Twin Cities 400

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.

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.

Route

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.

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.

ee also

*Hiawatha (passenger train)

References

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