Sam Houston Zephyr
Encyclopedia
The Sam Houston Zephyr was a named passenger train
operated by the Burlington-Rock Island Railroad
, a subsidiary of both the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
. It was the first streamlined passenger train
in Texas
.
Inaugurated on October 1, 1936, the year of the Texas centennial celebrations
, the streamlined train
was named for Texas hero Sam Houston
. On its original schedule, the train ran from the Texas and Pacific
station in Fort Worth
to Union Station in Houston, Texas
, in exactly five hours, making only four intermediate stops in Dallas
, Waxahachie
, Corsicana
, and Teague
. The train was designated number 3 southbound, and number 4 northbound. Its chief competitor was the Sunbeam, operated by the Texas and New Orleans Railroad
(a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific) on a parallel route between Dallas and Houston.
Like many other passenger trains that experienced declining revenues in the face of competition from automobiles and airplanes in the 1950s and 1960s, the Sam Houston Zephyr was discontinued in 1966.
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 Burlington-Rock Island Railroad
Burlington-Rock Island Railroad
The Burlington-Rock Island Railroad officially came into existence on July 7, 1930, through the reorganization of its parent road, the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway Company , AKA the “Boll Weevil"....
, a subsidiary of both the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
. It was the first streamlined passenger train
Streamliner
A streamliner is a vehicle incorporating streamlining in a shape providing reduced air resistance. The term is applied to high-speed railway trainsets of the 1930s to 1950s, and to their successor "bullet trains". Less commonly, the term is applied to fully faired recumbent bicycles...
in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Inaugurated on October 1, 1936, the year of the Texas centennial celebrations
Texas Centennial Exposition
The Texas Centennial Exposition was a World's Fair held at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Texas's independence from Mexico in 1836. More than 50 buildings, for which "George Dahl was director general of a group of architects who designed the buildings ", were...
, the streamlined train
Streamliner
A streamliner is a vehicle incorporating streamlining in a shape providing reduced air resistance. The term is applied to high-speed railway trainsets of the 1930s to 1950s, and to their successor "bullet trains". Less commonly, the term is applied to fully faired recumbent bicycles...
was named for Texas hero Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
. On its original schedule, the train ran from the Texas and Pacific
Texas and Pacific Railway
The Texas and Pacific Railway Company was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California....
station in Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
to Union Station in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, in exactly five hours, making only four intermediate stops in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Waxahachie
Waxahachie, Texas
Waxahachie is a city in Ellis County, Texas, United States, and a southern suburb of Dallas. The population was 21,426 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ellis County....
, Corsicana
Corsicana, Texas
Corsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45 some fifty-five miles south of downtown Dallas. The population was 24,485 at the 2000 census...
, and Teague
Teague, Texas
Teague is a city in Freestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,557 at the 2000 census.-Settlement:The area was first settled around the time of the Civil War. During the latter...
. The train was designated number 3 southbound, and number 4 northbound. Its chief competitor was the Sunbeam, operated by the Texas and New Orleans Railroad
Texas and New Orleans Railroad
The Texas and New Orleans Railroad is a former railroad in Texas and Louisiana. At one point the company was the largest railroad in Texas, with of trackage in 1934, but by 1961 there were only remaining when it was merged with parent company Southern Pacific....
(a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific) on a parallel route between Dallas and Houston.
Like many other passenger trains that experienced declining revenues in the face of competition from automobiles and airplanes in the 1950s and 1960s, the Sam Houston Zephyr was discontinued in 1966.
External links
- Streamliner Schedules (timetable and consist of the 1950 Sam Houston Zephyr) http://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track9/samhouzeph195008.html
- Ken's Weather and Railroad page (1956 photos and 1959 timetable of the Sam Houston Zephyr) http://www.trainweather.com/zephyr1959.html
- "Burlington-Rock Island Railroad," Handbook of Texas Online
- Dallas Railroad Museum, "A Brief History of Railroads in Dallas" http://www.dallasrailwaymuseum.com/dallashistory.html
- Burlington Route Historical Society, "The Burlington Zephyrs" (includes map of the various Zephyr routes) http://www.burlingtonroute.com/docs/route/wotz.html