Sunbeam (passenger train)
Encyclopedia
The Sunbeam was a named passenger train
operated from 1925 to 1955 between Houston
and Dallas
by the Texas and New Orleans Railroad
(T&NO), a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railroad
(SP). The train was designated number 13 northbound, and number 14 southbound.
Originally a heavyweight train, the Sunbeam was re-equipped on September 19, 1937 as a streamlined train
sporting the Daylight paint scheme
of parent Southern Pacific’s other named passenger trains. For motive power, the T&NO streamlined three P-14 class 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives
and painted them and their Vanderbilt tenders in Daylight colors.
Initially, the streamlined Sunbeam was scheduled over the 264-mile route in 4 hours, 45 minutes. Beginning June 1, 1938, the schedule became non-stop between the two largest cities in Texas, and the scheduled time was trimmed by twenty minutes to 4 hours, 25 minutes (265 minutes) in each direction. This fast schedule was designed to meet the mile-a-minute timing of its competitors, the Burlington-Rock Island
's Texas Rocket and Sam Houston Zephyr
.
The Sunbeam operated in tandem with its slower sibling, the Hustler: "The two sets of equipment were dispatched from each terminal in the morning as the Hustler, making all local stops along the way. Then, at the end of the line, they were turned and sent back as the mile-a-minute Sunbeam express." By 1950, flag stops at Ennis
and College Station
had been added to the Sunbeam's schedule.
With the advent of T&NO/SP's Diesel locomotive
fleet in the postwar period, ALCO PA
locomotives were often assigned to the Sunbeam. The Hustler was discontinued in 1954, and the Sunbeam in 1955.
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
operated from 1925 to 1955 between Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
by the Texas and New Orleans Railroad
Texas and New Orleans Railroad
The Texas and New Orleans Railroad is a former railroad in Texas and Louisiana. At one point the company was the largest railroad in Texas, with of trackage in 1934, but by 1961 there were only remaining when it was merged with parent company Southern Pacific....
(T&NO), a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
(SP). The train was designated number 13 northbound, and number 14 southbound.
Originally a heavyweight train, the Sunbeam was re-equipped on September 19, 1937 as a streamlined train
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...
sporting the Daylight paint scheme
Southern Pacific 4449
Southern Pacific 4449 is the only surviving example of Southern Pacific Railroad's GS-4 class of steam locomotives. The GS-4 is a streamlined 4-8-4 type steam locomotive...
of parent Southern Pacific’s other named passenger trains. For motive power, the T&NO streamlined three P-14 class 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives
4-6-2
4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
and painted them and their Vanderbilt tenders in Daylight colors.
Initially, the streamlined Sunbeam was scheduled over the 264-mile route in 4 hours, 45 minutes. Beginning June 1, 1938, the schedule became non-stop between the two largest cities in Texas, and the scheduled time was trimmed by twenty minutes to 4 hours, 25 minutes (265 minutes) in each direction. This fast schedule was designed to meet the mile-a-minute timing of its competitors, the Burlington-Rock Island
Burlington-Rock Island Railroad
The Burlington-Rock Island Railroad officially came into existence on July 7, 1930, through the reorganization of its parent road, the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway Company , AKA the “Boll Weevil"....
's Texas Rocket and Sam Houston Zephyr
Sam Houston Zephyr
The Sam Houston Zephyr was a named passenger train operated by the Burlington-Rock Island Railroad, a subsidiary of both the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad...
.
The Sunbeam operated in tandem with its slower sibling, the Hustler: "The two sets of equipment were dispatched from each terminal in the morning as the Hustler, making all local stops along the way. Then, at the end of the line, they were turned and sent back as the mile-a-minute Sunbeam express." By 1950, flag stops at Ennis
Ennis, Texas
Ennis is a city in Ellis County, Texas, United States, and a southeastern suburb of Dallas. The population was 16,045 at the 2000 census.In 1871, the Houston and Texas Central Railroad purchased of land in Ellis County at a price of , establishing the line's northern terminus. On May 8, 1872,...
and College Station
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
had been added to the Sunbeam's schedule.
With the advent of T&NO/SP's Diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
fleet in the postwar period, ALCO PA
ALCO PA
ALCO PA refers to a family of A1A-A1A diesel locomotives built to haul passenger trains that were built in Schenectady, New York in the United States by a partnership of the American Locomotive Company and General Electric between June, 1946 and December, 1953...
locomotives were often assigned to the Sunbeam. The Hustler was discontinued in 1954, and the Sunbeam in 1955.
External links
Photographs
- Photograph of the Sunbeam with streamlined Pacific locomotive and Vanderbilt tender, circa 1940, from The Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas Libraries.
- Photograph of the Sunbeam at Dallas in 1950, from The Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas Libraries.
- Photograph of the Sunbeam, led by Alco PA units, en route to Houston in 1952, from The Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas Libraries.
- Photograph of the Sunbeam leaving Dallas on Oct. 5, 1952, from The Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas Libraries.
- Photograph of the Sunbeam leaving Houston on Aug. 9, 1953, from The Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas Libraries.