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Named GN Passenger Trains
- Transcontinentals -
The timelines below show Great Northern's transcontinental name-trains and the years they operated, arranged by historic relationship. (For legend see below).
Name | Route |
Note |
18 |
85 |
18 |
90 |
18 |
95 |
19 |
00 |
19 |
05 | 19 | 10 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 25 | 19 | 30 | 19 |
35 |
19 |
40 |
19 |
45 |
19 |
50 |
19 |
55 |
19 |
60 |
19 |
65 |
19 |
70 | ||||||||
Montana Express
|
St. Paul-Butte v.v.
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'88 |
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35/36
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'07 |
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The Limited
|
St. Paul-Seattle v.v.
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'93 |
3/4 '99 |
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Great Northern Flyer |
St. Paul-Seattle v.v.
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3 '99 |
/4 1/2 '03 '0 |
5 |
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Great Northern Limited |
St. Paul-Seattle v.v. |
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1
'0 |
/2 5 |
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Oriental Limited
|
St. Paul-Seattle v.v. |
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'0 |
1/2 5 '09 |
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Oriental Limited
|
Chicago-St. Paul- Seattle/Tacoma v.v. |
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'09 |
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1/
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2
|
'29 |
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Chicago-St. Paul- Seattle/Portland v.v. |
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'29 |
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1/2
|
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'56 |
31/32
|
'7 |
0 |
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Copyright © 2005 Ben Ringnalda |
18 |
85 |
18 |
90 |
18 |
95 |
19 |
00 |
19 |
05 | 19 | 10 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 25 | 19 | 30 | 19 |
35 |
19 |
40 |
19 |
45 |
19 |
50 |
19 |
55 |
19 |
60 |
19 |
65 |
19 |
70 | ||||||||||
Notes: 1. The Montana Express was inaugurated in 1888 by the St.PM&M which became the GN in 1889. Some sources indicate 1904 as discontinue date. 2. The Limited name was used starting in 1895. Before that the train was only known by its number-pair 3/4. 3. The Great Northern Flyer ("Carries the Pacific Fast Mail") was superceded by the Great Northern Limited in October 1905. 4. The name Great Northern Limited was only used from October 1905 to December 5, 1905. 5. The Oriental Limited was operated by the USRA between May 26, 1918 and May 30, 1920 and did not carry its name during that period. 6. In April 1956 the Empire Builder was assigned numbers 31/32 for the entire Chicago-Seattle route, the same number pair as used on the CB&Q.
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Secondary transcontinentals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Name | Route |
Note |
18 |
85 |
18 |
90 |
18 |
95 |
19 |
00 |
19 |
05 | 19 | 10 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 25 | 19 | 30 | 19 |
35 |
19 |
40 |
19 |
45 |
19 |
50 |
19 |
55 |
19 |
60 |
19 |
65 |
19 |
70 | ||||||||
Puget Sound Express
|
St. Paul-Seattle
|
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3 '03 |
'06 |
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Eastern Express
|
Seattle-St. Paul
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4 '03 |
'06 |
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Fast Mail
|
|
St. Paul-Seattle v.v.
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3/4 '06 '1 |
0 |
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Fast Mail
|
|
St. Paul-Seattle v.v.
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'09 |
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27/28
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'6 |
0 |
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Oregonian
|
St. Paul-Portland v.v.
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3
'1 |
/4 0 '11 |
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Oregonian
|
St. Paul- Seattle/Portland v.v. |
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3/4 '11 '1 |
5 |
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Glacier Park Limited
|
St. Paul-Seattle v.v. |
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'1 |
5 |
3/4
|
'29 |
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Oriental Limited
|
Chicago-St. Paul- Seattle v.v.
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3 '29 |
/4 '31 |
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Oriental Limited
|
|
Chicago-St. Paul- Seattle/Portland v.v. |
|
3/ '47 |
4 '51 |
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Western Star
|
|
Chicago-St. Paul- Seattle/Portland v.v. |
|
'51 |
3/4
|
'6 |
27/28 0 '7 |
0 |
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Copyright © 2005 Ben Ringnalda |
18 |
85 |
18 |
90 |
18 |
95 |
19 |
00 |
19 |
05 | 19 | 10 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 25 | 19 | 30 | 19 |
35 |
19 |
40 |
19 |
45 |
19 |
50 |
19 |
55 |
19 |
60 |
19 |
65 |
19 |
70 | ||||||||||
Notes: 1. The Fast Mail name for trains 3/4 was changed to Oregonian on July 3, 1910. A new train carrying numbers 27/28 was inaugurated on October 4, 1909 to carry mail. After the Fast Mail name was dropped on trains 3/4, trains 27/28 became known as the Fast Mail. 2. The Glacier Park Limited was operated by the USRA between May 26, 1918 and May 30, 1920 and was not operated west of Havre, MT during that period. 3. Train numbers 3/4 and the Oriental Limited name were not used between 1931 and 1947. 4. In May 1960 the Western Star and Fast Mail were consolidated into one train carrying the Western Star name and Fast Mail's numbers 27/28.
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Grey bars show the period in which a train operated. The numbered Notes give more information on certain changes in a trains history. Trains that operated in both directions are indicated by "v.v." behind the route.
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