Route of I.C. special football trains

[Anonymous]

For the Jan. 1, 1964 Rose Bowl, the University of Illinois football team made one of its relatively rare appearances and, I believe, beat the Univ. of Washington.  Several football specials, having both coaches and Pullmans, were operated by the I.C. out of Champaign to Pasadena.  I wonder what the actual route was?  I feel it was north to Gilman, Il., then off the main on to the St. Louis line as far as Springfield, keep the power on, but turn over to the Wabash (less than a year to go for that name) to K.C., then to AT&SF (probably via Amarillo, account congestion on the main passenger line through La Junta) west.  Anyone know the correct route (I wonder if they may have used the slow branch to Clinton, Il., from Champaign?)  And did the riders occupy the Pullmans as hotel space at LAUPD?  Anyone know their routing?

[KCSfan]

Hi Bill,

I believe the Rosebowl Specials ran on the IC to Chicago and from there to LA (Pasadena) on etiher the Santa Fe or the Milw/Union Pacific. The trains were not an initiative of the IC but were arranged for and promoted by the Alumni Assciation and/or the University. I am a life member of the UofI Alumni Assn. and vaguely recall receiving a mailing from them advertising the trip. Since by that time I had moved to Louisiana I wasn't much interested and only have a vague recollection of the details but I'm almost certain they ran by way of Chicago where they would have picked up many UofI fans.

Mark