The California
Zephyr. The name alone is instantly recognized as one of
the most famous passenger trains in the history of North
American railroading.
Said to be a "cruise train," the California Zephyr
initiated service on March 20, 1949, heading eastbound to
Chicago. In the first years, the CZ, as it came to be known,
was the main transportation between Chicago and San Francisco,
covering the 2,532 miles in just over two days, traveling
"the scenic way across America." The scheduling
of the CZ purposefully put it in the magnificent landscape
of the Rocky Mountains and Feather River during daylight
hours, much to the delight of passengers. With its breathtaking
scenery outside and excellent service inside, the CZ was
"the most talked about train in the country."
The
CZ was jointly operated by three railroads. The Chicago
Burlington & Quincy handled the train between Chicago
and Denver. The Denver & Rio Grande Western operated
the middle portion of the route, between Denver and Salt
Lake City, and the Western Pacific carried the train between
Salt Lake City and San Francisco. Each of these railroads
contributed specifically lettered cars for the make-up
of the train. Because of its silver stainless-steel body,
all of the cars of the CZ were given a name characteristic
to the western territory it traversed with a "silver"
preface.
EMD
F3 locomotives from all three railroads, as well as by
AlCo PA and PB locomotives on the D&RGW, supplied
the power for the CZ. The CB&Q
operated their F3’s in an A-B-A lash-up, while the
WP utilized a A-B-B configuration. Needing additional
power through the mountains, the D&RGW utilized the
F3’s in an A-B-B-A combination and the ALCo’s in an A-B-A
arrangement.
Although
the equipment used would change over the years due to
ridership volume and service needs, the CB&Q-D&RGW-WP
California Zephyr operated until March 22, 1970, a remarkable
21 years of service!
For
additional information about the CZ, we recommend a visit
to the following websites:
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With
newly tooled cars, this set recreates the first-year consist
of the CZ with eight different car types. The exact specification
of car type and car name for each of the cars in the set
is below. Each car will feature a silver corrugated-side
body, accurate CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR lettering, blackened
metal wheels and Kato semi-automatic knuckle couplers.
The Observation car will feature lighted tail lights,
marker lights, tail sign. The interior of each of the
cars can be dramatically lighted with the optional installation
of our #11-204 1-car/11-206 6-car Light Kit (sold separately).
Because
of the recognition and history of the California Zephyr,
this unprecedented set is sure to be coveted by railfans,
rail enthusiasts and railroad historians around the world,
not to mention the hobbyists modeling the CB&Q, D&RGW
and WP.
It
was written that the California Zephyr was "a pretty
train … pretty from any angle," the pinnacle of passenger
railroad equipment. The Kato California Zephyr in N scale
is sure to be equally impressive.
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Baggage
Car
