Twin Cities 400
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 400 (later named the Twin Cities 400) was a named passenger train operated by Chicago and North Western between Chicago and Saint Paul, with a final stop in Minneapolis. So named for traveling the 400 miles between the cities in 400 minutes, the train was inaugurated in January 1935. At its inception, Time dubbed the 400, "the fastest train scheduled on the American Continent, fastest in all the world on a stretch over 200 mi."
CNW eventually renamed the first 400 to the Twin Cities 400 as the CNW stuck almost all of its passenger trains with the 400 moniker, including the Flambeau 400, Rochester 400, and the Kate Shelley 400. CNW ceased running the Twin Cities 400 in 1963, and all intercity passenger service on CNW ended with the formation of Amtrak in 1971.
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[edit] Equipment
The 400 was notable in that it originally ran with rebuilt or upgraded, rather than new equipment. This stood in stark comparison to the Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha and the Burlington Zephyrs, each of which first ran with brand new locomotives and cars.
C&NW updated the train in 1939 with a pair of EMD E3A locomotives and lightweight streamlined passenger cars.
[edit] Route
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The train originated at the Chicago and North Western Terminal (now the Ogilvie Transportation Center) on Madison Street in Chicago. It ran to Milwaukee on the lakefront commuter line and stopped at the Lakefront station on Wisconsin Avenue. It ran to Wyeville, Wisconsin where it followed the Omaha Road route to St. Paul. It terminated at Saint Paul Union Depot, with a short run to the Minneapolis Great Northern Depot over the Stone Arch Bridge.
[edit] Name
"The Four Hundred Club" is a phrase meaning the wealthiest, most famous, or most powerful social group. This name leding to the generation of such lists as the Forbes 400. This was part of the inspiration for the name.
Along the route of the Twin Cities 400, there were a number of bars titled "400 Club", paying homage to the train and the social status.
[edit] References
- 400. Time Magazine Archive. Retrieved on March 8, 2007.
- Chicago and North Western: A Capsule History. Chicago and North Western Historical Society. Retrieved on March 8, 2007.
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