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Timeline for the 1947 - 1949 General Motors Train of Tomorrow
  
 
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This timeline is very much a work-in-progress. Any additions or corrections, please email. The majority of the information in this timeline is distilled from Ric Morgan's book about the train. In it he transcribes the full diary kept by the trainmaster. Morgan's transcription contains much more information than the basics found here, including all major routing details.
TOUR STOP
CITY
DATES
NOTES
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Chicago, IL
May 26, 1947

The Train of Tomorrow left Chicago on its Preview Run -- an overnight shakedown trip to French Lick, Indiana and back on the Monon RR.
*
Chicago, IL
May 28-June 1, 1947

The Train of Tomorrow began its official tour with a christening and four display days in Chicago.
TOUR STOP
CITY
DATES
FIRST EASTERN TOUR
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Chicago, IL and Battle Creek, MI
June 3, 1947

After a day of cleaning, the train departs from Chicago for its first eastern tour. Opened briefly for display in Battle Creek.
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Detroit, MI
June 4-8, 1947

Train exhibited to 60,000 people.
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Toledo. OH
June 9, 1947
 B&O team tracks at the foot of Washington St. 11,503 visitors. 500 turned away at closing.
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Akron & Youngstown, OH
June 10, 1947
 Akron 9AM-12, Youngstown 2-3PM
*
Pittsburgh, PA
June 11-15, 1947

Exhibited to 39,258 people.
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Cumberland, MD
June 16, 1947
 Exhibited at Cumberland for 1.5 hours.
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Silver Spring, MD
June 17-21, 1947
 Each day saw a special luncheon aboard the Sky View with different hosts and guests.
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Atlantic City, NJ
June 23-27, 1947
 In conjunction with the Railroad Supply Manufacturers Association show.
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Wilmington, DE
June 28, 1947
 Private display date for employees of the BOP (Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac) Assembly Division
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Wilmington, DE
June 29, 1947
 Public display
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Baltimore, MD
July 2-7, 1947
 Camden Station
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Fredericksburg & Richmond, VA
July 8, 1947
 Fredericksburg 9-12, Richmond 6PM open.
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Richmond, VA
July 9, 1947
  
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Charleston, SC
July 10, 1947
 Two (segregated) lines of people. "...our first encounter with the Deep South."
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Savannah, GA
July 11, 1947
  
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Jacksonville, FL
July 12-14, 1947
 Exhibit at Jacksonville Terminal
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Atlanta, GA
July 16-20, 1947
 Atlanta Union Station
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Knoxville, TN
July 21, 1947
  
*
Louisville, KY
July 23-27, 1947
  
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Cincinnati, OH
July 29-31, 1947
 Cincinnati Union Station, track 2
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Dayton, OH
Aug 2-5, 1947
 B&O team track on the lower level of Union Station. Exhibited to approx 55,000 people.
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Indianapolis, IN
Aug 7-10, 1947
 Fairgrounds
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Chicago, IL
Aug 11-19, 1947
 Locomotive taken to La Grange, IL for maintenance. Cars taken to the Pullman Company's Calumet shops for refurbishment.
TOUR STOP
CITY
DATES
SECOND EASTERN TOUR
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Chicago, IL
Aug 20, 1947
 Train departs on the New York Central for Cleveland
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Cleveland, OH
Aug 21-25, 1947
 D&C dock tracks near the stadium
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Buffalo, NY
Aug 27-31, 1947
 Exhibited on tracks near NYC station.
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Toronto, ONT
Sep 2-6, 1947
 First time in Canada. Exhibited at the Toronto Exposition, on special tracks just inside the Dufferin Gate.
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St. Catharines, ONT
Sep 7, 1947
 Showing sponsored by McKinnon Industries
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Rochester, NY
Sep 9-11, 1947
 Crossed Suspension Bridge into the US for the trip to Rochester. Displayed at Ontario Beach Park
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Syracuse, NY
Sep 13-15, 1947
 Displayed at the Brown-Lipe-Chapin Plant.
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Albany, NY
Sep 17-21, 1947
 Governor Dewey visits on the 18th.
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*
Sep 22, 1947
 Trip to Boston takes the train though Vermont, for a few minutes.
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Boston, MA
Sep 23-28, 1947
 North Station
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New York, NY
Oct 1-6, 1947
 Exhibited at 61st St. and West End Ave. Competing with the World Series keeps attendance lower the first couple days.
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Elizabeth, NJ
October 7, 1947

Showing was for GM employees only
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Philadelphia, PA
October 9-14, 1947

At South Broad St. across from the stadium.
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Pittsburgh, PA
October 16, 1947

At Carnegie Steel
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Chicago, IL
October 18-23, 1947

Locomotive taken to La Grange, IL for maintenance. Cars taken to the Pullman Company's Plant #2 for refurbishment.
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La Grange, IL
October 24, 1947

On display at EMD open house.
*
*
October 25, 1947

Trip to Detroit to take VIPs to Minnesota-Michigan college football game in Ann Arbor and back.
*
La Grange, IL
October 26, 1947

On display at EMD.
TOUR STOP
CITY
DATES
WESTERN TOUR
*
La Grange, IL
October 27-30, 1947

Train leaves La Grange for Omaha and the start of the Western Tour.
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Omaha, NE
October 27-30, 1947

Displayed on track #9 at Burlington station
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Lincoln, NE
November 1, 1947

Burlington station
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Hastings, NE
November 2, 1947

Short mid-day showing. Overnight in Akron, CO.
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Denver, CO
November 4-6, 1947

Displayed at Wazee Market tracks. The train saw snow for the first time on the way into Denver on Nov 3.
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*
November 7, 1947

Special photo run to Colorado Springs and back with models on board for photo shoot.
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*
November 8, 1947

Moved to Colorado Springs. Staff took a day off to sight see.
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Pueblo, CO
November 9, 1947

 
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Grand Junction, CO
November 10, 1947

Trip through the Royal Gorge before showing at Grand Junction.
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Salt Lake City, UT
November 12-14, 1947

Displayed at D&RG station
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Ogden, UT
November 15, 1947

Due to mud, the crowd entered thought the locomotive and exited the observation car, the opposite of the usual procedure.
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*
November 16, 1947

Headed toward California via Salt Lake City and Elko, NV. Overnight in Portola, CA.
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*
November 17, 1947

Professional film crew follows the train through the Sierras with portable lights and equipment. Overnight at the Western Pacific shops in Sacramento.
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Sacramento, CA
November 18, 1947

Western Pacific station
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Stockton, CA
November 19, 1947

Western Pacific station
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Oakland, CA
November 21-24, 1947

Displayed at 47th Ave & 14th St.
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San Francisco, CA
November 25-30, 1947

Displayed at Southern Pacific's 3rd & Townsend depot.
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Portland, OR
December 3-6, 1947

Displayed at Portland Union Station
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Tacoma, WA
December 7-8, 1947

Displayed at Tacoma Union Station
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Seattle, WA
December 10-12, 1947

Displayed at Occidental & Connecticut Ave. yards
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*
December 14, 1947

Overnight in Santa Barbara, headed south
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*
December 15, 1947

Overnight at Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal
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*
December 16, 1947

Celebrity Ride -- a round trip from Glendale to Saugus with some movie stars. Among them: Art Linkletter, Ginger Rogers, Herbert Marshall, Walter Pidgeon, Ann Sothern.
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Los Angeles, CA
December 17-22, 1947

Displayed along Exposition Blvd at Hoover St. next to USC. This is where the Freedom Train had displayed in February.
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*
December 23-27, 1947

Train "under wraps" at Southgate Plant. Staff takes a break.
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*
December 28, 1947

The train makes a special round trip from Glendale to Saugus with the University of Michigan football squad. They would soon be playing in the Rose Bowl. After the excursion, the train heads for San Francisco on an errand.
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*
December 29, 1947

The train picks up the University of Michigan band and transports them south to Glendale. They would soon be performing at the Rose Bowl.
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*
December 30-31, 1947

Train cleaning at the coach yards in LA.
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*
January 1, 1948

Train leaves at 2AM on a special trip to transport the USC football team from Santa Barbara to Glendale for the Rose Bowl game in nearby Pasadena. (Michigan beat USC 49-0)
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January 2, 1948

Trip to San Diego with ten winners of a "What I Like Best About The Train Of Tomorrow" contest aboard.
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San Diego, CA
January 3-4, 1948

Displayed at the Santa Fe Depot downtown.
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Riverside & San Bernardino, CA
January 6, 1948

Short opening in Riverside before opening in San Bernardino
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Phoenix, AZ
January 8-10, 1948

Phoenix Union Station
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Winslow, AZ
January 11, 1948

Speed test on a 13 mile stretch on the way to Albuquerque. Train clocks 138MPH, but speedometer 'only' reads 118. Open for display at Winslow from 10 to noon, then on to Albuquerque.
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Albuquerque, NM
January 12, 1948

Santa Fe Station. Television host Jack Benny gets off his train and tours the ToT before reboarding and continuing east on the California Ltd.
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El Paso, TX
January 14-16, 1948

El Paso Union Station
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Big Spring, TX
January 17, 1948

 
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Sweetwater & Abilene, TX
January 18, 1948

Showing from 8-10AM in Sweetwater, 12-9PM in Abilene
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Dallas, TX
January 20-24, 1948

Fairgrounds
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Austin, TX
January 25-26, 1948

Dormitory car Blue Goose was part of the train on the way to Austin. Displayed at the Katy Station. Canine movie star Rin-Tin-Tin visits the train.
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*
January 28, 1948

Round trip from San Antonio to Fort Sam Houston to host patients of Brooke General Hospital.
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San Antonio, TX
January 29-31, 1948

Exhibit at the Katy station.
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*
February 2, 1948

The train stops in Waco, TX to allow one of the ToT staff to tour the Freedom Train, on display in Waco. The manager of the Freedom Train also tours the ToT before the ToT presses on.
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Fort Worth, TX
February 3-7, 1948

Fort Worth Union Station
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Houston, TX
February 9-13, 1948

Southern Pacific Station
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Shreveport, LA
February 14, 1948

 
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Baton Rouge, LA
February 15, 1948

Illinois Central Station
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New Orleans, LA
February 17-20, 1948

Illinois Central Station
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Jackson, MS
February 21, 1948

 
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Mobile, AL
February 22, 1948

 
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*
February 24, 1948

The train made two round trips from Miami to Palm Beach for the press.
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Miami, FL
February 25-29, 1948

Displayed at 15th Rd and Brickell Ave. On the 27th there was an evening ride for local business and social leaders. Round trip from Miami to Homestead, departing at 11:30PM and returning at 2AM.
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Tampa, FL
March 1-4, 1948

Displayed at Cass and Jefferson.
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Orlando, FL
March 5-7, 1948

Orlando Depot
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Montgomery, AL
March 9-10, 1948

Union Station
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Memphis, TN
March 12-14, 1948

Illinois Central tracks near old station at Front St.
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Little Rock, AR
March 16-17, 1948

Rock Island Station
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Oklahoma City, OK
March 19-22, 1948

Union Station
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Tulsa, OK
March 24-26, 1948

Union Station at the foot of Boston Ave.
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Wichita, KS
March 27-30, 1948

Old Rock Island Station on East Douglas Ave.
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 Newton, KS
 April 1, 1948
 
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 Topeka, KS
April 2-8, 1948
 Santa Fe Station
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 Kansas City, MO
April 5-10, 1948
  Displayed by Union Station at 20th and McGee
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 Kansas City, KS
April 11, 1948
 Displayed at Fairfax Food Terminal
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 Kansas City, MO
April 12, 1948
 Train moved back to Union Station for a special party showing
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*
April 13, 1948
 Trip to St. Louis over the Missouri Pacific. Pick up press in Hermann.
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 St. Louis, MO
April 14-18, 1948
 Train on display on track 2 at Union Station
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 Burlington, IA
April 19, 1948
  
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 Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
April 21-25, 1948
 Fairgrounds
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 Milwaukee, WI
April 27-30, 1948
 Displayed at Chicago & Northwestern Station
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 Janesville, WI
May 1-2, 1948
 Displayed at Chevrolet plant
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 Madison, WI
May 4, 1948
 C&NW station
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*
May 5, 1948
 Free day for the staff in Madison
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 Des Moines, IA
May 7-9, 1948
 Rock Island yards
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 Davenport, IA
May 10, 1948
 Threatening rail strike curtails showing here to just luncheon guests. Train returns to Chicago. The train would return to Davenport in 1949.
TOUR STOP
CITY
DATES
PLANT CITY TOUR
*
 Chicago, IL
May 11-28, 1948
 EMD Plant #2 for repainting and refurbishing
*
*
May 29, 1948
 Showing for EMD employees and families at 103rd St. plant
*
 Danville, IL
May 31- June 1, 1948
 Displayed at C&EI freight yards
*
 Indianapolis, IN
June 2-3, 1948
 Allison Plant
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 Indianapolis, IN
June 4-5, 1948
 Chevrolet Plant
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 Anderson, IN
June 7-13, 1948
 Displayed at 5th & St. John St.
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 Muncie, IN
June 14-15, 1948
 Nickel Plate yards
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 Kokomo, IN
June 17, 1948
 Exhibit at Pennsylvania Station
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 Bedford, IN 
June 18, 1948
  
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 Michigan City & Grand Rapids, MI
June 19, 1948
  
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 Grand Rapids, MI
June 20-24, 1948
 Grand Trunk station
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 Lansing, MI
June 25-29, 1948
 Grand Trunk station
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 Flint, MI
July 1-5, 1948
 IMA site
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 Lake Orion, MI
July 6, 1948
 Showing at the new Chevrolet dealership. Train had to run in reverse part of the way. 
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 Flint, MI
July 7-11, 1948
 IMA site
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 Saginaw, MI
July 12-16, 1948
 West side of Saginaw River by Michigan Bean Elevator
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 Bay City, MI
July 17-18, 1948
 C&O station
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 Chicago, IL
July 20-September 24, 1948
 Chicago Railroad Fair on the lakefront. Displayed on track #2.
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*
September 8, 1948
 Left the fair for an outing to Indian Lake/Dayton with press members
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 Detroit, MI
September 26, 1948
 Showing at Detroit Transmission Plant at Riopelle & Farnsworth
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 Detroit, MI
September 27-29, 1948
 Central Office showing at Second & Sears
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 Detroit, MI
September 30-October 1, 1948
 Chevrolet Gear and Axle showing at Holbrook & St. Aubin
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 Detroit, MI
October 2-3, 1948
 Cadillac open house showing at Michigan & Clark
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*
October 4, 1948
 Ride to Pontiac and return with GM execs
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 Detroit, MI
October 5-7, 1948
 Ternstedt Plant at Fort & West End Ave.
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 Detroit, MI
October 8, 1948
 Fisher Body Plant at Piquette & Hastings
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 Detroit, MI
October 9, 1948
 Detroit Diesel showing a Telegraph & Plymouth
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 Pontiac, MI
October 10-14, 1948
 Sanderson & Oakland Ave
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 Toledo, OH
October 16-17, 1948
 At the foot of Washington on B&O tracks
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 Warren, OH
October 19-21, 1948
 Erie freight yards
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 Tonawanda, NY
October 23-24, 1948
 Displayed at Tonawanda Chevrolet Plant
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 Lockport, NY
October 26-27, 1948
 Freight yards
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 Framingham, NY
October 28-31, 1948
 Film star Eddie Braken (who 35 years later played Roy Walley, owner of 'Walley World', in the 1983 Chevy Chase movie Vacation) and his wife were on the train for part of the trip to Framingham
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 Meriden, CT
November 2-4, 1948
 Displayed in freight yards near the International Silver plant
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 Bristol, CT
November 5-7, 1948
 Exhibited at Forrestville
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 Elmsford, NY
November 9-10, 1948
 NYC Elmsford station
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 Bloomfield, NY
November 12, 1948
 Erie freight yards
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 Harrison, NJ
November 13, 1948
  
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 Linden, NJ
November 15, 1948
 Linden Plant of BOP (Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac)
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 Trenton, NJ
November 18, 1948
 Reading freight yards at Willow Ave
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 Wilmington, DE
November 19-20, 1948
 Displayed at BOP Plant
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*
November 22-25, 1948
 Train sits at Baltimore's Camden station while the staff takes a break
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 Columbus, OH  
November 27-December 1, 1948
 Ternstedt plant
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 Dayton, OH
December 2-7, 1948
 Second showing at this site -- B&O team tracks at Ludlow St.
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 Hamilton, OH
December 8, 1948
 Displayed on Route 4 on outskirts of city
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 Elyria, OH
December 10-11, 1948
 Displayed at Brown-Lipe-Chapin plant
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 Sandusky, OH
December 12-13, 1948
  
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December 14, 1948
 Arrive in St. Louis for refurbishment at the Pullman shops on Bircher Blvd. This is where the Blue Goose got a name plate and shadow painting to match the metallic fluting on the rest of the train. Train completely updated.
TOUR STOP
CITY
DATES
SOUTHEASTERN TOUR
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*
January 15, 1949
 Train leaves St. Louis for Detroit
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*
January 16, 1949
 Staff briefing on upcoming tour and press/editors trip into NY and the GM Auto Show at the Waldorf.
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January 17, 1949
 Into Canada again. Train takes the Michigan Central tunnel into Windsor, ONT, speeding through the flat Ontario countryside at nearly 100MPH, crossing back into the US at Buffalo, NY. Movie star Eddie Braken rides again. Train arrives at Hoboken, NJ twelve hours after leaving Detroit - a new record for Detroit to NY.
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January 18, 1949
 Movement from NYC to Rocky Mount, NC
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 Wilmington, NC
January 19-21, 1949
 First display date of the Southeastern Tour. ACL station
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 Columbia, SC
January 22-24, 1949
 Displayed on siding near the fairgrounds
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 Sumter, SC
January 25, 1949
 Short showing at request of locals
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 Augusta, GA
January 26-28, 1949
 Union Terminal
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 Macon, GA
January 29-31, 1949
 Union Station
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 St. Petersburg, FL
February 2-7, 1949
 ACL mole
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 Tallahassee, FL
February 9-12, 1949
 Displayed near the airport
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 Pensacola, FL
February 15-16, 1949
 L&N station
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 Nashville, TN
February 18-20, 1949
 Showing at 11th St. near Union Station
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 Chattanooga, TN
February 22-24, 1949
 NC&STL station
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 Kingsport, TN
February 26, 1949
 Union Station
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 Johnson City, TN
February 27, 1949
 Near the ball park.
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 Spartanburg, SC
March 1-2, 1949
 C&WC tracks near Main Street
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 Charlotte, NC
March 4-7, 1949
 SAL freight tracks between 5th & 6th Streets
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 Raleigh, NC
March 9-13, 1949
 SAL station
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 Portsmouth, VA
March 15-17, 1949
 SAL Station
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 Charleston, SC
March 19-21, 1949
 Near C&O station
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 Huntington, WV
March 22-24, 1949
 C&O station
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 Lexington, KY
March 26-28, 1949
 C&O Station
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 Wheeling, WV
March 30-April 1, 1949
 B&O Station
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 Elmira, NY
April 3-4, 1949
 DL&W freight yards, 5th & State Street
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 Binghamton, NY
April 5-7, 1949
 DL&W freight yards
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 Scranton, PA
April 9-10, 1949
 Lower DL&W tracks at the foot of Washington
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 Poughkeepsie, NY
April 12-13, 1949
 NYNH&H freight yards
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 New Haven, CT
April 14-15, 1949
 Near station
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 Bridgeport, CT
April 16-17, 1949
 Fairfield & State
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 New London, CT
April 18-19, 1949
 Fort Yard near Howard St.
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 Providence, RI
April 20-22, 1949
  
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 Manchester, NH
April 24-25, 1949
 Manchester Station
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 Portland, ME
April 27-28, 1949
 Portland Union Station
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 Worcester, MA
April 29-May 2, 1949
 Private showing at the Pullman plant on the 29th. B&A freight yards thereafter, Grafton & Franklin St.
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 Springfield, MA
May 4-6, 1949
 B&A freight yards, corner of Springfield and Taylor
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 Hartford, CT
May 7-9, 1949
 Spruce St. yards adjacent to station
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 Canton, OH
May 11-13, 1949
 B&O tracks at West 7th
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 Akron, OH
May 15-16, 1949
 Howard Street Station
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 Lima, OH
May 17, 1949
 Near Penn Station
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 Ft. Wayne, IN
May 19-20, 1949
 Wabash freight yards on Harrison St.
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 Defiance, OH
May 21-22, 1949
 Open house at GM plant.
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 South Bend, IN
May 23-25, 1949
 Upper level at Union Station
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 Evansville, IN
May 27-28, 1949
 C&EI freight yards
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 Decatur, IL
May 29-30, 1949
  
*
 Springfield, IL
June 1-2, 1949
 Displayed at IC freight yards
*
 Peoria, IL
June 3-5, 1949
 CRI&P tracks near river. The Blue Goose support car was traveling as part of the train in Peoria.
*
 Rock Island, IL
June 6, 1949
  
*
 Davenport, IA
June 7-8, 1949
 This city was omitted the previous year due to threatened rail strike. Displayed at 5th &Iowa
*
 St. Louis, MO
June 10-20, 1949
 Pullman shops for limited refurbishment
*
*
June 21, 1949
 Overnight run to Chicago.
*
*
June 22, 1949
 Press run from Chicago to Gilman, IL and return prior to heading to the Chicago Railroad Fair
*
 Chicago, IL
June 25-September 16, 1949
 Displayed at the Chicago Railroad Fair for a second year.
TOUR STOP
CITY
DATES
CANADIAN TOUR
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 Chicago, IL
September 17-20, 1949
 Reconditioning at Pullman's 103rd St. Plant.
*
*
September 21, 1949
 Overnight in Detroit
*
*
September 22, 1949
 Into Canada for the third time, through the Michigan Central tunnel to Windsor and onward to London, ONT
*
 London, ON
September 22-24, 1949
 Near CPR station
*
 Ottawa, ON
September 26-28, 1949
 On the 26th, a luncheon trip on the CPR to Carlton Place and return
*
 Montreal, QC
September 30-October 4, 1949
 Exhibit site was two blocks form the CNR terminal, at Inspector St. Huge crowds
*
 Quebec, QC
October 6-8, 1949
 CPR station
*
 Sherbrooke, QC
October 9-10, 1949
 Near CNR station
*
 Oshawa, ON
October 12-13, 1949
 Home of GM of Canada. Displayed at CNR station.
*
 Toronto, ON
October 15-19, 1949
 At North Toronto Station (no longer in use by then)
*
 Hamilton, ON
October 20-22, 1949
 CNR station
*
 St. Catharines, ON
October 24-25, 1949
 CNR station. Steam engine brought in from Niagara Falls for heat.
*
 Stratford, ON
October 26, 1949
 Another steam engine for heat.
*
 Chatham, ON
October 27, 1949
 One block from CNR station
*
 Windsor, ON
October 28, 1949
 Last exhibit day. The last stop on the train's 65,000 mile 86-city tour.
TOUR STOP
CITY
DATES
POSTSCRIPT
*
 Chicago, IL
October 30, 1949
 The entire train, including the Blue Goose baggage-dorm car, arrived at Chicago Dearborn Station at 8:30PM. Train was moved to the Pullman 103rd St. Plant for cleaning and its eventual sale to the Union Pacific Railroad. The Blue Goose was converted to an EMD diesel locomotive instruction car.
*
 Seattle, WA
April 1, 1950
 The former Train of Tomorrow makes its debut as the 'City of Seattle' for the Union Pacific Railroad.
*
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*
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