Western Pacific didn’t have a lot of branch lines, and didn’t run passenger trains on any of them after World War II. So it’s main train before 1949 was the Exposition Flyer and after 1949 the California Zephyr. But it … Continue reading
The Golden Gate Exposition ended in 1940, but the Burlington-Rio Grande-Western Pacific train named after it was so successful that the railroads kept it going. This attractive train booklet creatively uses just three colors of ink–blue, orange, and black–on most … Continue reading
In 1929, Western Pacific–which was built by Jay Gould’s son, George Gould, as the western link in his Missouri Pacific-Rio Grande-Western Pacific transcontinental route–was no longer financially connected with the Rio Grande or Missouri Pacific, but it was still dependent … Continue reading
We’ve seen an edition of this brochure from the late 1930s and one from about 1950. Here’s a version from around 1916 that features not only the Rio Grande but Western Pacific’s Feather River route. The brochure’s map is dated … Continue reading
Instead of a folder with a pocket, Western Pacific ticket envelopes were real commercial envelopes. The size is somewhat unusual: 3-1/2″ x 7-1/2″. The closest I can find for sale today is 3-7/8″ x 7-1/2″, the so-called Monarch envelope. In … Continue reading
After the Panoramic and the Scenic Limited but before the California Zephyr was the Exposition Flyer, the first through train allowing coach as well as sleeping car passengers to go from the Midwest to California over the Rio Grande route. … Continue reading
After the Twin Zephyrs and the Colorado Eagle, the next great–some would say the greatest–domeliner to hit the rails was the California Zephyr. This train followed the route of the Exposition Flyer, a train that began running in 1939, the … Continue reading
