Articles

Proposed Reference Sheet
Ted Doyle

In 1887, an enormous workforce of 10,000 laborers and 3,300 teams of horses, graded, bridged, and laid track over 640 miles of largely unsettled North Dakota and Montana prairie. Between April and mid-October, 545 miles of St.P.M.&M right of way, stretching from Minot to Great Falls was finished. By November 19, 1887, the Montana Central, a St.P.M.&M. subsidiary, completed 96 miles between Great Falls and Helena, where connections were made with the Northern Pacific.

Early in 1888, the Montana Central reached Butte, the mining center of Montana. At Butte, connections were made with the U.P, which had recently built a line up from Ogden UT via Pocatello. Pocatello was the largest rail center west of the Mississippi at that time. Transcontinental service was handled by St.P.M. & M trains 3 & 4 which now ran via Elk River to St Cloud. From there they ran north to Fergus Falls, Barnesville, to Crookston. At Crookston, cars were cut out and also ran as number 3 &4 to St. Vincent, MN and Emerson, Manitoba. The remainder of the train ran across the Red River to Grand Forks, Devil’s Lake, Minot, Havre and Great Falls. At Great Falls, the connecting Montana Central trains carried no numbers. Service was daily to Havre and offered six days a week between St Paul and Helena.

The normal consist for the train was a 4-4-0 pulling four cars: a baggage car, and two or three open platform coaches, one of which had a buffet section. Sleepers were offered to Great Falls two days a week only, departing St Paul on Mondays and Thursdays and returning from Great Falls on Sundays and Thursdays. Dining cars were not carried at this time. Instead, sleepers were equipped with buffets, consisting of a sink and table and were available for passengers to prepare their own meals. Advertisements sidestepped it by proclaiming "Buffet-lounge or Sleeper on every train".

In 1887, the St P M &P took delivery from Barney & Smith of six sleepers. The 13 section, buffet, stateroom open platform cars, numbered 219-224, bore the names Butte, Dakota, Montana, Helena, Dearborn and Great Falls. (See reference sheet #238) Sleepers were offered on a daily basis between St Paul and Butte in late 1887. Also in 1887, three 50' baggage cars were received in 1887 for the Montana service. The baggage cars, also built by Barney & Smith were numbered 204-206, rode on four wheel trucks and had a single side door. In 1888, the Manitoba also took delivery of ten open platform coaches, numbered 83-93, which were 56' long and rode on four wheel trucks. Finally in 1888, the St P M&M took delivery of what is believed to be its first dining cars from Barney and Smith. There were six cars in this 1888 series, originally numbered 500-505 and renumbered in the 700 series in 1892-93, when an additional five or six cars were ordered from Barney and Smith. These cars were 72' long, riding on six wheel trucks and seating 36 patrons.

By the middle of 1888, the Manitoba Road’s connection with the U.P. at Butte was carrying passengers to the Pacific coast. By late that year, the Montana Express offered daily dining cars and sleepers. Hill could proudly proclaim "our trains are arriving at Butte from 4-10 hours ahead of N.P. every day."

The Montana - Pacific Route

The Manitoba Road offered passengers service to the Portland, Ore. via Butte and the U.P. , known as the Montana - Pacific Route. In 1890, the St.P.M. &M advertised solid trains with dining cars on No 3&4. This formed the St.P.M.&M portion of the 2236 mile Montana-Pacific route to Portland.

The route ran south from Butte to Pocatello on Oregon Short Line No 5 where it joined the mainline from Ogden. Passengers changed trains here taking OSL No 1 west. They crossed the Blue Mountains to meet the OR&N at Huntington, Oregon and continued on to Portland. The trip from St. Paul to Portland took almost 96 hours. The trains featured 4-4-0s, with antlers above the headlight, pulling open platform head-end, coach and sleeping cars. No though equipment was operated and passengers had to change at Butte and Pocatello. "