Friday, June 10, 2016

June 10, 1929 - The First Run of the Great Northern Railway's Empire Builder






       This date – June 10th – is quite significant in the history of the Great Northern Railway. It was on this date in 1929 that the Great Northern inaugurated one of the most successful and popular transcontinental passenger trains in the nation – the Empire Builder. The name of the train service paid homage to the founder of the Great Northern Railway, James J. Hill. I don’t know when exactly the public began to refer to Hill as the “Empire Builder,” but he earned that nickname early in his railroading career, and it stuck.

James J. Hill - the Empire Builder
 
 
When Hill died on May 29, 1916, people across the nation mourned his loss and recounted many of his remarkable accomplishments. Hill’s insightful approach to building his transportation empire included the practical notion that he must help build up the territory served by his railroad in order to provide the commerce required to make the railroad a success. It was vertical integration at its finest. His railroad was among the last to be constructed across the western U.S., but it was arguably among the most profitable, and certainly among the most impactful on the growth of the west. The formula for success employed by James J. Hill was to operate the longest trains, with maximum tonnage, over the straightest tracks, using the least change in elevation. He helped expedite the growth of ranches, farms, and whole communities across the Pacific Northwest. A book could be written on this topic alone. In fact, several such books have been written.

Early view of Wellington, Washington, and the Cascade Mountain switchbacks of the Great Northern Railway

            When Hill’s Great Northern Railway reached the Cascade Mountains of Washington, the railroad met what was arguably the most formidable obstacle on the entire system. Even crossing the Rocky Mountains in Montana was easier by comparison. A route through the Cascades was located, and when the line was completed in 1893, a series of switchbacks were employed to move trains up and over the steep slopes and high elevations of this mountain range. By 1900, a tunnel of about 2 miles in length was constructed to eliminate the switchbacks. Still, there were much greater efficiencies to be had, and frequent winter snow slides continued to plague the line. Just a few years after the death of James J. Hill, the men with whom he had surrounded himself to run the railroad finally helped fulfill one of his goals – to dig an 8-mile tunnel under the Cascade Mountains and make that portion of the line much more conducive to safe and efficient operation of the railroad.

            The decade of the 1920s was among the most impactful periods of time in the operation of the GN. Construction on the new 8-mile Cascade Tunnel was underway by 1926. It was completed in late 1928, and was officially opened to daily operations on January 12, 1929. Then, just five months later, the railroad inaugurated its new premier passenger service. The train service itself was called the “Empire Builder,” but individual Pullman coach cars were named to honor many other “empire builders” of the northwest.


First advertisement for the Empire Builder in the Seattle Times - May 20 1929

 

            For weeks prior to the unveiling of the Empire Builder train, the Great Northern Railway spread the word that its new varnish would soon be traveling the span between Chicago and the coast with such speed as to “save a business day.” This was very big news to many businessmen in those days – very big indeed. The route was structured so as to operate trains westbound out of Chicago as trains simultaneously operated eastbound out of Portland and Seattle. The Portland section would meet up with the Seattle section at Spokane, where they would be consolidated as one train for the remainder of the trip to Chicago. In the same fashion, the westbound Empire Builder split at Spokane, with sections continuing to Seattle and Portland. When you consider the “chicken and the egg” scenario as it applies here, it is easy to understand that the new service was not inaugurated at all until complete train sets were positioned at both ends of the route. This, too, was an advertising opportunity in itself. Just prior to inauguration of the new service, the trains were put out on static display, and local citizens were encouraged to come out and see the lovely new passenger cars for themselves.
 

The actual routing of the Empire Builder has been altered a few times over its first 87 years, but the map above shows (in red) the primary route.




            The basic mainline route of the Great Northern Railway was between the “Twin Cities” of Minnesota (Minneapolis and St. Paul) and the coastal cities of Seattle and Portland, with several vital branches and trunk lines. You’ll notice (if you weren’t already aware) there is no mention here of Chicago. So the obvious question is: why would the Great Northern start up a new high-class passenger service that connected Chicago with the west coast if they didn’t even operate trains in and out of Chicago? If it’s true that the Twin Cities location was basically the eastern-most extent of the GN mainline, what’s up with bringing Chicago into the mix? How did GN trains operate between Chicago and the Twin Cities?

            Well, that can be a longer story than you might imagine, but to be brief, the GN had a “close” business association with the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad (a.k.a., the CB&Q, the Burlington, the “Q”, the Burlington Route, etc.). In fact, the “Burlington” in the company’s name is the same Burlington that paired up with the “Northern” in the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific names to form Burlington Northern in 1970. But that’s another story for another time. In any event, the answer to bridging the apparent gap between Chicago and the Twin Cities lies in that close business relationship. It was the CB&Q that actually operated the Empire Builder trains between those points – not just on the introduction of the new service, but from 1929 until 1970, when the Great Northern Railway morphed into the Burlington Northern (with the “Q” as one of those companies that merged together).

            So now we’re back to the inauguration of a new passenger service that will depart Chicago westbound and two locations – Seattle and Portland – eastbound. From whence will the first train depart? Chicago? Seattle? Portland? Perhaps simultaneously from all three? Simple answer: Chicago.

            Many enthusiasts of the Great Northern Railway and/or the Empire Builder passenger service (myself included) have for many years now considered June 11, 1929, as the start of this notable train. Aside from a few service setbacks, this passenger train has operated continuously (if not daily, throughout its entire history) since 1929. In fact, Amtrak has now been operating a passenger train on this route and under this name for more years than it was operated under the GN. In 2004, I participated in a sizable observance of the 75th anniversary of the Empire Builder train.


 


As a member and representative of the Great Northern Railway Historical Society, I designed a commemorative pinback button to share with train riders and other enthusiasts on that occasion. I also edited and did the layout for a brochure that Amtrak partnered with and which was included in a bag of treats presented to everyone riding the Empire Builder on its 75th anniversary. The date on which we celebrated 75 years of service of the Empire Builder was June 11, 2004. We were, technically, a day late. [but in our defense, the brochure I helped to produce did point this out]



Back in 1929, the two Empire Builder train sets from the west coast did not depart Portland and Seattle until June 11, which was a Tuesday. However, the westbound Empire Builder departed Chicago on the night of Monday, June 10. The misapplication of June 11 as the date when the service began is almost like saying the historic WWII Allied Forces invasion of Normandy occurred on June 5th, since in fact it was still the evening of the 5th everywhere in the U.S. except the east coast when the invasion was first reported. I don’t think anyone in their right mind would suggest the history books be rewritten to say D-Day happened on June 5th. The event itself was on the northern coast of Normandy, and in the English Channel it was at the break of day on June 6th.

As for the confusion among us historians and GN enthusiasts, there is a logical and very supportable distinction about these competing dates. None of us went completely batty and jumped on the wrong date arbitrarily. Remember, this was a Great Northern train, and GN territory didn’t extend any further east than the Twin Cities, corporate headquarters of the GN. Although the Empire Builder train did depart Chicago on the night of Monday, June 10, 1929, it did not enter Great Northern territory (and hence begin operation completely in the hands of Great Northern train crews and other employees) until it travelled 430 miles and reached St. Paul the next morning. Throughout its 81-year corporate history, the Great Northern Railway conducted executive-level business at its corporate headquarters in the city of St. Paul, Minnesota. Passenger timetables issued to advertise routes and schedules were generally limited to those train miles where the GN actually operated their own trains. So despite the arrangements made with the CB&Q to bridge the gap between Chicago and the Twin Cities (or more precisely, St. Paul), the Empire Builder train was only operated by the GN between the coast on the west end and St. Paul on the east end of the line. The GN’s passenger timetable issued to coincide with the inauguration of the new Empire Builder train service was issued with an effective date of June 11, 1929. It was about 8 a.m. on the morning of Tuesday, June 11, 1929, that the first westbound Empire Builder train arrived in St. Paul from Chicago and actually began operation as an exclusively GN train. In the meantime, Empire Builder trains departing eastbound out of Portland and Seattle did not depart until all the hoopla on the east end of the line died down – it was later in the afternoon of June 11 that these trains began operation.
 
Cover of passenger timetable issued by the GN
at the commencement of the Empire Builder service out of St. Paul


I think it was a defensible position to say the Great Northern Railway began operation of the Empire Builder train on June 11, 1929, but for the sake of historical accuracy, I would say we have to massage that a little and say the Empire Builder train has been operating since June 10, 1929. Even longer than most of us ever imagined – by the margin of, well, just about a business day.

The grand inauguration of the new Empire Builder train was an ambitious and in some ways taxing event. Commemoration of this new passenger service between Chicago and the coastal cities of the Pacific Northwest occurred during the one-hour special radio broadcast on June 10, 1929. The U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Robert P. Lamont, participated from Washington, D.C. After a few laudatory words heralding the positive economic contributions to be made by this new, faster train service, Secretary Lamont tapped at a specially wired telegraph key, an action that triggered a large gong in Chicago. The sound of the gong signaled time for the train to pull out on its inaugural run to the coast.


A remarkably serious-looking Commerce Secretary, Robert P. Lamont,
as he readies to tap the telegraph key on June 10, 1929
Collection of the Minnesota Historical Society

The radio broadcast included speeches by several notable individuals, including a key representative of the railroad: the vice-president of Operations of the Great Northern, Mr. Charles O. Jenks.

During the ceremonies captured on that Empire Builders radio program, the Old Timer (actor Harvey Hays) actually boarded the Empire Builder train and rode it out to Seattle. This must have been a real hoot for fellow passengers, once they realized who he was. If they did, it probably would have been because they first recognized his voice rather than his face.

The "Old Timer" (actor Harvey Hays) and Miss Chicago Commerce (Bess Mullen)


Also traveling on that train were some other dignitaries and representatives of the east, including Miss Chicago Commerce (Miss Bess Mullen). A small band supplied by the GN was aboard, as was the singing group that often represented the railroad, the “Great Northern Quartette.”

In fact, so many fare-paying passengers were travelling on the first Empire Builder, and so many additional people were along for the festivities, that not one but two sections of the Empire Builder train were operated westbound out of Chicago. Onboard the first section was Operations vice-president C.O. Jenks, but he elected to keep a low profile so he could concern himself with operating matters. Also on the first section was W.A. Wilson, assistant general passenger agent of the GN. It fell to Wilson to marshal the activities and appearances of the Old Timer (Harvey Hays) and Miss Chicago Commerce (Bess Mullen). The GN’s vice-president, George R. Martin, represented the railroad onboard the second section. One news report of the day indicated the crew of the first section to depart consisted of locomotive engineer Anthony Zinns and conductor Thomas F. Burke. The second section departed Chicago twenty minutes after the first. It was piloted by engineer M. Belknap and had John Needham as conductor.

Stops were made at significant stations along the route and brief photo ops were exploited. Miss Chicago Commerce presented letters of greeting to the various chambers of commerce in the major cities where the train stopped – the letters were issued by Frank F. Winans, president of the Chicago Association of Commerce.

Rare view of actor Harvey Hays (The Old Timer) speaking to the throngs of people greeting the first Empire Builder at St. Cloud, MN, on June 11, 1929
Collection of the Minnesota Historical Society

In St. Cloud, Minnesota, the new Empire Builder arrived at the railroad station on June 11th at 10:30 a.m., “on-time to the split fraction of a second.” The St. Cloud Daily Times trumpeted the news that the exciting new train was welcomed there by over 4,000 local citizens.

Collection of the Minnesota Historical Society


At Minot, North Dakota, the first westbound Empire Builder train was scheduled to arrive at 8:30 p.m. on the 11th. Three days prior to this, the Mayor of Minot issued a proclamation heralding the new train and beseeching as many Minot residents as possible to turn out at the depot for the big event.

When the first westbound Empire Builder arrived in Seattle, someone had the silly idea to bring a billy goat for the photo op.
At least nobody was dumb enough to drag some poor mountain goat out from the city zoo instead.


In Seattle, both Hays and Mullen (and a few select GN officials) met with members of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Hays and Mullen even participated on the air in Seattle, on a 30-minute program broadcast over the NBC affiliate KOMO.

The following day, Mullen thought she was free of appearance obligations, so she went shopping in Portland. She missed an event at which she was expected, and, to her dismay, it made it into the newspaper that she had “gone missing.” Ooops. Thus are the perils of newly-acquired “fame.”
 


 

If you have never travelled on the Empire Builder train, you still can. And you certainly should. Check it out here: https://www.amtrak.com/empire-builder-train
or just call Julie at:
1-800-USA-RAIL.
 
She’ll set you up.

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