Kansas City Zephyr
Encyclopedia
The Kansas City Zephyr was a streamliner
passenger train service operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
(CB&Q) between Chicago and Kansas City
.
The Kansas City Zephyr made its inaugural run on February 1, 1953, as an all-new daylight streamliner between Chicago and Kansas City. The new train was prompted by the completion the previous October of the $16-million "Kansas City Shortcut", 49 miles of new track that made the route shorter, flatter, and straighter. The new alignment shaved two hours off of the previous shortest route, and made CB&Q optimistic that it could compete successfully against its entrenched rival, the AT&SF, on this busy route.
Kansas City Zephyr (KCZ) #36 departed Kansas City at 12:01 pm, arriving in Chicago at 8:00 pm. Westbound counterpart #35 departed the Windy City at 12:30 pm, arriving in Kansas City at 8:45 pm. The original consist included two Vista-Domes, coaches, diner, and observation car, all built by Budd. The CB&Q simultaneously launched an overnight Chicago-Kansas City service on the same route under the banner of the American Royal Zephyr
.
Sadly, the Kansas City Zephyr never lived up to ridership expectations, and it was not long before equipment from the KCZ was being shuffled off to other trains. Intense competition came from the Santa Fe, which ran six daily streamliners in each direction between the city pair on a shorter schedule than CB&Q. On April 10, 1968, just over 15 years after its promising beginning, the KCZ was discontinued, becoming a nameless local train between Chicago and West Quincy, MO.
Two of the original railcars from the Kansas City Zephyr are still in use today. The “Silver Garden”, 1952 Budd Dome Lounge Coach and the “Silver Terrace”, 1952 Budd Dome Observation cars current operate on the Branson Scenic Railway in Branson, Missouri
and Carl Sandburg
are two passenger trains operated by Amtrak
that run 258 miles (415 km) between Chicago
and Quincy, Illinois
and are the descendents of the Kansas City Zephyr and American Royal Zephyr
passenger train routes operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
until 1968 and 1971. The name Zephyr is preserved in the current name of the Illinois Zephyr. Today the Illinois Zephyr enjoys strong support from the communities it passes through. They all promote the train line as a means of getting to Chicago, and train tickets are frequently sold out. As such, this route is part of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative
, which calls for an upgrade of service from the current 1 daily round trip to 4 or more daily round trips. The Carl Sandburg was added on October 30, 2006. The average travel time from Chicago to Quincy is 4 hours, 30 minutes.
Like the Kansas City Zephyr # 35 & # 36, the American Royal Zephyr # 56 northbound to Chicago which ran in the early morning hours and # 55 which ran southbound to Kansas City would also meet and pass in Augusta, Illinois. My dad worked American Royal Zephyr # 56 to Galesburg.
The Kansas City Zephyr was never a very long train. In the late 1950s it did pull a dining car. Train # 56 would sometimes pull a dining car plus a sleeper. Passengers on # 35 from Chicago could change trains in Quincy for travel to Hannibal and St Louis (other Zephyrs, such as the Mark Twain Zephyr). The Kansas City Zephyr would continue on to Kansas City.
In the late 1960s the CB&Q stopped the Kansas City Zephyr service.
The train from Chicago still ran as # 35 but went only as far as Quincy. It would turn around in Quincy and head back to Chicago. (This eventually became the Amtrak Illinois Zephyr that travels this same route today). At first, the Kansas City Zephyr came from Chicago on its own. Later in the early 1960s it arrived into Galesburg from Chicago on the rear on another train. I believe the train was # 5 (likely the westbound California Zephyr from Chicago).
In Galesburg, the KC Zephyr would be switched to another track and then continued on southwest via Macomb and Quincy to Kansas City." Submitted by M. Reeves
Illinois
Missouri
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...
passenger train service operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
(CB&Q) between Chicago and Kansas City
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...
.
Overview
The largest fleet of named streamliners in the United States were the Burlington's Zephyrs. Competing in markets against the famed Eagles, Chiefs, 400's, Cities and Hiawathas on almost every route, the polished Zephyrs covered almost every route on the mainline of the Burlington and for years held the speed/distance title in the record books.The Kansas City Zephyr made its inaugural run on February 1, 1953, as an all-new daylight streamliner between Chicago and Kansas City. The new train was prompted by the completion the previous October of the $16-million "Kansas City Shortcut", 49 miles of new track that made the route shorter, flatter, and straighter. The new alignment shaved two hours off of the previous shortest route, and made CB&Q optimistic that it could compete successfully against its entrenched rival, the AT&SF, on this busy route.
Kansas City Zephyr (KCZ) #36 departed Kansas City at 12:01 pm, arriving in Chicago at 8:00 pm. Westbound counterpart #35 departed the Windy City at 12:30 pm, arriving in Kansas City at 8:45 pm. The original consist included two Vista-Domes, coaches, diner, and observation car, all built by Budd. The CB&Q simultaneously launched an overnight Chicago-Kansas City service on the same route under the banner of the American Royal Zephyr
American Royal Zephyr
The American Royal Zephyr was a streamlined passenger train service operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad between Chicago and Kansas City...
.
Sadly, the Kansas City Zephyr never lived up to ridership expectations, and it was not long before equipment from the KCZ was being shuffled off to other trains. Intense competition came from the Santa Fe, which ran six daily streamliners in each direction between the city pair on a shorter schedule than CB&Q. On April 10, 1968, just over 15 years after its promising beginning, the KCZ was discontinued, becoming a nameless local train between Chicago and West Quincy, MO.
Two of the original railcars from the Kansas City Zephyr are still in use today. The “Silver Garden”, 1952 Budd Dome Lounge Coach and the “Silver Terrace”, 1952 Budd Dome Observation cars current operate on the Branson Scenic Railway in Branson, Missouri
Subsequent Service On The Route
The Illinois ZephyrIllinois Zephyr
The Illinois Zephyr is a 258-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Quincy, Illinois. The train is a part of the Illinois Service rail network and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation...
and Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg (Amtrak)
The Carl Sandburg is a 258-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Quincy, Illinois. This train began operation on October 30, 2006 and is an addition to the existing Illinois Service rail network created in 1971 and partially funded by the Illinois Department of...
are two passenger trains operated by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
that run 258 miles (415 km) between Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
and are the descendents of the Kansas City Zephyr and American Royal Zephyr
American Royal Zephyr
The American Royal Zephyr was a streamlined passenger train service operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad between Chicago and Kansas City...
passenger train routes operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
until 1968 and 1971. The name Zephyr is preserved in the current name of the Illinois Zephyr. Today the Illinois Zephyr enjoys strong support from the communities it passes through. They all promote the train line as a means of getting to Chicago, and train tickets are frequently sold out. As such, this route is part of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative
Midwest Regional Rail Initiative
The Chicago Hub Network is a collection of proposed fast conventional and high-speed rail lines in the Midwestern United States including of track. Since the 1990s, there have been multiple proposals to improve the links from Chicago, Illinois to major destinations including Indianapolis, Indiana,...
, which calls for an upgrade of service from the current 1 daily round trip to 4 or more daily round trips. The Carl Sandburg was added on October 30, 2006. The average travel time from Chicago to Quincy is 4 hours, 30 minutes.
Oral History
"My dad, G. Reeves, was the Trainman on the Kansas City Zephyr. We lived in Quincy and my dad worked the Zephyr between Quincy and Galesburg from the late '50s until his retirement in 1965. There were actually four trains that ran between Chicago and Kansas City. Train # 35 traveled from Chicago to Kansas City. At Augusta, Illinois train # 35 would pull on to the siding and meet her sister train # 36 which headed to Chicago (northbound).Like the Kansas City Zephyr # 35 & # 36, the American Royal Zephyr # 56 northbound to Chicago which ran in the early morning hours and # 55 which ran southbound to Kansas City would also meet and pass in Augusta, Illinois. My dad worked American Royal Zephyr # 56 to Galesburg.
The Kansas City Zephyr was never a very long train. In the late 1950s it did pull a dining car. Train # 56 would sometimes pull a dining car plus a sleeper. Passengers on # 35 from Chicago could change trains in Quincy for travel to Hannibal and St Louis (other Zephyrs, such as the Mark Twain Zephyr). The Kansas City Zephyr would continue on to Kansas City.
In the late 1960s the CB&Q stopped the Kansas City Zephyr service.
The train from Chicago still ran as # 35 but went only as far as Quincy. It would turn around in Quincy and head back to Chicago. (This eventually became the Amtrak Illinois Zephyr that travels this same route today). At first, the Kansas City Zephyr came from Chicago on its own. Later in the early 1960s it arrived into Galesburg from Chicago on the rear on another train. I believe the train was # 5 (likely the westbound California Zephyr from Chicago).
In Galesburg, the KC Zephyr would be switched to another track and then continued on southwest via Macomb and Quincy to Kansas City." Submitted by M. Reeves
Station stops
Original Kansas City Zephyr, station stops:Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
- ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
Union Station - La Grange RoadLa Grange, IllinoisLa Grange, a suburb of Chicago, is a village in Cook County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 15,608 at the 2000 census.-History:...
station - AuroraAurora, IllinoisAurora is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the 112th largest city in the United States. A suburb of Chicago, located west of the Loop, its population in 2010 was 197,899. Originally founded within Kane County, Aurora's city limits have expanded greatly over the past...
old CB&Q station (abandoned and largely demolished) - PlanoPlano, IllinoisPlano is a city in Kendall County, Illinois, United States near Aurora, with a population of 5,633 at the 2000 census. The city is rapidly growing with new subdivisions such as Lakewood Springs completed and several other developments under construction or in the planning stages. Former Speaker...
stationPlano (Amtrak station)The Plano Amtrak station, also known as the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Depot is a train station in Plano, Illinois, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. It is one of the smallest such stops in the United States. The station was added to the U.S... - MendotaMendota, IllinoisMendota is a city located in north-central Illinois in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The city has 7,272 residents, and is the fifth largest city in LaSalle County, though recent estimates have shown that the population has decreased to 6,995 residents. It is part of the...
stationMendota (Amtrak station)The Mendota Amtrak station is a train station located at 783 Main Street, Mendota, Illinois, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system.... - PrincetonPrinceton, IllinoisPrinceton is a city in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,501 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bureau County.Princeton is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
stationPrinceton (Amtrak station)Princeton Amtrak station is a train station located at 107 Bicentennial Drive in Princeton, Illinois. The station was built in 1911 by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and is listed as "Princeton City" on the Amtrak website and the List of Amtrak stations.-External links:**... - KewaneeKewanee, IllinoisKewanee is a city in Henry County, Illinois, United States. "Kewanee" is the Winnebago word for prairie chicken, which lekked there. The population was 12,916 at the 2010 census, down from 12,944 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
stationKewanee (Amtrak station)The Kewanee Amtrak station is a train station in Kewanee, Illinois, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system.-External links:*... - GalesburgGalesburg, IllinoisGalesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County....
CB&Q Seminary Street station (demolished); near current stationGalesburg (Amtrak station)The Galesburg Amtrak station is a train station in Galesburg, Illinois, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The station was originally built in 1984, after the razing of the large depot just south of the current site. It is located north of the large BNSF... - MacombMacomb, IllinoisMacomb is a city in and the county seat of McDonough County, Illinois, United States. It is situated in western Illinois southwest of Galesburg. The population was 18,588 at the 2000 census. Macomb is the home of Western Illinois University.- Geography :...
stationMacomb (Amtrak station)The Macomb Amtrak station is a train station in Macomb, Illinois, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The station is a brick structure constructed by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad around 1913.-External links:... - QuincyQuincy, IllinoisQuincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
stationQuincy (Amtrak station)The Quincy Amtrak station is a train station in Quincy, Illinois, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The station is one of the namesake stations of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad , but today serves as the western terminus of Amtrak's Illinois...
Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
- West QuincyWest Quincy, MissouriWest Quincy is a small commercial area in northeastern Marion County, Missouri, United States, on U.S. Route 24. It has no permanent residents.-History:...
CB&Q station (entire town abandoned after the Great Flood of 1993Great Flood of 1993The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993. The flood was among the most costly and devastating to ever occur in the United States, with $15 billion in damages...
). - MaconMacon, MissouriMacon is a city in Macon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,471 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Macon County.-Geography:Macon is located at...
station - ChillicotheChillicothe, MissouriChillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Livingston County, Missouri, United States. The population was 9,515 at the 2010 census. The name "Chillicothe" is Shawnee for "big town", and was named after their Chillicothe, located since 1774 about a mile from the present-day city.Chillicothe is...
station - Kansas CityKansas City, MissouriKansas 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...
station