Internationals

Great Northern's Streamlined Internationals is an August 1951 folder published to herald the inauguration of these new trains between Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC. 

WARNING:  These are large .jpg files  and may take a while to download (especially if you're on a dial-up connection).  Click on the thumbnailed picture to view the page of your choice.  Below each page is a brief description.

THE INTERNATIONALS

Along Evergreen Shores

Few rail trips on the continent introduce the traveler to
so varied a scene in so short a distance as does the route
of the TWIN INTERNATIONAL streamliners.

Across Puget Sound, North of Seattle, the snow caps and
glaciers of the Olympics shine above the national park's
giant trees, virgin timber covering 800,000 acres. East of
the train the Cascade Mountains form another inspiring
horizon. And all along the route are the sparkling waters of
the Sound, dotted with hundreds of green-forested islands.

North of Everett some of the richest farming land on the
continent makes a fertile picture between the Sound on one
side and the Cascade vacation area on the other.

Whidbey Island, the second largest island in the United
States, and Camano Island, both popular vacation and 
fishing centers, lie off shore between Everett and 
Mount Vernon.

Mount Baker's pure white cone, a famous landmark and
ski center of the Cascades, rises to 10,750 feet, east of
Bellingham.

Here too, you see fishing fleets and pleasure craft sailing
about the historic San Juan Islands. 172 of these islands
stretch in a picturesque chain towards the Strait of Juan
de Fuca, passage to the Pacific.

Beyond the San Juan chain, at the Southern tip of Canada's
Vancouver Island, lies the delightful city of Victoria, famous
for its English charm and year-round gardens.

The San Juan Islands were the scene of the last boundary
dispute between Canada and the United States in 1859.
At Blaine, the International Peach Arch, which can be seen
from the wide view windows of the train, marks the friendship
between two neighbors whose unfortified borders set an example
for a troubled world.

New Westminster, British Columbia's original Provincial
Capital, lies across the line on the Fraser River. And just
beyond is Vancouver, Canada's third largest city, dominating
one of the finest natural harbors in the world in its setting
of mountain and forest beauty.

Food and Beverages

The only "old" feature of the STREAMLINED INTERNATIONALS
is the good-food tradition which long has distinguished
travel by Great Northern.

Full dining car service is offered in the beautiful cafe
sections of the streamliners, with delicious breakfasts,
luncheons and dinners served from glistening stainless
steel kitchens. A variety of a la carte selections are
available in addition to reasonably-priced table d'hote
meals.

In the parlor-lounge, beverage service is provided by 
the attendant from a small service bar, with the dispensing
of spiritous liquors being subject, of course, to state
and provincial regulations.

Low Daily Fares

Coach fares between Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver,
British Columbia, reduced 32 percent in January, 1950,
are continued on the INTERNATIONALS. The round trip fare
is $5.25, plus U.S. tax, between the two terminal cities,
with proportionally low fares for trips to and between
intermediate points. There is no tax on tickets 
purchased in Canada.

Baggage Inspection

A customs room aboard the INTERNATIONALS for the
inspection of baggage by U.S. and Canadian Customs
officers helps speed your trip across the border with
no tiresome delays.

Speed...Comfort...Luxury

Tested Improvements in railway equipment and diesel-
power for speed, easy riding and effortless stop-and-go
are coupled with maximum strength and safety in the
STREAMLINED INTERNATIONALS.

Whether you travel on business or a vacation, your
INTERNATIONAL trip is sure to be a pleasure trip.
Great Northern travel agents in principal U.S. and
Canadian cities, your local travel or railroad ticket
agent will gladly assist you with all your travel plans.

Route of the Internationals

Schedule of the Internationals

Great Northern Streamliners

You can save a full night of travel on your trip to or
from Eastern Canada by taking one of Great Northern's
great transcontinental streamliners - the new EMPIRE 
BUILDER or the WESTERN STAR - between Seattle-Tacoma,
Portland, Spokane, Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Chicago.

Convenient connections are made in Chicago with fast
trains to and from Windsor, Toronto, Montreal and to
New York, Boston and other Eastern cities.

The EMPIRE BUILDER and WESTERN STAR connect with
the TWIN INTERNATIONALS at Seattle or Everett.

The STREAMLINED INTERNATIONALS also make convenient
connections in Seattle with fast daily trains to 
Portland, Oregon, and California.

Glacier National Park in the Montana Rockies is
served daily June 15 through September 10, by the
WESTERN STAR, which stops at Belton, the Western
rail entrance, and Glacier Park, the Eastern rail
gateway.



Pacific Northwest Beauty

Each TWIN INTERNATIONAL has a mail-baggage car,
two coaches, a cafe-coach and a parlor-lounge car,
all built by the American Car and Foundry Company.
The 2 thousand-horse-power diesel locomotives which
power them, were built by Electro-Motive Division
of General Motors Corporation.

Inspiration for the decor of the streamliners came
from the magnificent Pacific Northwest country
which they serve.

Wild ducks fly in an engraved frieze, around the
walls of the cafe car. Beaver, bear and other 
game are lively notes in bas relief, on the wall
panels.

A fine carving of fertile farms, fishing fleets,
logging and power developments heads the parlor
lounge. Salmon fighting their way upstream
are the subjects of another striking panel.

These distinctive bas reliefs, all in Oregon
myrtle wood, are the work of K. George Kratina,
noted American sculptor.

Steel etchings in each coach are an interesting
contrast to the mellow richness of myrtle wood
panels. Each etching portrays one of the varied
enterprises which contribute to the greatness
of the Pacific Northwest.

A symbol of the evergreen playground appears in
another medium. Henry F. Pearson, leading
plastic artist, has decorated the transparent
panel between the lounge and observation
sections of the parlor-lounge car in a three-
dimensional pattern of Douglas fir boughs.

A pine tree print also enhances the forest
green seats of the coaches. Sunny gold needlepoint
on other seats and accents of bright color 
throughout make the INTERNATIONALS as refreshing
as the lovely Puget Sound country through
which they glide.

As a tribute to the two terminal cities on
Great Northern's Coast Line, parlor-lounge cars
of the INTERNATIONALS have been individually
named the PORT OF VANCOUVER and the PORT OF
SEATTLE. Boasting two of the finest natural
harbors in the world, these cities are justly
proud of their role as vigorous and colorful
Pacific seaports.









Two completely MODERN streamliners, sharing the
proud name INTERNATIONAL, are distinguished members
of Great Northern's fleet of de luxe trains. They
are appropriately named not only because of their
free crossing of an International Boundary but they
closely link the neighboring cities of two great and
historic friendly nations.

The TWIN INTERNATIONALS provide three-times-a-day
service each way between Seattle, Washington and
Vancouver, British Columbia, and are the first
entirely modern streamlined trains in regular
service into Canada.

The streamliners are "tailor made" for the 155-mile
scenic coast line ride between these two great
seaport cities with each car designed especially
for this route, providing faster trains and more
frequent schedules.