the Burlington Zephyr

A Chicago Burlington and Quincy 'Zephyr' leaves St Louis Missouri in 1953.

Chartered in October 1848, the Aurora Branch Railroad built the first rail line west from Chicago. Eventually connecting Aurora, Illinois, with Burlington, Iowa and Quincy, Illinois, the railroad was renamed the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q) Railroad in 1855.

More commonly known as the Burlington Route, the CB&Q provided passenger and freight services in the western USA. Their rail lines covered parts of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, New Mexico and Texas.

In 1934, the Burlington helped initiate a new golden age of passenger train travel in the US with the debut of the Zephyr. The Zephyr featured a diesel-powered locomotive and lightweight passenger cars with streamlined stainless steel shells. This significantly reduced the weight of the locomotive and cars, allowing the train to reach much faster speeds than trains of heavyweight passenger cars powered by older and heavier steam locomotives.

The original Zephyr ran between Kansas City, Missouri. and Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska. The service was so successful that the Burlington soon put additional Zephyr trains into operation.

The original Zephyr, which was rechristened the Pioneer Zephyr to distinguish it from the growing Zephyr fleet, operated until 1960. It was then donated to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry where it is on permanent display.