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CB&Q Pioneer Zephyr streamlined diesel train-set - updated 12/08/23
Murdoch17 posted a topic in LEGO Train Tech
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q) Pioneer Zephyr was the first successful American stream-liner, and made a record-breaking speed run from Denver to Chicago on May 26th, 1934. It arrived 1 hour and 55 minutes ahead of schedule with a total run time of 13 hours and 5 minutes... Note, the run time of a regular steam train pulled across the same distance in about 25 hours at much slower speed than the 77 MPH average of the Zephyr on this non-stop run. (It even reached a top speed of 112 MPH at one point during the trip!) This event was even featured in a heavily fictionalized Hollywood block-buster movie, "The Silver Streak" (The original 1936 drama, not the 1970's comedy of the same name) which also featured many scenes of and on the train. This train even started it's own Zephyr-mania, with everything from Ford cars to sports-teams having "Zephyr" slapped on the name to capitalize on it's considerable fame. The Pioneer Zephyr consist was eventually donated to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois on the 26th anniversary of the Denver-Chicago speed run. From 1960 until 1994 it was stored outside, but since then it is now indoors in the basement of the museum near the parking garage. As such, it will never turn a wheel again. (picture coming eventually) The rear car features a wraparound back window. (It isn't pretty, but it is the best I can do.) (picture coming eventually) The Lego model and the real train feature four joined cars, with the power car / RPO area up front, (RPO is short for Railway Post Office) baggage and coach in the next car, then another coach, and finally the observation lounge at the rear. The third car (the coach) was added in 1938, and even though it isn't original to the train and is not on display with the rest of the Pioneer Zephyr in Chicago, it carried the car for most of it's operational life, thus it was added onto my MOC. Comments, Questions & Complaints are always welcome! Thoughts? NOTE: Main post edited 12/8/23 - one real life photo added to this post, the other two didn't turn out... will retake them when time allows. Sorry!