Help reading vintage train schedule

[rcdrye]

The Pintsch (gas) light and Steam Heat, along with Wide Vestibules, put this in the 1890s, and likely the earlier half.

The Overland definitely stopped at North Platte.  At least an engine and train (Conductor and Trainmen) crew change.  Even "Limiteds" ran pretty much division point to division point.

Even today, train timetables list only the departure time, except for long dwell (or last station) locations.  This is partly a legacy of timetable and train order operation (so opposing trains knew a train wouldn't leave a station BEFORE the scheduled time) and partly for simplicity.

[Deggesty]

I should have remarked that since this is a condensed schedule it does not show all the stops nor does it show both arrival and departure times at the large stations. It seems, to me, to be an advertisement for that particular train. Incidentlly, the oldest UP schedule that I have here does not show the times for the C&NW out of or into Chicago.

Also, having (I should have done this first) looked at my reprint of the June, 1893, Guide, I believe that it is dated earlier than 1893 (this issue showed UP track running southwest from Salt Lake City towards SE Nevada).

[Overmod]

Nobody answered her question about ARR and DEP that I could see.

In general, "stops" were listed as the times the train would leave.  However, at some stations (usually the more important ones) the train would be scheduled to 'dwell' for a certain length of time, perhaps to handle a large amount of baggage or 'mail and express' or for other servicing.  In these cases, the time spent in the station was noted by indicating both an expected arrival time and a departure time for the train.

I expect an alternative use is for connections, including 'switched cars', where the time of arrival was on one train, and departure on another.  Sometimes (as on some northeastern schedules) this wasn't made entirely clear, including whether a visible train was actually the expected connecting train.  See 'The Lay of the Lost Traveler' for an example...

[Deggesty]

Thanks, ZO, for your expansion of my answer. I had originally planned to  mention the lack of the San Pedro, Los Angelos and Salt Lake  (the original name of the road) was completed in 1905, and the "San Pedro and" was dropped in 1916. This timetable evidently predates 1916.

But, as well as I can tell, the line north from Ogden to the junction with the Oregon Short Line, just below Pocatello, was still know as the Utah Northern until 1916; however, it was associated with the OSL in 1889.

[ZephyrOverland]

I'm going to append to Johnny's comments: the schedule shown is a high level condensed schedule, giving the basic times for the Overland Limited. Since this was primarily viewed as a through train, the times given are geared for through passengers, who would primarily board the train within the first third of the train routes each way.

I'm going to assume that the information shown is pre-1905, before the Los Angeles & Salt Lake was completed, running primarily between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles via Las Vegas. (The fact that the ad mentions Palace Cars dates this pre-1900, when the Pullman Palace Car Company was reorganized as the Pullman Company.)  Los Angeles timings are given most likely to give passengers who wanted to the ride the Overland Limited a way to get to Los Angeles, an alternative to Santa Fe and Golden State Route services.  Why should UP pass up possible LA traffic?  I don't think that there was through Chicago-LA sleepers via Sacramento and SP's inland route. The Overland Limited pre WW1 consist listings that I've seen indicate that there were connections offered at Sacramento to and from Los Angeles sleepers that were operating on Los Angeles-San Francisco via Fresno trains.

The Overland Limited name game gets even better:

Even though the C&NW officially operated the eastern portion of the Chicago-San Francisco Overland Limited, during the early part of the 20th Century the Milwaukee Road operated a Chicago-Omaha Overland Limited which was almost as good as the UP's version.  This train handled a Chicago-San Francisco Pullman which was switched to UP's Overland at Omaha.

Around 1904 the Wabash had an Overland Limited, operating between St. Louis and Omaha, possibly handling through St. Louis Pullmans.

Later, UP would operate a Kansas City-Denver-Cheyenne Overland Limited, connecting to the Chicago train at Cheyenne and handling some through cars.

After the Los Angeles and Salt Lake was completed, the Los Angeles Limited was established to handle Chicago-LA traffic, but around 1919 that railroad had an Overland Limited as well, connecting with the San Francisco train at Ogden. By 1921 the Los Angeles and Salt Lake became part of UP, and by that time the Los Angeles-Ogden Overland Limited was gone, making the Los Angeles Limited the main Chicago-LA Overland Route train.

As to your question about the map and all of the cities shown. Keep in mind that when this ad was developed, the passenger train was the countrys primary intercity method of conveyance. UP wanted to show its breath of where it operated. The Overland Limited may or may  not have stopped at North Platte, but UP wanted to assure the consumer that they offered service from there to other points on the UP system. It's all about the intercity network.

[Deggesty]

Lindsay_K

Can someone help me understand this train schedule? Why doesn't it have the "Lv" time and the "Ar" time for each stop? And I thought the Overland Limited ended in San Fransisco - Is the los angeles time listed a connection?

 

Also, looking at the map, are all the dots stops? Or did the train only stop at the cities listed on the schedule?

 

Thanks

 

 

This is a very condensed schedule showing only a few of the stops. As such, it does not show both arrival and departure times. 

Not being able to see the full schedule, I do not know if there was a section that was split off in Sacramento to go down to Los Angeles or not; I have the impression that passengeres chsnged trains in Sacramento. Also, Salt Lake CIty would have been reached by using a connection with the Oregon Short Line in Ogden.

Do you know when this schedule was published?

[Lindsay_K]

Can someone help me understand this train schedule? Why doesn't it have the "Lv" time and the "Ar" time for each stop? And I thought the Overland Limited ended in San Fransisco - Is the los angeles time listed a connection?

 

Also, looking at the map, are all the dots stops? Or did the train only stop at the cities listed on the schedule?

 

Thanks