battalion51
Engineer
The following is from the June 12 Trains.com Newswire
This week in history – GN’s “Empire Builder” marks its 75th anniversary
ST. PAUL, Minn. — This week marks the 75th anniversary of the “Empire Builder,” launched by the Great Northern Railway as its premier passenger train between Chicago and Seattle (via GN subsidiary Burlington Route between Chicago and St. Paul, GN’s headquarters city). The train name continued in 1970 after GN went into the new Burlington Northern, and since its inception in 1971, Amtrak has continued the name on its Chicago-Seattle service, although the train runs via Milwaukee, Wis., on its eastern leg. There has also been a Spokane-Portland, Ore., section of the service throughout most of its history, including currently.
The train, named in honor of GN leader James J. Hill, who was known as the "Empire Builder" because of his ability to create prosperous businesses, was inaugurated on June 11, 1929.
The “Empire Builder” became GN’s standard-bearer in competing for long-haul business. As an example of the railroad’s attention to detail, in summer months the train slowed at Stryker, Mont., each day so the telegraph operator there could hand up a package of freshly caught mountain trout to dining-car employees, who quickly prepared them for dinner patrons.