Unlike the Northern Pacific, Union Pacific, and many other railroads, the Great Northern never celebrated a centennial as it was formally created in 1889 and merged into the Burlington Northern in 1970, a mere youngster of 81. However, its predecessor, … Continue reading
The timing isn’t exactly right, but the style of the cover painting on this annual report looks similar to the paintings used in some of Great Northern’s 1965 advertisements. Unfortunately, the report doesn’t give us any clue about who the … Continue reading
Great Northern saw a decline in freight revenues but an increase in passenger revenues in 1961. Grain was and always had been Great Northern’s most important commodity, and a poor harvest in 1961 was responsible for most of the drop … Continue reading
The 1960 annual report represents a departure from previous reports in several ways. First, it is a bit smaller, being closer to 8-1/2-by-11 inches than the 9-by-12 format that had been used since 1940. Second, it has given up all … Continue reading
This is one of a series what I call “tiny brochures.” Postcard-sized when folded up, this one unfolds to slightly larger than 8-1/2×11 (some unfold to 5-1/2×21). Click image to download a 1.6-MB PDF of this brochure. Satchidanandan, Anitha Thampi … Continue reading
Starting in 1942, Great Northern’s annual reports had dedicated the centerfold pages to some specific theme: the latest Empire Builder, some industry or region, or some specific aspect of freight service. The 1959 report is something of a transition as … Continue reading
Unique among Great Northern’s annual reports, this one has a fold-out flap on the front cover. One side has a table of contents for the report while the other lists officers and directors. Click image to download a 16.6-MB PDF … Continue reading
Hayden, Stone was a securities firm that, after a series of mergers and acquisitions, is part of American Express today. This report appears to have been commissioned by the Great Northern to provide potential investors with an independent review of … Continue reading
This map shows rail lines all over the country, with emphasis on the Great Northern, Burlington, and SP&S, as well as the locations of “off-line Great Northern traffic offices.” Most of these office locations make sense–New York, Boston, Washington, etc.–but … Continue reading
Although two years have passed since yesterday’s 1956 timetable and the covers are completely different, the schedules are practically identical. Great Northern took the trouble to redo much of the interior in entirely new fonts, including the Empire Builder and … Continue reading
