Chicago Railroad Fair
PROGRAMS
Official Guide Book and Program for the Pageant ‘WHEELS a-ROLLING’ (1948)
Cover shows “Pioneer” locomotive alongside passenger diesel, with two American indians in the foreground. Official Guide Book and Program for the Pageant ‘WHEELS a-ROLLING’ (1949)
Cover shows “Best Friend of Charleston” with three passenger coaches. Lettering is sans-serif block style. Box on front says “Second Great Year.” ($4.00-7.00; one sold at $16.03)
POST CARDS
Bank of Gold Gulch
Old west false-front bank building in pastel hues with sign "Bank of Gold Gulch." Text says, "Chicago Railroad Fair -- June 25 to October 2, 1949" ($0.99 - 4.00)
Big Boy, a giant 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive (black & white)
Text says: "Big Boy, a giant 4-8-8-4 Mallet type engine, is 133 feet long, nearly one-half the length of a city block, weighs 1,208,750 pounds, and has a fuel capacity of 28 tons. This monster of the rails is hinged in the middle to permit it to take curves it otherwise could not accomplish"
"One Big Boy does the work which formerly required two locomotives, and when under full steam consumes 100,000 pounds of water and 22,000 pounds of coal per hour. It sets a world standard for size and power. Union Pacific Railroad has a fleet of these giants in service." ($5.00)
Chessie Club, distinctive dining at the Chicago Railroad Fair 1949.
Card has no writing on front. Image is of a fluted side, stainless steel, passenger car with canopied steps leading up to it. Chesapeake & Ohio Railway logo. ($4.25)
Chicago & Eastern Illinois Pavilion
Says "Chicago & Eastern Illinois R.R. Exhibit / Chicago Railroad Fair" on front. Deadwood Central Train
Steam locomotive in red with several yellow passenger cars, inset close-up of car named "Poker Alice." Text says, "Narrow-Gauge Deadwood Central Train at Chicago Railroad Fair" Minnetonka in front of then-modern diesel locomotive
Card shows Northern Pacific's diminutive steam locomotive "Minnetonka" in front of a then-modern diesel locomotive. Entire lower third of card is verbiage describing both locomotives, beginning "In the foreground is the Minnetonka ... " Northern Pacific logo. ($
New Orleans courtyard scene
Scene of New Orleans courtyard, done in green ink. Text above says, "Old New Orleans in Chicago." Text below says, "Illinois Central -- Main Line of Mid-America" ($ -3.50)
"World's Fastest Locomotive; Pennsylvania Railroad's No. 7002 -- Record 127.1 Miles an Hour"
4-4-2 steam passenger locomotive in black on red platform. (Unused $0.99-2.50) Yellowstone Postcard
Card shows "Old Faithful" geyser framed by horse and cowboy with inscription, "World famous Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park erupts approx every hour, when 10,000 gallons of boiling water are hurled to an average height of 150 feet. A small replica of Old Faithful may be seen at the NP-Q-GN exhibit at the Chicago Railroad Fair. It plays “ 40" feet.” On back it says, "Burlington - Northern Pacific, serve the Gardiner, Cody, red lodge Wyoming (WY) Highroad gateways to magic Yellowstone America’s greatest and most spectacular National Park"
BROCHURES
Burlington Route
Double-page tri-fold booklet about 9" x 4" closed. Opens to 9" x 24". Front cover says "Burlington... A Modern Pioneer" with Burlington logo. Back cover says "Burlington... Chicago Railroad Fair" with Burlington logo. Wrap-around illustration is of a "modern" diesel locomotive passing a train with a stainless steel vista-dome car. ($6.69-10.30)
Great Northern
Banner saying "Chicago Railroad Fair" above stylized ram shouting through megaphone. Great Northern Railway logo. Color rather orangish. Fanfold, 9" x 4" folded, opens out to 9" x 24" ($16
New York Central
Tri-fold brochure. Cover has black field at top with "Chicago Railroad Fair." Orange field at bottom with "Go Via ... / NEW YORK CENTRAL." Illustration in middle is of a stylized Pioneer loco with a "modern" passenger diesel. Banner below locos says, "Opening July 20th." Orange oval at intersection of black band and illustration says, "STIRRING CELEBRATION / OF 100 YEARS / OF RAILROAD PROGRESS." Text is bracketed by "1848" on left and "1948" on right. Text box between illustration and orange bottom band says, "Greatest Event of the 1948 Vacation Season. In a setting of World's Fair proportions on the shores of Lake Michigan, U.S. railroads portray the growth of a nation - the spectacular miracle of America on rails setting a pace for the world." A variation has "PLACE RESERVATIONS TODAY(?) / See Your Local(?) Ticket / Agent or Travel Bureau" in the orange field at the bottom.
Pullman Company
Lavender cover with lettering in white circle bled into lavender: "The / PULLMAN COMPANY / at the / Chicago Railroad / Fair." Illustration below shows large "TODAY" passenger car beside small "1859" passenger car. Railroad Products by "Standard"
Reddish Orange cover with pen and ink drawing by C.C. Poage of a typical station in the early days of railroading. Brochure opens to 18" x 15". Inside shows comparison of old and new box car assemblies, and a number of pie charts with railroad statistics. ($
Rock Island
Cover has Rock Island logo with a thin, fluttering banner. Text says "Rock Island / at the / Chicago Railroad Fair / 1948." Logo and banner are red-orange on white background. Left side of cover is solid red-orange. Saddle stitched, 12 page booklet is 4 5/8" x 7" ($
Santa Fe Railway Indian Village
Three American indian men standing to left of pile of trade goods. Picture is continued from back cover, where a woman leans against a cart with a burro to her left, a horse to her right, and a pueblo in the background. Brownish color. Centerfold map of Arizona and New Mexico. 5¼" x 7½", no page numbers. ($3.50-4.99)
Seeing the Rock Island at the Chicago Railroad Fair 1949
Cover shows attractive model in western dress waving toward a Rock Island logo. A three dimensional map of Rocket Village shows that the Observation Car from 1948 has been replaced with a second (very old) dining car. 10 b/w photos of Rock Island trains and scenic areas the Rock Island serviced are displayed inside the opened brochure, with a System Map on the rear. 6" x 9" folded, opens to 12" x 18" ($ )
Symbol of a City — Western Pacific
4-panel fold-out, closed size 3¾" x 7". Red panel across top of cover says "SYMBOL OF / A CITY" in black. Below is stylized illustration of a cable car. Lower half of cover is a red panel with white lettering and Western Pacific logo. Lettering says, "The story behind / San Francisco's / CABLE CARS." Travelin' the Paul Bunyon Country — Chicago & North Western
Cover has Paul Bunyon figure straddling a Diesel locomotive. Green ink on yellow paper with Chicago & Northwestern Logo. Back cover says "Paul Bunyon Visits the Chicago Railroad Fair" and describes the C&NW exhibit. ($ "The / UNITED STATES ARMY / Transportation Corps / EXHIBIT" (Logo) "Chicago Railroad Fair / Chicago, Illinois / 1948" Blue or black ink on grey paperstock.
MISCELLANEOUS
Stamp Album
Stamp Album on rather poor quality paper sold together with sheet(s) of "poster stamps" to lick and stick in captioned boxes printed on the pages with descriptive material. Each pair of pages is dedicated to a different railroad (18 in all). 8½" x 11" saddle-stitched. Cover has vignette of (L-R) old steam engine, "modern" steam engine, passenger diesel, in brown tones. ($5.57 with no stamps; $ with stamps pasted in; $ with stamps unpasted)
Pin-back Button — B-M-W-E DAY
1½" dia. blue pin with white text. "B-M-W-E DAY" around top circumference, "SATURDAY SEPT. 24, 1949" around bottom circumference. Red logo with B, M, W and E at cardinal points beginning at left.
Plate --Consolidated Concessions -- gray or blue
10½" diameter in shades of gray. Vignette of Minnetonka at top, commuter train 1891 at bottom, "999" prominent in the middle. "Chicago Railroad Fair" across the top ¼ of the circumference, railroad logos around the other ¾. Manufactured by Vernon Kilns, USA, and designed exclusively for "Consolidated Concessions Inc. 1848-1949" to commemorate the One Hundredth Anniversary of Railroad progress. Plate -- Marshall Field -- brown or blue
10½" diameter, in shades of brown and black or in blue. 6 circular vignettes of historical steam locomotives surround a central circular vignette of a contemporary diesel locomotive. "Chicago Railroad Fair" across the top ¼ of the circumference, railroad logos around the other ¾. Vignettes, beginning at top right are Minnetonka, Lafayette, ____ , Tom Thumb, DeWitt Clinton and Immigrant Train. Inscription on back says, "1848 through 1949 / Commemorating / the one hundredth / anniversary of railroading / Made exclusively / for / Marshall Field and Company / by / Vernon Kilns / U.S.A." inside outline of Marshall Field's famous clock. Ashtray
Black ceramic, 4 5/8" diameter. Fluted edge except for matchbook holder and place where raised lettering says "CHICAGO -- RAILROAD -- FAIR." Bottom is marked "The tops in ashtrays by Daka-ware Chicago made in U.S.A. pat. pend." with top hat and cane logo. ($
Medallion
Faux gold, made to look like a coin. Front says "CONTINENTAL ILLINOIS NATIONAL BANK AND TRUST COMPANY OF CHICAGO / 231 S. LASALLE ST" around a picture of the bank. Back says "BANK OF GOLD GULCH / CHICAGO RAILROAD FAIR / 1949 / SOUVENIR" around a picture of the false-fronted building of that name at the Fair. Approximately 1½" diameter. ($2.50-3.00)
Pennant -- 1948
Red felt pennant with off-white image and lettering. Image is a stylized fast-moving diesel streamlined passenger train numbered "1948" with an old steam locomotive in the foreground. Lettering says, "CHICAGO RAILROAD FAIR." 17 1/2" long and 5 1/2" tall ($10)
Pennant -- 1949
Red felt pennant with off-white image and lettering. Image is a stylized fast-moving diesel streamlined passenger train numbered "1949" with an old steam locomotive in the foreground. Lettering says, "CHICAGO RAILROAD FAIR." Lettering in upper left corner says "I WAS THERE." 17 1/2" long and 5 1/2" tall Pennant -- 1948?
Blue and gold pennant with off-white image of streamlined passenger train labeled "WHEELS-A-ROLLING." Lettering underneath says "CHICAGO RAILROAD FAIR." ($19.15) Pin-back Button — Milwaukee Road
1¾" dia. white button with Milwaukee Road logo in red and white. "Chicago Railroad Fair" around top rim, number across below logo. Purpose of the number is unknown. We have seen a variety of 5-digit numbers, some in green, some in black. Do you know what the purpose of the number was? Serving Tray
10¾" dia. tin tray. Gold lettering on olive green background. Image of "modern" diesel locomotive. Lettering says "Chicago / 1949 / Railroad Fair" Raised edge has gold "wreath" effect. ($9.27)
Timetable — Cripple Creek & Tincup RR.
"Main Line." 5¾" x 2¾" folded, extends to 5¾" x 22" and is printed on both sides. This 3' gauge railroad ran from one end of the Fair to the other from 10 am to 10 pm. The timetable notes the train “Leaves Frequently” from one end of the line and “Arrives Too Soon” at the other end. The timetable includes yhr history of Tin Cup and Cripple Creek, Colorado; descriptions of the equipment (‘Montezuma’ locomotive, ‘Chief Ouray’ coach, ‘Brigham Young, David Moffat, John Evans and Heber C. Kimball’ observation cars and ‘General William J. Palmer’ private car). The back of the timetable has ‘O’ scale drawings of the engine and tender. ($3.00)
Ticket — stamped "Ingersoll Steel / Day / Sept. 17, 1949"
Measures approx. 4¼" x 2½" ($6.51)
Ticket — 1948
Measures approx. 5 7/8" x 2 1/2" ($16.20)
Label
Text reads: "CHICAGO RAILROAD FAIR, 1848 - 1948 Centennial Expo - "National Exposition Of Pageantry And Exhibits Depicting 100 Years Of Railroad Progress". Approx. 2-5/8" x 5-3/8" and printed on a thin paper with a shiny front finish (similar to an old cigar label). ($ )
Sheet Music — "Wheels a-Rolling"
OFFICIAL SONG OF THE CHICAGO RAILROAD FAIR, 1948 - Measuring 9 x 12 inches and running 4 pages, offered here is a nice copy of the scarce sheet music of the Official Song of the noted Chicago Railroad Fair. Copyright in 1948. ($ )
Pin-back Button with Ribbon
Original 1948 Chigago Railroad Fair Button and Ribbon. Button and Ribbon Read, (Railroad Centennial 1848-1948 CHICAGO, ILL, and ribbon reads SOUVENIR of Chicago Railroad Fair 1848-1948, Santa Fe Indian is also on the Ribbon.
Photo Folder
Packet has "Chicago Railroad Fair / 1949 / 101 Years of Railroad Progress / 1848" at cardinal points around an oval die-cut through which the first photo appears. Brown ink on yellow paper. 8 photos, approximately 3½" x 2 3/8". Pin-back Button — Wheels A Rolling
Says, "CHICAGO-RAILROAD-FAIR" on red background across top perimeter, "WHEELS A ROLLING" on blue background across bottom perimeter. Has picture of Alco diesel locomotive pulling passenger in between. Red-white-blue ribbon descends with keychain and medallion. Menu
Photo of New Orleans type building with narrow light blue strip above and wide light blue strip below. Lettering in bottom strip says, "Souvenir Menu / of America's first / ALL-ELECTRIC DINING CAR / at the Chicago Railroad Fair.
