Railroads & Locomotives Fallen Flags Chicago Great Western passenger trains

Chicago Great Western passenger trains

By Angela Cotey | December 17, 2021

Images of passenger service on the "Corn Belt Route"

Email Newsletter

Get the newest photos, videos, stories, and more from Trains.com brands. Sign-up for email today!

A distant black and white photo of a train passing by
Train 5
F7 with Minneapolis–Oelwein train 5, fall 1954.
Philip R. Hastings
A distant black and white photo of a train passing by
A black and white photo of a train parked inside a station
Minnesotan
Ten-Wheeler 509 with Chicago–Minneapolis train 1, the Minnesotan, at Grand Central Station, Chicago, before its last run, May 10, 1949.
Harold Stirton
A black and white photo of a train parked inside a station
A black and white photo of a train car against a white background
Motor car M-300
Electro-Motive Corp.’s first sale: Motor car M-300 with Winton 175 h.p. gas engine, GE electrical equipment, and St. Louis Car body, brand-new in 1924.
Classic Trains coll.
A black and white photo of a train car against a white background
A black and white photo of a train travelling through a grassy area
Train 6
Three F7s with three-car Kansas City–Minneapolis train 6 south of St. Paul, Minn., June 20, 1958.
William D. Middleton
A black and white photo of a train travelling through a grassy area
A black and white close up shot of a train
Minnesotan
Mikado 740 with four-car Chicago–Minneapolis Minnesotan, near Glen Ellyn, Ill., June 1944.
Robert C. Nicholls
A black and white close up shot of a train
A black and white distant shot of a train
Blue Bird
Minneapolis–Rochester, Minn., Blue Bird motor train, built 1929 from old McKeen cars.
Classic Trains coll.
A black and white distant shot of a train
A black and white head on shot of a train
Train 5
F7 153 with Minneapolis–Kansas City train 5 at St. Joseph, Mo., on its last run, April 28, 1962.
Jim C. Seacrest
A black and white head on shot of a train
A black and white photo of two trains approaching each other
Trains 32 and 33
Ten-Wheeler 912 with Omaha–Clarion, Iowa, train 32 loading mail at Council Bluffs as Clarion–Omaha train 33 waits in distance, circa 1948.
Henry J. McCord 
A black and white photo of two trains approaching each other
A black and white distant shot of a train arriving at a terminal
Train 31
F7 with Clarion–Omaha train 31 arriving Omaha, June 1950.
Don Sims
A black and white distant shot of a train arriving at a terminal
A black and white photo of a train in front of a building with big white smoke coming out of its chimney
Minnesotan
Ten-Wheeler 509 with Chicago–Minneapolis Minnesotan at St. Paul, February 1934.
Harold Davison
A black and white photo of a train in front of a building with big white smoke coming out of its chimney
A black and white photo of a train travelling over a bridge
Train 5
F7 153-A with Minneapolis–Kansas City train 5 crossing Mississippi River at St. Paul, Aug. 11, 1957.
Jim Scribbins 
A black and white photo of a train travelling over a bridge
A black and white photo of a man approaching a train
Train 27
Ten-Wheeler 507 with Hayfield–Minneapolis train 27 at Hayfield, Minn., 1943.
R. C. Beach coll.
A black and white photo of a man approaching a train
A black and white photo of a man standing by a stop light in front of a train
Train 35
McKeen car 1003 on Oelwein–Clarion train 35 at Hampton, Iowa, Dec. 30, 1949.
Bill Heitter
A black and white photo of a man standing by a stop light in front of a train
A black and white distant over head shot of a train next to a river
Train 5
F7 151-A with Minneapolis–Kansas City train 5 crossing Mississippi River at St. Paul, Aug. 3, 1950.
Bob Borcherding
A black and white distant over head shot of a train next to a river
A black and white picture of a train parked outside a station
Train 35
McKeen car 1003 and trailer MT210 on Oelwein–Clarion train 35 at Oelwein, June 26, 1950, No. 35’s last run.
Bill Heitter
A black and white picture of a train parked outside a station
A black and white photo of a train parked on the tracks next to a taxi cab
Train 13
Two F7s with Minneapolis–Omaha train 13 at Council Bluffs, May 26, 1964.
Jim C. Seacrest
 
A black and white photo of a train parked on the tracks next to a taxi cab
A black and white photo of a train parked outside a station
Red Bird
Pacific 916 painted bright red with gold trim for Minneapolis–Rochester, Minn., Red Bird, late 1920s.
R. C. Beach coll. 
A black and white photo of a train parked outside a station

 

All through December 2021, Classic Trains is celebrating the Chicago Great Western Railway. Please enjoy this image gallery of CGW passenger trains selected from Kalmbach Media’s David P. Morgan Library and first published in December 2016.

Only from Trains.com!

6 thoughts on “Chicago Great Western passenger trains

  1. Yes, I noticed right away that it was not St. Paul but Minneapolis as it is quite easy to make out the Great Northern Depot in the back ground.

  2. The photo near the end of the slideshow, showing train 5 with F7 151-A appears to be mislabelled. It says it’s crossing the Mississippi at St.Paul, but it’s actually just leaving the Great Northern depot in Minneapolis. The Mississippi is on the right, and it’s true the train shortly will be crossing it on the Stone Arch Bridge.

  3. As a boy my grandparents lived one house from the Chicago Great Western tracks in Clarion, Iowa. Many times my cousin and I sat by the track as one of these great steam engines raced by. My uncle ended his career as Stationmaster for the CGW in Mason City, Iowa.

You must login to submit a comment