Twin Cities Hiawatha
The Twin Cities Hiawatha was a luxury passenger train of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, the. Between Chicago and the Twin Cities Minneapolis / St Paul ( "Twin Cities" ) wrong. Hiawatha was a traditional train name of this company.
Introduction
The train started its operations on May 29, 1935. He put the 660 km long distance every day back in just under six hours. To train the Milwaukee designed new stromlinienfömige, light express wagon, primarily to the competition, the Twin Cities Zephyr of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB & Q ) and the Twin Cities 400 of the Chicago and North Western Railway (C & NW), to defy.
While CB & Q on high-speed railcars and the C & NW sat rebuilt Pacifics with traditional passenger cars, the Milwaukee used especially by ALCo newly constructed and designed by industrial designer Otto Kuhler steam locomotives of the class A with a top speed of over 160 km / h The built in web- own workshops two orange-colored Train Sets with their distinctive arched side windows consisted of three open seating car, a Parlor Car ( saloon car ), a "Tap - Café " cars and the famous Beavertail lounge, a pulpit car at the rear of the train.
As with the Pioneer Zephyr of the Burlington or the M -10000 of the Union Pacific Railroad often onlookers lined the route. Originally only five stops were inserted. The track was in 1935 equipped with cab signaling, indicating the white, green or red lights in the locomotive. When approaching a red signal also a loud whistle signal was triggered in the cab, which ceased only with the operation of the brake.
Successor
The success of the train left the Milwaukee a year later buy new train sets. They had additional dining car, the combined luggage cart / Lounge Car ( saloon car ) and a slightly modified " Beavertail " pulpit cars ( four oblong windows instead of two small pretzel -shaped ). This " 1937 " Hiawatha was easy to distinguish each by a longitudinal rib below and above the now rectangular windows of the predecessor.
Effective September 19, 1938, the train was again provided with new vehicles whose interior came as entire external power line shape from the German - American industrial designer Otto Kuhler. The sides of the wagon at the " 1939 " Hiawatha were now outside " ripped" completely broken the bands of windows in distinctive groups of three and the end car fitted with elliptical shadow sheets that made him unique. For the turn in the track 's Menomonee Valley workshops built rolling stock procured the Milwaukee due to the increased weight at ALCO six new "Baltic " steam locomotives and classified them as Class F -7 ( number 100 to 105 ) a.
- Hiawatha material from 1938
As of January 1939, the schedule was changed. The Twin Cities Hiawatha was replaced by two trains, the Morning Hiawatha and Afternoon Hiawatha. This offered the Milwaukee two excellent evening connections between the Twin Cities of Minneapolis / St. Paul and Chicago. The vehicles remained the same, only now drove each set the route returns daily.
In 1941, the Milwaukee to procure diesel locomotives for its Hiawatha trains, a first set of AA Alco DL- 109, which was given the number 14, then an AA Set EMD E6, which was ranked as number 15. Parallel new passenger cars were purchased again. In the following years, the trains were partially mixed, older vehicles were modernized and the train lengths increased, especially during the Second World War, up to 15 cars.
From 1947 new vehicles were parallel to the introduction of the Olympian Hiawatha, again procured for the train. Hallmarks of the new " Hiawatha " were partly oval windows and doors and designed by Brooks Stevens " Skytop Lounge " circular porthole windows, four observation car with a large window Endkuppel and Salon compartments with swivel seats.
In 1952, the " Milwaukee Road " with the " Super Dome" for the first time in the United States an observation car, where the transparent pulpit covered with panoramic windows over the entire car length. The upper floor could accommodate up to 70 passengers, while there was a cocktail lounge on the lower floor. These built by the Pullman - Standard Car Manufacturing Company six-axle cars were the heaviest of the Hiawatha fleet and as well as the " Skytops " is very popular among the passengers. Of the ten supplied Superdome six went to the Olympian Hiawatha, while the other four were distributed to the Morning and Afternoon- Hiawatha.
- Interior views from the Superdome
Setting
The Afternoon Hiawatha drove to January, 1970, the Morning Hiawatha still almost a year longer to Amtrak long-distance passenger largely took over on May 1, 1971 in the United States. From then ran between Chicago and the Twin Cities only the Empire acquired by the Great Northern Railway Builder, however, laid on the route of the Milwaukee Road.
On January 16, 1972 Amtrak took the name Twin Cities Hiawatha train service as a back. On June 12 of that year he was combined with the North Coast Hiawatha, the times weekly on three wrong about Minneapolis addition to Seattle. 1978 Twin Cities Hiawatha was replaced by the North Star, a night train from Chicago via Minneapolis to Duluth.
Of the four Skytop Lounge Car three piece have been preserved. Vehicle shown 186 " Cedar Rapids " has been restored to its original state and is operational. Of the Superdome Cars 55 and 57 to 59 three piece are also still preserved, while the car had to be scrapped due to rust damage 58 in November 2009.
- Operable obtained Skytop and Super Dome cars