The Olympian Hiawatha, Milwaukee Road's Flagship To The Pacific Northwest

In the late 1940s the Milwaukee Road introduced the Olympian Hiawatha, the transcontinental version of the railroad’s very popular fleet of Hiawatha passenger trains. The original version of the train was the Twin Cities Hiawatha, which began operating between Chicago and the Twin Cities on May 29, 1935, one of the first streamlined trains ever to be introduced in the U.S. For the Milwaukee itself, the Hiawathas were virtually the only streamlined passenger trains run by the railroad (they certainly were the most popular and well-remembered) with the rest operated in conjunction with Union Pacific. Originally powered by 4-4-2 Atlantic-type steam locomotives (later 4-6-4 Hudson-types) the train was entirely streamlined, including the locomotive, and home-built in the Milwaukee’s own shops. These trains became instantly successful and regularly cruised over 100 mph with nary a bump or shudder during the ride (both trains could make the jaunt between the two cities in roughly six hours).

With the success of its regional Hiawathas, in 1947, about twelve years after the railroad first launched its Hiawatha the railroad introduced the streamlined Olympian Hiawatha, a train meant to fully compete with the Great Northern and Northern Pacific for rail travel to and from the Pacific Northwest (the Milwaukee had operated the Olympian and Columbian since 1911 over its Pacific Extension but these trains used heavyweight equipment and were pulled by conventional steam locomotives).

The train featured passenger equipment (save for the cars purchased from Pullman) entirely homebuilt by the railroad’s own shop forces, which along with the beautiful Sky Top observations included cars such as the Super Domes, which allowed for full car-length, panoramic viewing.

Sadly, the train lasted a mere 14 years and the Milwaukee Road bowed out of the Pacific Northwest market, canceling the train in May of 1961. Interestingly, while the railroad claimed lack of ridership on the Olympian Hi thanks to historian Michael Sol's exhaustive research it actually appears the Milwaukee saw the writing on the wall early and simply wanted to rid itself of the unprofitable train (the railroad saved about $2.1 million annually for doing so).

Also of interest is how well each of the three lines actually fared from an operating standpoint. According to the ICC's official statistics from 1959; the Milwaukee Road carried a 148.7% operating ratio (which is a company's operating expenses divided by its operating revenues) while the Great Northern carried a 177.4% and the Northern Pacific a 194.3%. That same year the Milwaukee earned $3.3 million in passenger train revenues for the Olympian Hiawatha, alone, while the Northern Pacific earned just $6 million in revenues for its entire passenger train fleet and the Great Northern $10 million.

Milwaukee Road's Olympian Hiawatha: 72 Cars generated $3.3 million in revenue or about $45,833 per car.

Great Northern: 719 cars generated $10,000,000 in revenue or about $13,908 per car.

Northern Pacific: 570 cars generated $6,000,000 in revenue or about $10,526 per car.

From these numbers it is clear to see that despite what you may have previously read or understood about Milwaukee's Northwest flagship, the railroad was far more efficient at operating its transcontinental train. However, that's not to say that it was a "better" train, simply that it was operated more efficiently (in truth, all three railroads fielded magnificent trains to Seattle). Of greater note is that in actuality the three railroads did not really "compete" in the truest sense of the word as, except for the Northern Pacific, all served different intermediate points between Seattle and Minneapolis/Chicago. Additionally, by the time the Olympian Hiawatha was launched there fewer and fewer passengers riding the trains from end-point to end-point (Seattle to Minneapolis/Chicago) as most boarded or de-boarded somewhere in between.

From a railfan's and historian's (and even a traveler of the time period) perspective it's a shame that the Olympian Hiawatha was canceled so early considering it operated through some of the most stunningly beautiful areas of the country had to call it quits barely into the 1960s.

In any event, today, while Amtrak carriers on the legendary Hiawatha service, to some degree, offering Hiawatha regional trains between Milwaukee and Chicago, the Olympian Hiawatha and the route it traveled are sadly relegated to history and the memories of those who were lucky enough to ride it. In the 1970s the Milwaukee Road began making dumbfounding managerial decisions that ultimately led to the railroad’s undoing in the late 1970s and subsequent abandonment of all lines west of Terry, Montana.

For an excellent pictorial history of the Olympian Hiawatha, and the Pacific Coast Extension in general, please click here to view the collection of Ron Nixon housed at the Museum of the Rockies, Montana State University. (Please note that the photos featured on this page, courtesy of the museum, include their corresponding image number so that you may quickly and easily find more information about it from their website.) Lastly, for more information regarding the train's consist and timetable information please click here.

Please Click Here To Return To The Main Streamliners Section

(A deep thanks to the Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University for allowing Ron Nixon's historic collection of the Milwaukee Road in the west to be featured here.)

Also, to learn more about the Milwaukee’s famous Olympian Hiawatha and the other Hiawatha services consider purchasing a copy of The Milwaukee Road’s Hiawathas from authors Brian Solomon and John Gruber. The 160-page book details the entire 36-year history of the trains from 1935 through 1971 and is filled with photographs. If you’re interested in general history and overview of the Milwaukee’s premier passenger services you will definitely enjoy this book. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing either (or both) of these books please visit the links below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

Share Your Thoughts