The GNRHS has published two reference sheets covering the 1950 "International". First is 289 "Seattle-Vancouver (BC) Passenger Train Service 1891-2000" by John F. Strauss, Jr. It offers an excellent "Big Picture" overview of the Seattle-Vancouver corridor, which despite recent interruptions, still operates today. Second is 313 "Great Northern's Internationals - 'A Snappy Diesel-Powered Train' for the Pacific Northwest" by James H. Larson. This focuses on the complete post-war re-equipping with 100% new equipment. It contains a fascinating discussion of differing accounting methods, one which identified the full dining car service as the biggest looser - leading to the removal of 1145 and 1146 from the trains - and one which identified food service as a key draw for lucrative Southern California through passengers.
Within the railroad industry, Railway Age published definitive reviews of each new streamliner introduced. These are gold mines of information, discussing the service, the accomodations, the interior and exterior decor, the materials used, and which vendors supplied what. For a restorationist, ephemera such as paint colors and fabrics can be difficult to find elsewhere. So this review of the GN's new trains in the July 1st, 1950 issue is fascinating.
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| Page 48 | Page 49 | Page 50 | Page 51 | Page 52 | Page 53 | Page 54 | Page 55 |
After the inauguration of the entirely-new, all-streamlined "International", ACF published this newspaper's review in its employee magazine.
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| Front Cover | Page 13 | Page 14 | Page 15 | Page 16 | Page 17 | Back Cover |
Adlake put a two-page add in the July 1st issue of Railway Age, to sell its aluminum sash window units and interior hardware.
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| Page 8 | Page 9 |
O. M. Edwards Co. contributed the roll-up vestibule steps, and was proud to say so in Railway Age. While the left photo is not of a GN car, that's "International" tail car 1196 "Port of Vancouver" on the right.
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James L. Howard & Co. contributed hardware, purchasing a quarter-page Ad from Railway Age.
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Heywood-Wakefield followed a two-page add in the October 28th issue of Railway Age, touting its seating products used in the GN's "Red River" and "International" trains. Left to right, the interior views are: Red River coach, Red River coach, International observation car lounge, International Coach-Diner
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| Page 68 | Page 69 |
New York Air Brake also used the International to advertise to potential customers in Railway Age.
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The Great Northern published an advertising folder in August 1951, praising the virtues of its 'Internationals'. It includes the first color images of the interior I've found, so I got quite excited. These scans appear courtesy of Lindsay Korst and his web site, www.gngoat.org. Click here for the whole brochure.
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| Observation | Lounge | Cafe | Coach | Coach | Women's | Men's |
These scans are from a Great Northern passenger car equipment book I found at Como Shops (book store) several years ago. (Obs car scan from Ben Ringnalda.) They show the ten passenger cars constructed by ACF in 1950 for the Great Northern's Seattle-Vancouver "International". The equipment, along with two E7 locomotives from EMD, formed two train sets which covered three trains each way per day. I've laid the plans out in the same order as the train. There were two coaches per train, so the scan appears twice.
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| 1105 | 1115 | 1116 | 1145 | 1195 "Port of Seattle" |
| 1106 | 1117 | 1118 | 1146 | 1196 "Port of Vancouver" |
The January, 1951 time table offers some interesting tidbits:
Trains Magazine also published contemporary reviews of the Great Northern's new streamliners. In the April 1951 issue, author Bruce Owen Nett wrote "Built By A.C.F.", an fascinating photo-essay of the carbuilder's manufacturing process. Until I am able to reproduce it here, I recommend it as very interesting reading.