TULSA'S PASSENGER TRAINS

OF THE PAST

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

THE STATIONS

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

Union Station
111 E. 1st St.
Opened 1931, consolidating 3 earlier stations

SANTA FE

Departures



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

212  Tulsan                Kansas City     8:40 am     7:05 am     7:15 am
 50  Oil Flyer             Kansas City     3:30   48   2:15 pm
Arrivals



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

 47  Oil Flyer             Kansas City     5:30 am     9:35 am
211  Tulsan                Kansas City    10:10 pm    10:25 pm    11:00 pm
Passenger service discontinued in 1971 with the creation of Amtrak, last train was the Tulsan.

In 1959, Santa Fe began terminating trains a short distance east, at 111 S. Elgin St.

ST. LOUIS SAN FRANCISCO

Departures



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

  9  Meteor                Oklahoma City   6:00        5:30
609  Rail Motor            Vernon          7:00        8:30
509  Rail Motor            Ada             7:15
  3  Will Rogers           Oklahoma City  10:45       10:15
117  Firefly               Oklahoma City   1:50
118  Firefly               Kansas City     2:20        1:30
  4  Will Rogers           St. Louis       2:25        7:25
 10  Meteor                St. Louis       8:25        9:45
507  Black Gold            Denison        10:25  517  10:40
112  Oklahoman             Kansas City    11:30       11:00
Arrivals



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

  9  Meteor                St. Louis       5:25        5:00
111  Oklahoman             Kansas City     5:45        7:00
504  Black Gold            Denison         8:00  518   6:55
  3  Will Rogers           St. Louis      10:30        9:55
 14  Will Rogers           Oklahoma City  11:59    4   6:55 pm
117  Firefly               Kansas City     1:43        2:10
118  Firefly               Oklahoma City   2:13
510  Rail Motor            Ada             7:30
610  Rail Motor            Vernon          7:35  604   6:35
 10  Meteor                Oklahoma City   8:05        9:25
Passenger service discontinued in 1967.

MISSOURI KANSAS TEXAS

Departures



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

 54  (mixed train)         Osage          12:45   64   9:45 pm
 57  (mixed train)         Muskogee        4:45   65   7:55 am
Arrivals



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

 54  (mixed train)         Muskogee        9:10   64   9:35 pm
 57  (mixed train)         Osage           4:40   65   7:45 am
Passenger service discontinued in 1957.

Until 1934, also operating into Tulsa was Midland Valley Railroad, using its own separate station.

STATIONS TODAY

Tulsa Union Station was last used by passenger trains in 1967. The building still stands, and is occupied by various businesses.

MAPPING THE STATIONS AND RAILROADS

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

The St. Louis San Francisco main line between St. Louis and Oklahoma City was the main railroad through Tulsa, using Union Station. Two additional SLSF lines served Tulsa. At Cherokee Yard, 3 miles southwest, the SLSF Perry Subdivision diverged west to Enid. And at Sapulpa, 14 miles southwest, the Creek Subdivision diverged south towards Texas. Tulsa Tower was 1/2 mile northeast of Union Station, and was where Santa Fe and Missouri Kansas Texas connected with the SLSF trackage. Santa Fe operated a line north to Kansas City, while MKT operated a branch between Muskogee and Osage.