Flambeau 400

Flambeau 400

A C&NW F-7(A) number 4087-A, and its train of five Bi-Level, gallery cars, are at the Green Bay C&NW station in August 1969.
Overview
Type Inter-city rail
System Chicago and North Western Railway
Status Discontinued
Locale Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan
Termini Chicago, Illinois
Ashland, Wisconsin, Ironwood, Michigan, and Watersmeet, Michigan
Train number(s) 153, 216
Operation
Opened Flambeau June 21, 1935 / Flambeau 400, May 26, 1950
Closed May 1, 1971
Owner Chicago and North Western Railway
Operator(s) Chicago and North Western Railway
Technical
Line length 452-mile (727 km)
Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed Max 90 mph, between Chicago and Green Bay, average speed 50 mph
Route map
Legend
 428 Ashland
 406.4 Saxon
 395 Hurley
394 Ironwood
Montreal River
Wisconsin/Michigan border
374.7 Mercer
 359.1 Lac du Flambeau
 349 Wooddruff
 Minocqua Lake
 341.3 Lake Tomahawk
 326.4 Rhinelander
363.2 Watersmeet(Service ended 1965)
Wisconsin/Michigan border
355.6 Land O' Lakes(Service ended 1965)
348 Conover(Service ended 1965)
338.5 Eagle River(Service ended 1965)
333.3 Clearwater Lake(Service ended 1965)
329.2 Three Lakes(Service ended 1965)
313 Monico
 308 Pelican Lake
 305 Elcho
 301.2 Summit Lake
 284.6 Antigo
 266 Eland
 Wolf River
 236.9 Shawano
 218.4 Pulaski
Peninsula 400(to Oconto, Wisconsin)
 203 Green Bay
 177.7 Appleton
 172.6 Neenah - Menasha
 160 Oshkosh
 Fox River
 142.8 Fond Du Lac
 115 West Bend
180.2 Denmark(Service ended 1968)
160.4 Manitowoc(Service ended 1968)
147.5 Cleveland(Service ended 1968)
136 Sheboygan(Service ended 1968)
126.4 Oostburg(Service ended 1968)
122.5 Cedar Grove(Service ended 1968)
109.5 Port Washington(Service ended 1968)
85 Milwaukee (C&NW Lakefront)
 Kinnickinnic River
 61.9 Racine
 51.6 Kenosha
 KD Line (to Rockford)
 Wisconsin/Illinois border
 35.9 Waukegan
 12 Evanston
 Chicago River (north branch)
Minnesota 400
to Madison
 Milwaukee Road (Hiawatha from Union Station)
 0 Chicago (C&NW Terminal)

The Flambeau 400 was a streamlined passenger train operated by the Chicago and North Western Railway between Chicago, Illinois, and Ashland, Wisconsin, via Green Bay, Wisconsin. It was originally a special service in the summer time.

History

The Flambeau transported the new American middle class to their new leisure time in the North Woods of Wisconsin. Starting in 1935, the earlier trains were called the Flambeau, which operated on basically the same tracks as later trains did, except it skips Green Bay and runs through Hortonville to Eland, which by 1937 was switched to run through Green Bay. In July 1949 the Flambeau was inter-graded with the Shoreland 400 and the Valley 400 Between Chicago and Green Bay, past Green Bay they would be independent trains. Therefore, the northbound trains would go via Fond du Lac, and southbound would go via Manitowoc.

Then Starting in 1950 It received the new name, Flambeau 400, The train drew its name from the C&NW's popular Twin Cities 400, so-named for making the 400-mile (644 km) run from Chicago to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 400 minutes, and Flambeau, the French word for a torch.[1]:148[2]:40 Later the Flambeau 400 and Peninsula 400 received bilevel equipment in 1958.[2]:42 Serving the north woods of Wisconsin it saw heavy tourist traffic, But by May 1968, it was losing thousands of dollars for the Northwestern, so in 1969 the Flambeau became an unnamed Chicago and Green Bay train with seasonal service to Ashland.

The last Flambeau rolled out of the North Woods on January 5, 1971, Amtrak did not include Green Bay and Ashland in its initial route structure and the service ended May 1, 1971.[3]

Equipment

The consist varied over the years and by seasonal demand. The number of cars varied between ten and two. Trains may have had a coach-lounge instead of a diner, and some trains had neither. Until 1958 the train used heavy weight 56-seat single level coaches, when in 1958 the order of new gallery cars came. The train also feature a dining car that had a false top to match the gallery cars, the dining cars were dropped at Green Bay. The motive power in the early years by R-1 "Ten-wheeler"'s on the Watersmeet branch, and E-2-a Pacifics every where else. But by the early 50's late 40's it switch to E-8's and F-7's. Usually there would be two units, and at Green Bay, one would be dropped for the return Flambeau, along with the diner cars.

References

  1. ↑ Schafer, Mike; Joe Welsh (2002). Streamliners: History of a Railroad Icon. Saint Paul, MN: MBI. ISBN 0-7603-1371-7. OCLC 51069308.
  2. 1 2 Schafer, Mike (1996). Classic American Railroads. Saint Paul, MN: MBI. ISBN 9780760302392. OCLC 768619768.
  3. ↑ Craig Sanders (September 16, 1996). "Routes and Trains on the Eve of Amtrak". Retrieved 2009-10-18.
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