ST. LOUIS'S PASSENGER TRAINS

OF THE PAST

Intercity passenger trains serving St. Louis in 1942, 1956, and 1971 immediately prior to the creation of Amtrak.


THE STATIONS

The major stations serving St. Louis, during the golden age of passenger trains.

Union Station
1820 Market St.
Opened 1894

Number of station tracks: 32 stub
Interlocked switches controlled as follows:
Tower 1: controlled the immediate station area
Tower 2: controlled the west leg of the station wye
Tower 3: controlled the east leg of the station wye


ALTON RAILROAD/GULF MOBILE & OHIO

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 10  Midnight Special      Chicago        12:30
 12                        Springfield     7:45
  2  Abraham Lincoln       Chicago         8:58        8:58        8:58 am
  4  Alton Limited         Chicago        11:55       11:55        4:00 pm
  6  Prairie State Exp.    Chicago         2:45        9:50
 18  Ann Rutledge          Chicago         4:30        4:30
  8  Fast Mail             Chicago        11:45       11:45    6  10:30 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  5  Mail                  Chicago         1:20        3:15
  7  Fast Mail             Chicago         7:08        7:08    5   7:00 am
  9  Midnight Special      Chicago         7:43
 19  Ann Rutledge          Chicago         1:45        1:45
  1  Alton Limited         Chicago         5:15        4:50        4:43 pm
 11                        Chicago         5:45
  3  Abraham Lincoln       Chicago        10:00       10:00       10:40 pm


Passenger service retained by Amtrak in 1971.


MOBILE & OHIO/GULF MOBILE & OHIO

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  1  Rebel                 New Orleans    12:20 pm
 15  Gulf Coast Rebel      Mobile          6:15 pm     6:00 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 16  Gulf Coast Rebel      Mobile          7:40 am     8:15 am
  2  Rebel                 New Orleans     4:00 pm


Passenger service discontinued in 1959.

Between the late 1930's and early 1940's, the pre merger Mobile & Ohio and Gulf Mobile & Ohio trains instead terminated at Trendley Ave. in East St. Louis.


BALTIMORE & OHIO

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  2  National Limited      New York        9:30        9:45        9:55 am
  4  Diplomat              New York        1:25        1:25
 30                        Cincinnati      9:30        9:00
 12  Metropolitan Special  Washington     11:30       11:30


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 29                        Cumberland      5:30
 11  Metropolitan Special  Washington      7:35        7:40
  1  National Limited      New York        1:00        1:00        2:30 pm
  3  Diplomat              New York        4:20        3:50


Passenger service discontinued in 1971 with the creation of Amtrak.


BURLINGTON ROUTE

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 25  Night Hawk            Mexico MO      12:15 am
 47                        Rock Island     8:05 am     9:04 am
 43  Mark Twain Zephyr     Burlington      9:00 am     9:02 am
 33  Gen. Pershing Zephyr  Kansas City     2:00 pm
 15  Zephyr Rocket         Minneapolis     5:30 pm     5:00 pm
 17                        Quincy          8:20 pm
 51                        Savanna         9:50 pm
  1                        Burlington     11:45 pm    11:10 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  8  Zephyr Rocket         Minneapolis     7:00 am     7:35 am
 52                        Savanna         7:05 am
 16                        Quincy          7:40 am
 22  Night Hawk            Mexico MO       7:45 am
 12                        Burlington     12:55 pm     1:13 pm
 32  Gen. Pershing Zephyr  Kansas City     1:00 pm
 48                        Rock Island     5:00 pm     4:55 pm
 44  Mark Twain Zephyr     Burlington      9:45 am    10:08 pm


Passenger service discontinued in 1967.


CHICAGO & EASTERN ILLINOIS

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 24  Silent Knight         Chicago         12:25 am
 22  Zipper                Chicago          8:49 am


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 23  Silent Knight         Chicago         7:14 am
 21  Zipper                Chicago         5:10 pm


Passenger service discontinued in late 1940's.


ROCK ISLAND

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 23                        Kansas City     8:30 am


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 24                        Kansas City     5:50 pm


Passenger service discontinued in late 1940's.


ILLINOIS CENTRAL

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 18  Diamond               Chicago        12:05 am    11:20 pm
 50  Green Diamond         Chicago         8:55   22   9:00 am
253  City Of Miami         Carbondale     10:50  201   9:50 am
 20  Daylight              Chicago        11:55 am     4:45 pm
201  Creole                Carbondale      1:15 pm
255  Panama Limited        Carbondale      6:05  205   6:45 pm
 15  Chickasaw             Memphis        11:25 pm    11:17 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 17  Diamond               Chicago         7:20 am     7:00 am
 16  Chickasaw             Memphis         7:20 am     7:38 am
202  Creole                Carbondale      3:50 pm
 19  Daylight              Chicago         5:10 pm     4:00 pm
252  City Of Miami         Carbondale      6:15  208   4:57 pm
226                        Carbondale      9:05  202   9:00 pm
 51  Green Diamond         Chicago        10:10   21  10:15 pm


Passenger service discontinued in 1970.


LOUISVILLE & NASHVILLE

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 51                        Nashville       8:40 am
 93  Dixie Limited         Atlanta         3:45 pm     4:35   10   8:55 am
 53                        Nashville       9:35 pm
 55                        Evansville     10:50 pm    10:40 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 54                        Nashville       5:20 am
 56                        Evansville      7:45 am     8:20 am
 92  Dixie Limited         Atlanta        12:01 pm     3:45    5   4:30 pm
 52                        Nashville       4:50 pm


Passenger service discontinued in 1971 with the creation of Amtrak.


MISSOURI KANSAS TEXAS

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  5  Katy Flyer            Oklahoma City  11:55 pm    11:28 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  6  Katy Flyer            Oklahoma City   7:30 am     7:02 am


Passenger service discontinued in 1958.


MISSOURI PACIFIC

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  7  Southerner            San Antonio     2:00       12:45
  3  Ozarker               Texarkana       8:05
  5  Missouri River Eagle  Omaha           8:50        8:50   17   9:30 am
 33                        Kansas City     8:57
 11  Scenic Limited        Denver          1:45        4:00
 25  Texan                 Houston         2:00        2:00
 15  Royal Gorge           Pueblo          4:01        2:10        3:30 pm
 35                        Pacific MO      5:25        4:25
  1  Sunshine Special      Fort Worth      5:30        5:45        5:30 pm
 19  Sunflower             Wichita         5:40
615                        Marion IL       6:15
 17  Hot Springs Special   Texarkana      10:35   21   5:30
905                        Thebes IL      10:45
  9  Missourian            Kansas City    11:59       11:17


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 10  Missourian            Kansas City     7:10        6:50
906                        Thebes IL       7:12
 18  Hot Springs Special   Texarkana       7:55   32   7:50
 32                        Pacific MO      8:10   36   6:57
 20  Sunflower             Wichita         8:28
  2  Sunshine Special      El Paso         8:30        8:10        3:20 pm
336                        Marion IL      11:25
 26  Texan                 Houston        11:30   22   8:25
 12  Scenic Limited        Denver          1:15       12:01
  6  Missouri River Eagle  Omaha           5:40        5:40   16   5:10 pm
  4  Ozarker               Fort Worth      5:45        5:38
 34                        Kansas City     9:00
 14                        Kansas City     9:35       10:15       10:00 pm
  8  Southerner            San Antonio    11:15       11:00


Passenger service retained by Amtrak in 1971.

Later in 1942, the Scenic Limited was renamed the Colorado Eagle, upon reequipping with streamlined equipment. And after World War II, several trains were similarly reequipped and evolved into the Texas Eagle service, as trains 1-2 and 21-22.


NEW YORK CENTRAL

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 12  Southwestern Limited  New York        9:25        9:20
 24  Knickerbocker         New York       12:00       12:45
 38  Missourian            New York        6:00   40   6:00
434  Local                 Galion          9:30       11:30
446  Cleveland Special     Cleveland      11:32       10:30


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

431  St. Louis Special     Cleveland       7:10
427  Gateway               Cleveland       7:50        7:30
 41  Knickerbocker         New York       12:55       11:40
 23  Missourian            Cleveland       3:55
 11  Southwestern Limited  New York        4:58        3:45
407  St. Louis Special     Cleveland      10:58       10:40


Passenger service discontinued in 1968.


NICKEL PLATE ROAD

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 10                        Cleveland       5:40 pm     6:00 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  9                        Cleveland       7:48 am     6:48 am


Passenger service discontinued in 1959.


PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  6  Allegheny             Pittsburgh     12:27       11:30 pm
 66  American              New York        9:12    4  10:00       10:30 am
 30  Spirit Of St. Louis   New York       12:00       12:40
 64  Jeffersonian          New York       12:10
 26                        Pittsburgh      4:00
102  Pennsylvania Limited  Pittsburgh      6:00   32   6:00        4:45 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 13                        New York        5:20   11  10:20   13  10:45 pm
 33  St. Louisan           New York        8:40        7:00
 31  Spirit Of St. Louis   New York        1:10        1:05        1:50 am
 65  Jeffersonian          New York        1:25
 27                        Pittsburgh      3:25
 67  American              New York        4:45    3   3:10
 11                        Columbus       11:00


Passenger service initially retained by Amtrak in 1971, basically trains 4 and 31 the Spirit Of St. Louis at the time.


ST. LOUIS SAN FRANCISCO

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  5  General Wood          Newburg         8:30        8:30
807                        Memphis         8:55        8:40
  7  Bluebonnet            Dallas          1:55
  1  Texas Special         San Antonio     5:30        5:40
  9  Meteor                Oklahoma City   6:30        7:00
805  Memphian              Memphis        11:20       11:15
  3  Will Rogers           Oklahoma City  11:57       10:50


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  4  Will Rogers           Tulsa          12:15        7:30
806  Memphian              Memphis         7:30        7:37
 10  Meteor                Oklahoma City   8:10        7:45
  2  Texas Special         San Antonio     8:30        8:00
  8  Bluebonnet            Dallas         11:30
808                        Memphis         3:45        3:35
  6  General Wood          Newburg         5:10        4:15


Passenger service discontinued in 1967.


ST. LOUIS SOUTHWESTERN

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  5  Morning Star          Brinkley       10:45    7  10:35 pm


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  6  Morning Star          Brinkley        7:12    8   7:25 am


Passenger service discontinued in 1959.

In 1958, St. Louis Southwestern began terminating trains in East St. Louis.


SOUTHERN RAILWAY

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 23                        Danville KY     8:15 am


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 24                        Danville KY     6:55 pm


Passenger service discontinued in 1952.


WABASH

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 17  Midnight Limited      Kansas City    12:05       11:20
 18  Midnight              Chicago        12:20       11:30
  3  Kansas City Express   Kansas City     9:05        8:45
  4  Detroit Special       Detroit         9:15        9:05  304   9:30 am
 10  Banner Blue           Chicago        12:00        2:00
  9  Pacific Coast Ltd.    Kansas City     1:50        4:15
 24  Blue Bird             Chicago         4:45        8:55 am
  2  Detroit Limited       Detroit         6:28        6:40
 11  Omaha Limited         Omaha           8:00        8:00


Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 17  Midnight              Chicago         7:25        6:55
 18  Midnight Limited      Kansas City     7:30        7:35
  3  St. Louis Limited     Detroit         8:15        7:30
 14  St. Louis Limited     Omaha           8:23        9:00
  2  Pacific Coast Ltd.    Kansas City     2:15   10  12:29
 11  Banner Blue           Chicago         5:10        4:59
  1  St. Louis Special     Detroit         6:50        4:25  301   4:20 pm
 21  Blue Bird             Chicago        10:18        9:50
 12  St. Louis Special     Kansas City    10:20        9:45


Passenger service discontinued in 1971 with the creation of Amtrak, last train was the Wabash Cannonball.

Trains 9-10, the City of St. Louis, replaced the Pacific Coast Limited in 1947. The City of St. Louis operated via Union Pacific west of Kansas City. In later years, trains 1 and 4, later trains 301 and 304, carried their more famous name, the Wabash Cannonball.


STATIONS TODAY

Amtrak trains served Union Station until 1978. The replacement station at 550 S. 16th St. was intended to be temporary, but a new "permanent" Amtrak station was not completed until 2008.

St. Louis Union Station
Link to an official Web site, showing how this great old station has been preserved and transformed for other uses.

St. Louis Union Station (Wikipedia)
Link to a Web site containing further historical information on St. Louis Union Station.

St. Louis also had two interesting neighborhood stations. At Washington Avenue east of the Mississippi River was a two level station more convenient for certain downtown St. Louis locations. This station was along both the Eads Bridge and Merchants Bridge routes, and part of the station has been incorporated into the Laclede's Landing light rail stop. The Eads Bridge is pictured, the light rail station and former Eads Bridge passenger route is at the level with smaller arches. While the trestle carrying the Merchants Bridge route is visible, passing underneath the Eads Bridge route.

The Delmar Blvd. station was located along the Wabash route. That building remains standing, but is not part of the light rail line now using the Wabash right of way. A light rail station is behind the old station building, buses are seen traveling to and from the light rail station for connections.

In addition, located in East St. Louis at 14 Missouri Ave. was the Relay Depot. This station primarily served railroads crossing into Illinois via the Eads Bridge.


MAPPING THE STATIONS AND RAILROADS

Links to locations of past and present stations and railroads, using Google Maps. Satellite views are also available.