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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.
|
|
|
'88 |
|
35/36
|
|
'07 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
The Limited
|
St. Paul-Seattle v.v.
|
|
|
|
'93 |
3/4 '99 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Great Northern Flyer |
St. Paul-Seattle v.v.
|
|
|
|
|
3 '99 |
/4 1/2 '03 '0 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Great Northern Limited |
St. Paul-Seattle v.v. |
|
|
|
|
1
'0 |
/2 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Oriental Limited
|
St. Paul-Seattle v.v. |
|
|
|
|
'0 |
1/2 5 '09 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Oriental Limited
|
Chicago-St. Paul- Seattle/Tacoma v.v. |
|
|
|
|
|
'09 |
|
1/
|
2
|
'29 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
Chicago-St. Paul- Seattle/Portland v.v. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
'29 |
|
|
1/2
|
|
|
'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 The Great Northern Flyer ("Carries the Pacific Fast Mail") was superceded by the Great Northern Limited in October 1905. 4.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
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 '03 |
'06 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Eastern Express
|
Seattle-St. Paul
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 '03 |
'06 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Fast Mail
|
|
St. Paul-Seattle v.v.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3/4 '06 '1 |
0 |
|
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|
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Fast Mail
|
|
St. Paul-Seattle v.v.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
'09 |
|
|
|
|
|
27/28
|
|
|
|
|
'6 |
0 |
|
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|
Oregonian
|
St. Paul-Portland v.v.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3
'1 |
/4 0 '11 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Oregonian
|
St. Paul- Seattle/Portland v.v. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3/4 '11 '1 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Glacier Park Limited
|
St. Paul-Seattle v.v. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
'1 |
5 |
3/4
|
'29 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Oriental Limited
|
Chicago-St. Paul- Seattle v.v.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 |
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