The ''Mainstreeter'' was a passenger train on the Northern Pacific Railway between

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

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, 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 ...

from 1952 to 1971. When the ''

North Coast Limited The ''North Coast Limited'' was a 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 Northern Railroad train after t ...

'' got a faster schedule in November 1952 the Mainstreeter was introduced, running roughly on the North Coast's old schedule but via Helena. Unlike the North Coast the ''Mainstreeter'' was not a true streamliner as it carried both new lightweight and traditional heavyweight coaches. It replaced another train, the ''Alaskan''. The name referred to the Northern Pacific's slogan, "Main Street of the Northwest." While

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 ...

did not retain the train as part of its initial route structure, it created a new train named 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 ...

'' several months afterwards. That train ran until 1979.

Equipment

Unlike many other trains the ''Mainstreeter'' did not have specific sets of equipment built for it. Cars that ''were'' specific to included the so-called "Holiday Lounges," a set of five parlor-buffet lounges built by

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 ...

and delivered in July 1956. The Northern Pacific numbered these cars 487–491. The June 1960 ''

Official Guide of the Railways The ''Official Railway Guide'', originally the ''Official Guide of the Railways'' was originally produced by National Railway Publication Company of New York City, beginning in 1868. The guide was last published by IHS Markit in mid-2020. Histor ...

'' listed the following for westbound #1: * Holiday Lounge (St. Paul–Seattle) * Sleeping car (Chicago–Seattle) * Sleeping car (Chicago–Seattle) * Sleeper-buffet-lounge (Spokane–Portland) * Dining car (St. Paul–Pasco) * Various coaches The two sleeping cars had 8 duplex roomettes, 6 roomettes, 3 double bedrooms and a compartment. These were built by Pullman-Standard in 1948 for the ''

''.

References

External links

Mainstreeter on American Rails.com
{{NP named trains Named passenger trains of the United States Night trains of the United States Northern Pacific Railway Railway services introduced in 1952 Railway services discontinued in 1971