Black Hawk (passenger train)
Encyclopedia
The Black Hawk was a named passenger train operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
(CB&Q) between Chicago, Illinois, and Minneapolis
/St. Paul
, Minnesota
. The train operated on an overnight schedule, being the nighttime counterpart to the Twin Zephyrs. It was a competitor in the Chicago-Twin Cities overnight train market to the Pioneer Limited
of the Milwaukee Road
and the North Western Limited of the Chicago and North Western.
In common with its competitors listed above, the Black Hawk carried both sleeping car
s and coaches. With departure well past dinnertime, breakfast
was the only meal provided by the train's diner
or diner-lounge car, in addition to "evening refreshments" upon departure. In later years breakfast became Continental in nature.
During its final years, the Black Hawk provided an eastbound connection with the Northern Pacific Railway
's Mainstreeter, and the Great Northern Railway's Western Star
. By the late 1960s it was actually combined with the Western Star both ways, and with the Mainstreeter westbound.
The Black Hawk was discontinued after its final run on the night of April 12–13, 1970, six weeks after the CB&Q had been merged into Burlington Northern on March 2.
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,...
(CB&Q) between Chicago, Illinois, and Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
/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...
. The train operated on an overnight schedule, being the nighttime counterpart to the Twin Zephyrs. It was a competitor in the Chicago-Twin Cities overnight train market to the Pioneer Limited
Pioneer Limited (passenger train)
The Pioneer Limited was a United States named passenger train operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad on an overnight schedule between Chicago, Illinois, and Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. The westbound train was Milwaukee Road train No. 1, and the eastbound train was...
of the Milwaukee Road
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
and the North Western Limited of the Chicago and North Western.
In common with its competitors listed above, the Black Hawk carried both sleeping car
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
s and coaches. With departure well past dinnertime, breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast is the first meal taken after rising from a night's sleep, most often eaten in the early morning before undertaking the day's work...
was the only meal provided by the train's diner
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
or diner-lounge car, in addition to "evening refreshments" upon departure. In later years breakfast became Continental in nature.
During its final years, the Black Hawk provided an eastbound connection with the Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
's Mainstreeter, and the Great Northern Railway's 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...
. By the late 1960s it was actually combined with the Western Star both ways, and with the Mainstreeter westbound.
The Black Hawk was discontinued after its final run on the night of April 12–13, 1970, six weeks after the CB&Q had been merged into Burlington Northern on March 2.