West to Omaha: A Concise History of Chicago-Omaha Passenger Train Service, 1945-1971 por John Kelly

South Platte Press. Softcover. New. This book is all B&W images. The pictures are from a mix of eras. You will see the early days of the streamliners, and the latter, less-polished era. Usually, each page has one large photograph with a caption. Some pages include advertising reproductions. There is a simple map of the routes taken from Chicago to Omaha. The focus of this book is the well-traveled Chicago to Omaha rail passenger corridor, from the end of World War II to the start of federally subsidized Amtrak passenger train service. This was an era when four leading Midwest railroads operated passenger routes between the two major cities, while also serving a variety of communities in Illinois and Iowa: Chicago & North Western and partner Union Pacific, Burlington Route, Rock Island and the Milwaukee Road. Area service once provided by the Chicago Great Western and Illinois Central is also examined. Using photos and text, the author compares how these historic railroads once operated some of the finest streamlined trains in America in order to compete for passenger revenue in the Chicago-Omaha corridor. Contents: Acknowledgements, Introduction, pp. 4-8, Union Pacific and Chicago & North Western, pp. 9-16, Burlington Route and Burlington Northern, pp. 17-30, Rock Island, pp. 31-42, Chicago Great Western, Illinois Central, pp. 43-48, Milwaukee Road and Union Pacific, pp. 49-63, Bibliography, pg. 64. South Platte Press, softcover, 64 pages, 65 B&W illustrations.