The page before the centerfold of this timetable describes “the Magic Valley Vacation Land,” meaning the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The Rio Grande Valley was previously featured in the November 1948 timetable, but only as a source of “the world’s best grapefruit” and other produce. The ad in today’s timetable focuses on the valley’s recreation opportunities, with full-color images of golf, fishing, hunting, and what appears to be a Mexican fiesta.

Click image to download an 26.2-MB PDF of this 48-page timetable.

The ad after the centerfold map describes Beaumont, Texas, as the “Heart of the Sabine-Neches Industrial Empire.” I’ve never been to Beaumont, and judging from the article it is not a vacation paradise, instead being filled with “giant refineries, iron mills, and metal manufacturing plants.”

The inside front cover is an ad for the streamlined Eagles while the inside back cover is wasted on freight schedules. The back cover itself is an ad claiming Missouri Pacific is “Modern Progressive.” Later back cover ads would say Missouri Pacific is “More Power” and “Modern Pace.”

Half-page articles in the timetable feature Hot Springs, Arkansas; Southern California; Texas; Mexico; Arizona; and Carlsbad Caverns. There is also a curious quiz consisting of ten sketches that supposedly represent the names of various towns in the timetable, with a clue listing a table number that included that town. This must have been frustrating as a sketch that looks like heavy rainfall is really supposed to represent the aurora borealis and therefore the town of Aurora, Missouri. Since few people in Missouri Pacific country would have ever seen an aurora borealis, I doubt many could have figured this out.