In 1931, when this booklet was issued, three Denver-bound trains left Chicago every morning at 10:30. From the North Western station, the Columbine expected to take 26-2/3 hours to travel 1,048 miles and arrive at Denver Union Station at 1:10 in the afternoon of the next day. From Union Station, the Aristocrat‘s route was 14 miles shorter and it was scheduled to arrive five minutes sooner at 1:05 pm. Finally, from LaSalle Street Station, the Rocky Mountain Limited had the longest journey, 1,083 miles, yet Rock Island was able to get it to Denver at 1:05 pm, the same time as Burlington’s train and five minutes earlier than Union Pacific’s.
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Inaugurated in 1898, the Rocky Mountain Limited and its 1939 successor, the Rocky Mountain Rocket, were also-rans in the Chicago-Denver passenger train market. Yet this booklet indicates that the Limited was at least as luxurious as the Aristocrat or Columbine. The observation car included a barber, valet, and an “exclusive lounge for the ladies.” The booklet claimed the train’s dining car had “meals [that were] the best on wheels.”
The train also had a parlor car that went to Des Moines as well as parlor seats in the observation car. For those who couldn’t afford or didn’t need a berth in a sleeping car or a parlor car seat, the reclining seats in the coaches were “comfortable and restful.”
As I’ve previously noted, the Rock Island had one advantage over both Union Pacific and Burlington: a direct line to Colorado Springs, the gateway to Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and other breathtaking scenery. As the blue bird flies, Colorado Springs is 23 miles further from Chicago than Denver, but Rock Island’s route to the Springs was somehow 11 miles shorter than its line to Denver. This allowed the Rocky Mountain Limited to arrive there at 12:45 pm, while Aristocrat and Columbine passengers who wanted to go to Colorado Springs had to change to a train that wouldn’t get them there until nearly 5:00 pm.
On the return trip, the Aristocrat and Columbine both left Denver at 4:00 pm and arrived in Chicago at 7:45 pm, taking a few minutes longer than the westbound trip. Rock Island decided to compete with a different schedule, so the Rocky Mountain Limited left at 11 am, arriving in Chicago at 3:45 pm. The disadvantage of this schedule for tourists is that it left less time to enjoy Colorado while for businessmen it almost completely obliterated two business days instead of just one.
All three railroads had secondary trains: Rock Island’s Colorado Express, Burlington’s Overland Express, and Union Pacific/C&NW’s Mountain Blue Bird. These trains made more stops and took several hours longer than the premiere trains, though Burlington’s was quickest at 32-1/2 hours, UP’s was just 10 minutes longer, and Rock Island’s was 45 minutes more than Burlington’s.