Nostalgia & History > 1971 passenger schedules for Chicago-Effingham-KC trip

On August 13, 1971, after finding my return path from Chicago to Oklahoma City (via AT&SF's "Texas Chief") blocked by a derailment (on the GM&O?) in Illinois, I took IC's "City of New Orleans" to Effingham, IL, where I changed (with only 2 minutes to spare, according to my trip notes) to a Penn Central passenger train to Kansas City, where I spent the night with my sister before hopping on the next day's "Texas Chief" for the rest of the ride to OKC.

Does anyone know how to dig up the schedules from that time period to see how much scheduled layover time there was at Effingham? I remember fretting the night before about whether I would make the connection, but I don't recall how many minutes I had, in theory, assuming the "City of New Orleans" was on time. I am posting this first on the N&H Board before sending it to the Passenger Train Board.

Carl Graves, Lawrence, KS

Your date of travel is after Amtrak took over, so your routing can't be correct.  Before someone can help you, the correct travel year is needed to find the right time tables.  Also, to my knowledge, no through passenger train ran west of St Louis.  So you would have to have changed trains in St. Louis for travel to Kansas City.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/15 16:39 by glcaddis.

Carl, If the railroads were still operating the trains you rode, then your ride occurred before Amtrak day...5/1/71.  My 1969 Official Guide shows IC #1, the City of New Orleans departing Chicago at 0800, and Effingham 1106.  PC #31 shows an Effingham departure of 1100, arrival in St Louis at 1250, where you would change trains to KC.  MP #15 departs St Louis at 1530, arriving KC at 2125.  Hope this helps, AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

I did the same routing in 1978 or 79.  The Panama Ltd broke down at Memphis, so they put us on buses for Chicago.  I bailed at Effingham when they did a rest stop.  IIRC, it was a pretty good wait until the National Ltd arrived Westbound, although I think at this time it was chronically late due to really bad track.  A ticket agent from New Orleans also decided to get off the bus, but he was just going to catch the train back to New Orleans.  I really enjoyed that afternoon talking with that gentleman and watching Conrail and ICG trains.  Anyway, I was sound asleep when the car cleaners woke me up at Kansas City after the train had already arrived and unloaded.  I caught the Lone Star at Kansas City later that night.  I doubt if the Texas Chief was on G,M,&O rails back then.

Amtrak timetables at http://www.timetables.org/browse/

Turns out in July 1971 the scheduled connection
at Effingham was 20+ minutes.

The National Limited was operating during that time New York & Wash DC - Kansas City.

Here is schedule for the connection  

Leave Chicago train  1 8:00 am, arrive Effingham 11:24 am,  leave Effingham 11:50 am, ar Kansas City 755 pm.

Thanks to all of you! I located the Museum of Railway Timetables after I got the first reply from TO and found the same times as the last poster: just 26 minutes to spare at Effingham. No wonder I was worried! The Amtrak Timetable (July 12, 1971) called the westbound "The Spirit of St. Louis," but "National Limited" sticks in my mind. Perhaps it was the "National Limited" to St. Louis, the "Spirit of St. Louis" from there to KC.  

CARL in Lawrence

mp51w Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I doubt if the Texas Chief was on G,M,&O rails back then.

mp51w, just as info, the Texas Chief and many other Santa Fe trains back in the seventies used the "GM&O". There was a few miles of GM&O mainline trackage just southwest of the Joliet Union Depot that was used on trackage rights by the Santa Fe. And I believe the Santa Fe or BNSF ended up buying that trackage from the IC or CN at some point in recent years.

slingshot2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> mp51w Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I doubt if the Texas Chief was on G,M,&O rails
> back then.
>
> mp51w, just as info, the Texas Chief and many
> other Santa Fe trains back in the seventies used
> the "GM&O". There was a few miles of GM&O mainline
> trackage just southwest of the Joliet Union Depot
> that was used on trackage rights by the Santa Fe.
> And I believe the Santa Fe or BNSF ended up buying
> that trackage from the IC or CN at some point in
> recent years.

The trackage referred to was the ATSF - GM&O joint tracks between Plaines and Pequot.
Plaines is 4 miles west of Joliet.
Plaines to Pequot is 15.7 miles.
Single track mains connected the GM&O "Main Line" between Mazonia and Pequot, and
between South Joliet and Plaines.
GM&O owned the easternmost track; AT&SF owned the westernmost track.
Both tracks dispatched by AT&SF.

This effectively gave the GM&O a section of three main tracks (the "Main Line" through
Wilmington and the two joint tracks between Plaines and Pequot). During the GM&O days
certain passenger trains were scheduled to use the joint tracks.

I believe the ICG sold their track to the ATSF in the mid 1980's.
Some Amtrak Chicago-St. Louis trains continued to go "via Pequot"
for some years after that, but usually stayed on the ATSF between
Plaines and Joliet.

The Mazonia - Pequot section has been out of service not for some years, with
the exception of a few car lengths at the Mazonia end occasionally used for Amtrak meets.
One train pulls into the stub track and then backs out after the meet.  This on a "high speed" route.
The loss of the joint track usage by Amtrak was just one of the many short sited abuses allowed
to occur against the Chicago - St. Louis Amtrak route.

Sante Fe did have trackage rights over the GM&O  between Bridgeport and 21st St. in Chicago
to access Chicago Union Station after May 1, 1971.



  

" Also, to my knowledge, no through passenger train ran west of St Louis. So you would have to have changed trains in St. Louis for travel to Kansas City.  "

As mundo noted, the National Limited went NY and Washington to Kansas City, through St. Louis. I rode it Harrisburg-Kansas City in 1973.

For a time, it also carried a through sleeper to Los Angeles.

B&OB

Thanks, mundo, I was wondering why no one was thinking about the National Limited, Trains 30/31.