Empire Builder
The Empire Builder is an Amtrak long-distance train that connects Chicago to Seattle and Portland on the west coast of the United States .
history
development
The Empire Builder was commissioned as the flagship of the Great Northern Railway on June 11, 1929. The previous train was called Oriental Limited . The Empire Builder was named in honor of James J. Hill (1838-1916), an entrepreneur, railroad magnate, founder and president of the Great Northern Railway, also known as "The Empire Builder".
During World War II , the train took a different route that touched more cities but also slowed down the journey. From February 23, 1947, the train was given a streamlined vehicle set and was now pulled by diesel locomotives. Since 1951 it has again offered the full range, which had previously been reduced due to the war. In addition, the train now had three cars with viewing compartments and a complete viewing car for first- class passengers . There was also a hairdresser on board who offered his services in the pulpit car at the end of the train.
The concept of the train in Spokane to wings , insisted from the start. The connection to Portland was only suspended between 1971 and 1981. Before 1971, the train ran between Chicago and St. Paul on the route of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad over their main route along the Mississippi through Wisconsin . The Spokane to Portland train portion was originally operated by the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway . After the train was taken over by Amtrak, the route of the train was relocated to the current route via Milwaukee , which had previously been used by the Hiawatha .
Accidents
The train was involved in two serious accidents:
- In 1931, a train traveling eastward at a speed of almost 100 km / h near Moorhead, Minnesota, got into a tornado , which derailed the train and hurled one of the 83-tonne wagons 25 meters through the air. One person died and 57 were injured.
- On August 9, 1945, the train was driven in two parts due to the high volume of traffic caused by the war. In Michigan City , North Dakota , the two trains crashed into each other because the train protection was inadequate. 34 people died.
offer
The train runs once a day from Portland, Seattle and Chicago. To the west it carries the train number 7, to the east it carries the number 8. The wing train to Portland consists of a group of through carriages that are separated from the train in Spokane and provided there in the opposite direction. The train performs two-storey seat ( Coach Class ) and sleeping car ( Sleeper ). The latter offer four different types of sleeping cabins. The train also has a dining car between Seattle and Chicago and a viewing car with a bistro between Portland and Chicago .
Itinerary
The journey time for the approx. 3600 km long route is just under two days. The train travels through three time zones . The train uses the railway infrastructure of three providers:
- METRA between Chicago and Glenview
- Canadian Pacific Railway between Glenview and Minneapolis
- BNSF Railway between Minneapolis and Seattle / Portland.
From Chicago, the train travels through the Midwest ( Illinois , Wisconsin , Minnesota and North Dakota ) and the vast expanses of the state of Montana before reaching Shelby after around 27 hours . From there, a slow climb into the Rocky Mountains begins with a first stop (summer only) in East Glacier Park . Shortly after leaving East Glacier Park station, the train travels over Maria's Pass , the highest point of the journey at 1,588 meters. The further route to West Glacier Park also forms the southern border of the Glacier National Park . The train then heads for Whitefish , a popular holiday destination and starting point for visits to Glacier National Park . The Empire Builder now traverses northern Idaho before reaching Spokane in Washington state . There the train is divided.
The main train including the dining car travels over the cascade chain and through the 12,537 meter long cascade tunnel to Everett and on to Seattle. The through car group to Portland including the observation car drives a long distance along the Columbia River .
literature
- Amtrak 2011/2012. America. 40th Anniversary - 1971-2011.
- Amtrak System Timetable. Effective May 7, 2012 - October 1212.
- Craig Sanders: Amtrak in the Heartland . Indiana University Press 2006. ISBN 0-253-34705-X .
- Robert J. Wayner: Car Names, Numbers and Consists . Wayner Publications, New York, NY 1972.
- Bill Yenne: Great Northern Empire Builder (Great Passenger Trains) . Motorbooks International (MBI) 2005. ISBN 0-7603-1847-6 .
Web links
- Great Northern Railway (Ed.): Through Your Car Window - Westbound - On the Streamlined Empire Builder, Western Star and other Great Northern Trains . June 1953 .
- The Empire Builder on the Amtrak homepage.
Individual evidence
- ^ GNR: Through Your Car Window , p. 3
- ^ Keith C. Heidorn: Tornadoes and Trains .
- ↑ Amtrak System Timetable, p. 87.
- ↑ Amtrak Empire Builder travel guide www.amtrak.com, March 2010.
