Re: [CBQ] Western Star as separate train between Chicago and St. Paul

["Bill Schultz via groups.io" <jwschultz9=aol.com@groups.io>]

Beginning June 3, 1951, the Western Star replaced the Oriental Limited and continued to consolidate with the Black Hawk south of St. Paul.  Effective with the February-April 1953 public timetable (in effect 2/1/53), the Black Hawk and Mainstreeter were consolidated in both directions south of St. Paul and the Western Star ran independently north- and southbound.  Effective with the October 1953-January 1954 public timetable (in effect 9/27/53), the southbound Black Hawk and Western Star resumed consolidated operation while the northbound Western Star continued to operate independently.  This arrangement prevailed until September 26, 1954, when the three-train consolidation (Black Hawk-Mainstreeter-Western Star) was established south of St. Paul.

Thereafter, when it became necessary to split the trains due to car limits, the Black Hawk-Western Star ran as first 47/first 48, with the Mainstreeter running as second 47/second 48.  The only exception to that protocol was the Western Star's late arrival in St. Paul resulting in its independent operation as second 48, an extremely rare occurrence.   

It's worth mentioning that beginning May 22, 1960, GN rerouted the Western Star via the Surrey Cutoff which brought GN 28 into the Twin Cities in time to make a cross-platform connection with the southbound Afternoon Zephyr, and the public timetable listed the two trains with an identical schedule south of St. Paul.  However, none of the Western Star's passenger-carrying cars were added to the Afternoon Zephyr but became part of the southbound Black Hawk's equipment, so physically, the eastbound Western Star was a Seattle-St. Paul operation.  Schedule changes effective August 15, 1968 severed the Western Star's Twin Cities cross-platform connection with the Chicago-bound Afternoon Zephyr, by which time the last of the Star's through cars to- and from Chicago had been discontinued.

Bill Schultz

On Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at 09:14:26 PM CST, Mark Meyer via groups.io <vermontanan=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:

On Mon, Dec 4, 2023 at 05:37 PM, Randal O'Toole wrote:

I should add that I don't have a May 1953 timetable, but I do have May 1950, May 1951, May 1956, and May 1957, and they all show the Star and Blackhawk having identical schedules between Chicago and St. Paul.

It's unlikely the Western Star and the Black Hawk had the same schedule in May 1950 and May 1951 as the train didn't begin operating until June of 1951.

--Mark Meyer

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