Originally Posted by
jrl767
34- MDW<-->STL: I'm thinking Delta with a DC9-30
23- next guess at the Delta DC9-10 configuration: 20F/55Y
23. Actually 20 seats in F and 45 seats in Y on board the Douglas DC-9-14 as initially configured by Delta.
34. Correct!
So what the heck was Delta doing flying Chicago Midway - St. Louis with the DC-9-30 in 1976?
Well, perhaps there is a historical explanation....
The MDW-STL route was formerly served by Chicago & Southern Air Lines (C&S) back when O'Hare had yet to open. Here are some representative southbound schedules from 1950....
CS 601: Chicago Midway 9:30a - 10:42a St. Louis 11:00a - 1:47p Houston Hobby
Op: Daily
Equip: "
Lockheed Luxury CONSTELLATION"
CS 301: Chicago Midway 10:30a - 11:56a St. Louis 12:15p - 1:40p Memphis 2:15p - 4:07p New Orleans 5:30p - 10:00p Havana 10:50p - 1:35a Kingston (Palisadoes) 2:05a - 7:00a Caracas (Marquetia)
Op: Daily
Equip: "
Douglas Skymaster" (DC-4)
Name of flight: "The Caribbean Comet"
Delta then acquired C&S in the early 1950's and operated as "Delta C&S" for a few years before dropping the "C&S" from its name. Here are some representative Delta C&S southbound scheds from 1953.....
DL 601: Chicago Midway 10:30a -11:42a St. Louis 12:00n - 1:46p Houston Hobby
Op: Daily
Equip: "
NEW LUXURY CONSTELLATION"
Name of flight: "The Houstonian"
DL 501: Chicago Midway 3:45p - 4:57p St. Louis 5:17p (
CDT) - 5:29p (
CST) Memphis 6:00p - 7:33p New Orleans 8:25p - 12:10a Havana 12:40a - 2:46a Kingston 3:17a - 7:00a Caracas
Op: Daily
Equip: "
NEW LUXURY CONSTELLATION"
Name of flight: "The Caribbean Comet"
By 1960, Delta was operating quite a few flights from Midway including service operated with DC-7 equipment. Here's a CV-440 southbound "milk run" example from 1960.....
DL 453: Chicago Midway 2:40p - 4:03p St. Louis 4:28p - 5:55p Little Rock 6:10p - 7:07p Shreveport 7:25p - 8:05p Alexandria 8:17p - 8:51p Baton Rouge 9:01p - 9:26p New Orleans
Op: Daily MDW-SHV, Daily except Saturdays SHV-MSY
Equip: "
Super Convair 440"
Delta then ceased serving Midway for a few years back during the mid 1960's but was back at MDW in 1969 with one daily departure....
DL 559: Chicago Midway 11:20a - 12:13p St. Louis 12:34p - 1:24p Memphis 1:45p - 2:44p New Orleans
Op: Daily
Equip: "
JET DC-9" (DC-9-10)
And that brings us to the timeline for our quiz item: 1976. Here are the northbound scheds.....
DL 562: Shreveport 7:30a - 8:18a Memphis 8:50a - 9:43a St. Louis 10:05a - 10:54a Chicago Midway
Op: Daily
Equip: "
JET D9S"
DL 770: Houston Intercontinental 5:47p - 7:21p St. Louis 7:41p - 8:30p Chicago Midway
Op: IAH-STL Daily; STL-MDW Daily except Saturdays
Equip: "
JET D9S"