290610 - Topic: Inauguration of the Empire Builder train

Of all the 104 total episodes of Empire Builders, only three can be described as something quite removed from the categories of drama, musical, or variety. The first broadcast, which heralded the opening of the New Cascade Tunnel (Episode 290112) and the performance of the Portland Symphony Orchestra (Episode 290211) stand with this broadcast as those exceptions. Likewise, there are but two exceptions to the standard airing time of 30 minutes: Episodes 290112 and 290610. The Great Northern Railway used the platform of its coast-to-coast radio advertising program to call attention to a pair of the company’s most monumental developments of the decade.

The digging of the Cascade Tunnel was a 3-year project, culminating in vast improvements in speed and efficiency for hauling freight and passengers across the Cascade Mountain range. The next big development for the railroad was introducing a new first-class train to draw more discerning patrons and shine a glowing light of high quality on the railroad as a whole. All the northern transcontinental railroads serving the Pacific Northwest in the late 1920’s (there were really only three to speak of: the GN, the Northern Pacific, and the Milwaukee Road) all scrambled to shorten the travel time between the coast cities of Portland and Seattle and the inland commerce hub of Chicago. The fledgling airline industry was still not an imminent threat to compete for passengers over such a distance, but this threat would not be long in becoming viable and very real.

For weeks prior to the unveiling of the Empire Builder train, the Great Northern Railway spread the word that its new varnish would soon be traveling the span between Chicago and the coast with such speed as to “save a business day.” This was very big news to many businessmen in those days – very big indeed. The route was structured so as to operate trains westbound out of Chicago as trains simultaneously operated eastbound out of Portland and Seattle. The Portland section would meet up with the Seattle section at Spokane, where they would be consolidated as one train for the remainder of the trip to Chicago. In the same fashion, the westbound Empire Builder split at Spokane, with sections continuing to Seattle and Portland. When you consider the “chicken and the egg” scenario as it applies here, it is easy to understand that the new service was not inaugurated at all until complete train sets were positioned at both ends of the route. This, too, was an advertising opportunity in itself. The trains were put out on static display, and local citizens were encouraged to come out and see the lovely new passenger cars for themselves.

The basic mainline route of the Great Northern Railway was between the Twin Cities of Minnesota (Minneapolis and St. Paul) and the coastal cities of Seattle and Portland, with several vital branches and trunk lines. You’ll notice (if you weren’t already aware) there is no mention here of Chicago. So the obvious question is, why would the Great Northern start up a new high-class passenger service that connected Chicago with the west coast, if they didn’t even operate trains in and out of Chicago? If it’s true that the Twin Cities location was basically the eastern-most extent of the GN mainline, what’s up with bringing Chicago into the mix? How did GN trains operate between Chicago and the Twin Cities?

Well, that can be a longer story than you might imagine, but to be brief, the GN had a “close” business association with the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad (a.k.a., the CB&Q, the Burlington, the “Q”, the Burlington Route, etc.). In fact, the “Burlington” in the company’s name is the same Burlington that paired up with the “Northern” in the GN and the NP names to form Burlington Northern in 1970. But that’s another story for another blog. In any event, the answer to bridging the apparent gap between Chicago and the Twin Cities lies in that close business relationship. It was the CB&Q that actually operated the Empire Builder trains between those points – not just on the introduction of the new service, but from 1929 until 1970, when the Great Northern Railway morphed into the Burlington Northern (with the “Q” as one of those companies that merged together).

So now we’re back to the inauguration of a new passenger service that will depart Chicago westbound and two locations – Seattle and Portland – eastbound. From whence will the first train depart? Chicago? Seattle? Portland? Perhaps simultaneously from all three? Simple answer: Chicago.

Many enthusiasts of the Great Northern Railway and/or the Empire Builder passenger service (myself included) have for many years now considered June 11, 1929, as the start of this notable train. Aside from a few service setbacks, this passenger train has operated continuously (if not daily, throughout its entire history) since 1929. In fact, Amtrak has now been operating a passenger route under this name for more years than it was operated under the GN. Ten years ago, I participated in a sizable observance of the 75^th anniversary of the Empire Builder train.

 

 

As a member and representative of the Great Northern Railway Historical Society, I designed a commemorative pinback button to share with train riders and other enthusiasts on that occasion. I also edited and did the layout for a brochure that Amtrak partnered with and which was included in a bag of treats presented to everyone riding the Empire Builder on its 75^th anniversary. The date on which we celebrated 75 years of service of the Empire Builder was June 11, 2004. We were, technically, a day late. [but in our defense, the brochure I helped to produce did point this out]

Back in 1929, the two Empire Builder train sets from the west coast did not depart Portland and Seattle until June 11, which was a Tuesday. However, the westbound Empire Builder departed Chicago on the night of Monday, June 10. Now, if you’re reading this blog (and sometimes I really do wonder if anyone does…. Hellooooo…  J ), you must have already sorted out what is significant about Mondays in the context of the Great Northern Railway, circa 1929. Oh yes, the company’s radio advertising campaign.

So now we have the GN promoting the biggest deal, like, ever, in the history of their company’s already stellar passenger service, and by this time they have a well-established and well-received radio program (heard by millions of listeners, coast-to-coast) on Monday nights. No, the first departure of the Empire Builder train did not occur on a Tuesday (which would have been June 11, 1929) – it was a Monday (June 10), and it was the feature and entire focus of the one-hour long June 10 broadcast of Empire Builders.

As for the confusion among us historians and GN enthusiasts, there is a logical and very supportable distinction about these competing dates. None of us went completely batty and jumped on the wrong date arbitrarily. Remember, this was a Great Northern train, and GN territory didn’t extend any further east than the Twin Cities, corporate headquarters of the GN. Although the Empire Builder train did depart Chicago on the night of Monday, June 10, 1929, it did not enter Great Northern territory (and hence begin operation completely in the hands of Great Northern train crews and other employees) until it travelled 430 miles and reached St. Paul the next morning. Throughout its 81-year corporate history, the Great Northern Railway conducted executive-level business at its corporate headquarters in the city of St. Paul, Minnesota. Passenger timetables issued to advertise routes and schedules were limited to those train miles where the GN actually operated their own trains. So despite the arrangements made with the CB&Q to bridge the gap between Chicago and the Twin Cities (or more precisely, St. Paul), the Empire Builder train was only operated by the GN between the coast on the west end and St. Paul on the east end of the line. The GN’s passenger timetable issued to coincide with the inauguration of the new Empire Builder train service was issued with an effective date of June 11, 1929. It was on the morning of Tuesday, June 11, 1929, that the westbound Empire Builder train arrived in St. Paul from Chicago and actually began operation as a GN train. In the meantime, Empire Builder trains departing eastbound out of Portland and Seattle did not depart until all the hoopla on the east end of the line died down – it was later in the afternoon of June 11 that these trains began operation. I know, kinda long winded, but now you have it.

Cover of Great Northern Railway passenger timetable, effective on the day the GN began operation of the Empire Builder train. Author's collection.

I think it was a defensible position to say the Great Northern Railway began operation of the Empire Builder train on June 11, 1929, but for the sake of historical accuracy, I would say we have to massage that a little and say the Empire Builder train has been operating since June 10, 1929. Even longer than most of us ever imagined – by the margin of, well, just about a business day.

On the occasion of the inauguration of the Empire Builder train, the GN already had a workable template in place for the construct of a commemorative radio broadcast: the opening and dedication of the New Cascade Tunnel. By contrast, though, the announcement of a new premier passenger train promised to be a little more enticing attraction than the declaration that trains would begin rolling into a big hole in the ground.

You can download a PDF of this entire vintage booklet from the web site of Randal O'Toole - Streamlinermemories. Here's the link: http://streamlinermemories.info/?p=4311

The static display of the Empire Builder train at Chicago Union Station was contrasted against the earliest motive power on the railroad, the Great Northern’s very first locomotive, the William Crooks. For the evening’s broadcast, NBC microphones were set up at numerous locations. A booth was constructed near the locomotive and a microphone was placed there. Another was set up near the observation car at the rear of the train. Yet another was set out near the tracks, at the railyard about 2.5 miles southwest of Union Station. This latter microphone would be used to capture the sound of the Empire Builder roaring by as it began its 2,200 mile journey to the coast.

Newspaper ad announcing the new train in Chicago. Author's collection.

The GN once again enlisted the services of the preeminent radio announcer Graham McNamee, who was featured on the initial Empire Builders broadcast dedicating the Cascade Tunnel. McNamee joined the Old Timer (actor Harvey Hays) in providing the running narrative throughout the one-hour broadcast. Popular musical performers were also featured. The GN attempted to line up operatic baritone John Charles Thomas, but he was not available for the broadcast. In his place, another noted operatic baritone was obtained – Reinald Werrenrath.

Baritone Reinald Werrenrath at the microphone. Author's collection.

The show went on the air at 9:30 pm in Chicago. McNamee and the Old Timer took turns talking about the marvelous appointments of “the last word in transcontinental travel.” McNamee briefly put the engineer and the conductor on the radio, then walked the length of the train to comment on all the fine details – “noting especially the radio equipment” located in the observation car.

Werrenrath sang a couple of songs, one of which was listed simply as “Mandalay”, but I believe that it was “The Road to Mandalay.” Here’s a recording of him singing it on Youtube: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oAcQOTCZ6I).

 

Another singer on the program was Obed “Dad” Pickard, a popular radio performer who would continue to appear sporadically on future broadcasts. One of Pickard’s songs on the broadcast was the thematically appropriate if not highly predictable “Little Red Caboose Behind the Train.” You can hear a 1929 recording of the song performed by Dad and the whole Pickard family at this link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEiTGz0ftwk .

Then of course there were the obligatory speeches.  The radio audience heard from the vice-president of Operations of the GN, Mr. C.O. Jenks. They also heard some laudatory remarks about the train service from the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Robert P. Lamont, who was speaking from the Nation’s capital. The Colonel concluded his statement by pressing a key that caused the striking of a gong in Chicago at the train station. This was the signal for the first Empire Builder train to depart Chicago for the coast. This occurred at 10:09pm, Chicago time (CDT). As the train approached McNamee’s post out in the rail yard, the announcer signaled the production crew by wire and the broadcast jumped to him. McNamee then alerted the radio audience to the approach of the Empire Builder on its “first flight.” The veteran announcer stated this was perhaps the first time a train (not to be outdone by the Cascade Tunnel) ever broadcast itself.

The Empire Builder train has clearly outlasted the 2 ½ year run of the Empire Builders radio show, but today (June 10, 2014) marks an 85^th anniversary for them both.

If you have never travelled on the Empire Builder train, you still can. And you certainly should. Check it out here: http://www.amtrak.com/empire-builder-train or just call Julie at 1-800-USA-RAIL. She’ll set you up.