# Chicago to Springfield, MO passenger train



## iron mountain (Feb 9, 2008)

I would like to ask if anyone knows what railroad would have provided passenger service between Chicago and Springfield, Missouri? When I was quite young, in the early 1950's, we rode a streamliner to Springfield. It was an overnight train and I slept in a berth. I vaguely remember the color of the train was similar to some pictures I have seen of SP locomotives, orange and yellow. I have tried to research the Cotton Belt, Frisco, and the KATY but can't find anything that would tell me what I want to know. thanks.


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## Green Maned Lion (Feb 9, 2008)

iron mountain said:


> I would like to ask if anyone knows what railroad would have provided passenger service between Chicago and Springfield, Missouri? When I was quite young, in the early 1950's, we rode a streamliner to Springfield. It was an overnight train and I slept in a berth. I vaguely remember the color of the train was similar to some pictures I have seen of SP locomotives, orange and yellow. I have tried to research the Cotton Belt, Frisco, and the KATY but can't find anything that would tell me what I want to know. thanks.


The Illonois Central ran orange and black..


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## George Harris (Feb 9, 2008)

iron mountain said:


> I would like to ask if anyone knows what railroad would have provided passenger service between Chicago and Springfield, Missouri? When I was quite young, in the early 1950's, we rode a streamliner to Springfield. It was an overnight train and I slept in a berth. I vaguely remember the color of the train was similar to some pictures I have seen of SP locomotives, orange and yellow. I have tried to research the Cotton Belt, Frisco, and the KATY but can't find anything that would tell me what I want to know. thanks.


Should have been GM&O between Chicago and St. Louis and Frisco between St. Louis and Springfield. If you went to Sprinfield MO by train, no matter where you left from or on what railroad, you arrived on the Frisco.

If you arrived in a reasonable AM time, the most likely way was on a through sleeper on a GM&O train out of Chicago that was switched to Frisco's Will Rogers in St. Louis. It left St. Louis around 11:45 pm in those days. The sleeper was probably streamlined, but most likely the coaches were smooth sided dark round roofed Frisco coaches on arrival. On the GM&O side, the train may have been more of a streamliner. In those days, it also carried through sleepers to Hot Springs, Arkansas that were transferred to a Missouri Pacific train at St. L. In its last few years the Will Rogers became a day train, leaving St. Louis at about 8:00 am.


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## iron mountain (Feb 9, 2008)

George Harris said:


> iron mountain said:
> 
> 
> > I would like to ask if anyone knows what railroad would have provided passenger service between Chicago and Springfield, Missouri? When I was quite young, in the early 1950's, we rode a streamliner to Springfield. It was an overnight train and I slept in a berth. I vaguely remember the color of the train was similar to some pictures I have seen of SP locomotives, orange and yellow. I have tried to research the Cotton Belt, Frisco, and the KATY but can't find anything that would tell me what I want to know. thanks.
> ...


Thanks George. That makes sense. I knew that the Frisco served Springfield but not Chicago. And I knew that we didn't change trains. I guess that is an example of cooperation among the roads to provide "seamless" service.


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## GG-1 (Feb 9, 2008)

iron mountain said:


> And I knew that we didn't change trains. I guess that is an example of cooperation among the roads to provide "seamless" service.


Think the expression might be "The Golden Age of Travel" board the train relax, enjoy life, get there refreshed. No bother where there is.

Aloha


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