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Monday, February 25, 2008
More on railroads in La Crosse, Wis.
I found this site (well, google found it for me) which contains good information on the Green Bay & Western and Chicago & North Western in La Crosse, and contains a 1915 map to boot. Thanks to greenbayroute.com.
And here is some information from the Milwaukee Road Historical Association on the Milwaukee's passenger stations in La Crosse.
¶ 2/25/2008 11:50:00 AM 0 comments
Sunday, February 24, 2008
La Crosse, Wis. to Cleveland, O., June 1949
Note: this blog entry concerns historical US passenger rail schedules. For all current long distance passenger rail schedules for the USA, visit the Amtrak web site.
This is the return trip for the trip discussed here.
This is a trip from La Crosse, Wisconsin to Cleveland, Ohio. We assume the trip will be composed of two legs with Chicago (as always) being the transfer point. The time allowed between trains in Chicago should include enough time for a transfer from one station to another.
Here's a list of the possibilities for the two legs:
Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy (CB&Q, a.k.a. the Burlington)
| Train No. | Name | Dp. La Crosse | Ar. Chi. | Time | Notes |
| 44 | Empire Builder | 9:17 AM | 2:00 PM | 4:43:00 | Buffet/Obs/Lounge + sleepers (drawing room, duplex roomette, double bedroom, section) + dining + lounge/coffee shop + reserved seat day-nite coaches Seattle and Portland to Chicago. No checked baggage to/from La Crosse. |
| 22 | Morning Zephyr | 10:20 AM | 2:40 PM | 4:20:00 | Visa Dome Parlor Car incl. drawing room (CB&Q) + dining + Vista Dome reclining chair coaches Minneapolis to Chicago. No checked baggage to/from La Crosse. |
| 24 | Afternoon Zephyr | 5:53 PM | 10:15 PM | 4:22:00 | Visa Dome Parlor Car incl. drawing room (CB&Q) + dining + Vista Dome reclining chair coaches Minneapolis to Chicago. No checked baggage to/from La Crosse. |
| 52 | 11:35 PM | 9:30 AM | 9:55:00 | Coaches | |
| 50 | North Coast Limited | 1:21 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:24:00 | Buffet/Obs/Lounge + sleepers (drawing room, compartment, double bedroom, roomette, duplex roomette) + tourist sleepers + dining + day-nite coaches + coaches Seattle and Portland to Chicago. No checked baggage to/from La Crosse. |
| 54/48 | Oriental Limited/Black Hawk | 1:43 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:32:00 | Obs Lounge + sleepers (double bedroom, section, compartment, drawing room) + tourist sleepers + dining + coaches Seattle and Portland to Chicago. Sleepers (drawing room, double bedroom, section) + coaches Minneapolis-St. Paul to Chicago. |
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific (CMSt.P&P, a.k.a. the Milwaukee Road)
| Train No. | Name | Dp. La Crosse | Ar. Chi. | Time | Notes |
| 16 | Olympian Hiawatha | 9:40 AM | 1:45 PM | 4:05:00 | Skytop Lounge + sleepers (double bedroom, romette) + tourist sleeper + dining + Tip-Top Grill (incl. buffet/beverages) + coaches Tacoma-Seattle to Chicago. |
| 6 | Morning Hiawatha | 10:33 AM | 2:40 PM | 4:07:00 | Skytop Lounge parlor car (incl. drawing room) + parlor car (incl. drawing rom) + dining + Tip Top Tap (incl. buffet/beverages) + coaches Minneapolis-St. Paul to Chicago. |
| 58-14 | 1:53 PM | 9:40 PM | 7:47:00 | All stops local Mpls. to Milw., coaches. Change trains in Milwaukee. Parlor car + dining + coaches Milw. to Chi. | |
| 100 | Afternoon Hiawatha | 3:08 PM | 7:15 PM | 4:07:00 | Skytop Lounge parlor car (incl. drawing room) + parlor car (incl. drawing rom) + dining + Tip Top Tap (incl. buffet/beverages) + coaches Minneapolis-St. Paul to Chicago. |
| 56 | Fast Mail | 12:22 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:08:00 | Sleepers (section, drawing room, single bedroom) + coaches Minneapolis-St. Paul to Chicago. Sleepers may be occupied in Chicago until 7:30 am. |
| 4 | Pioneer Limited | 2:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:35:00 | Tip Top Tap Diner (incl. buffet/beverages/breakfast) + Sleepers (duplex roomette, roomette, double bedroom) + coaches Minneapolis-St. Paul to Chicago. |
| 18 | Columbian | 2:55 AM | 8:45 AM | 5:50:00 | Lounge/obs + sleepers (section, double bedroom, compartment, drawing room) + tourist sleeper + dining + coaches Tacoma-Seattle to Chicago. |
Chicago & North Western (C&NW)
| Train No. | Name | Dp. La Crosse | Ar. Chi. | Time | Notes |
| 504-508-522 | 11:51 AM | 9:40 PM | 9:49:00 | Through coaches to Chicago. Connect at Elroy, Wis., with 508 (the "Viking") from Minneapolis to Chicago. On Sundays only, Madison to Chicago portion is called 522 and arrives Chicago 8:30 pm, incl. café lounge car. | |
| 418-400 | Minnesota "400"/Twin Cities "400" | 4:15 PM | 9:15 PM | 5:00:00 | Departure time is for Onalaska, Wis., 6.2 mi. from La Crosse. Bus service available to La Crosse. Change trains to 400 at Wyeville, Wis. 418: Tavern/lunch counter/lounge + parlor car (w/drawing room) + coaches Mankato, Minn. to Wyeville, Wis. 400: Tavern/lunch counter/lounge + dining + parlor cars (w/drawing room) + obs/parlor car/lounge/bar + coaches Minneapolis (Wyeville) to Chicago. |
| 514 | Minnesota and Black Hills Express/Rochester-Minnesota Special | 11:10 PM | 6:30 AM | 7:20:00 | Sleeper (section, drawing room, compartment) Rapid City to Chicago, medical sleeper Mankato to Chicago, coaches. Sleepers may be occupied until 7am in Chicago. Connects at Elroy, Wis. with 514 (the "Victory") from Minneapolis to Chicago. Coach passengers change at Elroy? |
New York Central (NYC)
| Train No. | Name | Dp. Chi. | Ar. Cle. | Time | Notes |
| 52 | Easterner | 12:50 AM | 12:18 PM | 10:28:00 | Coaches Chicago to New York, parlor car (NYC) + diner/lounge Toledo to Cleveland. |
| 46 | Interstate Express | 9:20 AM | 5:10 PM | 6:50:00 | Lounge/buffet + sleepers (double bedroom, section, drawing room, compartment, roomette) + dining + coaches Chicago to Boston and New York, parlor car (sleeper) Toledo to Cleveland/Pittsburgh. |
| 66 | Advance Commodore Vanderbilt | 1:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 5:37:00 | Lounge/buffet + sleepers (double bedroom, section, drawing room, compartment, roomette) + dining + coaches Chicago to New York, parlor car (NYC) Chicago to Cleveland. |
| 98 | Paul Revere | 3:05 PM | 9:50 PM | 5:45:00 | Tavern/lounge + obs/parlor (NYC) + dining Chicago to Cleveland, coaches Chicago to Boston. |
| 10 | Mohawk | 4:40 PM | 1:25 AM | 7:45:00 | Lounge/buffet + sleepers (section, roomette, double bedroom, drawing room) + coaches Chicago to New York/Buffalo/Syracuse, dining Chicago to Cleveland. Some sleepers don't run on Saturday night. |
| 90 | Chicagoan | 11:00 PM | 5:50 AM | 5:50:00 | Lounge/buffet + sleepers (double bedroom, romette, section, drawing room, compartment) + coaches Chicago to New York/Buffalo/Boston. Sleepers open 9:30 pm in Chicago. |
| 290 | Forest City | 11:10 PM | 7:10 AM | 7:00:00 | Lounge/buffet + sleeper (section) + coaches Chicago to Buffalo, 7 sleepers (roomette, double bedroom) Chicago to Cleveland. Sleepers open in Chicago at 9:30 pm, may be occupied in Cleveland until 7:00 am. |
New York, Chicago, and St. Louis (NYC&St.L a.k.a. the Nickel Plate)
| Train No. | Name | Dp. Chi. | Ar. Cle. | Time | Notes |
| 8 | 9:25 AM | 5:35 PM | 7:10:00 | Sleeper (section, drawing room, compartment) + coaches Chicago to New York (via DL&W), diner lounge + coaches Chicago to Buffalo. | |
| 6 | Nickel Plate Limited | 10:45 PM | 7:05 AM | 7:20:00 | Sleepers (single bedroom, roomette, section) Chicago to Cleveland, sleeper (section, drawing room) Chicago to New York (via DL&W), coaches + diner lounge Chicago to Buffalo. |
Here is a summary of the La Crosse to Chicago trains, in order of departure time. The Burlington, Milwaukee, and North Western have three separate stations in La Crosse. The Burlington and Milwaukee both use Chicago Union Station; the North Western's Chicago terminus is North Western Station.
| RR | Train No. | Name | Dp. La Crosse | Ar. Chi. | Time | Notes |
| CMStP&P | 56 | Fast Mail | 12:22 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:08:00 | Sleepers + coaches Minneapolis-St. Paul to Chicago. |
| CB&Q | 50 | North Coast Limited | 1:21 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:24:00 | Lounge + sleepers dining + coaches Seattle and Portland to Chicago. |
| CB&Q | 54/48 | Oriental Limited/Black Hawk | 1:43 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:32:00 | Lounge + sleepers + dining + coaches Minneapolis-St. Paul, Seattle and Portland to Chicago. |
| CMStP&P | 4 | Pioneer Limited | 2:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:35:00 | Diner + lounge + Sleepers + coaches Minneapolis-St. Paul to Chicago. |
| CMStP&P | 18 | Columbian | 2:55 AM | 8:45 AM | 5:50:00 | Lounge + sleepers + dining + coaches Tacoma-Seattle to Chicago. |
| CB&Q | 44 | Empire Builder | 9:17 AM | 2:00 PM | 4:43:00 | Lounge + sleepers + dining + coaches Seattle and Portland to Chicago. |
| CMStP&P | 16 | Olympian Hiawatha | 9:40 AM | 1:45 PM | 4:05:00 | Lounge + sleepers + dining + coaches Tacoma-Seattle to Chicago. |
| CB&Q | 22 | Morning Zephyr | 10:20 AM | 2:40 PM | 4:20:00 | Parlor Car + dining + coaches Minneapolis to Chicago. |
| CMStP&P | 6 | Morning Hiawatha | 10:33 AM | 2:40 PM | 4:07:00 | Lounge + parlor car + dining + coaches Minneapolis-St. Paul to Chicago. |
| C&NW | 504-508-522 | 11:51 AM | 9:40 PM | 9:49:00 | Through coaches to Chicago. | |
| CMStP&P | 58-14 | 1:53 PM | 9:40 PM | 7:47:00 | All stops local Mpls. to Milw., coaches. Change trains in Milwaukee. Parlor car + dining + coaches Milw. to Chi. | |
| CMStP&P | 100 | Afternoon Hiawatha | 3:08 PM | 7:15 PM | 4:07:00 | Lounge + parlor car + dining + coaches Minneapolis-St. Paul to Chicago. |
| C&NW | 418-400 | Minnesota "400"/Twin Cities "400" | 4:15 PM | 9:15 PM | 5:00:00 | Departure time is for Onalaska, Wis., 6.2 mi. from La Crosse. Bus service available to La Crosse. Change trains to 400 at Wyeville, Wis. Lounge + parlor car + dining + coaches Mankato, Minn. to Chicago. |
| CB&Q | 24 | Afternoon Zephyr | 5:53 PM | 10:15 PM | 4:22:00 | Parlor Car + dining + coaches Minneapolis to Chicago. |
| C&NW | 514 | Minnesota and Black Hills Express/Rochester-Minnesota Special | 11:10 PM | 6:30 AM | 7:20:00 | Sleeper Rapid City to Chicago, medical sleeper Mankato to Chicago, coaches. Coach passengers change at Elroy? |
| CB&Q | 52 | 11:35 PM | 9:30 AM | 9:55:00 | Coaches |
Here's a summary of the Chicago to Cleveland leg. All trains depart from La Salle St. Station in Chicago, arrive at Cleveland Union Terminal.
| RR | Train No. | Name | Dp. Chi. | Ar. Cle. | Time | Notes |
| NYC | 52 | Easterner | 12:50 AM | 12:18 PM | 10:28:00 | Coaches Chicago to New York, parlor car (NYC) + diner/lounge Toledo to Cleveland. |
| NYC | 46 | Interstate Express | 9:20 AM | 5:10 PM | 6:50:00 | Lounge+ sleepers + dining + coaches Chicago to Boston and New York, parlor car (sleeper) Toledo to Cleveland/Pittsburgh. |
| NYC&StL | 8 | 9:25 AM | 5:35 PM | 7:10:00 | Sleeper + coaches Chicago to New York (via DL&W), diner lounge + coaches Chicago to Buffalo. | |
| NYC | 66 | Advance Commodore Vanderbilt | 1:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 5:37:00 | Lounge + sleepers + dining + coaches Chicago to New York, parlor car (NYC) Chicago to Cleveland. |
| NYC | 98 | Paul Revere | 3:05 PM | 9:50 PM | 5:45:00 | Lounge + parlor + dining Chicago to Cleveland, coaches Chicago to Boston. |
| NYC | 10 | Mohawk | 4:40 PM | 1:25 AM | 7:45:00 | Lounge + sleepers + coaches Chicago to New York/Buffalo/Syracuse, dining Chicago to Cleveland. |
| NYC&StL | 6 | Nickel Plate Limited | 10:45 PM | 7:05 AM | 7:20:00 | Sleepers Chicago to Cleveland, sleeper Chicago to New York (via DL&W), coaches + diner lounge Chicago to Buffalo. |
| NYC | 90 | Chicagoan | 11:00 PM | 5:50 AM | 5:50:00 | Lounge + sleepers + coaches Chicago to New York/Buffalo/Boston. |
| NYC | 290 | Forest City | 11:10 PM | 7:10 AM | 7:00:00 | Lounge + sleeper + coaches Chicago to Buffalo, 7 sleepers Chicago to Cleveland. |
If it's possible to make the 5:53 pm departure of the Afternoon Zephyr on the Burlington, then that's an obvious choice. This would be followed by a sleeper reservation in the Nickel Plate Limited or the NYC's Forest City. Both trains are aimed squarely at the Chicago to Cleveland traveler and serve breakfast and allow the sleepers to be occupied until a reasonable hour in Cleveland. That connection in Chicago may be a little tight. Total trip time around twelve hours.
Burlington train 52, taking nearly ten hours for an all-stops, all-coach, all-night trip across Wisconsin, is probably not the best choice for an overnight train leaving in the late evening from La Crosse. A sleeper on the North Western's Rochester-Minnesota Special would seem to make for a much more pleasant journey. This train calls at the North Western's downtown La Crosse station, which is on a short branch from the main line from southern Wisconsin to Rochester, Minn. and Rapid City, SD, so no bus trip to Onalaska is required in this particular case. Another alternative would be a sleeper on the Milwaukee's Fast Mail, but 12:22 am seems like a late hour to be waiting on a station platform for your bed for the evening to arrive. With the early morning arrival in Chicago, a trip on one of the available morning trains (NYC, Nickel Plate) gets you to Cleveland in time for dinner. Total time is about 17 and half hours, with a three hour layover in Chicago in the morning.
The third option is the all day train option. With the earliest arrival from the west into Chicago being at 1:45 pm, it's not going to be possible to take the NYC's prestigious Advance Commodore Vanderbilt with its Chicago to Cleveland parlor car. There's another Cleveland parlor car on the Central's Paul Revere departing at 3:05 pm, but that may be an uncomfortably close connection for the inbound Burlington and Milwaukee trains that are scheduled to arrive at CUS at 2:40 pm. It does seem like the best choice, though, because the next NYC train (the Mohawk) doesn't arrive in Cleveland until 1:25am, and there's no dedicated Cleveland sleeper, so you would have to get off the train there at that hour. Not ideal. The earliest arriving train from the west is the Milwaukee's long distance Olympian Hiawatha, so that has to be the first choice. Assuming the Olympian Hiawatha and the Paul Revere, total scheduled journey time is 11:10.
All railroad timetables from The Official Guide of the Railways, June 1949 issue.
¶ 2/24/2008 09:44:00 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Cleveland, O. to La Crosse, Wis. June 1949
Note1: This blog entry concerns historical US passenger rail schedules. For all current long distance passenger rail schedules for the USA, visit the Amtrak web site.
Note2: See this post for the return portion of this Cleveland/La Crosse round trip.
It's clear that the trip will be split into two parts at Chicago. For Cleveland to Chicago, there are two choices, the New York Central and the Nickel Plate (a.k.a. New York, Chicago, and St. Louis, but nobody calls it that). Both railroads use LaSalle St. Station in Chicago.
For Chicago to La Crosse, the choices are the Burlington (a.k.a. the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy), the Milwaukee (a.k.a the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific, a.k.a the Milwaukee Road), and the Chicago & North Western. The Burlington and Milwaukee both use Chicago Union Station (CUS), as does the Pennsylvania Railroad, but you can't take the Pennsy west from Cleveland. So, LaSalle St. and a Chicago station transfer it is.
Here are the possibilities:
New York Central (NYC)
| Train. No. | Name | Lv. Cleve. | Ar. Chi. | Notes |
| 19 | Lake Shore Limited | 6:05 am | 11:59 am | Lounge/Buffet New York to Chicago, Sleepers (double bedroom, roomette, section, drawing room, compartment) New York and Boston to Chicago, parlor car (NYC) Cleveland to Chicago, dining, coaches |
| 35 | Iroquois | 11:15 am | 5:00 pm | Lounge/buffet + sleepers (roomette, double bedroom, section, drawing room) Boston to Chicago, dining, coaches |
| 73 | Prairie State | 4:00 pm | 9:50 pm | Tavern Lounge Coach + parlor car + observation parlor car (NYC) Cleveland to Chicago, dining, coaches |
| 43 | 5:40 pm | 12:30 am | Diner Lounge Cleveland to Toledo, coaches | |
| 9 | Chicago Mail | 10:35 pm | 5:55 am | Coaches, Sleeper (14 section) Toledo to Chicago xSat |
| 89/5 | Forest City/Mohawk | 12:45 am | 6:55 am | Sleepers (section, drawing room, compartment) New York and Buffalo to Chicago, Lounge/buffet + 7 sleepers ( section, roomette, double bedroom ) Cleveland to Chicago (open 9:30pm), coaches |
The Twentieth Century Limited (the NYC's best known train) and many of the Central's other New York and Boston to Chicago flyers come through Cleveland in the middle of the night and don't stop there. To serve the Cleveland market, NYC has two dedicated night trains: the Forest City (train numbers 89 and 290) between Cleveland and Chicago, and the Cleveland Limited (train numbers 57 and 58) between Cleveland and New York. Neither train is strictly all-Pullman, but they both cater very heavily to Pullman passengers.
New York, Chicago, and St. Louis (NYC&St.L, Nickel Plate)
| Train. No. | Name | Lv. Cleve. | Ar. Chi. | Notes |
| 7 | Westerner | 8:15 am | 2:55 pm | Sleepers (section, drawing room, compartment) + diner lounge + coaches New York (via DL&W) and Buffalo to Chicago |
| 5 | Nickel Plate Limited | 10:55 pm | 6:40 am | (Open 9:00 pm in Cleveland) Sleepers (single bedroom, roomette, sections) + diner/lounge Cleveland to Chicago, Sleeper (section, drawing room) + coaches New York (via DL&W) and Buffalo to Chicago |
Chicago Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q, the Burlington)
| Train. No. | Name | Lv. Chi. | Ar. LaCrosse | Notes |
| 21 | Morning Zephyr | 8:15 am | 12:22 pm | Vista Dome Parlor Car and drawing room (CB&Q) + Vista Dome coaches + dining Chicago to Minneapolis |
| 49 | Empire Builder | 1:00 pm | 5:21 pm | Buffet/Obs/Lounge + sleepers (drawing room, duplex roomette, double bedroom, section) + dining + lounge-coffee shop + day-nite coaches Chicago to Seattle and Portland |
| 23 | Afternoon Zephyr | 4:00 pm | 8:07 pm | Vista Dome Parlor Car and drawing room (CB&Q) + Vista Dome coaches + dining Chicago to Minneapolis, no checked baggage to/from intermediate points |
| 45 | 9:00 pm | 5:48 am | Coaches Chicago to Minneapolis-St. Paul | |
| 51 | North Coast Limited | 11:00 pm | 4:54 am | (Avail 10:00 pm in Chicago) Buffet/Obs/Lounge + sleepers (double bedroom, roomette, duplex roomette, compartment) + tourist sleepers + day-nite coaches + coach + dining Chicago to Seattle and Portland |
| 53/47 | Oriental Limited/Black Hawk | 11:15 pm | 5:23 am | (Avail 10:00 pm in Chicago) Obs/Lounge + sleepers (double bedroom, section, drawing room, compartment) + tourist sleepers + coaches + dining Chicago to Seattle and Portland, sleepers (drawing room, double bedroom, section) + coaches Chicago to St. Paul-Minneapolis |
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific (CMSt.P&P, the Milwaukee Road)
| Train. No. | Name | Lv. Chi. | Ar. LaCrosse | Notes |
| 55 | 1:30 am | 9:35 am | ||
| 5 | Morning Hiawatha | 10:30 am | 3:32 pm | Skytop Lounge + drawing room parlor cars + dining + tap/buffet + coaches Chicago to St. Paul-Minneapolis |
| 101 | Afternoon Hiawatha | 1:00 pm | 5:00 pm | Skytop Lounge + drawing room parlor cars + dining + tap/buffet + coaches Chicago to St. Paul-Minneapolis |
| 15 | Olympian Hiawatha | 3:30 pm | 7:28 pm | Skytop lounge + sleepers (double bedroom, roomette) + tourist sleeper + dining + Tip Top Grill + reserved seat coaches Chicago to Seattle-Tacoma, Drawing room parlor car Chicago to St. Paul-Minneapolis |
| 1 | Pioneer Limited | 10:15 pm | 4:40 am | (Open 9:00pm in Chicago) Sleepers (duplex roomette, roomette, double bedroom) + tap/diner/buffet + coaches Chicago to St. Paul-Minneapolis |
| 17 | Columbian | 11:15 pm | 4:50 am | (Sleepers open in Chicago 10:00 pm, coaches 10:30pm) Obs/Lounge + Sleepers (section, double bedroom) + tourist sleeper + dining + coaches Chicago to Seattle-Tacoma, sleepers (single bedroom, section, drawing room) Chicago to St. Paul-Minneapolis |
Chicago & North Western (C&NW)
| Train. No. | Name | Lv. Chi. | Ar. LaCrosse | Notes |
| 501 | 9:00 am | 5:28 pm | Mankato/Huron/Pierre section splits at Elroy, Wis. Through coaches Chicago to Mankato/Huron. | |
| 401/419 | Twin Cities "400"/Minnesota "400" | 3:00 pm | 7:53 pm | Arrival time is for Onalaska, Wis., 6.2 mi. from LaCrosse, bus service available to LaCrosse. Transfer to Minnesota "400" (Train 419) at Wyeville, Wis., 6:38 pm. 401: Tavern/lunch counter/lounge + dining + parlor cars with drawing rooms + observation/bar/lounge/parlor car + coaches Chicago to St. Paul-Minneapolis (Wyeville). 419: Tavern/Lunch counter/lounge + parlor car with drawing room + coaches Wyeville to Mankato. |
| 515 | Rochester-Minnesota Special/Minnesota and Black Hills Express | 9:30 pm | 4:58 am | Arrival time is for Onalaska, Wis., 6.2 mi. from LaCrosse. Sleepers (section, drawing room, compartment) + medical sleeper Chicago to Rapid City and Mankato, coaches |
So, what's the best way to actually do this trip?
First off, there are no dedicated Pullmans to La Crosse, and, in fact, no convenient morning arrivals there. There is nameless Milwaukee #55, arriving La Crosse 9:35am, but that's a 1:30am departure from Chicago, and there appear to be no amenities of any type on this train, and it's an all stops local to boot. So, let's scrap the idea of going directly from the station to that morning meeting, and assume an evening or night arrival in La Crosse.
The North Western's fast afternoon train, the Twin Cities "400"/Minnesota "400", requires a transfer at Wyeville, Wis., and takes an hour longer than the Burlington and Milwaukee equivalents, and actually stops in Onalaska, not La Crosse itself, so that leaves the Milwaukee's Olympian Hiawatha and the Burlington's Afternoon Zephyr. The Milwaukee train is a through train to the Pacific Northwest, so perhaps short distance seats will be hard to come by. Safest to use that as a backup only, and make the Burlington Zephyr the first choice, leaving Chicago Union Station at 4:00 pm, arriving La Crosse, Wis. at 8:07 pm.
The question then becomes, what's the best way to get to Chicago Union Station (CUS) from Cleveland by 4:00 pm?
For same day travel, none of the New York Central's many trains are really convenient, although the closest is the Lake Shore Limited, departing Cleveland 6:05 am, arriving Chicago La Salle St. 11:59 am, leaving plenty of time for a leisurely lunch before that 4pm departure from CUS.
Another alternative would be to take the Central's overnight Forest City the night before, or the equivalent Nickel Plate Limited, and then spend most of the day in Chicago. The morning arrival in Chicago gives other options for the La Crosse leg too. That decision could be made on whether it's preferable to spend the extra time in Chicago in the afternoon or in La Crosse in the evening. It's a longer total trip, but maybe the right choice in some circumstances.
If getting from La Salle St. over to CUS in an hour doesn't seem like a problem, then the Nickel Plate's Westerner is the only choice that will get you from Cleveland to La Crosse in a single calendar day without requiring getting up early. Score one for the little guy. Total time: 8:15 am to 8:07 pm, or just under thirteen hours (with the time zone change). Morning along the shore of Lake Erie, a Nickel Plate dining car lunch, a crosstown transfer in Chicago, and dinner along the Mississippi River.
All railroad timetables from The Official Guide of the Railways, June 1949 issue.
¶ 2/12/2008 12:35:00 AM 0 comments
