Nostalgia & History > Midweek Menu - Gulf, Mobile & Ohio

The Gulf, Mobile & Ohio really had two personalities when it came to passenger service. First was from predecessor Gulf Mobile & Northern with the St. Louis - Mobile "Gulf Coast Rebel" and the Jackson, TN - New Orleans "Rebel". Then there was the Chicago - St. Louis corridor with the Chicago - Kansas City route added in. The "Gulf Coast Rebel" had a "Lounge - Dining Car" and the "Rebel" had an "Economy Buffet". It was on the Chicago - St. Louis route that traditional dining car service existed on trains like the "Abraham Lincoln", "Ann Rutledge" and the "Midnight Special".

Passenger service south of St. Louis was gone by 1966. Here is a look at the dining car service offered between Chicago and St. Louis.

Photos 1-3: Cover, inside, and special insert from a 1966 menu.

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Photo 4: Back cover of the 1966 menu.
Photos 5-6: From cover and inside of a 1967 menu (back cover was blank)

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Photo 7: The only image I have of a GM&O dining car was this publicity photo from ACF.
Photo 8: To my knowledge, the only china pattern used by the GM&O was called the "Rose" pattern. However for collector, it represents the GM&O in an upfront way.

I hope you enjoyed my brief look at GM&O dining car operations.

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Nice collection, thanks.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

I was fortunate to experience the GM&O between Chicago and St. Louis in the late '60's.

The dining cars were solid comfort on six wheel trucks, and the fare was comfort food.

If I've got this right, trains #1 and #4, The Limited, dropped the dining car southbound from Chicago in Springfield mid-afternoon so the return train from St. Louis could pick it up for dinner on the return trip.

I do recall seeing the set-out diner on the Springfield station siding, with the crew inside clattering pots and pans as an appetizing aroma wafted from the stack.

In mid 1967, my wife and I had our first train ride after being married going from Duluth - St Louis. I chose the Abraham Lincoln as I had seen it in Chicago Union Station previously with an observation lounge parlor car. By the time of our trip, it was gone with one non observation parlor in use. At st Louis, the observation parlor sat unused in Union Station. Dismayed a bit, I was wishing I had chosen N&W Banner Blue or Blue Bird, one of which had domes.

However, of course, we dined in the diner on the Lincoln probably with the menus shown.

First lesson of the new marriage: I was told quite firmly that I had taken more train pics on the trip than of my new bride!! From then on, whenever I took a train shot, I included her into the pic also. Now fifty years later I still make no claims to perfection, however.

Thanks for posting the menus.

Love the little history lesson on the Lincoln's Springfield home.
I drove motorcoach for Educational Tours to Springfield from Chicago.
Those were long days!