The Meteor was a named passenger train

Train

A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...

 operated by the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway

St. Louis-San Francisco Railway

The St. Louis – San Francisco Railway , also known as the Frisco, was a railroad that operated in the Midwest and South Central U.S. from 1876 to 1980.-History:...

 (a.k.a SLSF or "the Frisco"). It ran overnight between Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...

 and St. Louis

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

 via Tulsa

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...

. The name was shared with a branch line Meteor running between Monett, Missouri, and Paris, Texas. Later this line was truncated to terminate at Fort Smith, Arkansas. These Frisco trains should not be confused with Amtrak

Amtrak

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

's Silver Meteor

Silver Meteor

The Silver Meteor is a 1389-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Silver Service brand, running from New York City, New York, south to Miami, Florida, via the Northeast Corridor to Washington, D.C., thence via Richmond, Virginia; Fayetteville, North Carolina; North Charleston, South...

.

Frisco locomotives No. 4500, 4501 and 4502, three of twenty-five Northern class Baldwin

Baldwin Locomotive Works

The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...

 4-8-4

4-8-4

Under the Whyte notation classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles .Other equivalent classifications are:UIC classification: 2D2...

s built for Frisco during World War II were designated for use on the Meteor. These locomotives were delivered in a distinctive zephyr blue, white and gray paint scheme with "Meteor" spelled out across the tender in bold red lettering. These three passenger engines also saw service pulling the Texas Special

Texas Special

The Texas Special was a named passenger train operated jointly by the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad and the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway , it was the flagship of both these lines. It ran between St...

. In 1948, Frisco 4501 still in its Meteor livery pulled President Harry S. Truman's

Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...

 whistle stop tour

Whistle stop train tour

A whistle stop or whistle-stop tour is a style of political campaigning where the politician makes a series of brief appearances or speeches at a number of small towns over a short period of time...

 train through his home state of Missouri.

When the Meteor was converted to use diesel locomotives, No. 4500 was re-painted into Frisco's standard black with gold striping and lettering and assigned to passenger trains such as the General Wood and the Will Rogers.

Engine No. 4501 resides at the Museum of the American Railroad

Museum of the American Railroad

The Museum of the American Railroad, formerly known as the Age of Steam Railroad Museum, is located at 1105 Washington Street in Fair Park, Dallas, Texas. The museum has a large collection of steam, diesel and passenger railroad equipment...

, in Dallas, TX. The restored Engine No. 4500 resides in Route 66 Station Park, in Tulsa, OK

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...

.

The new streamlined, diesel equipped Meteor began westbound operations on May 14, 1948, with its first eastbound train departing Oklahoma City on May 15. Frisco purchased the EMD E7

EMD E7

The EMD E7 was a , A1A-A1A passenger train locomotive manufactured by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. The cab version, or E7A, was manufactured from February, 1945 to April, 1949, and 428 were produced. The booster version, or E7B, was manufactured from March, 1945...

 locomotives and Pullman

Pullman Company

The Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...

 cars for the Meteor at the same time as they purchased ones for the Texas Special, so the two trains shared a distinctive look; bright red with corrugated aluminum side panels. Frisco bought sets of named cars for each train.

Named cars

Named trains frequently had named cars; the Frisco named Meteor cars after cities and rivers. Not all cars may have been named, but the ones that were bore their names prominently on their side panels.

Cars used on the Meteor
Car name	No.	Railroad	Type	Made	Notes
Normandy	251	SLSF	combination Combine car A combine car in North American parlance, most often referred to simply as a combine, is a type of railroad car which combines sections for both passengers and freight....  baggage, 30 ft (9.1 m) mail	1947
Valley Park	252	SLSF	baggage, 30 ft mail	1947
Manchester	1095	SLSF	34-seat coach, dormitory	1947
Maplewood	1096	SLSF	34-seat coach, dormitory	1947
Clayton	1253	SLSF	56-seat coach	1947
Ferguson	1254	SLSF	56-seat coach	1947
Kirkwood	1255	SLSF	56-seat coach	1947
Richmond Heights	1256	SLSF	56-seat coach	1947
University City	1257	SLSF	56-seat coach	1947
Webster Groves	1258	SLSF	56-seat coach	1947
Meramec River	1457	SLSF	14 roomette, 4 bedroom sleeper	1947
Osage River	1458	SLSF	14 roomette, 4 bedroom sleeper	1947
Gasconade River	1459	SLSF	14 roomette, 4 bedroom sleeper	1947
Niangua River	1460	SLSF	14 roomette, 4 bedroom sleeper	1947
James River	1461	SLSF	14 roomette, 4 bedroom sleeper	1947
Grand River	1462	SLSF	14 roomette, 4 bedroom sleeper	1947
Canadian River	1463	SLSF	14 roomette, 4 bedroom sleeper	1947
Neosho River	1464	SLSF	14 roomette, 4 bedroom sleeper	1947
Spring River	1465	SLSF	14 roomette, 4 bedroom sleeper	1947
Cimarron River	1466	SLSF	14 roomette, 4 bedroom sleeper	1947
Tulsa	1550	SLSF	24-seat diner, 18-seat lounge, observation	1947
Oklahoma City	1551	SLSF	24-seat diner, 18-seat lounge, observation	1947
Ladue	1651	SLSF	26-seat coach, buffet, 25-seat lounge	1947
Huntleigh	1652	SLSF	26-seat coach, buffet, 25-seat lounge	1947

Models of the Meteor

• Hallmark Models, Inc., a model train
  Rail transport modelling
  Railway modelling or model railroading is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale...
  
  manufacturer has produced brass E7 diesels and corrugated passenger cars in red and silver without lettering, so that modelers can customize them for either a Meteor or Texas Special train.