The ''Olympian'' and its successor the ''Olympian Hiawatha'' were passenger trains operated by the

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), often referred to as the "Milwaukee Road" , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986. The company experience ...

(the "Milwaukee Road") between

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

. The ''Olympian'' operated from 1911 to 1947 and was, along with its running mate the '' Columbian'', the first all-steel train to operate in the Pacific Northwest. The

streamlined Streamlines, streaklines and pathlines are field lines in a fluid flow. They differ only when the flow changes with time, that is, when the flow is not steady. Considering a velocity vector field in three-dimensional space in the framework of ...

''Olympian Hiawatha'' operated from 1947 to 1961 and was one of several Milwaukee Road trains to carry the name "

Hiawatha Hiawatha ( , also : ), also known as Ayenwathaaa or Aiionwatha, was a precolonial Native American leader and co-founder of the Iroquois Confederacy. He was a leader of the Onondaga people, the Mohawk people, or both. According to some account ...

." The ''Olympian Hiawatha'' was designed by industrial designer

Brooks Stevens Clifford Brooks Stevens (June 7, 1911 – January 4, 1995) was an American industrial designer of home furnishings, appliances, automobiles, and motorcycles, as well as a graphic designer and stylist. Stevens founded Brooks Stevens, Inc., headq ...

and included the distinctive glassed-in " Skytop" observation-sleeping cars. It later featured full-length "

Super Dome The Caesars Superdome, commonly known as the Superdome (formerly known as Mercedes-Benz Superdome), is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the home stadium of the New Orleans Saints ...

" cars.

History

Heavyweight ''Olympian''

In 1909 the Milwaukee Road opened the "Puget Sound extension" from South Dakota to Seattle and Tacoma, completing the last line from Chicago to the coast. The Milwaukee Road ordered cars for two new all-steel luxury trains to run Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul-Seattle-Tacoma. The two new trains debuted on May 28, 1911. They were the first all-steel trains to operate in the

. The Milwaukee Road named the two trains the ''Olympian'' and '' Columbian''. The ''Olympian'' took 72 hours between Chicago and Seattle, necessitating seven sets of equipment to cover the service. Starting in 1914 the ''Olympian'' used the route of the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

to serve

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Canada ...

. In 1915 the Milwaukee Road completed its first

electrified Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic history ...

section of rail line, from

Harlowton Harlowton is a city in and the county seat of Wheatland County, Montana, United States. The population was 955 at the 2020 census. Description The city was once the eastern terminus of electric operations (1914–74) for the "Pacific Extension ...

Deer Lodge, Montana Deer Lodge is a city in and the county seat of Powell County, Montana, Powell County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,938 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Description The city is perhaps best known as the home of t ...

, a feat that was advertised to passengers since electrification eliminated the soot normally associated with steam-powered rail travel prior to the era of air-conditioning. Extensions in the 1910s and 1920s resulted in of electrified main line, in Montana/Idaho and over the Cascades in Washington. The of electrified line between Harlowton, Montana and

Avery, Idaho Avery is a small unincorporated community in the northwest United States, located in the St. Joe River Valley in Shoshone County, Idaho. Avery is located in the middle of the St. Joe District of the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, and is a ...

was the longest continuous electrified rail line in the world. Olympian observation car

In 1926 the Olympian was scheduled to run from Chicago to Seattle in 70 hours. That year Milwaukee contracted with

Pullman-Standard The Pullman Company, founded by George Pullman, was a manufacturer of railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Through rapid late-19th century ...

for new cars and the train was re-equipped, the new trains making their first runs in August, 1927. To increase ridership the Milwaukee Road opened its first railroad-owned hotel near

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowston ...

, the Gallatin Gateway Inn. Gallatin Gateway was reached from a spur that reached the main line at Three Forks, Montana, and prior to the Great Depression the ''Olympian'' carried through

sleepers ''Sleepers'' is a 1996 American legal crime drama film written, produced, and directed by Barry Levinson, and based on Lorenzo Carcaterra's 1995 book of the same name. The film stars Kevin Bacon, Jason Patric, Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin H ...

for it. Both the ''Olympian'' and ''Columbian'' operated into 1930, but as ridership fell during the depression the ''Columbian'' was dropped, ending in 1931. The ''Olympian'' received

air-conditioned Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

cars in 1934-1935. The ''Olympian'' received additional equipment in 1937, including new Pullman cars and

dining car A dining car (American English) or a restaurant car (British English), also a diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant. It is distinct from other railroad food service cars that ...

s based on the highly successful ''

'' streamliners then operating between Chicago and the Twin Cities. Between December 1943 and May 1947 the sleeping and coach portions of the ''Olympian'' operated in separate sections.

Post-war ''Olympian Hiawatha''

On June 29, 1947 the Milwaukee Road inaugurated its streamlined flagship, the ''Olympian Hiawatha'' on a 43-hour, 30-minute schedule. The Milwaukee advertised the faster train as a "speedliner". To meet new streamlined competition from the Northern Pacific and Great Northern the train was launched with streamlined and heavyweight equipment. The Milwaukee's insistence on its own radical designs also contributed to delays in delivery. The first streamlined cars, ''Touralux'' open berth sleepers, dining and lounge cars were home-built by the Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley shops. By 1949 the remaining cars were delivered by Pullman-Standard. The former ''Olympian'' heavyweight consists for a time continued to run on the older ''Olympian'' schedule, once again named the ''Columbian''. Designed by industrial designer

, the ''Olympian Hiawatha'' included the Milwaukee Road's signature '' Skytop'' solarium observation car. Similar to those built for the Twin Cities ''Hiawathas'', the Olympian Hiawatha's ''Skytops'' had more glass area from the rear forward and sleeping compartments in the forward two-thirds of the car. The Milwaukee Road billed the ''Skytops'' as "the perfect ending for a perfect train". The Skytop observation cars have been described as the most distinctive railway cars ever built. The Milwaukee Road ordered several pairs of

Fairbanks-Morse Fairbanks, Morse and Company was an American manufacturing company in the late 19th and early 20th century. Originally a weighing scale manufacturer, it later diversified into pumps, engines, windmills, coffee grinders, radios, farm tractors, fee ...

diesels with an orange, maroon and stainless steel exterior by Stevens. The grill/lounge and dining cars had angled seating for more interior space and a better view. The stunning trains had the Milwaukee's orange and maroon livery and green and gold seating and carpets and wood veneer with stainless steel trim. Six complete train-sets were ordered; in 1952 the first full-length dome cars, called " super domes" were added. In 1957 the train was repainted into the

’s Armour Yellow colors. While the Milwaukee Road promoted the ''Olympian Hiawatha'' and its scenic route through Idaho and Montana's

Bitterroot Mountains The Northern and Central Bitterroot Range, collectively the Bitterroot Mountains (Salish: čkʷlkʷqin), is the largest portion of the Bitterroot Range, part of the Rocky Mountains and Idaho Batholith, located in the panhandle of Idaho and west ...

and the Cascade range in Washington, the railroad competed with the Great Northern Railway's ''

Empire Builder The ''Empire Builder'' is an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that operates daily between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northe ...

'', the

Northern Pacific Railway The Northern Pacific Railway was a transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest. It was approved by Congress in 1864 and given nearly of land grants, whic ...

's ''

North Coast Limited The ''North Coast Limited'' was a List of named passenger trains, named passenger train operated by the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle via Bismarck, North Dakota. It started on April 29, 1900, and continued as a Burlington ...

'' and the growing airlines. The ''Olympian Hiawatha'' was never a financial success. On May 22, 1961 the train was discontinued, one of the first of the great name trains to end service. In 1955 the Milwaukee Road assumed operation of the Overland Route "Cities" trains between Chicago and Omaha. The Milwaukee Road continued to serve the Pacific northwest through its shared passenger services with the

, particularly the '' City of Portland''. Between 1955 and 1957 the Milwaukee briefly marketed a ''City of Portland'' - ''Olympian Hiawatha'' “circuit route” at a reduced price with some success but the package was eventually discontinued. Following the discontinuance of the ''Olympian Hiawatha'' much of its equipment was reassigned to the Milwaukee Road-Union Pacific ''Cities'' trains. The six sleeper-Skytop observation cars and six of the Milwaukee Road's "Super Domes" briefly saw service on these trains. In 1962 they were sold to the

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...

where they were placed in service on the Montreal-to-Halifax trains and the Toronto-Vancouver '' Super Continental''. They were finally retired in 1971. With the discontinuance of the ''Olympian Hiawatha'' in 1961, trains No. 15 and 16 continued to operate as an unnamed passenger train between Minneapolis and Deer Lodge, Montana with coaches, a ''Touralux'' open-berth sleeper and cafe car. In 1964 it was cut back to a coach-only train to Aberdeen, South Dakota, and completely discontinued on April 17, 1969.

Legacy

Between 1971 and 1979

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

operated the ''

North Coast Hiawatha The ''North Coast Hiawatha'' was a streamlined passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago, Illinois, and Seattle, Washington. Operating from 1971 to 1979, the train was a successor to the Northern Pacific Railway's ''North Coast Limited ...

'', a thrice-weekly train that used the Milwaukee's Chicago-Milwaukee-Minneapolis mainline and the Northern Pacific route west of Minneapolis. The train's name was an amalgam of ''

'' and ''Olympian Hiawatha''. Deferred maintenance forced the Milwaukee Road to abandon its electrification in 1974. Facing bankruptcy, the Milwaukee Road abandoned its "Puget Sound extension" in 1980, eliminating much of the route of the ''Olympian Hiawatha''. Several sections of the route are now part of the National Forest and state rails-to-trails programs including the most scenic section through the Bitterroot Mountains. Major parts of ''Olympians route were acquired by the

Soo Line Railroad The Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , one of seven U.S. Class I railroads, controlled through the Soo Line Corporation. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sa ...

(now

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

), and by the

Burlington Northern Railroad The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a Mergers and acquisitions, merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996. Its historical lineage begins in the e ...

(now

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

). The former Milwaukee Road (now Canadian Pacific) mainline from Chicago to St. Paul, Minnesota continues to see high passenger ridership on

's Chicago-Milwaukee ''

Hiawatha Service The ''Hiawatha Service'', or simply ''Hiawatha'', is an 86-mile (138 km) train route operated by Amtrak on the western shore of Lake Michigan between Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. However, the name was historically applied to ...

'' and Chicago-Minneapolis-Pacific Northwest ''Empire Builder''. Several scenic sections of the route of the ''Olympian Hiawatha'' have become public trails and park land. These include the "Route of the Hiawatha" in the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho, the "Route of the Olympian" along Montana's St. Regis River and

Iron Horse State Park Iron Horse State Park, part of the Washington State Park System, is a state park located in the Cascade Mountains and Yakima River Valley, between Cedar Falls on the west and the Columbia River on the east. The park is contiguous with a ...

in Washington's Snoqualmie Pass.

References

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External links