In 1935, the Milwaukee Road introduced the original Hiawatha between Chicago and the Twin Cities to great acclaim. The new trains covered the 420 miles (680 km) in 7 hours. Their equipment included the popular "Tip-Top-Tavern" and the distinctive "Beaver Tail" lounge observation cars.

The Beaver Tails were a fleet of streamlined parlor-observation passenger cars built by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad ("the Milwaukee Road") between 1934–1938. They served as the observation cars on the famous Hiawatha trains from 1935 until 1948, when they were displaced by the new Skytop Lounge .

Apr 26, 2016 · In 1935, the Milwaukee Road introduced the original Hiawatha between Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Twin Cities with much acclaim. The new trains covered 420 miles in just seven hours. Their equipment included the popular "Tip-Top-Tavern" and the distinctive "Beaver Tail" lounge observation cars (pictured below).

A 9-car Twin Cities Hiawatha was added in October 1936 powered by a 4-6-4 Hudson locomotive and with home-built rib-sided passenger cars (also unique to the Milwaukee Road). The Hudsons had similar art deco styling but with a redesigned frontal crest.

The Milwaukee Road’s Hiawatha streamliners are the stuff of legend. Bringing up the rear of the Twin Cities Hiawathas were the incomparable Skytop parlor lounge observation cars, including the famous Cedar Rapids .

Excursions with the Milwaukee 261 include a "Skytop Lounge" these days, a streamlined observation car that used to be on the tail end of Hiawatha trains running mainly from Minnesota to Chicago and back.

Jan 17, 2023 · The iconic orange-and-maroon streamlined speedster, from the shrouded 4-4-2 Atlantic-type steam locomotive to the “beaver tail” observation car, became a breath of fresh air along the system’s upgraded main line of 90-plus miles per hour.

The Hiawathas were a fleet of named passenger trains operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (also known as the Milwaukee Road) between Chicago and various destinations in the Midwest and Western United States.

The Beaver Tails were a fleet of streamlined parlor-observation passenger cars built by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad ("the Milwaukee Road") between 1934–1938. They served as the observation cars on the famous Hiawatha trains from 1935 until 1948, when they were displaced by the new Skytop Lounge.

Jan 2, 2025 · The observation ends on the Milwaukee built cars are more of a bullet than the Pullman built cars, with the rear couch about 4 inches narrower. The lounges served on the Chicago - Minneapolis "Hiawatha Service" until 1970, and the sleepers were on the "Olympian Hiawatha" until 1964, then were sold to CN .