Log of the Hiawatha, February 2, 1939

Here's a speed/timing log of a run of the Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha in early 1939. The Hudson F-7 locomotive must have been brand-new at the time. I'd like to find a log of a Morning Hiawatha run from 1940 or 1941, since they apparently went a bit faster following track upgrades (the Milwaukee worked on their construction methods and eventually set up 1-degree curves with 3½ inches of superelevation and ran trains over them at 100 mph). This appears to be an afternoon trip, and was scheduled to take 6h30 from Chicago to St. Paul. I believe the fastest schedule ever made for that portion of the trip was 6h15.

Oh, before I get to the main thing, here's a summary of the segments people may be interested in:

Scheduled trip time

	Chicago	Milwaukee	St. Paul	Minneapolis
Chicago	—	1:15	6:30	7:00
Milwaukee		—	5:15	5:45
St. Paul			—	0:30
Minneapolis				—

Recorded trip time

	Chicago	Milwaukee	St. Paul	Minneapolis
Chicago	—	1:12:45	6:31:40	6:57:02
Milwaukee		—	5:18:55	5:44:17
St. Paul			—	0:25:22
Minneapolis				—

The only stations served by the train were Chicago, Milwaukee, Portage, New Lisbon, La Crosse, Winona, Red Wing, St. Paul (Union Depot), and Minneapolis—a total of 9. An extra brief stop occurred when the train encountered a red signal, apparently due to a broken piece of track. The temperature in Minneapolis was "several degrees below zero [Fahrenheit]" upon arrival.

In contrast, the Empire Builder's stations are Chicago, Glenview, Milwaukee, Columbus, Portage, Wisconsin Dells, Tomah, La Crosse, Winona, Red Wing, and St. Paul (Midway)—a total of 11.  Midway station is located at roughly the same distance from Chicago as Merriam Park.

Nine streamlined cars, approximately 430 tons; Hudson-type (F-7) engine No. 100, tractive effort 50,300 lbs., 84-inch drivers, 23½ x 30-inch cylinders, boiler pressure 300 lbs. Engineer W. E. Stephens, Chicago-Milwaukee; Engineer H. B. Knowlton, Milwaukee-La Crosse; Engineer A. C. Hoard, La Crosse-Minneapolis.

Miles		Stations	Speeds	Time	Schedule
0.0	Lv.	Chicago		1:00:00 p.m.	1:00 p.m.
2.9	Pass	Western Avenue	30	1:08:09
5.4		Pacific Junction	52	1:11:58	1:09
6.4		Healy	52	1:12:58
8.2		Grayland	52	1:15:10
9.0		Mayfair	49	1:16:19
10.2		Forest Glen	67	1:17:41
11.6		Edgebrook	73	1:19:00
14.3		Morton Grove	85	1:21:08
16.2		Golf	87	1:22:19
17.4		Glenview	90	1:23:09
20.2		Techny	92	1:25:07
20.3		Tower A-20	92	1:25:12	1:22
20.9		Northbrook	93, 90 curve	1:25:37
23.9		Deerfield	90	1:27:34
28.0		West Lake Forest	96, 98, 82 curve	1:30:03
32.3		Rondout	80	1:32:51	1:30
36.8		Wilson	92	1:36:08
38.6		Gurnee	100, 90 curve	1:37:15
42.9		Wadsworth	93, 86 upgrade	1:39:52	1:37
47.0		Russell	86, 80 curve	1:42:44
51.6		Ranney	80	1:46:00	1:43
52.6		Truesdell	84	1:46:44
57.5		Somers	94	1:50:00
61.8		Sturtevant	89	1:52:47	1:50
66.0		Franksville	93	1:55:31
68.1		Tower A-68	93	1:56:54	1:54
69.4		Caledonia	95, 100	1:57:41
72.8		Oakwood	97, 98	1:59:46
77.9		Lake	95, 100, 71 curve	2:02:57	2:00
80.3		Powerton	71, 60 curve, 40	2:04:46
83.9		Washington Street	31	2:08:52	2:09
85.0	Ar.	Milwaukee		2:12:45	2:15
	Lv.	Milwaukee		2:19:18	2:17
87.0	Pass	Milwaukee Shops	39, 44	2:23:33
88.2		Grand Avenue	34, 47, 44	2:25:19
90.4		Wauwatosa	47	2:28:27
94.9		Elm Grove	68, 70, 59 curve	2:33:13
99.2		Brookfield	75, 84	2:37:15	2:34
101.9		Duplainville	80	2:39:11
105.3		Pewaukee	91, 68 curve	2:41:41
109.9		Hartland	70, 82	2:44:58	2:43
112.6		Nashotah	76	2:47:05
114.8		Okauchee	87	2:48:40
117.8		Oconomowoc	90, 86, 90	2:50:39	2:48
123.5		Ixonia	88, 95	2:54:31
131.0		Watertown	33	3:00:10	2:58
135.3		Richwood	81, 88, 77 curve, 8[?]	3:04:51
140.6		Reeseville	71	3:08:49
145.9		Astico	90, 92	3:12:44
149.7		Columbus	91	3:15:15
153.3		Fall River	86, 70 curve	3:24:07	3:24
159.1		Doylestown	85	3:22:15
162.5		East Rio	91, 70 curve	3:24:07	3:24
163.9		Rio	76, 67 curve	3:25:37
168.9		Wyocena	90, 92	3:29:36
176.7		Portage Junction	50	3:35:10
177.9	Ar.	Portage		3:37:24	3:38
	Lv.	Portage		3:41:04	3:41
186.7	Pass	Lewiston	90	3:49:53
188.5		Cheney	92, 70 curve	3:51:05
194.8		Wisconsin Dells	65	3:55:50
203.4		Lyndon	99, 100, 89, 98	4:02:22
214.0		Mauston	88, 89	4:09:06
221.0	Ar.	New Lisbon		4:15:20
	Lv.	New Lisbon	84	4:17:40	4:18
227.0	Pass	Camp Douglas	59, 91	4:24:10
233.3		Oakdale	90, 93, 91, 93	4:29:00
239.8		Tomah	88, 31 switches	4:33:18
243.2		Tunnel City	34, 45 tunnel	4:36:24	4:36
245.9		Raymore	74, 93	4:39:44
251.4		Camp McCoy	91, 95	4:44:00
256.2		Sparta	88, 90	4:46:41	4:46
262.8		Rockland	90	4:51:13
266.4		Bangor	90 until slowing	4:53:55
271.0		West Salem	80, 90	4:56:49
278.0		Medary	47, 57	5:02:15	5:04
279.6		Grand Crossing	40	5:04:08
280.8	Ar.	La Crosse		5:07:35	5:09
	Lv.	La Crosse	47	5:14:28	5:14
281.2	Pass	West Wye Switch	25, 48	5:16:15
282.8		Bridge Switch	39, 53	5:18:58
284.1		River Junction	36, 70	5:20:42
288.2		Dresbach	72	5:24:46
289.9		Dakota	71	5:26:16
293.7		Donehower	73	5:29:31
298.5		Lamoille	74, 71	5:33:31
303.1		Homer	74	5:37:19
305.4		CGW Crossing	60	5:39:28
307.5	Ar.	Winona		5:42:36
	Lv.	Winona		5:44:28	5:45
309.4	Pass	Tower CK	45	5:48:35
313.6		Minnesota City	67, 69	5:52:47
323.7		Minneiska	71	6:01:38
326.9		Weaver	71, 80	6:04:22
334.4		Kellogg	71, 80, 70	6:10:24
340.5		Wabasha	62	6:15:33
342.4		Reads Landing	69, 70	6:17:19
353.0		Lake City	69, 80, 70	6:26:42
359.3		Frontenac	77, 82, 60 curve, 73	6:31:51
369.9	Ar.	Red Wing		6:41:40
	Lv.	Red Wing		6:42:40	6:43
372.0	Pass	Island Siding	71	6:45:45
	Ar.	Red Signal Indication		6:51:30
	Lv.	Red Signal Indication		6:51:55
	Rear	of train over broken rail	89, 80	6:55:20
384.5	Pass	Blackbird Junction	85	7:02:40
390.3		Hastings	40, 35 bridge	7:06:58	6:59
391.5		St. Croix Tower	31, 60, 80	7:08:43
403.4		Newport	59, 80	7:20:20	7:15
407.9		Oakland	60	7:24:12
408.9		St. Paul Yard	70, 50 until Xing	7:25:16
411.5	Ar.	St. Paul		7:31:40	7:30
	Lv.	St. Paul		7:34:00	7:33
412.4	Pass	Chestnut Street	30	7:37:15	7:35
413.3		Fordson Junction	38, 45, 48	7:38:53	7:37
417.3		Merriam Park	48	7:45:00	7:44
418.7		Tower G	50, 22	7:47:18	7:47
420.5		South Minneapolis	27	7:50:26	7:50
422.4	Ar.	Minneapolis		7:57:02	8:00

NOTE: Speeds as shown represent speed at station, occasionally on slow order curves, and maximum and minimum between stations.