Sioux (train)

The Sioux was a named passenger train of the Milwaukee Road that operated between Chicago, Madison, Wisconsin, and Rapid City, South Dakota, via Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin and northern Iowa. The train, #11, westbound, and #22, eastbound, operated coaches, dining cars and sleeping cars through most of its history.

Sioux

Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	discontinued
Locale	Midwestern United States
First service	1928
Last service	April 30, 1971
Former operator(s)	Milwaukee Road
Route
Termini	Chicago, Illinois Rapid City, South Dakota
Distance travelled	140 mi (230 km)
Train number(s)	11 (westbound) 22 (eastbound)
On-board services
Seating arrangements	Reclining seat lounge coaches
Sleeping arrangements	Sections and drawing room; (eastbound only: compartment also available) (1948)
Catering facilities	Parlor-dining service
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Route map Distance Station 0 mi Chicago Union Station 17 mi 27 km Glenview 50 mi 80 km Fox Lake Illinois Wisconsin 74 mi 119 km Walworth 89 mi 143 km Avalon 99 mi 159 km Janesville 107 mi 172 km Milton Junction 115 mi 185 km Edgerton 124 mi 200 km Stoughton 133 mi 214 km McFarland 140 mi 225 km Madison 237 mi 381 km Prairie du Chien Mississippi River Wisconsin Iowa 239 mi 385 km Marquette 328 mi 528 km Charles City 356 mi 573 km Mason City 456 mi 734 km Spencer Iowa South Dakota 534 mi 859 km Canton 613 mi 987 km Mitchell 708 mi 1139 km Chamberlain 755 mi 1215 km Murdo Central/Mountain Time 899 mi 1447 km Rapid City

On the route the train included a dining car serving breakfast, and a first-class parlor car. However, by the post-war 1940s, the parlor car was combined with dining car functions.[1] West of Madison it also operated as a mail train, making frequent stops. The train crossed the Mississippi River on the Pile–Pontoon Railroad Bridge.

On October 1, 1951, the train was cut back to a Chicago to Canton, South Dakota, service with prepaid taxi connections to nearby Sioux Falls. In the 1950s, the Sioux itinerary between Chicago's Union Station and Madison, Wisconsin was limited stops between Chicago and Walworth; and service in that latter territory was handled by suburban Milwaukee Road trains.[2]

In 1960 the train was further cut back to a Chicago to Madison coach service.[3] The train ceased operation on May 1, 1971, when Amtrak assumed responsibility for providing a national rail service.