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Named GN Passenger Trains

- Lines East -

 

The timelines below show Great Northern's name-trains on Lines East and the years they operated, arranged by historic relationship. (For legend see below).

 

  Lines East: Twin Cities - Twin Ports
  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
 

Duluth Night

Express

 

 

Duluth-St. Paul

v.v.

 

1

?

 

                                     
 

Gopher

State Express

 

Duluth-St. Paul

v.v.

 

2

?

 

       

 

 

'0

 

5

19/20

 

 

      ?

                     
 

Gopher

Limited

 

 

Duluth-St. Paul

v.v.

 

2

?

 

           

 

 

 

 ?    

 

 

 

 

19/20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 '52

       
 

Gopher

 

 

 

Duluth-St. Paul

v.v.

 

 

                           

 

'52

1

 

9/20

 

 

'7

 

 

0

 

Badger

Express

 

 

Duluth-St. Paul

v.v.

 

3

?

 

               

 

 

?

23/24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   '52

     

 

 

Badger

 

 

 

Duluth-St. Paul

v.v.

 

 

                           

 

'52

2

 

3/24

 

 

'7

 

 

0

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:

?  Information on these trains is sketchy and incomplete. What is known is presented but should be treated with care.

1. The Duluth Night Express carried numbers 17/18.

2. It's not fully clear when the name change from Gopher State Express to Gopher Limited took place but in 1918 Gopher State Express was still used.

3. It's unclear what year exactly  the Badger Express was inaugurated but it was sometime in the mid 1920's. The Badger Express is also sometimes referred to as the Badger State Express.

 

^Return

 

  Lines East: Twin Cities - North Dakota

 

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

 

Grand Forks

Express

 

 

St. Paul-

Grand Forks

v.v.

?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red River

Valley Express

 

St. Paul-Fargo-

Grand Forks

v.v.

?

 

 

 

 

 

 

5/6

'04

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red River

Express

 

 

 

1

?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red River

Limited

 

 

St. Paul-

Grand Forks

v.v.

2

?

 

             

 

?   

 

 

 

 

29/

 

30

 

 

 

 

'5

 

 

0

 

 

 

 

 

Alexandrian

 

 

 

St. Paul-Fargo

(-Grand Forks)

v.v.

3

?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

?

11/12

 

 

 

 

'5

 

 

0

 

 

 

 

 

Red River

 

 

 

St. Paul-

Grand Forks

v.v.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'5

11/

0

12

'6

 

 

0

 

 

 

Red River

 

 

 

St. Paul-

Fargo

v.v.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11

 

'6

/12  11/

0 '62

14

'68

 

 

Minot Express

 

 

St. Paul-Minot

v.v.

 

?

 

 

 

 

 

 

9/10

'04

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dakota

Express

 

 

St. Paul-Minot

v.v.

 

?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dakotan

 

 

 

St. Paul-

Williston v.v.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'47

9/10

 

 

'56

 

 

 

 

Dakotan

 

 

 

St. Paul-

Minot v.v.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9/10 

'56    '6

 

 

0

 

 

 

Dakotan

 

 

 

St. Paul-Minot- Fargo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

 

'6

/10

0 '62

 

 

 

Dakotan

 

 

 

Fargo-St. Paul

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'6

14

0 '62

 

 

 

Dakotan

 

 

 

St. Paul-Minot v.v.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

'63  

/4

'68

 

 

Dakotan

 

 

 

St. Paul-Fargo

v.v.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3/4

 

'68 '

 

 

69

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:

?  Information on these trains is sketchy and incomplete. What is known is presented but should be treated with care.

1. The Red River Express carried the numbers 35/36. 

2. The exact inauguration year is unknown at this point, but was 1918 or earlier.

3. The Alexandrian was inaugurated in the Depression Era. Exact year unknown at this point.

 

^Return

 

  Lines East: Twin Cities - Winnipeg
 

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

 

Winnipeg

Express

 

 

St. Paul-

Winnipeg v.v.

 

1

?

 

       

 

'03

7/8

 

 

'14 

                       

 

Winnipeg

Limited

 

 

St. Paul-

Winnipeg v.v.

 

1

?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7/8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'7

 

 

0

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:

?  Information on these trains is sketchy and incomplete. What is known is presented but should be treated with care.

1. Some sources name trains 7/8 the 'Winnipeg Express' during the early years of its existence. If correct, dates of 1910 or 1914 are given for the changeover.

 

^Return

 

  Lines East: Other Routes
  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

 

Night

Express

 

 

Duluth-

Grand Forks v.v.

 

1

?

 

       

 

 

'0

35/36

5       ?

 

 

                     

 

Sioux City

Express

 

 

St. Paul-

Sioux City v.v.

 

?

 

 

                                     
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:

?  Information on these trains is sketchy and incomplete. What is known is presented but should be treated with care.

1. The Night Express was inaugurated in 1905. It's unclear when it was discontinued.

 

^Return


Legend: 

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.

 

 

'15

= Year in which a train was inaugurated or when important changes were implemented.

 

'31

= Year in which a train was discontinued or after which important changes were implemented.

1/2

 

= Train numbers.

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