Sunshine Special
Encyclopedia
The Sunshine Special was inaugurated by the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad (Missouri Pacific Railroad
) on December 5, 1915, to provide a premium level of passenger train service between St. Louis
, Little Rock, and destinations in Texas
. Until being shifted into a secondary role by the Texas Eagle
diesel powered streamliner
in August 1948, the Sunshine Special served as the flagship of Missouri Pacific Railroad
's passenger train service. The last vestige of the Sunshine Special name did not disappear from Missouri Pacific timetables until 1962.
Between July 7, 1946 and April 25, 1948 the Missouri Pacific and the Pennsylvania Railroad
operated the Sunshine Special jointly between New York
and Texas. Low traffic west of St. Louis prompted the Missouri Pacific to withdraw from the joint operation in favor of exchanging sleeper cars. The PRR renamed its train the Texas Eagle on August 15, then finally the Penn Texas on December 12.
The Sunshine Special was thrust into the national spotlight on January 22, 1927 when it struck a bus carrying members of the Baylor University basketball team in Round Rock, Texas. According to reports, the bus driver, 19 year-old Joe Potter, failed to see the train approaching the crossing at nearly sixty miles per hour from the bus' right. When Potter did see the train, he felt he had no choice but to attempt to beat it across the tracks. Attempting to put more distance between the bus and the train, Potter veered to his left, moving the bus further ahead of the train. The results were disastrous. Ten Baylor students were killed, giving rise to Baylor's longstanding tradition of remembering "The Immortal Ten."
Missouri Pacific Railroad
The Missouri Pacific Railroad , also known as the MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers, including the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway , Texas and Pacific...
) on December 5, 1915, to provide a premium level of passenger train service between 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...
, Little Rock, and destinations 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...
. Until being shifted into a secondary role by the Texas Eagle
Texas Eagle (MP train)
The Texas Eagle was a named passenger train operated by the Missouri Pacific Railroad and the Texas and Pacific Railway between St. Louis, Missouri and multiple destinations in the state of Texas. The train began on August 15, 1948, with the renaming of the Sunshine Special. For thirteen years,...
diesel powered streamliner
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 August 1948, the Sunshine Special served as the flagship of Missouri Pacific Railroad
Missouri Pacific Railroad
The Missouri Pacific Railroad , also known as the MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers, including the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway , Texas and Pacific...
's passenger train service. The last vestige of the Sunshine Special name did not disappear from Missouri Pacific timetables until 1962.
Between July 7, 1946 and April 25, 1948 the Missouri Pacific and the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
operated the Sunshine Special jointly between New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Texas. Low traffic west of St. Louis prompted the Missouri Pacific to withdraw from the joint operation in favor of exchanging sleeper cars. The PRR renamed its train the Texas Eagle on August 15, then finally the Penn Texas on December 12.
The Sunshine Special was thrust into the national spotlight on January 22, 1927 when it struck a bus carrying members of the Baylor University basketball team in Round Rock, Texas. According to reports, the bus driver, 19 year-old Joe Potter, failed to see the train approaching the crossing at nearly sixty miles per hour from the bus' right. When Potter did see the train, he felt he had no choice but to attempt to beat it across the tracks. Attempting to put more distance between the bus and the train, Potter veered to his left, moving the bus further ahead of the train. The results were disastrous. Ten Baylor students were killed, giving rise to Baylor's longstanding tradition of remembering "The Immortal Ten."