sleeping car. [9] Ten people were killed, and eighteen injured. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milwaukee Road</span> Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States

The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), often referred to as the "Milwaukee Road", was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986.

<i>Empire Builder</i> Amtrak service between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest

The Empire Builder is an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that operates daily between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northern Railway and was retained by Amtrak when it took over intercity rail service in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Paul Union Depot</span> Train station in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul Union Depot is a historic railroad station and intermodal transit hub in the Lowertown neighborhood of the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It serves light rail, intercity rail, intercity bus, and local bus services.

<i>City of Denver</i> (train) Streamlined passenger train of the Union Pacifiic Railroad

The City of Denver was a streamlined passenger train operated by the Union Pacific Railroad between Chicago, Illinois, and Denver, Colorado. It operated between 1936 and 1971. From 1936–1955 the Chicago and North Western Railway handled the train east of Omaha, Nebraska; the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad handled it thereafter. The train was the fastest long-distance train in the United States when it debuted in 1936, covering 1,048 miles (1,687 km) in 16 hours. For almost its entire career its principal competitor was the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad's Denver Zephyr. When Amtrak assumed operation of most intercity trains in the United States in 1971, it discontinued the City of Denver, preferring to use the Burlington's route between Chicago and Denver.

<i>Hiawatha</i> (train) Fleet of luxury passenger trains originating in Chicago, Il.

The Hiawathas were a fleet of named passenger trains operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad between Chicago and various destinations in the Midwest and Western United States. The most notable of these trains was the original Twin Cities Hiawatha, which served the Twin Cities in Minnesota. The train was named for the epic poem The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

<i>North Coast Limited</i> Former named passenger train

The North Coast Limited was a named passenger train operated by the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle via Bismarck, North Dakota. It started on April 29, 1900, and continued as a Burlington Northern Railroad train after the merger on March 2, 1970 with Great Northern Railway and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. The next year, it ceased operations after the trains which left their originating stations on April 30, 1971, the day before Amtrak began service, arrived at their destinations.

<i>Twin Cities 400</i> Former passenger train service between Chicago and Saint Paul

The 400 was a named passenger train operated by the Chicago and North Western Railway between Chicago and Saint Paul, with a final stop in Minneapolis. The train took its name from the schedule of 400 miles between the cities in 400 minutes, and was also a nod to "The Four Hundred Club", a term coined by Ward McAllister to refer to the social elite of New York City in the late 19th century. It was an express train with limited stops between Chicago and the Twin Cities. The "400" ran from 1935 to 1963 on the Chicago to Twin Cities route. The C&NW later named their other passenger trains using the number "400".

<i>Olympian Hiawatha</i> 1911–1961 passenger train from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest

The Olympian and its successor the Olympian Hiawatha were passenger trains operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest. The Olympian operated from 1911 to 1947 and was, along with its running mate the Columbian, the first all-steel train to operate in the Pacific Northwest. The streamlined Olympian Hiawatha operated from 1947 to 1961 and was one of several Milwaukee Road trains to carry the name "Hiawatha." The Olympian Hiawatha was designed by industrial designer Brooks Stevens and included the distinctive glassed-in "Skytop" observation-sleeping cars. It later featured full-length "Super Dome" cars.

<i>Pioneer Limited</i> (train) 1898–1970 passenger train from Chicago to Minneapolis

The Pioneer Limited was a United States named passenger train running overnight on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad between Chicago, Illinois, and Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. The westbound train was Milwaukee Road train No. 1 and the eastbound was No. 4.

<i>Twin Zephyr</i> American trainset

The Twin Zephyrs, also known as the Twin Cities Zephyrs, were a pair of streamlined passenger trains on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q), running between Chicago and the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul in Minnesota. It was the second Zephyr service introduced by CB&Q after the record-setting Denver–Chicago "dawn to dusk dash" of the Pioneer Zephyr trainset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Cloud station</span> Train station in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States

St. Cloud station is an Amtrak intercity train station in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. It is served by the daily Empire Builder on its route connecting Chicago, Illinois to Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon. The next stop westbound is Staples while the next stop eastbound is Saint Paul Union Depot.

The Fast Mail was a train service operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad on an overnight schedule between Chicago, Illinois, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The southbound trains were Milwaukee Road train Nos. 56 and 58, and the northbound trains were train Nos. 55 and 57. In its early years, this train service helped earn the Milwaukee Road's line the nickname "The Fast Mail Line." In 1924, the Fast Mail was the target of the largest train robbery in U.S. history. The Fast Mail was discontinued with train 56's arrival in Chicago on May 1, 1971.

<i>Twin Cities Hiawatha</i> Former passenger train from Chicago to Minneapolis–Saint Paul

The Twin Cities Hiawatha, often just Hiawatha, was a named passenger train operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, and traveled from Chicago to the Twin Cities. The original train takes its name from the epic poem The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. There are a number of Hiawatha-themed names within the city of Minneapolis, the terminus of the original train. The first Hiawatha ran in 1935; in 1939 the Milwaukee Road introduced a second daily trip between Chicago and Minneapolis. The two trains were known as the Morning Hiawatha and Afternoon Hiawatha, or sometimes the AM Twin Cities Hiawatha and PM Twin Cities Hiawatha. The Milwaukee Road discontinued the Afternoon Hiawatha in 1970 while the Morning Hiawatha continued running until the formation of Amtrak in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watertown Subdivision</span>

The Watertown Subdivision or Watertown Sub is a 92.7-mile (149.2 km) railway line in Wisconsin operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) through its primary United States subsidiary, the Soo Line Railroad. It meets CP's Tomah Subdivision in the west in Portage and runs to Milwaukee in the east where it meets the C&M Subdivision. The Watertown Subdivision had previously been operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, though the Soo Line Railroad took it over when the Milwaukee Road folded. Canadian Pacific gained ownership via taking over the Soo Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tacoma station (Milwaukee Road)</span> Rail station in Tacoma, Washington

The Tacoma station was a passenger rail station in Tacoma, Washington, owned by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. It opened in 1954 and closed in 1961. It was the Milwaukee Road's final station in Tacoma, replacing a station formerly owned by the Tacoma Eastern Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skytop Lounge</span>

The Skytop Lounges were a fleet of streamlined passenger cars with the parlor-lounge cars built by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad and sleeper-lounges built by Pullman-Standard in 1948. The cars were designed by famed industrial designer Brooks Stevens. The fleet included both parlor-lounges and sleeping cars. The lounges entered service in 1948 on the Twin Cities Hiawatha, while the sleeping cars were used on the long-distance Olympian Hiawatha. In 1964 the Milwaukee Road sold the sleeping cars to the Canadian National Railway, which operated them until 1977. The parlor cars continued in service with the Milwaukee Road until 1970, when they were retired.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Dome (railcar)</span>

The Super Dome was a Dome car built by Pullman-Standard for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1952. The ten Super Domes were the first full-length dome cars in revenue service, first operating on the Olympian Hiawatha and Twin Cities Hiawatha in late 1952. Although a mixed blessing in passenger use, the cars garnered much publicity for the Milwaukee Road and several remain in operation.

The Chippewa consisting of mostly conventional components, and later known as the Chippewa-Hiawatha, with a streamlined consist was a passenger train operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad between Chicago, Illinois and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It operated from 1937 to 1960. The Chippewa-Hiawatha was one of several regional trains to carry the "Hiawatha" brand.

<i>The Hiawatha Story</i>

The Hiawatha Story is a 1970 non-fiction book on railroad history by Jim Scribbins, then an employee of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. The book covers the history of the Milwaukee Road's most famous passenger train, the Hiawatha, from its creation in 1934–1935 up through 1970. The book also covered the various other Milwaukee Road trains which carried the name "Hiawatha."

<i>Great River</i> (train) Future Amtrak train service

The Great River is a planned Amtrak intercity rail train that will operate in Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota between Chicago and St. Paul. It will be an extension of an existing Hiawatha Service train. This train will follow the routing of the Empire Builder for the entirety of its route and the Hiawatha Service from Chicago to Milwaukee.

References

  1. 1 2 Advertisement, Milwaukee Road, The Seattle Times, May 27, 1911
  2. ↑ Salt, Mark H. - All Aboard for Puget Sound. Suburban Life, the Countryside Magazine. United States: Suburban Press, June 1911
  3. ↑ St. Paul Working Away From Receivership. United States Investor, United States: Frank P. Bennett & Company, December 1, 1923
  4. ↑ "Fine Milwaukee Train Leaves," The Tacoma Times, May 29, 1911,
  5. ↑ Scribbins, Jim (2008) [1990 by Kalmbach Publishing]. Milwaukee Road Remembered. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. p. 52. ISBN   9781452914251.
  6. 1 2 Scribbins, Jim (1970). The Hiawatha Story. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing Company. LCCN   70107874. OCLC   91468.
  7. ↑ Milwaukee's New Train Is Wrecked," The Tacoma Times, May 30, 1911
  8. ↑ Wreck on the CM & PSRY (Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Railway), May 30, 1911, near Marengo, Wash.. Library of Congress, c1911 photograph
  9. 1 2 3 The Train Dispatchers Bulletin. United States: Chicago, Illinois, The Train Dispatchers' Association of America, July 1911.
  10. ↑ Wreck of the Columbian, Odessa, Minnesota Minnesota Digital Library (MDL) Big Stone County Historical Society Museum, photograph December 18, 1911
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.