The promises of the 1933 Century of Progress were becoming reality when this timetable (contributed by Tim Zukas) was published. The front cover has a full-page ad saying that Union Pacific was spending “more than $2 million” to add air conditioning to 150 cars. In today’s money, that’s almost $300,000 per car. “When program is completed, all passenger equipment, coaches, chair cars, tourist cars, dining cars, standard Pullman sleeping cars, club and observa­ tion cars on all principal Union Pacific trains, will be air-conditioned.”

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Even more momentous (though made possible partly by air conditioning) is the streamliner featured (along with a steam locomotive) on the back cover of the timetable (as shown above). Page 20 has a tiny photo of “The Streamliner, America’s First Fully Streamlined, Light-Weight, High-Speed Train.” The train went into service between Kansas City and Salina, Kansas on January 1 and was simply called the Streamliner in the timetable.

A schedule on page 27 says that the Streamliner left Salina every morning at 7 am, arriving in Kansas City, Missouri at 10:30 am, 187 miles in 3-1/2 hours for an average speed of 53 mph. Then at 11:00 am it departed Kansas City but only went 68 miles to Topeka, arriving at 12:08, for an average speed of 60 mph. As 12:30 it returned to Kansas City, again in 68 minutes, then left Kansas City at 4:00 pm arriving in Salinas at 7:30 pm.