Texas Special
Encyclopedia
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 jointly by the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad was incorporated May 23, 1870. In its earliest days the MKT was commonly referred to as "the K-T", which was its stock exchange symbol; this common designation soon evolved into "the Katy"....
(also known as the MKT or the Katy) and 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:...
(the Frisco), it was the flagship of both these lines. It ran between St. Louis, Missouri
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...
, and San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, from 1915 until 1964.
Steam Era
In 1915 the Katy began operating the Texas Special from St. Louis to San Antonio via North Jefferson City, MissouriJefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Cole County. Located in Callaway and Cole counties, it is the principal city of the Jefferson City metropolitan area, which encompasses the entirety of both counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,079...
; Parsons, Kansas
Parsons, Kansas
Parsons is a city in the northern part of Labette County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,500...
; McAlester, Oklahoma
McAlester, Oklahoma
McAlester is a city in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 17,783 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pittsburg County. It is currently the largest city in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, followed by Durant....
; Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin, Texas. This was done to augment the existing Katy Flyer and Katy Limited trains.
Effective March 4, 1917, the Texas Special operated over Frisco line from St. Louis through Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
, to Vinita, Oklahoma
Vinita, Oklahoma
Vinita is a city in south-central Craig County, Oklahoma. As of 2009, the population estimate was 6,057. It is the county seat of Craig County.-Geography:...
, where it met Katy lines. When the Texas Special changed lines in Vinita, it changed crews as well. In the early days of joint operations, down the Katy line in Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....
, the locomotive was changed also.
The joint operation created one of the shortest routes connecting Texas financial centers with those in the East. In light of this success the two railroads inaugurated a second train, named the Bluebonnet on December 11, 1927; it operated until May 1, 1948, serving the same route.
Throughout the 1940s the Texas Special consisted of "heavyweight" passenger cars pulled by Katy Pacific 4-6-2
4-6-2
4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
s, Frisco Northern 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, or Frisco Mountain 4-8-2
4-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
s.
Streamlined Diesel
In 1947 the Texas Special was upgraded to a diesel poweredDiesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
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...
. Katy and Frisco outfitted two complete 14 car trains with 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...
rolling stock. Each train had seven sleepers
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
, three coaches, a coach-buffet-lounge car
Lounge car
A lounge car is a type of passenger car on a train, where riders can purchase food and drinks. The car may feature large windows and comfortable seating to create a relaxing diversion from standard coach or dining options...
, a diner
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
, a combination RPO
Railway post office
In the United States a railway post office, commonly abbreviated as RPO, was a railroad car that was normally operated in passenger service as a means to sort mail en route, in order to speed delivery. The RPO was staffed by highly trained Railway Mail Service postal clerks, and was off-limits to...
-baggage car
Baggage car
A baggage car or luggage van is a type of railway vehicle often forming part of the composition of passenger trains and used to carry passengers' checked baggage, as well as parcels . Being typically coupled at the front of the train behind the locomotive, this type of car is sometimes described...
, and an observation car
Observation car
An observation car/carriage/coach is a type of railroad passenger car, generally operated in a passenger train as the last carriage, with windows on the rear of the car for passengers' viewing pleasure...
(sleeper-lounge-observation car or buffet-lounge-observation car). In the early years of the streamlined Texas Special all these cars were bright red with shining corrugated aluminum side panels. The locomotives were painted to match.
With two sets of equipment, the train could run daily from both St. Louis and San Antonio, departing one city in the afternoon and arriving in the other the following afternoon. Katy took the diesels off the train in Waco for servicing and again used a Pacific class 4-6-2
4-6-2
4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
steam locomotive, usually their Pacific 383, to take the train into San Antonio.
The Texas Special proved to be so popular that the two railroads soon had to purchase additional equipment. Two ALCO
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
PA-1
ALCO PA
ALCO PA refers to a family of A1A-A1A diesel locomotives built to haul passenger trains that were built in Schenectady, New York in the United States by a partnership of the American Locomotive Company and General Electric between June, 1946 and December, 1953...
diesels were purchased by MKT in 1949. In some cases, older rail cars were repainted to match the distinctive Texas Special look. Soon it was not unusual for the Texas Special to run with 20 cars instead of the original 14. According to a historical pamphlet published by the MKT railroad in 1970, by 1950 the Texas Special was regarded as one of the most profitable streamliners in America. At the height of its popularity the Texas Special also offered through passenger service to New York City with through 14-4 sleeping cars, via 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....
(PRR).
In the mid-1950s the Katy was taken over by a conglomerate whose focus was freight train profits; they showed little interest in properly maintaining the track and equipment to operate a comfortable passenger streamliner. Trains would run late and passengers soon were finding alternative transportation. By 1959 conditions had deteriorated so much on the Katy lines that Frisco pulled out of the venture. This meant Katy had to move the northern terminus of the Texas Special from St. Louis to Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. In 1964 Texas Special service was discontinued south of Dallas, Texas
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...
. The last Texas Special ran on July 1, 1965.
Frisco purchased the E7 locomotives and Pullman cars for the Texas Special at the same time as they purchased ones for the Meteor
Meteor (St. Louis-San Francisco Railway)
The Meteor was a named passenger train operated by the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway . It ran overnight between Oklahoma City and St. Louis via Tulsa. The name was shared with a branch line Meteor running between Monett, Missouri, and Paris, Texas. Later this line was truncated to terminate at...
, so the two trains shared the distinctive red and silver look. Frisco bought sets of named cars for each train.
Named cars
Named trains frequently had named Texas Special cars after famous individuals or cities. Not all cars were named, but the ones that were bore their names prominently on their side panels. Here is a list of the named cars of the Texas Special.| Car Name | No. | Railroad | Type | Made | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Hill | 250 | SLSF | Baggage, 30’ Mail | 1947 | |
| Alexander Doniphan Alexander William Doniphan Alexander William Doniphan was a 19th-century American attorney, soldier and politician from Missouri who is best known today as the man who prevented the summary execution of Mormon founder Joseph Smith, Jr. at the close of the 1838 Mormon War in that state... |
650 | SLSF | 36-seat Diner | 1947 | |
| Anson B. Jones Anson Jones Anson Jones was a doctor, businessman, congressman, the fourth and last President of the Republic of Texas, sometimes called the "Architect of Annexation."- Early life :... |
1000 | MKT | Baggage, 30’ Mail | 1947 | |
| 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... |
1100 | MKT | 36-seat Diner | 1947 | |
| Edward Burleson Edward Burleson Edward Burleson was a soldier, general, and statesman in the state of Missouri, the Republic of Texas, and later the U.S. state of Texas.... |
1200 | MKT | 56-seat divided Coach | 1947 | |
| David G. Burnet David G. Burnet David Gouverneur Burnet was an early politician within the Republic of Texas, serving as interim President of Texas , second Vice President of the Republic of Texas , and Secretary of State for the new state of Texas after it was annexed to the United States of America.Burnet was born in Newark,... |
1201 | MKT | 56-seat divided Coach | 1947 | |
| J. Pickney Henderson James Pinckney Henderson James Pinckney Henderson was a United States and Republic of Texas lawyer, politician, soldier, and the first Governor of the State of Texas.... |
1202 | MKT | 56-seat divided Coach | 1947 | *1 |
| J. Pickney Henderson James Pinckney Henderson James Pinckney Henderson was a United States and Republic of Texas lawyer, politician, soldier, and the first Governor of the State of Texas.... |
1202R | MKT | 72-seat Coach Pullman Stainless Steel Demonstrator | 1954 | *1 |
| Garland Garland, Texas -Climate:* The average warmest month is July.* The highest recorded temperature was in 2000.* On average, the coolest month is January.* The lowest recorded temperature was in 1989.* The maximum average precipitation occurs in May.... |
1203 | MKT | 64-seat Divided Coach | 1955 | |
| Pryor | 1204 | MKT | 64-seat Divided Coach | 1955 | |
| New Braunfels New Braunfels, Texas New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is a principal city of the metropolitan area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 57,740 as of the 2010 census, up 58% from the 2000... |
1205 | MKT | 64-seat Divided Coach | 1955 | |
| McAlester | 1206 | MKT | 64-seat Divided Coach | 1955 | |
| Denton Denton, Texas The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex... |
1207 | MKT | 64-seat Divided Coach | 1955 | |
| Olivette Olivette, Missouri Olivette is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 7,737 at the 2010 census.-History:... |
1250 | SLSF | 56-seat divided Coach | 1947 | |
| Pasadena Hills | 1251 | SLSF | 56-seat divided Coach | 1947 | |
| Baden | 1252 | SLSF | 56-seat divided Coach | 1947 | |
| Picardy Lane | 1259 | SLSF | 64-seat Divided Coach | 1955 | |
| Mirabeau B. Lamar Mirabeau B. Lamar Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar was a Texas politician, diplomat and soldier who was a leading Texas political figure during the Texas Republic era. He was the second President of the Republic of Texas, after David G. Burnet and Sam Houston.-Early years:Lamar grew up at Fairfield, his father's... |
1300 | MKT | 26-seat Coach, Buffet, 25-seat Lounge | 1947 | |
| Temple Temple, Texas Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an... |
1301 | MKT | 32-seat Coach, Buffet, 27-seat Lounge | 1955 | |
| Joseph Pulitzer Joseph Pulitzer Joseph Pulitzer April 10, 1847 – October 29, 1911), born Politzer József, was a Hungarian-American newspaper publisher of the St. Louis Post Dispatch and the New York World. Pulitzer introduced the techniques of "new journalism" to the newspapers he acquired in the 1880s and became a leading... |
1350 | SLSF | 2 Bedroom, 1 Drawing Room, Buffet, 23-seat Lounge, RE Observation | 1947 | |
| Stephen F. Austin Stephen F. Austin Stephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia and raised in southeastern Missouri. He was known as the Father of Texas, led the second, but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin in Travis County,... |
1400 | MKT | 2 Bedroom, 1 Drawing Room, Buffet, 23-seat Lounge, RE Observation | 1947 | |
| Pierre Laclede Pierre Laclède Pierre Laclède or Pierre Laclède Liguest was a French fur trader who, with his young assistant and "stepson" Auguste Chouteau, founded St... |
1450 | SLSF | 14 Roomette, 4 Bedroom Sleeper | 1947 | |
| Thomas Hart Benton | 1451 | SLSF | 14 Roomette, 4 Bedroom Sleeper | 1947 | |
| Henry Shaw Henry Shaw Henry Shaw may refer to:*Henry Shaw , American botanist and philanthropist*Henry Marchmore Shaw , congressman from North Carolina*Henry Shaw , congressman from Massachusetts... |
1452 | SLSF | 14 Roomette, 4 Bedroom Sleeper | 1947 | |
| Francis P. Blair | 1453 | SLSF | 14 Roomette, 4 Bedroom Sleeper | 1947 | |
| Auguste Choteau René Auguste Chouteau Rene Auguste Chouteau , also known as Auguste Chouteau, was founder of St. Louis, Missouri, a successful fur trader and a politician. He and his partner had a monopoly for many years of fur trade with the large Osage tribe on the Missouri River... |
1454 | SLSF | 14 Roomette, 4 Bedroom Sleeper | 1947 | *2 |
| George G. Vest | 1455 | SLSF | 14 Roomette, 4 Bedroom Sleeper | 1947 | |
| Eugene Field Eugene Field Eugene Field, Sr. was an American writer, best known for his children's poetry and humorous essays.-Biography:... |
1456 | SLSF | 14 Roomette, 4 Bedroom Sleeper | 1947 | |
| James W. Fannin James Fannin James Walker Fannin, Jr. was a 19th-century U.S. military figure on the Texas Army and leader during the Texas Revolution of 1835–36... |
1500 | MKT | 14 Roomette, 4 Bedroom Sleeper | 1947 | |
| Benjamin R. Milam Benjamin Milam Benjamin Rush "Ben" Milam was a leading figure in the Texas Revolution. Milam County, Texas was named in his honor. He was born in Kentucky.- Early life :... |
1501 | MKT | 14 Roomette, 4 Bedroom Sleeper | 1947 | |
| William B. Travis William B. Travis William Barret Travis was a 19th-century American lawyer and soldier. At the age of 26, he was a lieutenant colonel in the Texas Army... |
1502 | MKT | 14 Roomette, 4 Bedroom Sleeper | 1947 | |
| David Crockett Davy Crockett David "Davy" Crockett was a celebrated 19th century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S... |
1503 | MKT | 14 Roomette, 4 Bedroom Sleeper | 1947 | |
| James Bowie Jim Bowie James "Jim" Bowie , a 19th-century American pioneer, slave trader, land speculator, and soldier, played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution, culminating in his death at the Battle of the Alamo... |
1504 | MKT | 14 Roomette, 4 Bedroom Sleeper | 1947 | |
| James B. Bonham James Bonham James Butler Bonham was a 19th-century American soldier who died at the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution... |
1505 | MKT | 14 Roomette, 4 Bedroom Sleeper | 1947 | |
| Amon B. King | 1506 | MKT | 14 Roomette, 4 Bedroom Sleeper | 1947 | |
| Sterling Price Sterling Price Sterling Price was a lawyer, planter, and politician from the U.S. state of Missouri, who served as the 11th Governor of the state from 1853 to 1857. He also served as a United States Army brigadier general during the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate Army major general in the American Civil... |
1650 | SLSF | 26-seat Coach, Buffet, 25-seat Lounge | 1947 | |
| *1 | 1202R replaced 1202, which had been wrecked in an accident in 1953. | ||||
| *2 | "Choteau" is a common misspelling of Chouteau. The name appears on the car manifest as "Auguste Choteau" for Rene Aguste Choteau. It is unknown at the time of this writing if the typo was on manifest or misspelled on the side of the car itself. | ||||
| Note: | Some model train manufacturers have put the names "Lonestar" and "Cheri Neil" on the side panels of Texas Special cars. At the time of this writing no references to the existence of actual Texas Special cars with these names have been found. | ||||
Williams Electric Trains
Williams Electric Trains is an American toy train and model railroad manufacturer, based in Columbia, Maryland. That was recently sold to Bachmann Industries in October 2007....
put the name "Lonestar
Lone Star, Texas
Lone Star is a city in Morris County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,631 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lone Star is located at ....
" on many of its Texas Special passenger cars.
In popular culture
- The Texas Special is a popular prototype in Model RailroadingRail transport modellingRailway modelling or model railroading is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale...
. Texas Special trains have been produced by:- LionelLionel, LLCLionel, LLC is a designer and importer of toy trains and model railroads, based in Chesterfield Township, Michigan. Its roots lie in the 1969 purchase of the Lionel product line by cereal conglomerate General Mills....
- MTHMTH Electric TrainsMTH Electric Trains, formerly Mike's Train House, is an American toy train and model railroad designer, importer, and manufacturer, based in Columbia, Maryland...
- WilliamsWilliams Electric TrainsWilliams Electric Trains is an American toy train and model railroad manufacturer, based in Columbia, Maryland. That was recently sold to Bachmann Industries in October 2007....
- Kusan
- Con-Cor
- Lionel
- Hallmark Models, Inc., a model train manufacturer has produced E7 diesels in red and silver without lettering, so that modelers can customize them for either a Texas Special or Meteor train.
