Oriental Limited
Encyclopedia
The Oriental Limited was a named passenger train that ran between Chicago, Illinois and Seattle, Washington
. The train was operated by the Great Northern Railway between St. Paul
, Minnesota
and Seattle, Washington
, and by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
between St. Paul and Chicago. The train's name was intended to be evocative of travel to the Far East
, since trans-Pacific
Great Northern steamships
once connected with the railway's trains in Seattle.
The Oriental Limited entered service in December 1905 as a St. Paul–Seattle train; the eastern terminus was extended to Chicago in 1909. Once the premiere train on its route, it was downgraded to secondary status in 1929, when the Great Northern's new Empire Builder
passenger train was inaugurated. The Oriental Limited name disappeared in 1931, and during the Great Depression
and beyond the Great Northern operated only a single through train between Chicago and the coast. The Oriental Limited name returned in 1946, when the railroad's secondary through train was resumed, but that train was finally renamed the Western Star
in 1951.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. The train was operated by the Great Northern Railway between St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, and by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
between St. Paul and Chicago. The train's name was intended to be evocative of travel to the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, since trans-Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
Great Northern steamships
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
once connected with the railway's trains in Seattle.
The Oriental Limited entered service in December 1905 as a St. Paul–Seattle train; the eastern terminus was extended to Chicago in 1909. Once the premiere train on its route, it was downgraded to secondary status in 1929, when the Great Northern's new Empire Builder
Empire Builder
The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before...
passenger train was inaugurated. The Oriental Limited name disappeared in 1931, and during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and beyond the Great Northern operated only a single through train between Chicago and the coast. The Oriental Limited name returned in 1946, when the railroad's secondary through train was resumed, but that train was finally renamed the Western Star
Western Star (passenger train)
The Western Star was a named passenger train operated by the Great Northern Railway between Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota and Seattle, Washington. Through cars from the train also operated between St...
in 1951.