Pioneer Zephyr


A postcard advertising the newly introduced Burlington Zephyr, later officially renamed Pioneer Zephyr


The coach seating area of Pioneer Zephyr as it appears on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago

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The Pioneer Zephyr is a diesel-powered trainset built by the Budd Company in 1934 for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q), commonly known as the Burlington Route. The trainset was the second internal combustion powered streamliner built for mainline service in the United States, the first such train powered by a diesel engine, and the first to enter revenue service. The trainset consists of one power/RPO car, one baggage/buffet/coach car, and one coach/observation car. The cars are made of stainless steel, permanently articulated together with Jacobs bogies. The construction incorporated recent advances such as shotwelding (a specialized type of spot welding) to join the stainless steel, and unibody construction and articulation to reduce weight. It was the first of nine similarly built trainsets made for Burlington and its technologies were pivotal in the subsequent dieselization of passenger rail service. Its operating economy, speed, and public appeal demonstrated the potential for diesel-electric powered trains to revitalize and restore profitability to passenger rail service that had suffered a catastrophic loss of business with the Great Depression. Originally named the Burlington Zephyr during its demonstration period, it became the Pioneer Zephyr as Burlington expanded its fleet of Zephyr trainsets.

On May 26, 1934, it set a speed record for travel between Denver and Chicago when it made a 1,015.4-mile (1,633 km) non-stop "Dawn-to-Dusk" dash in 13 hours 5 minutes at an average speed of almost 78 mph (124 km/h). For one section of the run it reached a speed of 112.5 mph (181 km/h). The historic dash inspired a 1934 film and the train's nickname, "The Silver Streak".

The train entered regular revenue service on November 11, 1934, between Kansas City, Missouri, Omaha, Nebraska, and Lincoln, Nebraska. It operated this and other routes until its retirement in 1960, when it was donated to Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, where it remains on public display. The train is generally regarded as the first successful streamliner on American railroads.

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1934 Burlington Pioneer Zephyr
55,026 views • Jun 4, 2008

WearybottomAssociate
155 subscribers

In 1934 The Burlington Pioneer Zephyr broke records with its Denver to Chicago run.

CB&Q Zephyr train on record run--outtakes Part 1
3,339 views • Nov 25, 2017

Classic Streamliners
812 subscribers

Scenes of the Burlington Zephyr, a new streamlined railroad train that can reach record speeds of 107 miles per hour. The train being pulled along the track by a team of men, the train being christened in the station, on-train views, aerial views of the train, passengers riding, and a plane racing the train (as viewed from inside the train).

Let's Ride The Zephyr, 1934
65,038 views • Jun 23, 2010

travelfilmarchive
182K subscribers

A ride on the new Zephyr streamlined train in 1934. To purchase a DVD of this film for personal home use or educational use contact us at questions@archivesfarms.com. To license footage from this film visit: www.travelfilmarchive.com

Pioneer Zephyr

All Aboard the Pioneer Zephyr! Ride back to an historic day, on the train that would reinvent travel and design.

On May 26, 1934, a gleaming new train named for a Greek god of wind began a nonstop "Dawn to Dusk" speed run from Denver to Chicago. The Zephyr completed the trip in just over 13 hours, ushering in a new height of train travel and style. Its sleek Art Deco form was soon to be mirrored in everyday items from transportation to toasters.



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