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The ''Southwest Limited'' was a named passenger train operated by the
The ''Southwest Limited'' prospered for the next three decades. The 1920s were reportedly the glory years for the train, when it featured a variety of sleeping car and coach accommodations, a dining car, and an observation-lounge. Service standards were high, and the ''Southwest Limited'' was considered one of the premier trains of the Milwaukee.
About 1932, the ''Southwest Limited'' began offering through-car service between Kansas City and Milwaukee. The Milwaukee section connected with the main train at Savanna, IL. At the same time, due to traffic declines caused by the Great Depression, the ''Southwest Limited'' was combined with the Chicago-Omaha '' Arrow'' between Chicago and Savanna. The Milwaukee section of the ''Southwest Limited'' also carried through cars to and from the Arrow's western destinations.
By the early 1950s, the ''Southwest Limited'' was clearly in decline. The train no longer carried sleeping or dining cars, and its 13-1/2 hour schedule was at least four hours slower than that of new Chicago-Kansas City streamliners then operated by the competing
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") on an overnight schedule between Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, and Kansas City, Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
. The westbound train (to Kansas City) was Milwaukee Road train No. 25, and the eastbound train (to Chicago) was train No. 26. For much of the train's history, a section of the ''Southwest Limited'' also operated between Kansas City and Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
.
History
The Milwaukee Road completed its first Chicago-Kansas City route in 1887, and began operating through passenger service between those cities soon after. The Milwaukee's route became more competitive in 1903, with the completion of a cutoff line in Iowa that reduced Kansas City travel time by some three hours. In conjunction with this improvement, the railroad inaugurated the ''Southwest Limited'' passenger train on the Kansas City route, utilizing new equipment and a faster schedule.
The ''Southwest Limited'' prospered for the next three decades. The 1920s were reportedly the glory years for the train, when it featured a variety of sleeping car and coach accommodations, a dining car, and an observation-lounge. Service standards were high, and the ''Southwest Limited'' was considered one of the premier trains of the Milwaukee.
About 1932, the ''Southwest Limited'' began offering through-car service between Kansas City and Milwaukee. The Milwaukee section connected with the main train at Savanna, IL. At the same time, due to traffic declines caused by the Great Depression, the ''Southwest Limited'' was combined with the Chicago-Omaha '' Arrow'' between Chicago and Savanna. The Milwaukee section of the ''Southwest Limited'' also carried through cars to and from the Arrow's western destinations.
By the early 1950s, the ''Southwest Limited'' was clearly in decline. The train no longer carried sleeping or dining cars, and its 13-1/2 hour schedule was at least four hours slower than that of new Chicago-Kansas City streamliners then operated by the competing Burlington
Burlington may refer to:
Places Canada Geography
* Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Burlington, Nova Scotia
* Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington"
* Burlington, Prince Edward Island
* Burlington Bay, no ...
and Santa Fe railroads. The increasing popularity of air and automobile travel during the 1950s also negatively impacted the train. The final runs of the ''Southwest Limited'' took place on April 26, 1958, marking the end of Milwaukee Road passenger service to Kansas City. The Milwaukee-Savanna section of the train was retained until 1965, serving as a connection to the '' Arrow''.
References
*Storozuk, Bob. "The ''Southwest Limited'' -- A Kansas City Star." ''The Milwaukee Railroader,'' First Quarter 2000, pp 16-17. {{Milwaukee Road named trains Named passenger trains of the United States Night trains of the United States Passenger trains of the Milwaukee Road Railway services introduced in 1903 Railway services discontinued in 1958