These are
the trains which represented the ultimate in North
American railroad passenger travel—indeed, they stand among
the finest means of overland travel at any time and anywhere.
I do not mean to slight partisans of many of the other fine
trains which crisscrossed the continent during the streamliner
period, but each of these trains stood out from the crowd in
some special way. Even during the general decline of rail passenger
travel during the late 1960s and early '70s, these trains
continued to offer a memorable experience to their patrons.
Scenery: The Front Range of
the Rockies and the Feather River
Canyon. Equipment: Five, count 'em, five dome cars.
And a schedule which was specifically tweaked to
show both
off to best advantage. The Burlington Route, Denver &
Rio
Grande Western, and Western Pacific's entry in the Chicago to San
Francisco market was a sensation. California Zephyr -
August 1950 California Zephyr -
February 1970
The Canadian
Even today, you must go north of the
49th parallel to find the only true
transcontinental railroads in North America. Traversing 2881 miles from
Montreal to Vancouver (with a section to Toronto), Canadian Pacific's
1955 Canadian was the longest rail itinerary under a
single privately owned management in the world. The Canadian
- July, 1956 The Canadian -
April, 1971
Self-proclaimed by Southern Pacific
as "The Most Beautiful Train in the
World," this train also traversed some of the most spectacular railroad
scenery in the country as it wended its way along the California coast
between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The
Daylight - September, 1938 Coast Daylight -
April 1971
