Hiawatha Fest No. 7 Lionel's Milwaukee Road Hiawatha No 1 & Milwaukee Road Southwest Limited Pt 1

My camera abruptly stopped recording just as I was about to start the run session. I will post the second video with running session in a separate installment. This video has all the talking so if you just want to see trains run, part 2 is for you! Thank you for watching. Ed The Southwest Limited A named passenger train operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (the "Milwaukee Road") on an overnight schedule between Chicago, Illinois, and Kansas City, Missouri. The westbound train (to Kansas City) was Milwaukee Road train No. 25, and the eastbound train (to Chicago) was train No. 26. For much of the train's history, a section of the Southwest Limited also operated between Kansas City and Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1903 to 1958. During the video I kept referring to this as the 'Southwestern Limited' which is incorrect. Hiawatha Notes -The Milwaukee Road Hiawatha was a direct response to the streamliners of the era and competition to get ‘there’ faster and with more comfort. -In the fall of 1934, the American Locomotive Company (aka ALCO) in Schenectady, NY was contracted to build two streamlined engines. -There were a number of factors which determined that steam power was best, not the least of which was the total investment for steam was a quarter of that for diesel in 1934. -These were the first locomotives in U.S. modern times for which speed alone was the governing factor, and were the first Atlantics built in America since 1914. -Milwaukee Road staff referred to them as the ‘A’s’. -They were intended to cruise at 100mph in regular service and reach speeds up to 120mph. -The unusual contours, black cowling, and liberal use of color contributed to the Hiawatha’s striking appearance. -Engine numbers 1 and 2, were finished in January 1935. -Atlantic No. 3 would join the fleet in 1936. -Atlantic No. 4 would join the fleet in 1937. -The A’s had a Leslie Typhon whistle fitted for operation by air or steam. The single horn is enclosed within the cowling immediately above the headlight. (Lionel began featuring both whistle and horn sounds several years ago in its Hiawatha’s) -Plans for the locomotive were well underway before the name Hiawatha was chosen. A couple of suggestions were proffered but several people had thought of the name Hiawatha and after a short campaign it won out. -At the time, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem ‘The Song of Hiawatha’ and its fleet-of-foot hero was popular, and it was thought this would tie-in well with the north country the train would serve. -As delivered from ALCO, neither engine No. 1 or No. 2 had the Hiawatha logo on the tender. That would be added a short time later. -Engine’s No. 3 and No. 4 had the logo applied as delivered from ALCO. -While ALCO was busy building the loco’s, the cars were being manufactured in the sprawling Milwaukee Road shops located in the Menomonee River Valley in Milwaukee (just below the 35th St Viaduct). -The ORIGINAL consists’ (those running on May 29, 1935) consisted of 6 cars each. -By Aug of 1935 an additional two cars would be added to each train -The inaugural run of the Hiawatha’s (referred to as the ‘Hi’s’) was on May 29, 1935 Engine No. 2 leading train #100 departed Minneapolis, MN for Chicago, Il at 12:30PM Engine No. 1 leading train #101 departed Chicago, IL for Minneapolis at 1PM -The Hiawatha became an immediate success, exceeding everyone’s fondest hopes! -By 1951, all four A’s were retired, then subsequently scrapped. Credits: 1) “The Hiawatha Story”, author Jim Scribbins, University of Minnesota Press, copyright 1970/1998 2) Milwaukee Road Historical Association Meta (aka facebook) group page