Silver Streak Zephyr

CB&QSILVER STREAK ZEPHYRLincoln – Omaha – Kansas City(April 15, 1940)250 miles

On April 15, 1940 the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad inaugurated the "Silver Streak Zephyr" operating a Lincoln-Omaha-St. Joseph-Kansas City round trip daily. The new train was named "Silver Streak Zephyr" for the train portrayed in the Paramount Motion Picture "Silver Streak", with the staring role by the "Pioneer Zephyr".The CB&Q liked the name and assigned it to the new "Zephyr". This was the second "Zephyr" assigned to this route as the "Pioneer Zephyr" had operated in this service for some time and had actually outgrown it, when it generated more traffic than it was able to handle. For power the new five car lightweight streamliner was assigned a new EMD E5A unit developing convert|2000|hp Passengers were obviously pleased with the new "Silver Streak Zephyr" as rider ship showed a marked increase within days of the new trains entry into service. As with the earlier "General Pershing Zephyr" and "Ak-Sar-Ben Zephyr" the new "Silver Streak Zephyr" no longer operated with articulated train sets or for that matter even articulated cars. The Burlington’s days of ordering articulated equipment were over and no further cars of that type would ever be contemplated.

SILVER STREAK ZEPHYR CONSIST

9909 SILVER BULLET EMD E5A 2,000 hp Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

900 SILVER LIGHT Baggage Car

1600 SILVER SHEEN Baggage 30’ Railway Post Office Car

4703 SILVER GLEAM 52 Revenue seat Coach

4704 SILVER GLOW 52 Revenue seat Coach

300 SILVER SPIRIT 24 seat Dining 22 Revenue seat Parlor Observation

Reference

Pettet, Alan L. "Streamlined Passenger Trains of the United States and Canada"