These cards are distinguished from yesterday’s solely by the fact that they are printed portrait style (taller than wide) rather than landscape style (wider than tall). The backs, of course, are still printed landscape style. Click image to download a … Continue reading
We’ve previously seen some of Great Northern’s series of See America First postcards. In addition to having GN’s See America First logo on the back, many also had a little rhyme about Glacier Park, such as “Where Nature speaks from … Continue reading
Between 1959 and 1964, Great Northern put out a series of what I call tiny brochures because they folded up into about the size of a postcard. I’ve collected 21 of them which I am pretty sure is all of … Continue reading
It’s always been a bit of a puzzle to me why the Great Northern didn’t use the “as-delivered” paint scheme for its E-7 Diesels when it put those locomotives into service pulling the 1947 streamlined Empire Builder. The orange-and-green colors … Continue reading
Each year from at least 1926 to 1941, GN and its partner railroads, NP and Burlington, produced a thick booklet, such as this one from 1937, describing escorted tours to destinations along their lines. This is a small brochure from … Continue reading
Swiftcurrent Falls are far from the most spectacular falls in the world, but they are frequently photographed as they are right next to the road to the Many Glacier Hotel. The lake shown in most photos of the hotel is … Continue reading
The consolidation of what was once hundreds of railroads into just seven class 1 railroads today (plus Amtrak) was always controversial. In 1901, to protect his railroads from raiders such as Edward Harriman, James J. Hill created the Northern Securities … Continue reading
In 1928, passengers arriving in Minneapolis on the Oriental Limited, Winnipeg Limited, or Red River early in the morning could continue onto Chicago on the Oriental Limited, arriving at 7 pm. Or, thanks to this innovative new service, they could … Continue reading
James J. Hill is well known for having built the Great Northern and for revolutionizing the railroad business in many ways. But he was also an egomaniac who alienated many of his subordinates (such as Henry Minot). He also spent … Continue reading
Unlike the brochures presented over the past few days, this one says very little about its purported subject, California. Of eighteen photos in the brochure, exactly zero depict California. Instead, they all show the Great Northern way across the country, … Continue reading
