Sam Houston Zephyr
 First trainset of the line which was destroyed by fire in 1944. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Service type | Inter-city rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First service | 1936 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last service | 1966 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former operator(s) | Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Route | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini | Fort Worth, Texas Houston, Texas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance travelled | 283.1 miles (455.6 km) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Average journey time | 5 hours | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Train number(s) | 3 and 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On-board services | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seating arrangements | Chair cars | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Observation facilities | Observation-parlor-diner | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 4 ft8+1⁄2in(1,435 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track owner(s) | Burlington-Rock Island Railroad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TheSam Houston Zephyrwas anamedpassenger trainoperated by theBurlington-Rock Island Railroad,a subsidiary of both theChicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroadand theChicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad.It was the firststreamlined passenger traininTexas.[1]
Inaugurated on October 1, 1936,[2]: 72–73, 75 the year of theTexas centennial celebrations,thestreamlined trainwas named for Texas heroSam Houston.On its original schedule, the train ran from theTexas and Pacificstation inFort WorthtoUnion StationinHoustonin exactly five hours, making only four intermediate stops inDallas,Waxahachie,Corsicana,andTeague.
The train was designated number 3 southbound, and number 4 northbound. Its chief competitor was theSunbeam,operated by theTexas and New Orleans Railroad(a subsidiary of theSouthern Pacific) on a parallel route between Dallas and Houston.
One of the original trainsets from theTwin Cities Zephyr,number 9901, was transferred to begin this new route. While under the management of theRock Island,Zephyr9901 power car was destroyed by fire on December 19, 1944. The Rock Island did not maintain the train properly; the cause of the fire was oil residue which poor maintenance failed to remove. Because equipment was needed to keep the busy line running, the Rock Island replaced itsTexas Rocketwith the newTwin Star Rocketin July 1945.[3][4]
Like many other passenger trains that experienced declining revenues in the face of competition from automobiles and airplanes in the 1950s and 1960s, theSam Houston Zephyrwas discontinued in 1966.[5]
References
[edit]- ^https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/eqb18"Burlington-Rock Island Railroad,"Handbook of Texas Online
- ^Zimmermann, Karl (2004).Burlington's Zephyrs.Saint Paul, Minnesota:MBI Publishing Company.ISBN978-0-7603-1856-0.
- ^"Sam Houston Zephyr".streamlinerschedules.com.RetrievedMarch 27,2012.
- ^"Twin Star Rocket".streamlinerschedules.com.RetrievedMarch 27,2012.
- ^"Museum of the American Railroad - A Brief History of Railroads in Dallas, Texas".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-05-14.Retrieved2008-08-18."A Brief History of Railroads in Dallas," Dallas Railroad Museum
External links
[edit]
Media related toSam Houston Zephyrat Wikimedia Commons- Streamliner Schedules(timetable and consist of the 1950Sam Houston Zephyr)
- Ken's Weather and Railroad page(1956 photos and 1959 timetable of theSam Houston Zephyr)
- "Burlington-Rock Island Railroad,"Handbook of Texas Online
- Dallas Railroad Museum, "A Brief History of Railroads in Dallas"
- Burlington Route Historical Society, "The Burlington Zephyrs"(includes map of the various Zephyr routes)
Named trains of theChicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | ||
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| Zephyrs |
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| Other named trains |
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| Operated with GN & NP |
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Named trains of theChicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad | ||
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| Rockets |
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| Other named trains |
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