The Texas Zephyr led by EMD E-5A No. 9952, holding in the station at Denver, Colorado, 1961.

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(© Dan Pope Collection / RMP Archive)

TEXAS ZEPHYR

The Texas Zephyr was a named passenger train operated by the Colorado & Southern Railway and the Fort Worth & Denver Railway (both subsidiaries of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad). The train was originally designated number 1 southbound, and number 2 northbound.

Inaugurated on August 22, 1940, the streamlined train ran from Denver, Colorado's Union Station to Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas, replacing the heavyweight Colorado Special. At Dallas, the Texas Zephyr connected with the Sam Houston Zephyr and Texas Rocket, both operating on the jointly owned Burlington-Rock Island Railroad for through service to Houston.

Initially, the train was equipped with Budd-built streamlined stainless steel chair cars and an observation dining-lounge car. Sleeping cars were, however, rebuilt streamlined heavyweight cars. The train was pulled between Denver and Fort Worth by pairs of General Motors Electro-Motive Division stainless steel E5 diesels. To allow adequate time for servicing the diesel locomotives in Fort Worth, a FW&D 550 class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive shuttled the train between Fort Worth and Dallas. It was later replaced by sister E5 diesel locomotives purchased by the C&S from parent CB&Q.

In 1957, the re-equipping of the 1936 Denver Zephyr made those trainsets available, and they were assigned to the Texas Zephyr. Though older than the original Texas Zephyr equipment, they offered more luxurious amenities. These consists ran on the Texas Zephyr until February 1965, when they were retired and the original equipment restored to the train, albeit with Pullman pool streamlined cars or sleeping cars from the parent CB&Q.

As a result of it losing its U.S. Mail railway post contract, the Fort Worth & Denver abandoned all passenger service in 1967, the Texas Zephyr making its last run on September 11 of that year.

Observation car No. 230, "Silver Flash", on the Texas Zephyr at Dallas, December 26, 1960. Photo by Everett L. DeGolyer.

(SMU Central University Libraries, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons)

Fort Worth and Denver Train No. 2, the Texas Zephyr near Fort Worth Junction, Texas. Consist: 3 - Baggage,

1 - 6-6-4 Pullman sleeper, 1 - streamlined coach, 1 - dining car (added in yard) on March 25, 1967.

(Photo by Roger Puta, courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped)

Major stops

• Denver
• Colorado Springs
• Pueblo
• Trinidad
• Amarillo
• Wichita Falls
• Fort Worth
• Dallas

Fort Worth and Denver Railway's " Texas Zephyr, train No. 2, northbound, headed by diesel locomotive

No. 9990, at Fort Worth, TX, 1950. Photo by Roger S. Plummer.

(University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Museum of the American Railroad.)

Overview  

Service type: Inter-city rail
Status: Discontinued
Predecessor: Colorado Special and Gulf Coast Special
First service: August 22, 1940
Last service: September 11, 1967
Former operators: Colorado & Southern (Burlington Route), Fort Worth & Denver (Burlington Route)
Route Termini: Denver, Colorado / Dallas, Texas
Distance traveled: 835.1 miles (1,344.0 km)
Average journey time: 18 hours, 45 minutes, southbound; 17 hours, 30 minutes, northbound
Service frequency: Daily
Train numbers: Southbound: 1, Northbound: 2
On-board services
Seating arrangements: Reclining seat coaches
Sleeping arrangements: Sections, double bedrooms, compartments, drawing room
Catering facilities: Dining-lounge car
Technical
Track gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

A Texas Zephyr brochure from 1940.

(Burlington Route, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

See Also:

Named Passenger Trains A-K

Named Passenger Trains L-Z