OKLAHOMA CITY'S PASSENGER TRAINS

OF THE PAST

Intercity passenger trains serving Oklahoma City in 1942, 1956, and 1971 immediately prior to the creation of Amtrak.

THE STATIONS

The major stations serving Oklahoma City, during the golden age of passenger trains.

Santa Fe Station
100 S. EK Gaylord Blvd.
Opened 1934

Union Station
300 SW 7th St.
Opened 1930, consolidating the stations of some railroads

Number of station tracks: 12

Missouri Kansas Texas Station
200 E. Reno St.

ROCK ISLAND

(Union Station)

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 51  Choctaw Rocket        Amarillo        7:13       10:30 pm
                           El Reno         7:17
511  Rocket                El Reno         1:00
111  Californian           Tucumcari       1:33        8:50 am
513  Rocket                El Reno         2:50
112  Californian           Memphis         4:40        5:50 pm
                           El Reno        11:00
 52  Choctaw Rocket        Memphis        11:20        7:00 am
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

                           El Reno        12:45
                           El Reno         6:30
 51  Choctaw Rocket        Memphis         7:00       10:00 pm
111  Californian           Memphis         1:12        8:30 am
512  Rocket                El Reno         2:40
112  Californian           Tucumcari       4:25        5:15 pm
514  Rocket                El Reno         4:35
 52  Choctaw Rocket        Amarillo       11:17        6:04 am
Passenger service discontinued in 1967.

ST. LOUIS SAN FRANCISCO

(Union Station)

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 14  Will Rogers           Tulsa           8:55    4   3:45 pm
118  Firefly               Kansas City    11:55
403  (mixed train)         Quanah          1:40    9   8:45 am
 10  Meteor                St. Louis       5:25        7:00 pm
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  9  Meteor                St. Louis       8:40        8:00
  3  Will Rogers           St. Louis       1:25        1:15
117  Firefly               Kansas City     4:10
410  (mixed train)         Quanah          4:35   10   5:30
Passenger service discontinued in 1967.

Previously used Santa Fe Station.

SANTA FE

(Santa Fe Station)

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 15  Fast Fifteen          Galveston       1:05
111  Kansas Cityan         Dallas                      1:10
 16  Chicago Express       Newton          5:50
 12  Chicagoan             Chicago         6:45        5:00
 15  Texas Chief           Galveston                   8:30        9:10 am
  6  Ranger                Chicago         1:10       11:20
 16  Texas Chief           Chicago                     6:00        5:40 pm
  5  Ranger                Galveston       5:25        6:30
 28  Antelope              Kansas City    10:00
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 11  Kansas Cityan         Chicago        12:30       12:45
 15  Fast Fifteen          Newton         12:45
112  Chicagoan             Dallas                      4:30
 16  Chicago Express       Galveston       5:35
 27  Antelope              Kansas City     7:45
 15  Texas Chief           Chicago                     8:30        9:10 am
  6  Ranger                Galveston       1:00       11:05
 16  Texas Chief           Galveston                   5:55        5:40 pm
  5  Ranger                Chicago         5:10        6:15
Passenger service initially retained by Amtrak in 1971, with the Texas Chief.

MISSOURI KANSAS TEXAS

(Missouri Kansas Texas Station)

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 26  Katy Flyer            St. Louis      12:05 pm    11:30 am
 28  Sooner                Kansas City    10:00 pm
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 23  Sooner                Kansas City     7:40 am
 25  Katy Flyer            St. Louis       6:10 pm     5:55 pm
Passenger service discontinued in 1958.

Until late 1930's, also using the Missouri Kansas Texas Station were Oklahoma City-Ada-Atoka, and Fort Smith & Western passenger trains. The latter railroad accessed Oklahoma City using trackage rights via MKT.

STATIONS TODAY

The Santa Fe station continues to be used by Amtrak. Although no passenger trains served Oklahoma City between 1979 and 1999.

Union Station remains standing and is now the headquarters of the local transit system.

Oklahoma City Union Station (Wikipedia)
Link to a Web site containing further historical information on Oklahoma City Union Station.

MAPPING THE STATIONS AND RAILROADS

Links to locations of past and present stations and railroads, using Google Maps. Satellite views are also available.

Trackage at Oklahoma City Union Station consisted of two parallel main lines, which from north to south were Rock Island and St. Louis San Francisco. The Rock Island line extended from Memphis to Amarillo and Tucumcari. And the SLSF line extended north to Tulsa, St. Louis and Kansas City, with a branch south to Quanah. Santa Fe had its own station in Oklahoma City, on its main line from Chicago and Kansas City south into Texas. And Missouri Kansas Texas had a station in Oklahoma City, with service northeast to St. Louis and Kansas City.