Editing Pioneer Zephyr (section)

{{Short description|American train}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox train
| name               = ''Pioneer Zephyr''<br />''Burlington Zephyr''<br />''The Silver Streak'' (unofficial)
| image              = Pioneer Zephyr postcard.JPG
| imagealt           = postcard view of Pioneer Zephyr
| imagesize          = 
| caption            = A postcard advertising the newly introduced ''Burlington Zephyr'', later officially renamed ''Pioneer Zephyr''
| interiorimage      = 20211211 Pioneer Zephyr coach seating.jpg
| interiorimagealt   = view of second car coach interior
| interiorcaption    = The coach seating area of ''Pioneer Zephyr'' as it appears on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago
| service            = 1934–1960
| manufacturer       = [[Budd Company]]
| designer           =
| assembly           =
| ordernumber        = 
| yearconstruction   = 1934
| yearservice        = November 11, 1934
| refurbishment      = 
| numberbuilt        = 1 trainset (3 cars)
| formation          = 1: [[Cab (locomotive)|cab]]/engine/storage<br />2: [[Passenger railroad car#Baggage car|baggage]]/[[Railway post office|RPO]]/buffet/[[Passenger railroad car#Coach|coach]]<br />3: coach/[[Observation car|observation]]{{sfn|Byron|2005|p=23}}
| fleetnumbers       = 9900
| capacity           = 72 passenger seats,<br />{{convert|25|LT|MT ST|abbr=on}} of baggage{{sfn|Byron|2005|pp=23,29}}
| operator           = [[Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad]]
| carbody            = [[stainless steel]]
| trainlength        = {{convert|197|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}}{{sfn|Byron|2005|p=23}}
| carlength          = {{convert|74|ft|0.125|in|m|0|abbr=on}} (power car)<br>{{convert|57|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}} (intermediate car)<br>{{convert|63|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} (rear car){{sfn|Wegman|2008|p=46, 47}}
| width              = {{convert|9|ft|1.0625|in|cm|0|abbr=on}} (body)<br>{{convert|9|ft|10|in|cm|abbr=on}} (handrails){{sfn|Wegman|2008|p=46, 47}}
| height             = {{convert|12|ft|1.1875|in|cm|0|abbr=on}}{{sfn|Byron|2005|p=23}}
| floorheight        = 
| platformheight     = 
| entrylevelorstep   = 
| doors              = 
| art-sections       = 
| wheeldiameter      = {{convert|36|in|mm|abbr=on}} (drive wheels),<br />{{convert|30|in|mm|abbr=on}} (ride wheels){{sfn|Byron|2005|p=26}}
| wheelbase          = 
| maxspeed           = 
| weight             = {{convert|208061|lb|kg|abbr=on}}{{sfn|Byron|2005|p=23}}
| axleload           =   
| steep gradient     =
| traction           = 
| engine             = [[Electro-Motive Diesel|EMD]] 201A
| enginetype         = diesel
| cylindercount      = 8
| cylindersize       = {{convert|8|in|mm|abbr=on}} bore,<br />{{convert|10|in|mm|abbr=on}} stroke{{sfn|Byron|2005|p=26}}
| traction motors    = 2
| poweroutput        = {{convert|660|hp|abbr=on}}{{sfn|Byron|2005|p=26}}
| tractiveeffort     = 
| transmission       = 
| acceleration       = 
| deceleration       = 
| powersupply        = 
| hvac               = 
| electricsystem     = 
| uicclass           = 
| aarwheels        = B-(2+2)-2
| wheels driven    = 2
| bogies           = 1 motor bogie,
2 non-motor [[Jacobs bogie]]s,
1 non-motor bogie
| minimum curve      =
| brakes             = 
| safety             = 
| coupling           = 
| multipleworking    = 
| light              =
| gauge              = {{track gauge|ussg}}
| notes              =
| seating          = [[open coach]] (2+2),<br>observation lounge
| stocktype        = diesel-electric passenger one-directional trainset
}}
The '''''Pioneer Zephyr''''' is a [[diesel engine|diesel-powered]] trainset built by the [[Budd Company]] in 1934 for the [[Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad]] (CB&Q), commonly known as the Burlington Route. The trainset was the second [[internal combustion]]-powered [[streamliner]] built for mainline service in the United States (after the [[Union Pacific Railroad]]'s [[M-10000]]), the first such train powered by a [[diesel engine]], and the first to enter revenue service.

The trainset consists of one power/storage car, one baggage/[[Railway post office|RPO]]/buffet/coach car, and one coach/observation car. The cars are made of [[stainless steel]], permanently articulated together with [[Jacobs bogie]]s. The construction incorporated recent advances such as [[shotwelding]] (a specialized type of [[spot welding]]) to join the stainless steel, and [[unibody]] construction and articulation to reduce weight. It was the first of nine similarly built trainsets made for Burlington and its technologies were pivotal in the subsequent [[dieselization]] of passenger rail service.

Its operating economy, speed, and public appeal demonstrated the potential for diesel-electric-powered trains to revitalize and restore profitability to passenger rail service that had suffered a catastrophic loss of business with the [[Great Depression]]. Originally named the '''''Burlington Zephyr''''' during its demonstration period, it became the ''Pioneer Zephyr'' as Burlington expanded its fleet of ''Zephyr'' trainsets.

On May 26, 1934, it set a [[Land speed record for railed vehicles|speed record]] for travel between [[Denver]] and [[Chicago]] when it made a 1,015.4-mile (1,633&nbsp;km) non-stop "Dawn-to-Dusk" dash in 13&nbsp;hours 5&nbsp;minutes at an average speed of almost 78&nbsp;mph (124&nbsp;km/h).<ref>{{cite book| last1=Schafer| first1=Mike| first2=Joe| last2=Welsh| year=1997| title=Classic American Streamliners| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e-jEOg16QX8C&dq=Zephyr+%22dawn-to-dusk%22&pg=PA10| page=14| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019205058/https://books.google.com/books?id=e-jEOg16QX8C&pg=PA10&lpg=PA10&dq=Zephyr+%22dawn-to-dusk%22&source=bl&ots=ApuPg6H4OO&sig=ACfU3U3Ef7VmstqhUxpzIXCJCXzi678r7A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjlk7ysj4TgAhWF94MKHR9SD4k4FBDoATAIegQIARAB#v=onepage&q=Zephyr%20%22dawn-to-dusk%22&f=false| archive-date=October 19, 2021| publisher=MBI Publishing| location=Osceola, Wisconsin| isbn=0-7603-0377-0}}.</ref> For one section of the run, it reached a speed of 112.5&nbsp;mph (181&nbsp;km/h). The historic dash inspired a film (''"[[The Silver Streak]]"'') and the train's nickname, "The Silver Streak".<ref name="NYTimes">{{cite web| publisher=Chicago Museum of Science and Industry| work=excerpts from the New York Times| date=May 27, 1934| url=http://www.msichicago.org/exhibit/zephyr/history/nytimes/nytimes.html| title=Pioneer Zephyr - A Legendary History| access-date=February 24, 2005| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050208015948/http://www.msichicago.org/exhibit/zephyr/history/nytimes/nytimes.html | archive-date=February 8, 2005| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Gordon-Gilmore">{{cite web| author=Gordon-Gilmore, Randy| year=2002| url=http://www.prototrains.com/pioneer/pioneer.html| title=Pioneer Zephyr| access-date=February 24, 2005| work=ProtoTrains| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050307155947/http://www.prototrains.com/pioneer/pioneer.html| archive-date=March 7, 2005| url-status=dead}}</ref>{{sfn|Johnston|Welsh|Schafer|2001|p=15}}{{sfn|Zimmermann|2004|p=16}}

The train entered regular revenue service on November 11, between [[Kansas City]], [[Missouri]]; [[Omaha]], [[Nebraska]]; and [[Lincoln, Nebraska]]. It operated this and other routes until its retirement in 1960, when it was donated to Chicago's [[Museum of Science & Industry (Chicago)|Museum of Science & Industry]], where it remains on public display. The train is generally regarded as the first successful [[streamliner]] on American railroads.{{sfn|Zimmermann|2004|p=16}}{{sfn|Zimmermann|2004|p=26}}