This timetable isn’t much different from the May 1956 condensed timetable shown here a few days ago. It is worth noting that, in the Denver and Twin Cities corridors, the condensed timetables list the trains in a different order from the system timetables.

Click image to download a 2.6-MB PDF of this timetable.

In the system timetables, the trains are listed in chronological order of the times they depart Chicago. In the condensed timetables, the transcontinental trains, or those with transcontinental connections, are listed in the center so the far western destinations can be listed in one compact area, allowing for other information to be shown on either side.

The Denver schedule, for example, shows the California Zephyr in the center as well as the and Coloradan, which connected with the Royal Gorge. Six other trains, including the Fast Mail to Denver and trains to Galesburg and Lincoln, are shown on either side. The space beneath those trains was used to list the equipment on each train.

Similarly, on the Twin Cities schedule, the Great Northern and Northern Pacific trains to the Northwest were listed in the center. Burlington’s own trains, including the Black Hawk even though it had the same schedule as two of the GN/NP trains, were listed on either side. This was a creative use of space, but it may have confused some passengers who were looking for a departure at a particular time.