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By the 1920s, the Burlington railroad had extended its reach into 14 states and had more than 10,000 miles of track. Operating out of Union Station in Chicago, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad was best remembered for its Zephyr lightweight streamlined trains, which were revolutionary and very successful when they debuted in Chicago 1934.
In the face of growing competition from airplanes and automobiles, Ralph Budd, president of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (generally known as the CB&Q or simply Burlington), decided to develop a revolutionary new train that would capture the public’s attention and use the newly developed two-stroke diesel engine.
In 1932, Ralph Budd joined forces with Edward Budd (no relation), an auto body manufacturer from Philadelphia, to help revive their industry and increase its revenue. Ralph Budd wanted to bring improvements in speed, efficiency and appearance; whereas, Edward sought to bring his innovative use of stainless steel and streamlining to the appearance.
At the same time, Charles Kettering of General Motors was involved in the research of new diesel engines, including two-stroke and lightweight designs. His work on perfecting a new diesel engine, the first of which was a 600-horsepower unit, eventually would be the unit that powered the Pioneer Zephyr for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.
On May 26, 1934, the world’s first diesel powered, stainless steel streamlined train would leave Denver for Chicago; beginning the longest, nonstop railroad trip ever attempted.
The train reached the unheard of speed of 112 mph, cutting the travel time to Chicago in half. The nonstop “Dawn-to-Dusk” dash took 13 hours and 5 minutes at an average speed of 77 mph. This historic trip inspired a 1934 film and the train’s nickname, “The Silver Streak.”
While the movie was popular, the real Zephyr was an unqualified hit. After completing a wildly successful exhibition tour of the West, the Zephyr returned to Chicago where it was put into regular service from Lincoln to Kansas City on Nov. 11, 1934.
Renamed the Pioneer Zephyr in 1936 to celebrate its position as the first train in Burlington’s new fleet, the streamliner was responsible for increased ridership and revenue growth for the company for the next several years.
On Oct. 23, 1936, a new Denver Zephyr set a new world’s speed record, dashing from Chicago to Denver in 12 hours and 12 minutes, beating the May 1934 record by 53 minutes.
Soon, more Zephyrs were built and new routes came online in the Midwest. With speed and economy working in Burlington’s favor, the company began to find ways to improve its service.
By the early 1940s, Burlington introduced all-female Zephyrettes, a staff of onboard hostesses, adding passenger comfort to the list of unique luxuries at which the Zephyrs already excelled.
Within a decade, the passenger rail business began to suffer an irreversible decline. In 1960, the Pioneer Zephyr was retired from service but has long remained a shining symbol of the streamliner era.
Today, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago is home to the old Pioneer Zephyr. Museum curators have restored the locomotive to its original grandeur and created a permanent exhibition to honor its distinctive history.