Great Northern Empire Builder Passengers Pause at Havre, MT

The passengers aboard the Great Northern Empire Builder anticipate their journey over the Rocky Mountains at Marias Pass.  At the moment, the train pauses at Havre.  

In the lounge car, passengers discuss the news from Chicago from a Tribune paper that is now two days old.  One passenger remarks, "It sure is pleasant to get away from it all and travel aboard the train," as he enjoys his cup of coffee.

To that, their is a pleasant agreement among the fellow travelers as they begin to discuss what         Glacier National Park will be like once they disembark at Whitefish. 

See my Great Northern artwork at customtrains.org 

 

Great Northern's Empire Builder 11"x17" signed Poster by Andy Fletcher

Great Northern Empire Builder 11"x17" signed poster

The Great Northern Empire Builder connected the Upper Midwest with the Pacific Northwest.  The Empire Builder was named for Great Northern founder James J. Hill, whose Great Northern railroad greatly developed much of the Great Plains, the Rockies and the Cascades.  Today's Chicago to Seattle Amtrak Route is named in honor of Great Northern's Empire Builder.

To see my Great Northern Empire Builder 11"x17" signed poster, visit my website customtrains.org and/or my eBay store

Seattle-One of My Favorite Places to Watch Trains

Seattle was a stopover on my trips to Essex, Montana.  As I watched the Burlington Northern trains headed east, I thought of them about to make their conquest of the Cascades and then the Rockies.  My visits to Seattle were filled with anticipation.
The Waterfront Trolley ran along the pier alongside Burlington Northern's trains.  As the Empire Builder passed by, I thought of the passengers, about to make their cross-country trek.  Perhaps some were headed to Essex or Whitefish or East Glacier.
Seattle became one of my favorite places to watch trains.  It still is to this day.  

A Brief History of the Amtrak Empire Builder

Great Northern connected the Midwest with the Pacific Northwest.  Great Northern was known as the "Route of the Empire Builder."

Great Northern's flagship passenger train was the Empire Builder.  The Empire Builder took its name from Great Northern founder, James J. Hill, who, with private funds, built the Great Northern and played a key role in the development of the Upper Midwest and the Northwest.

The Great Northern was known for its contribution to Glacier National Park.  Hill saw the park as a key destination for Great Northern passengers.

Amtrak's contemporary Chicago to Seattle route is known as the Empire Builder.  Amtrak's train operates over today's BNSF Railroad.  BNSF is the successor to Burlington Northern, which was created by the merger of Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Chicago Burlington and Quincy and Spokane Portland and Seattle Railroads.

Spokane, Portland and Seattle- "The Northwest's Own Railway"

Spokane, Portland and Seattle was a fan favorite in the Northwest.  It was known as "The Northwest's Own Railway" and was an Alco stronghold.  The SP and S connected Spokane and Portland via the town of Pasco, Washington.
Spokane, Portland and Seattle's trackage was a key part of successor Burlington Northern's system and is an important component of today's BNSF.  Amtrak's Portland to Spokane leg of the Empire Builder operates over BNSF's former Spokane, Portland and Seattle mainline from Portland to Spokane.

The Legacy of Railroading-A System That Moves America

Amtrak was born out of our railroad system.  In today's BNSF, Union Pacific, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern, we see the legacy of many historic railroads and their named trains.
Amtrak's Southwest Chief, California Zephyr, City of New Orleans, Capitol Limited, Empire Builder, Silver Star and many others take their name from a legacy of railroading.  Railroads such as the Baltimore and Ohio, Great Northern, Illinois Central, Pennsylvania Railroad, Southern Railway and many others built the rails upon which we travel and their freight railroad successors maintain the right of way in order for us to get the goods we need everyday and to make our Amtrak journey possible.  
Here a BNSF locomotive moves intermodal containers at Hobart Yard built by the Santa Fe railroad in Los Angeles.  Railroading truly is a system that moves America.  As our train passes by, we witness the legacy of railroading.

Amtrak Connects Communities Across America

Amtrak connects communities across America.  Trains such as the Southwest Chief, the California Zephyr, the Empire Builder and the Texas Eagle link our Western States to destinations throughout the East Coast.