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Passenger Trains between Minneapolis and Chicago.

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Posted by MidlandMike on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 7:37 PM

b60bp

... The Twin Cities were the home town of GN, NP, Soo Line, CGW (which started there), M&StL , Omaha Road and several short lines, not to mention 3M, Pillsbury, General Mills, IBM (I think)...

You are probably thinking of Honeywell or CDC, both of which were computer companies.  IBM has always been in the New York area.

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Posted by Shayster on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 3:18 PM

Boot Camp & 1yr. at Great Lakes.  Used to take the train from Nora Springs, IA to Chicago.  Both ways,  Wk. end Liberty.  Had to hitchhike one time as missed connection in Waterloo...Bummer.  But made it by 0800hrs.

Lived in Mason City, IA  late 50's early 60's

 

A.R. Sibert

Good Forum...

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Posted by adkdivfan on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 8:54 PM

Always wondered if Amtrak or the Milwaukee Road ran a Twin Cities to Chicago train, via Milwaukee, on May 1 and/or 2, 1971. The last railroad-operated Morning Hiawatha should have run on April 30. The first Amtrak Empire Builder, which left Seattle on the 1st, did not reach & depart Minneapolis until the 3rd. The last eastbound BN-operated versions of the Builder & the North Coast Limited ran combined on the 1st & 2nd, but obviously not via Milwaukee. Anybody know? Thanks!

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 3:03 AM

AR:    And between Chicago and Great Lakes?

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Posted by MP173 on Friday, May 3, 2013 6:13 PM

Benny Peters:
You are absolutely correct regarding the West Liberty transfer per Oct, 1964 Official Guide:

Lv Mpls 330pm on Train 19

Ar. West Liberty at 1116pm

Lv West Liberty at 1128 on Train 6 (coach only)

Ar. Chicago 430am

This is an improvement on my earlier listing of leaving Mpls at 1115am and arriving at 430am.

Via Waterloo:

Lv Mpls 330pm on Train 19

Ar. Waterloo 857pm

Lv Waterloo 1115pm on IC Train 12 (Hawkeye)

Ar. Chicago 615am

The OG does not have Rock Island fares, but for IC it was $8.35 from Waterloo to Chicago.  Pullman Roomette rate was $8.10.  Was the $8.10 in addition to the $8.35 coach fare?

Obviously the transfer at West Liberty was tight, so perhaps the Waterloo connect would have been superior, in that one could grab a bite to eat, and then sleep in a Roomette with arrival in Chicago at 615am ready to see the Windy City.

Lots of mail and express moving between Chicago and Twin Cities and beyond.

Ed

 

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Posted by Deggesty on Friday, May 3, 2013 10:09 PM

Ed, the Pullman fare for the roomette definitely was in addition to the rail fare--which probably was more than the $8.35 (or was this quoted as being the first class railfare?). By 1964, some roads, such as the KCS, were charging no more rail fare for first class travel than for coach travel, but most still had two tariff structures, one for coach and one for first class.

Johnny

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Posted by KCSfan on Saturday, May 4, 2013 4:56 AM

daveklepper

AR:    And between Chicago and Great Lakes?

Had to be either the CNW or North Shore.

Mark

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Posted by daveklepper on Saturday, May 4, 2013 1:40 PM

yes, but which?

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Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, May 4, 2013 8:34 PM

MP173

Benny Peters:
You are absolutely correct regarding the West Liberty transfer per Oct, 1964 Official Guide:

Lv Mpls 330pm on Train 19

Ar. West Liberty at 1116pm

Lv West Liberty at 1128 on Train 6 (coach only)

Ar. Chicago 430am

This is an improvement on my earlier listing of leaving Mpls at 1115am and arriving at 430am.

Via Waterloo:

Lv Mpls 330pm on Train 19

Ar. Waterloo 857pm

Lv Waterloo 1115pm on IC Train 12 (Hawkeye)

Ar. Chicago 615am

The OG does not have Rock Island fares, but for IC it was $8.35 from Waterloo to Chicago.  Pullman Roomette rate was $8.10.  Was the $8.10 in addition to the $8.35 coach fare?

Obviously the transfer at West Liberty was tight, so perhaps the Waterloo connect would have been superior, in that one could grab a bite to eat, and then sleep in a Roomette with arrival in Chicago at 615am ready to see the Windy City.

Lots of mail and express moving between Chicago and Twin Cities and beyond.

Ed

 

You could take the Zephyr-Rocket a bit further south to Columbus Jct, IA and connect with No. 40 on the Golden State Route.  Without looking (I looked a while back, but didn't post) I think the layover from the ZR's arrival and No.40's was something like 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  Probably not much to do at Columbus Jct in the early morning hours though.

Jeff  

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Posted by wjstix on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 8:58 AM

MidlandMike

b60bp

... The Twin Cities were the home town of GN, NP, Soo Line, CGW (which started there), M&StL , Omaha Road and several short lines, not to mention 3M, Pillsbury, General Mills, IBM (I think)...

You are probably thinking of Honeywell or CDC, both of which were computer companies.  IBM has always been in the New York area.

If by "started there" you mean were founded in the Twin Cities, GN, Soo Line and M-St.L would be included too.

CDC is Control Data Corporation, I worked there in the 1980's. Although I don't think their HQ was here, Sperry-Univac had a plant here also.

Interesting to recall that one year in the sixties Minnesota lead the US in production of butter, wheat...and computers.

Stix
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Posted by Deggesty on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 11:13 AM

The mention of Honeywell reminds me of the interesting names that would be given to new companies formed from one or more older companies. One such name would be given to a merger of Minneapolis-Honeywell and Fairchild: Fairwell Honeychild. This name surfaced again when Fairchild Semiconductor (for which I worked) came into existence several years ago.

Johnny

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Posted by wjstix on Friday, May 10, 2013 9:33 AM

If you were modelling a Honeywell plant, you'd want to have a few protesters outside. That started in the 1960's due to their making electronics for the US Defense Dept., like triggers for bombs and such, as part of the anti-Vietnam war movement. It continued into the 1980's or even later during the "no nukes" era, as they made parts used for atomic bombs and related items.

An interesting twist is Honeywell in the 1960's was one of the first companies to hire women for manufacturing jobs and pay them equal wages as men.

Stix

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