Burlington Zephyrs Photo Archive

With declining passenger revenues Burlington President Ralph Budd realized something unique was need to lure passengers back to train travel. The result was the Zephyr. Featured in high quality photos and descriptive captions the Burlington Zephyrs are shown in a variety of scenic, rural and urban settings. Also included are vintage brochures, timetables, postcards and ads. The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, popularly known as the Burlington Route, conjures images of big time railroading and the largest fleet of streamliners in the United States. The Zephyr's appeal during the Great Depression was tremendous, its sleek lines and stramline design was the beginning of a styling revoltion. In 1934, the only real hope was the future and the future was the Zephyr. Burlington maintained far-reaching passenger service with its silve fleet. Burlington maintained far-reaching passenger service with its silver fleet including the Pioneer Zephyr, Twin Zephyrs, Mark Twain Zephyr, Denver Zephyr, Zephyr-Rocket, Nebraska Zephyr, Kansas City Zephyr, Texas Zephyr, California Zephyr, and other fine Zephyr trains. A Burlington Superintendent best summed the Zephyr experience in these words, "You would first notice a speck of stainless-steel emerging out of the distant haze. Then in spectacular fashion it would flash by, a mass of shimmering steel, traveling a hundred miles an hour and within second vanish again in the distance!"