The Railroad Commissary


Welcome to The Railroad Commissary's Milwaukee Road / Olympian Pattern  supplementary information page. Please feel free to send questions or comments to:  rrcomm@sonic.net    Relevant information, and credits, will be posted.

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Olympian Pattern

As was traditional in that era, tea time was observed on many finer trains.  Often, these teas were hosted by a selected passenger.  It is reported that these cup and saucer sets were given to the hostess of the day as a momento and token of appreciation for her hospitiality aboard the Milwaukee's flagship trans-continental train, The Olympian.

This pattern was only made in cup and saucer sets.

There have been an astounding eleven styles of these sets identified.


      1) The cup has a round CM&PS logo (for Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Ry. - the Milwaukee Road's west coast extension line), the saucer is marked "The Olympian".  Both are decorated with gold "Greek key" border patterns, and they were made in Limoges by Wm. Guerin & Co.and also show the Burley & Co. backstamp. This set must date to 1912 or before, as the CM&PS merged into the Milwaukee proper on 1-1-1913.

      2) The cup has a round CM&StP logo, the saucer is marked "The Olympian".  Both are decorated with gold "Greek key" border patterns, and they were made in Limoges by Wm. Guerin & Co.and usually also shows the Burley & Co. backstamp.

      3) The cup has a round CM&StP logo, the saucer is marked "The Olympian".  Both are decorated with gold "Greek key" border patterns, and they were bottom marked IT Uno "Favorite" & and Burley & Co.Chicago. These were made in Bavaria. The cup is 1 7/8" tall, and the saucer is 5 1/2" wide. Only the cup is backstamped. This variation is rather scarce.

      4) The cup has a round CM&StP logo, the saucer is marked "The Olympian".  Both are decorated with gold "Greek key" border patterns, and they were bottom marked "Theodore Haviland, Limoges, France, Patent Applied For". The remarkable feature of this set was the contoured and textured features in the china ware itself - unlike any other known variation. This variation is evidently very scarce.                        

      5) The cup has a round CM&StP logo, the saucer is marked "The Olympian".  Both are decorated with gold "Greek key" border patterns, and they were bottom marked "Hand Painted /a green crown / Nippon". These were made in Japan, and evidently imported prior to 1921, when the official import stamp would have become "Japan" (as opposed to Nippon). The cup is 1 7/8" tall, and the saucer is 5 1/2" wide. This variation is rather scarce.

      6) The cup is marked "The Olympian" inside, and the saucer has a rectangular Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul logo, with the words "To Puget Sound" over, and "Electrified" under the logo.   Both are decorated with gold "Greek key" borders, and are backstamped Limoges.

      7) Both the cup and saucer are marked with a rectangular Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul logo, with the words "To Puget Sound" over, and "Electrified" under the logo. a simple gold stripe, and are backmarked for Haviland.

      8) Both the cup and saucer are marked with a rectangular Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul logo, with the words "To Puget Sound" over, and "Electrified" under the logo. a simple gold stripe, and are backmarked: Electra, H. & Co.(Heinrick & Co.), Selb, Bavaria. This variation is rather scarce.

      9) The saucer is marked with a rectangular Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul logo, with the words "To Puget Sound" over, and "Electrified" under the logo. a simple gold stripe, and is backmarked: Field / a shield / Japan. The matching cup has not been seen. This variation is rather scarce.

      10) Both the cup and saucer are marked with a rectangular Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific logo, with the words "To Puget Sound" over, and "Electrified" under the logo. a simple gold stripe, and are backmarked for Haviland.

      11) Both the cup and saucer are marked with a rectangular Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific logo (w/o the "to Puget Sound", "electrified" wording), a simple gold stripe, and are backmarked for Haviland.

      12) The cup is marked "Olympian", the saucer has a rectangular Chicago, Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific logo.  The borders have a simple gold stripe, and they are made by Lenox.


(Special thanks to Mark Morisky and Cynthia King for additional information and photos)