Exactly how a railroad which served Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City could go bankrupt in the midst of World War II and its record traffic levels escapes me, but the Chicago & Alton somehow managed the feat. That financial crisis proved to be the opportunity for the final step in the growth of Isaac B. Tigrett's Gulf, Mobile & Northern—once two streaks of rust serving the poorest counties of the poorest states of the Union—into the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio; a prosperous system stretching from Chicago to the Gulf Coast.

G. M. & O. would maintain the Alton's passenger service; indeed, after passenger service on their lightly populated line south of St. Louis was ended in the late 1950s the former Alton route would host the only varnish left on the railroad up until the coming of Amtrak. Both of the trains shown on this timetable were streamliner pioneers; the Ann Rutledge trainset having originally been built by American Car & Foundry as the Royal Blue of 1935 before being sent west when B. & O. turned to modernized heavyweight equipment while the Abraham Lincoln equipment would serve on this route under that name from 1935 well into the 1960s.

From the pages of the Official Guide, August 1950

Gulf, Mobile & Ohio RR wings herald

The Abraham Lincoln
The Ann Rutledge

Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad
April, 1950

19 3 Train Number 2 18
Daily Daily Miles Services Daily Daily
8 25A 4 50P Dp 0.0 Chicago, IL (Union Sta.) (CT) C Ar 2 08P 9 40P
9 05A F 5 30P 37.2 Joliet, IL C D 1 19P D 8 50P
9 41A 73.6 Dwight, IL C
10 02A 91.9 Pontiac, IL C
10 41A 6 57P 126.6 Bloomington, IL C 11 51A 7 23P
11 10A F 7 26P 156.4 Lincoln, IL C F11 14A F 6 48P
11 45A 7 59P 185.1 Springfield, IL C 10 48A 6 21P
D12 23P 223.8 Carlinville, IL C
12 55P 9 07P 257.0 Alton, IL C 9 38A 5 10P
D 9 30P 274.9 Granite City, IL C F 4 52P
1 35P 9 49P St. Louis, MO (Wash. Ave.) 9 06A 4 38P
1 45P 10 00P Ar 283.9 St. Louis, MO (Union Sta.) (CT) C Dp 8 58A 4 30P

Train 3: 7 stops, 5:10, 54.9 MPHTrain 19: 9 stops, 5:20, 53.2 MPH

Train 2: 6 stops, 5:10, 54.9 MPHTrain 18: 7 stops, 5:10, 54.9 MPH

DAILY THROUGH SLEEPING CAR SERVICE
3 Train Number (Gulf Mobile & Ohio) 8
4 50P Chicago, IL (CT) 7 00A
10 00P St. Louis, MO 11 45P
7 Connecting Train Number (Missouri Pacific) 8
12 45A St. Louis, MO 11 00P
10 30A Little Rock, AR 3 20P
12 45P Hot Springs, AR 1 45P

DAILY THROUGH SLEEPING CAR SERVICE
3 Train Number (Gulf Mobile & Ohio) 2
4 50P Chicago, IL (CT) 2 08P
10 00P St. Louis, MO 8 58A
3 Connecting Train Number (Frisco Lines) 10
11 20P St. Louis, MO 7 45A
10 00A Tulsa, OK 9 45P
1 30P Oklahoma City, OK 7 00P

NEW THROUGH SLEEPING CAR SERVICE BETWEEN CHICAGO AND MOBILE

1 Train Number (Gulf Mobile & Ohio) 2
11 45A Chicago, IL (Union Sta.) (CT) 2 08P
4 55P St. Louis, MO (Union Sta.) 8 58A
15 Connecting Train Number (Gulf Mobile & Ohio) 16
6 05P St. Louis, MO (Union Sta.) 8 05A
6 23P East St. Louis, IL (Relay Sta.) 7 35A
9 52P North Cairo, IL 3 40A
12 20A Jackson, TN 1 10A
4 28A Artesia, MS 8 55P
7 18A Tuscaloosa, AL 6 05P
10 34A Montgomery, AL (Union Sta.) 2 55P
6 30A Meridian, MS 7 00P
10 15A Mobile, AL (Terminal Sta.) (CT) 3 30P

Through sleeping car service all the way between Chicago and Mobile with no change for Pullman passengers at St. Louis, Southbound Train 1-15, Northbound Train 16-2. Hospitable hostessess . . . smooth diesel power . . . cool, clear air-conditioning. You will appreciate the convenience and comfort of this fine new service.

Passengers to or from Montgomery may use the through sleeping car service, making convenient car-to-car transfer en route. Southbound, arrival at Montgomery is at 10 34 a.m. Northbound, departure from Montgomery is at 2 55 p.m. (Chicago and St. Louis arrivals and departure are as shown.)

NOTE on Trains 18 and 19: Only through baggage handled between Chicago and St. Louis.

BOTH THE ANN RUTLEDGE AND THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN ARE STREAMLINED.

GULF, MOBILE AND OHIO R.R.
"THE ALTON ROUTE"

EQUIPMENT

All Parlor Cars Trains 1-2-3-4-18 and 19 are owned and operated by the G. M. & O. R.R.
All Gulf Mobile & Ohio—"The Alton Route" Trains are Air-Conditioned and Diesel-Electric Powered.

Southbound.

TRAIN 3—THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Chicago to St. Louis.

Observation Lounge (20).

Parlor Cars with Drawing-room (21,22).

Cocktail Lounge for Parlor Car passengers.

Dining Car.

Reclining Seat Coaches.

Cocktail Lounge for Coach passengers.

Chicago to Hot Springs.

14 Roomettes, 1 Drawing-room, 2 Double Bedrooms Sleeping Car (71) in Mo. Pac. 7 from St. Louis.

Chicago to Oklahoma City.

4 Double Bedrooms 14 Roomettes Sleeping Car (35) (in Frisco "Will Rogers" from St. Louis).

Hostess Service.


TRAIN 19—THE ANN RUTLEDGE

Chicago to St. Louis.

Observation Lounge (30).

Parlor Cars with Drawing-rooms (31, 32, 33).

Cocktail Lounge for Parlor Car passengers.

Dining Car.

Reclining Seat Coaches.

Cocktail Lounge for Coach passengers.

Hostess Service.


Northbound.

TRAIN 2—THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN

St. Louis to Chicago.

Observation Lounge (20).

Parlor Cars with Drawing-room (21,22).

Cocktail Lounge for Parlor Car passengers.

Dining Car.

Reclining Seat Coaches.

Cocktail Lounge for Coach passengers.

Mobile to Chicago.

Open Section Drawing-room Double Bedrooms Sleeping Car (2).

Oklahoma City to Chicago.

4 Double Bedrooms, 14 Roomettes Sleeping Car (105). Arrives St. Louis Frisco "Meteor."

Hostess Service.


TRAIN 18—THE ANN RUTLEDGE

St. Louis to Chicago.

Observation Lounge (30).

Parlor Cars with Drawing-rooms (31, 32, 33).

Cocktail Lounge for Parlor Car passengers.

Dining Car.

Reclining Seat Coaches.

Cocktail Lounge for Coach passengers.

Hostess Service.

StreamlinerSchedules.com

Back to The Station

Back to The Concourse

Back to Track 4


LEGEND

Time:

A - A.M.

D - Train stops only to discharge passengers

F - Conditional (Flag) stop

N - Not a passenger stop

P - P.M.

R - Train stops only to receive passengers


Services:

A - Auto loading/unloading facilities (as freight)

B - Checked baggage is handled

C - Coupon station (Ticket office)

M - Meal stop

P - Telephone station

R - Rental cars available

T - Telegraph station

X - Checked baggage NOT handled

Jump to Next Train