The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-07-24
PR0GR ESS'Ic
SHOWN IN CUT
OF TRAIN TIME
Northern Pacific and Other
Roads to Inaugurate Cuts
in Train Time
BY A. B. Smith
Passenger Traffic Manager
Northern Pacific Railway

Northern Pacific Railway
The fabric of understanding and
friendly contact among states Of the
Northwest will be closer knitted on
July 20 when four railroad systems
the Northern Pacific, Union Pacific,
Great Northern and Chicago, Milwau-
kee & St. Paul-inaugurate faster
running schedules for transcontincn-
tai trains.
Thirty years ago eastern and cen
trail states people thought of Seat
tie, Tacoma and Portland and the en-
tire North Pacific Coast country DIS
somewhere we'll outside their lives,
their fortunes, their business, their
interest. It was a long, hard jour
ney of 90 hours or so from Chicago
to Seattle by the best of passenger
trains. Oregon, Washington, Idaho,
Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota and
other Northwestern states were we'll
removed from each other by trans
portation limitations and by time.
July 20, 1923 is day when trans
portation history will be made. On
that day the once formidable 80
hours of passenger time separating
North Pacific Coast ports from Chi.
cago will have been cut to 20 hours.
From that day on, faster train SER
vice will bring closer association
among states in the Northwest and
among their people.
There are many reasons for closer
association between northwestern
states and other states of this union,
among them being the fact that east
ern and central United States depend
largely upon the Northwest today for
raw materials and supplies of many
kinds-lumber, live stock, copper. sill
yer, gold, zinc, fruit, agricultural pro-
ducts, fish, poultry, etc. And, i'm re-
turn, the Northwest is requiring ever
increasing quantities of manufactur-
ed goods. Faster train time will con-
tribute to increase of commercial ex-
changes and will make contacts cas-
Ter, quicker, more frequent.
The first through passenger SER
vice from Chicago to North Coast
cities was in 1891. Northern Pacific
trains were. proud to handle this pion-
ecr travel in from IS to 30 hours.
When schedule Of q bours was fin
ally reached it was 'feit that the de-
mands of modern time were fully
met. But this fast operation nav will
become even faster, made possi6le
by advancing transportation facili 4
ties-equipment and+road bedsa the
operating leadership to take advan-
tage of these factors.
And the faster transcontinental
schedule will be safe! The Northern
Pacific Railway, for example, is com
Rleting this year the protection of
all of its main line between st. Paul
and Minneapolis and Seattle through
the installation Of electric autom6tic
block signals. Two short stretches
of track only are excepted in this
installation, the short mileage be-
tween Little Falls. Minnesota and
Staples, Minnesota and another
stretch between Tacoma, Washington
and Tenino, Washington. Altogether
the. Northern Pacific has more than
26OO miles of right of way safeguard
ed by automatic block signals. The
cost has been more than five million
dollars. The steel trains have made
travel much safer heretofore and it
is interesting to note that in the last
seven years the Northern Pacific has
carried sixty million people safely
without single fatal accident among
its passengers.
The new schedule of the North
Coast Limited between eastern and
western terminals beginning July 20,
provides for departure from Chi
cago, westbopnd, at 1886 A. M. and
from St. Paul at 1855 p. M. and
from Minneapolis at 1925 P. M. On
the eastbound schedule the North
Coast Limited will leave Portland,
Tacoma and Seattle at the same hour
$3.50 A. M and Spokane at 1880 2.
M. The schedule in both directions
will be 20 hours of running time.