Editing Streamliner (section)

=== Before World War II ===

==== Europe ====
<!-- Timeline of development by country -->
[[File:Schienenzeppelin Steilrampe.jpg|thumb|right|The Schienenzeppelin on the [[Erkrath|Erkrath-Hochdahl]] steep ramp in 1931]]
[[File:Mallard at Keighley 331767.jpg|thumb|[[LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard|LNER Class A4 4468 ''Mallard'']] traveling through [[Keighley]] in [[West Yorkshire]] in 1988]] 
[[File:NS_Loc_%27Potvis%27.jpg|thumb|Nederlandse Spoorwegen class 3700/3800 steam locomotive 3804, circa 1936]]
[[File:2-3-2В.jpg|thumb|right|Pre-WWII Soviet type 2-3-2V]]

<!-- GERMANY -->
* '''Germany, 1930:''' The first high-speed streamliner in Germany was the ''[[Schienenzeppelin]]'', an experimental propeller-driven single car, built in 1930. On 21 June 1931, the car set a speed record of {{cvt|230.2|km/h|mph|1}} on a run between [[Berlin]] and [[Hamburg]]. In 1932 the propeller was removed and a hydraulic system installed. The Schienenzeppelin made {{cvt|180|km/h|mph|0}} in 1933.
** '''1932:''' The Schienenzeppelin led to the construction of the [[Diesel locomotive#Diesel-electric|diesel-electric]] [[DRG Class SVT 877]] "Flying Hamburger". This two-car train set had 98 seats and a top speed of {{cvt|160|km/h|mph|0}}. In regular service with the [[Deutsche Reichsbahn]], starting on 15 May 1933, this train ran the {{convert|286|km|mi|abbr=off}} between Hamburg and Berlin in 138 minutes with an average speed of {{cvt|124.4|km/h|mph|1}}.
** '''1934/1935:''' The SVT 877 was the prototype for the [[DRG Class SVT 137]], first built in for use in the [[FDt]] express train service. In test drives, the SVT 137 "Bauart Leipzig" set a world speed record of {{cvt|205|km/h|mph|0}} in 1936. The fastest regular service with the SVT 137 was between [[Hannover]] and [[Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia|Hamm]] with an average speed of {{cvt|132.2|km/h|mph|1}}. This service lasted until 22 August 1939.
** '''1935:''' [[Henschel & Son]], a major manufacturer of steam locomotives, introduced the 4-6-4 [[DRG Class 05]] high speed streamliner locomotives for use on the ''Deutsche Reichsbahn'' Frankfurt am Main to Berlin route.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wN8DAAAAMBAJ&q=Popular+Science+1935+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA541|page=541|title=Locomotive with Streamline Shell is Designed for Speed|magazine=Popular Mechanics|date=October 1935|volume=64|issue=4|access-date=25 November 2014|archive-date=17 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517155433/https://books.google.com/books?id=wN8DAAAAMBAJ&q=Popular+Science+1935+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA541|url-status=live}}</ref> Three examples were built in 1935–36. Built for top speeds of over {{cvt|85|mph|km/h|0}}, the DRG Class 05 locomotives soon proved much faster in test runs. The DRG 05-002 made seven runs in 1935–36 during which it attained top speeds of more than {{cvt|177|km/h}} with trains up to {{cvt|254|t|ST|}} weight.
** '''11 May 1936:''' The DRG 05-002 set the [[Railway speed record#Steam|world speed record for steam locomotives]] after reaching {{cvt|200.4|km/h}} on the [[Berlin–Hamburg Railway|Berlin–Hamburg line]] while hauling a {{convert|197|t|ST|adj=on}} train. The locomotive's engine power was more than {{cvt|2535|kW|ihp|lk=on}}.
** '''30 May 1936:''' The DRG 05-002 set an unbroken start-stop speed record for steam locomotives. During the return run from a {{convert|190|km/h|adj=on}} test on the Berlin-Hamburg route it did the ~{{convert|113|km|mi|abbr=off}} from Wittenberg to a signal stop before Berlin-Spandau in 48 min 32 s, meaning {{cvt|139.4|km/h}} average between start and stop. The DRG 05-002 was for a time the official holder of the world top speed record for steam locomotives.

<!-- AUSTRIA/POLAND -->
* '''Austria/Poland, 1933:''' In the 1930s, streamlined [[Luxtorpeda]] diesel units that Austrian and later Polish manufacturers constructed were reaching speeds of up to {{cvt|140|km/h|mph|0}} in Poland.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} 
**'''1937:''' The first Polish streamlined steam locomotive [[PKP class Pm36|Pm36-1]] ({{cvt|140|km/h|disp=or}}) pulled the [[Nord Express]] between Poland and France ([[Paris]]). This locomotive was awarded golden medal in the [[Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne|World Expo in Paris]] in 1937.<ref>{{cite book|first=Bogdan|last=Pokropiński|title=Parowozy normalnotorowe produkcji polskiej|trans-title=Normal gauge steam locomotives of Polish manufacture|place= Warsaw|publisher=Wydawnictwa Komunikacji i Łączności|year=2007|isbn=978-83-206-1617-0|language=pl|pages=112–114}}</ref>

<!-- UNITED KINGDOM -->
* '''United Kingdom, 1934:''' Development of streamlined passenger services began in the UK. The [[Great Western Railway]] introduced relatively low-speed streamlined [[railcar]]s (known as "[[GWR railcars|flying bananas]]").
**'''1935''' The [[London and North Eastern Railway]] (LNER) introduced the "Silver Jubilee" service using streamlined [[LNER Class A4|A4 class]] steam locomotives and full length trains rather than railcars.
**'''1937:''' The [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]] (LMS) introduced its "Coronation Scot" service using the [[LMS Coronation Class|Princess Coronation Class]] streamlined locomotives,  achieving a speed of {{cvt|114|mph|km/h}} near [[Crewe railway station|Crewe]] on its inaugural run. 
** '''1938:''' The LNER locomotive ''[[LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard|Mallard]]'', which had been built for "Silver Jubilee" service, set on a test run a still unsurpassed official record for the highest top speed attained by a steam locomotive {{cvt|126|mph|km/h|0}}.

<!-- CZECHOSLOVAKIA -->
* '''Czechoslovakia, 1934:''' [[Czechoslovak State Railways]] ordered two motor railcars with maximum speed {{cvt|130|km/h|mph|0}}. They were constructed by [[Tatra (company)|Tatra]] company, which was producing the first streamlined mass-produced automobile [[Tatra 77]] at that time. The railcar project was led by Tatra chief designer [[Hans Ledwinka]] and received streamlined design by [[Paul Jaray]]. The railcars were unique thanks to the patented transmission system invented by [[Josef Sousedík]]—at lower speeds, it worked like [[petrol-electric transmission]] and at around {{cvt|82|km/h|mph|0}} it automatically switched to direct mechanical transmission without any gear. Thanks to this the railcars had good acceleration, low fuel consumption and were easy to drive. Both [[ČSD Class M 290.0]] were delivered in 1936, one of them reached {{cvt|148|km/h|mph|0}} during a test run. They were run on the Czechoslovak prominent route [[Bratislava]]-[[Prague]] under "[[Slovenská strela]]" ([[Slovak language|Slovak]] for "Slovak Arrow") brand.

<!-- ITALY -->
* '''Italy, 1934:''' State-owned railway company [[Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane|Ferrovie dello Stato]] (FS) developed the [[FS Class ETR 200]], a three-unit electric streamliner. The first of those trains entered revenue service in 1937.
** '''6 December 1937:''' An ETR 200 made a top speed of {{cvt|201|km/h|mph|0}} between Campoleone and Cisterna on the run Rome-Naples. 
** '''1939:''' The ETR 212 made {{cvt|203|km/h|mph|0}}. The {{cvt|219|km|mi}} journeys from Bologna to Milan were made in 77 minutes, meaning an average of {{cvt|171|km/h|mph|0}}.

<!-- NETHERLANDS -->
* '''Netherlands, 1934:''' [[Nederlandse Spoorwegen]] (NS) introduced in the [[:nl:Mat '34|Materieel 34]] (DE3), a three unit {{convert|140|km/h|mph|0|adj=on}} streamlined diesel-electric trainset. An electric version, [[:nl:Mat '36|Materieel 36]], went into service in 1936.
** '''1930s:''' The NS developed in the 1930s a streamlined version of the class [[NS 3700|3700/3800]] steam locomotive, nicknamed "potvis" (sperm whale).<ref>{{cite web|title=Nederlands: Stoomlocomotief nr. 3804 (serie 3700/3800) van de NS met stroomlijnbekleding (bijnaam 'Potvis'); circa 1936. Collectie van het Utrechts Archief|url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NS_Loc_%27Potvis%27.jpg|access-date=8 November 2018|archive-date=17 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517155415/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NS_Loc_%27Potvis%27.jpg|url-status=live}}</ref>
** '''1940:''' The "Dieselvijf" (DE5), a {{convert|160|km/h|mph|0|adj=on}} top speed five unit diesel-electric trainset based on DE3, completed the Dutch streamliner fleet. In test runs, a DE5 ran {{cvt|175|km/h|mph|0}}
** '''1940:''' The electric {{ill|Materieel 40|nl|Mat '40}} was built.

<!-- SOVIET UNION -->
* '''Soviet Union, 1937:''' On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the [[October Revolution]], the Soviet [[Kolomna Locomotive Works]] produced two examples of the wind-tunnel designed SŽD series {{ill|2-3-2K|ru|2-3-2К}} (4-6-4 Whyte Notation) streamliner locomotive for Moscow-Leningrad service. In testing, it was shown capable of speeds greater than {{cvt|150|km/h}}—{{cvt|170|km/h}} in test ride—and it entered service in 1938.<ref name=rakow>{{cite magazine|first=Vitaliy|last=Rakov|magazine=Tekhnika Molodyozhi|issue=9/1974|title=Posledniy rekord skorosti parovozov|trans-title=Last steam engine speed record|lang=ru}}</ref> Production of the series was canceled with the onset of World War II.
** '''1938:''' One example of SŽD series {{ill|2-3-2V|ru|2-3-2В}} (4-6-4 Whyte Notation) express train locomotive, with bullet-like fairing, was produced by [[Luhanskteplovoz|Voroshilovgrad Locomotive Works]]. In 1957 it reached a speed of {{cvt|175|km/h}} in test ride, what was the last steam locomotive record in the USSR.<ref name=rakow/>

==== United States ====
<!-- McKeen -->
[[File:Motor car used on the Southern Pacific lines in Oregon "On the Line of a Thousand Wonders" (8113579654).jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|A [[Hand-colouring of photographs|colorized]] postcard showing a McKeen motor car serving the Southern Pacific Railroad in Oregon circa 1910]]
The earliest known streamlined rail equipment in the United States were [[McKeen Motor Car Company|McKeen]] rail motorcars that the company built for the [[Union Pacific Railroad|Union Pacific]] and the [[Southern Pacific Transportation Company|Southern Pacific]] Railroads  between 1905 and 1917. Most McKeen cars sported a pointed "wind splitter" front, a rounded rear  and round porthole style windows in a style that was as much nautically as aerodynamically inspired. The McKeen cars were unsuccessful because the internal combustion drive technology for that application was unreliable at the time. Further, the lightweight frames dictated by the cars' limited power tended to break. Streamlined rail motorcars would appear again in the early 1930s after the [[Diesel-electric transmission|internal combustion-electric]] propulsion technology that  [[General Electric]] developed and that the [[Electro-Motive Diesel#History|Electro-Motive Company (EMC)]] promoted became the accepted technology for use in rail motorcars in the 1920s.

<!-- J. G. Brill Company -->
[[Streetcar]] builders sought to build electric cars with improved speed for interurban lines through the 1920s. In 1931, the [[J. G. Brill Company]] introduced the [[Bullet (interurban)|Bullet]], a lightweight, wind-tunnel designed car with a rounded front that could run either singly or in multiple-unit sets, capable of speeds over {{cvt|90|mph|km/h|0}}. Although [[Great Depression|Depression]]-era economics cut into sales, the design was highly successful in service, lasting into the 1980s.

<!-- Pullman Company -->
In 1925, the recently-formed [[Pullman Company#Corporate history|Pullman Car & Manufacturing Corporation]] experimented with lightweight self-propelled railcars in co-operation with the [[Ford Motor Company]] concurrent with Ford's development of its [[Ford Trimotor|Trimotor]] aircraft. In 1931, Pullman enlisted the services of the Trimotor design contributor [[William Bushnell Stout]] to apply airplane fuselage design concepts to railcars. The result was the ''Railplane'' (not the ''[[Bennie Railplane]]''), a streamlined self-propelled railcar with a tapered cross-section, lightweight tubular aluminum [[space frame]] and [[duralumin]] skin. In testing with the [[Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad]] in 1932, it reportedly reached {{cvt|90|mph|km/h|0}}. The Union Pacific had been seeking improvements to self-propelled railcars based on European design ideas. The performance of the ''Railplane'' encouraged the railroad to increase its efforts in partnership with Pullman-Standard.<ref name="Solomon">{{cite book|last=Solomon |first=Brian |date=2015 |title= Streamliners: Locomotives and Trains in the Age of Speed and Style |pages=32–33|publisher=Voyageur Press |isbn=978-0760347478}}</ref>

<!-- Budd Company -->
In 1931, the [[Budd Company]] reached an agreement with the French tire company [[Michelin]] to produce [[Budd-Michelin rubber-tired rail cars|pneumatic-tired rail motorcars]] in the US, as an improvement on the heavy, underpowered and shimmy-prone "[[Doodlebug (rail car)|doodlebugs]]" that ran on American tracks. In that endeavor, Budd would produce lightweight rail equipment utilizing [[unibody]] construction and the high strength alloy [[stainless steel]], enabled by [[shot welding]], a breakthrough in electrical welding technique. The venture produced [[articulated]] power-trailer car sets with streamlined styling, which left the Budd Company just a (much) more powerful engine away from producing a history-making streamlined trainset.

<!-- Great Depression -->
The [[Great Depression]] caused a catastrophic loss of business for the rail industry as a whole and for manufacturers of motorized railcars whose primary markets, branch line services, were among the first to be cut. The interests of lightweight equipment manufacturers and rail operators therefore focused on the development of a new generation of lightweight, high speed, [[Diesel-electric locomotive|internal combustion-electric]] powered streamlined trainsets that were primarily designed for mainline service.<ref name="Solomon"/>
[[File:UP M-10000a.jpg|thumb|A Union Pacific ''M-10000'' (1934)]]

<!-- Burlington 1 -->
The [[Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad]] (Burlington) and the Union Pacific sought to increase the efficiency of their passenger services by looking to the lightweight, petroleum-powered technology that [[Budd Company|Budd]] and Pullman-Standard were developing. The Union Pacific named its project the ''[[M-10000]]'' (designated first as ''The Streamliner'' and later as the ''City of Salina'' when in revenue service from 1935 to 1941). The Burlington initially named its first train the ''[[Pioneer Zephyr|Burlington Zephyr]]''. The two railroads' trains each entered service as three-car articulated sets (including the power car). The [[Cleveland Diesel Engine Division|Winton Engine Corporation]], a subsidiary of [[General Motors|General Motors (GM)]], manufactured the engines for both locomotives. The [[Prime mover (locomotive)|prime mover]] for the ''Burlington Zephyr'''s diesel-electric propulsion was a new 600 hp diesel engine. The Union Pacific's ''M-10000'' had a {{convert|600|hp|kW|adj=on}} spark-ignition engine that ran on "petroleum distillate", a fuel similar to kerosene. The two trainsets were star attractions at the 1934 [[World's Fair]] ("[[Century of Progress|A Century of Progress]]") in [[Chicago, Illinois]]. During its set's demonstration period, the Union Pacific named the ''M-10000'' as the ''Streamliner'', providing the first use of the term with respect to trains. The ''Streamliner''{{'}}s publicity tour in February–May 1934 attracted over a million visitors and gained attention in national media as the herald of a new era in rail transportation.

<!-- Burlington 2 -->
[[File:Pioneer Zephyr.JPG|thumb|left|A Budd Company photograph of the ''Burlington Zephyr'' (1935)]]
On 26 May 1934, the Burlington's ''Zephyr'' made a record-breaking "Dawn to Dusk" run from [[Denver, Colorado]], to Chicago for its grand entry as a Century of Progress exhibit. The ''Zephyr'' covered the distance in 13 hours, reaching a top speed of {{cvt|112.5|mph|km/h|1}} and running an average speed of {{cvt|77.6|mph|km/h|1}}. The fuel for the run cost US$14.64 at 4¢ per U.S. gallon (equivalent to ${{inflation|US|14.64|1934}} and ${{inflation|US|0.4|1934}} per gallon respectively in {{inflation year|US}} after inflation). The Burlington's event was covered live on radio and drew large, cheering crowds as the "silver streak" zipped by. Adding to the sensation of the ''Zephyr'' were the striking appearance of its fluted stainless steel bodywork and its raked, rounded, aerodynamic front end that symbolized its modernity. The train's design echoed in steam locomotive styling throughout the following years.

<!-- Burlington 3 -->
After its Worlds Fair display and a nationwide demonstration tour, the ''Zephyr'' entered revenue service between Kansas City, Missouri, and Lincoln, Nebraska, on 11 November 1934. A total of nine ''Zephyr'' trainsets were built for the Burlington between 1934 and 1939. Each ran as named trains on various Burlington midwestern routes. The Burlington later renamed the ''Burlington Zephyr'' as the ''[[Pioneer Zephyr]]'' in honor of that  train's status as the first of the fleet. In April 1935, two ''[[Twin Cities Zephyr]]s'' that bore the same three-car configuration entered service on the railroad's Chicago and [[Minneapolis-St. Paul]] route. Larger trainsets with more powerful Winton engines were built for the Burlington and put into service over longer routes. Twin-engine power units and eventually booster power units met the trainsets' additional power requirements. The Burlington's four-car ''[[Mark Twain Zephyr]]'' entered revenue service in October 1935 on the railroad's Saint Louis–[[Burlington, Iowa]], route. Two partially-articulated six-car trainsets entered service in May 1936 on the Burlington's ''[[Denver Zephyr]]'' route, which connected Chicago and Denver. The Burlington then replaced those sets with a pair of partially-articulated ten-car trainsets in November 1936. The Burlington moved the ''Denver Zephyr''{{'}}s six-cat sets to the ''Twin Cities Zephyr'', transferring that train's original streamlined cars to other Burlington routes.<ref>{{cite web|author=Train Lover|date=8 August 2012|url=https://streamlinermemories.info/?p=126|title=1936 Denver Zephyrs|work=Streamliner Memories|access-date=3 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190312130227/https://streamlinermemories.info/?p=126|archive-date=12 March 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

<!-- Burlington 4 -->
The last of the classic ''Zephyrs'' was built for the Burlington's Kansas City–Saint Louis ''[[General Pershing Zephyr]]'' route. That trainset, which contained GM's newest {{convert|1000|hp|kW|adj=on}} engine and conventional coupling, entered service in June 1939. The Burlington's original ''Zephyr'' trainsets remained in service in the postwar era. The railroad retired the last of its six-car sets in 1968 after using it as the ''[[Nebraska Zephyr]]''.

<!-- Union Pacific 1 -->
On 31 January 1935, the Union Pacific's three-car ''M-10000'' went into service between [[Kansas City, Missouri]],  and [[Salina, Kansas]], as ''The Streamliner''. The train subsequently became the ''City of Salina'' under the railroad's naming convention for its expanding fleet of diesel-powered streamliners. The Union Pacific operated the ''M-10000'' as a three-car set until the railroad was retired the set in 1941.  The trainset's 1942 scrapping provided Duralumin that was recycled for use in war-time military aircraft.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://utahrails.net/up/up-diesel-story-1934-1982.php |title=Union Pacific Diesel Story, 1934-1982 |first=Don |last=Strack |website=UtahRails.net |access-date=3 June 2016 |archive-date=4 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604073249/http://utahrails.net/up/up-diesel-story-1934-1982.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:City of Portland postcard Union Pacific Railroad.JPG|thumb|A 1939 [[Hand-colouring of photographs|colorized]] postcard depicting the Union Pacific's streamlined M-10001 ''City of Portland'']]The Union Pacific also commissioned the construction of five modified trainsets that had evolved from the initial ''M-10000'' design. Those streamlined trains inaugurated the railroad's high-speed service out of Chicago while bearing the names ''[[City of Portland (train)|City of Portland]]'' (June 1935), ''[[City of Los Angeles (train)|City of Los Angeles]]'' (May 1936), ''[[City of San Francisco (train)|City of San Francisco]]'' (June 1936) and ''[[City of Denver (train)|City of Denver]]'' (June 1936). The ''[[M-10001]]'' set had a single power unit that contained a {{convert|1200|hp|kW|adj=on}} Winton diesel engine. The power unit pulled six tapered low-profile cars that had the form of the original three-car ''M-10000'' trainset. The ''[[M-10002]]''{{'}}s set consisted of a {{convert|1200|+|900|hp|kW|adj=on}} cab/booster locomotive pulling nine cars of the same form. [[M-10003 to M-10006|Automotive-styled cab/booster locomotive sets]] with {{convert|1200|hp|kW|adj=on}} engines powered the Union Pacific's ''City of San Francisco'' and ''City of Denver'' sets. The two ''City of Denver'' sets started service two cars shorter than the ''M-10002'' and ''[[M-10004]]'' sets, with roomier and heavier straight-sided cars.

<!-- Union Pacific 2 -->
The Union Pacific's initial streamliner service to the west coast consisted of five runs monthly for each route. The railroad maintained its daily overnight service on the Chicago–Denver run by assigning three locomotive sets for two trains. The railroad then augmented that stable with locomotive equipment taken from other runs. Despite the breakthrough schedule times of the long-distance M-1000x "City" trains, the records of the Union Pacific's fleet reflected the limitations of the locomotives' technology when meeting the demands of long-distance and higher capacity service. The ''M-10001'' ran for only 32 months as the ''City of Portland'' before it was replaced, re-entered service on the Portland–Seattle run and retired in June 1939.

<!-- Union Pacific 3 -->
[[File:City of Denver 1940 Union Pacific.JPG|thumb|A Union Pacific ''City of Denver'' (M-10005 or M-10006), 1940]]
Similarly, the ''M-10002'' spent 19 months as the Union Pacific's ''City of Los Angeles'', 39 months as the ''City of Portland'' and ten months out of service starting in July 1941. The locomotive then served on the  Portland–Seattle run until the railroad took it out of service again in March 1943. After running for 18 months as the ''City of San Francisco [[M-10004]]'', the locomotive spent six months being refurbished and then served from July 1938 as a second unit on the ''City of Los Angeles''. The Union Pacific retired the locomotive in March 1939. The Union Pacific converted the ''M-10001'' and ''M-10004'' power units to additional boosters for the ''City of Denver'' trains. The train's cars then became spare equipment. The two ''City of Denver'' trainsets (''M–10005'' and ''M–10006), after cannibalizing power from the ''M-10001'' and ''M-10004'', remained in service until 1953.

<!-- Pennsylvania Railroad -->
Class [[Pennsylvania Railroad class GG1|GG1]] electric locomotives brought streamlined styling to the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]]'s fleet of electric locomotives in late 1934. Meanwhile, the [[Boston and Maine]]'s ''[[Flying Yankee]]'', identical to the original ''Zephyr,'' entered service between Boston and [[Portland, Maine]], on 1 April 1935.

<!-- GMN -->
The [[Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad]] ''[[Rebel (train)|Rebel]]'' trainsets were similar to the ''Zephyr'' in form, but were not articulated. Designed by [[Otto Kuhler]], the [[ALCO]] powered diesel-electrics that the [[American Car and Foundry Company]] constructed were placed into service on 10 July 1935.
[[File:Hiawatha streamlined steam locomotive 1951.JPG|thumb|left|The [[Milwaukee Road class A|Milwaukee Road's class A]] #1 pauses near Milwaukee in 1951.]]

<!-- ALCO -->
While streamlining on steam locomotives was more about marketing than performance, newly designed locomotives with state-of-the-art steam technology were able to travel at high speeds. The [[Milwaukee Road class A]] [[4-4-2 (locomotive)|Atlantics]], built in 1935 to compete with the ''Twin Cities Zephyr'', were the first "steamliners" equipped to back up their styled claim to extra speed. In a 15 May 1935 run by locomotive {{abbr|No.|Number}}{{sp}}2 and a dynamometer car, the railroad documented a top speed of {{cvt|112.5|mph}}. This was the fastest authenticated speed reached by a steam locomotive at the time, making #2 the rail speed record holder for steam and the first steam locomotive to top {{cvt|110|mph}}. That record lasted until a German [[DRG Class 05]] locomotive exceeded it the following year.

<!-- Pullman Company cont. -->
The ''[[Illinois Central 121]]'' trainset was the first of the ''[[Green Diamond]]'' streamliners running between Chicago and St Louis. It was a five-unit (including power car) articulated trainset for day service. The Pullman-built set had the same power format and {{convert|1200|hp|kW|adj=on}} Winton diesel engine as ''M-10001,'' with some style aspects that resembled the later M1000x trainsets. The Illinois Central ran the 121 trainset on the ''Green Diamond'' from May 1936 to 1947. After an overhaul, the railroad placed the set on the Jackson Mississippi–New Orleans run until it retired and scrapped the set in 1950. The visual styling of the new trainsets made the existing fleets of locomotives and railcars suddenly look obsolete. Rail lines soon responded by adding streamlined shrouding and varying degrees of mechanical improvement to older locomotives and re-styling heavyweight cars.

<!-- NYC, BO (streamliner treatment) -->
[[File:NYC Hudson2.jpg|thumb|right|A J-3a ''Super Hudson'' on display at the [[1939 World's Fair]]]]
The first American steam locomotive to receive that treatment was one of the [[New York Central Railroad]]'s (NYC's) J-1 [[NYC Hudson|Hudson]] class locomotives built in 1930, which was re-introduced with streamlined shrouding and named the ''Commodore Vanderbilt'' in December 1934.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yN8DAAAAMBAJ&q=Popular+Science+1935+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA211 |title=Streamline Steam Engine Attains High Speed |page=122 |magazine=Popular Mechanics |date=February 1935 |volume=63 |issue=2 |access-date=25 November 2014 |archive-date=17 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417201124/https://books.google.com/books?id=yN8DAAAAMBAJ&q=Popular+Science+1935+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA211 |url-status=live }}</ref> The ''Vanderbilt'' styling was a one-off design by Carl Kantola. The NYC's next venture in streamlined styling was [[Henry Dreyfuss]]' 1936 full-length exterior and interior design of the railroad's ''[[Mercury (train)|Mercury]]'' trainsets. [[Raymond Loewy]] also designed in 1936 [[art-deco]] shrouding with a bullet-front scheme for the Pennsylvania Railroad's [[Pennsylvania Railroad class K4|class K4]] locomotives. In 1937, Otto Kuhler used a variation of the bullet-front design on a 4-6-2 locomotive constructed for the [[Baltimore & Ohio]]'s streamlined ''[[Royal Blue (train)|Royal Blue]]''. Henry Dreyfuss used a similar variation for the [[New York Central Hudson#Streamlining|J-3a ''Super Hudsons'']] that pulled the ''[[20th Century Limited]]'' and other NYC express trains.

<!-- Milwaukee Road -->
In 1937, the [[Milwaukee Road]] introduced the [[Milwaukee Road class F7|class F7]] Hudsons on the ''[[Twin Cities Hiawatha]]'' run. The Hudsons could cruise above {{cvt|110|mph|km/h|0}} and were said to exceed {{cvt|120|mph|km/h|0}} on occasion.{{sfn|Scribbins|1970|p=63}} Otto Kuhler designed the Milwaukee Road's speedsters with "shovel nose" styling. Some of the class 7's details were evocative of those of the ''Zephyrs''.
[[File:Rock Island Rocket circa 1937.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|A Rock Island Rocket (1937)]]

<!-- EMC 1 -->
Also in 1937, the Electro-Motive Corporation (EMC)—later incorporated into GM's [[Electro-Motive Diesel|Electro-Motive Division (EMD)]]—started production of streamlined diesel-electric passenger locomotives, incorporating the lightweight carbody construction and raked, rounded front end introduced with the ''Zephyr'' and the high-mounted, behind-the-nose cab of the M-1000x locomotives. One of the first, EMC's [[EMC TA|TA]], was a {{convert|1200|hp|kW|adj=on}} version produced for the [[Rock Island Rockets]], a series of six lightweight, semi-articulated three and four-car trainsets. EMC/EMD manufactured streamlined [[EMD E-unit|E-unit]] diesel-electric locomotives from 1937 to 1963. These incorporated two features of the earlier [[EMC 1800 hp B-B]] development design locomotives, the twin-engine format and multiple-unit control systems that facilitated cab/booster locomotive sets.

<!-- EMC 2 -->
[[File:Atlantic Coast Line 501.jpg|thumb|left|The preserved [[Atlantic Coast Line Railroad|Atlantic Coast Line]] ''Champion'' EMC E3 on display in the [[North Carolina Transportation Museum]] in [[Spencer, North Carolina|Spencer, NC]], in 2008]]
The E-units brought sufficient power for full-sized trains such as the [[B&O Railroad|B&O]] ''[[Capitol Limited (B&O train)|Capitol Limited]], the ''[[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]]'s (AT&SF's) ''[[Super Chief]],'' and the Union Pacific's upgraded ''[[City of Los Angeles (train)|City of Los Angeles]]'' and ''[[City of San Francisco (train)|City of San Francisco]],'' which challenged steam power in all aspects of passenger service. EMC introduced standardized production to the locomotive industry, with its attendant [[economies of scale]] and simplified processes for ordering, producing and servicing locomotives. As a result, EMC was able to offer a variety of support services that decreased technological and initial cost barriers that would otherwise deter conversions to diesel-electric power. With power and reliability of new diesel-electric units improved with the {{convert|2000|hp|kW|adj=on}} [[EMC E3]] locomotive in 1938, the advantages of diesel became compelling enough for a growing number of rail lines to select diesel over steam for new passenger equipment. The power and top speed advantages of state-of-the-art steam locomotives were more than offset by diesel's advantages in service flexibility, downtime, maintenance costs and economic efficiency for most operators.

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[[File:Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 611.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|right|A Norfolk and Western class J streamlined steam locomotive ([[Norfolk and Western 611|No. 611]]) operating in excursion service (1992)]]
The [[American Locomotive Company]] (ALCO), the builder of the Hiawatha speedsters, saw diesel as the future of passenger service and introduced streamlined locomotives influenced by the design of the E units [[ALCO DL-109|in 1939]]. The replacement of steam with diesel power was interrupted by the US entry into World War II, with a military premium on diesel technology that stopped all production of diesel locomotives for passenger service between September 1942 and January 1945.

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Streamlined steam locomotives continued to be produced into the early postwar era. Among the most distinctive were the Pennsylvania Railroad's duplex-drive 6-4-4-6 [[PRR S1|type S1]] and 4-4-4-4 [[PRR T1|type T1]] locomotives that Raymond Loewy styled.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://crestlineprr.com/duplexexperimentals.html|title=Welcome to the Crestline PRR Engine Facility: The Duplex and Experimental Steam Engines of the PRR: The Crestline Connection|date=17 August 2006|publisher=crestlineprr.com|access-date=15 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422202013/http://crestlineprr.com/duplexexperimentals.html|archive-date=22 April 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> In terms of service longevity, the most successful were the Southern Pacific [[Southern Pacific class GS-3|GS-3]] ''Daylight'' locomotives introduced in 1938 and the [[Norfolk and Western]] [[N&W J class (1941)|class J]] locomotives introduced in 1941. In contrast to designs that completely encased the boiler in shrouding, streamlining of the GS-3/GS-4 series locomotives consisted of skyline casing flush with the smokestack and smoke-lifting skirting along the boiler that left the silver-painted smokebox on full display.

==== Japan ====
[[File:JGR C5343 hauling train.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1|A [[JNR Class C53|Japanese Governmental Railways class C53]] No.{{sp}}43 streamlined locomotive in 1934]]
The trend of streamliners also came to Japan. In 1934, the Ministry of Railways ([[Japanese Government Railways]], JGR) decided to convert one of its 3-cylinder steam locomotives [[JNR Class C53|class C53]] into a streamlined style. The selected locomotive was No.{{sp}}43 of class C53. However [[Hideo Shima]], the chief engineer of the conversion, thought streamlining had no practical effect on reducing air resistance, because Japanese trains at that time did not exceed a speed of {{cvt|62|mph|km/h|0}}.

Shima therefore designed the locomotive to create airflow that lifted exhaust smoke away from the locomotive. He had expected no practical effect on reducing air resistance completely, therefore he never tried to test fuel consumption or tractive force of the converted locomotive.<ref name = "shima">{{cite journal|first1=Hideo |last1=Shima |first2=Takao |last2=Takada |first3=Mitsuo |last3=Yoshimura |title=Three-way conversation on streamlined era |journal=The Railway Pictorial |issue=426 |date=January 1984 |pages=10–15 |language=ja}}</ref> The Japanese government planned to use this one converted streamline locomotive on the passenger express route between Osaka and Nagoya.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lNsDAAAAMBAJ&q=Popular+Science+1936+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA551 |page=551 |title=Fast Express Train in Japan Hauled by Streamline Engine |magazine=Popular Mechanics |date=April 1936 |volume=65 |issue=4 |access-date=25 November 2014 |archive-date=17 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517155511/https://books.google.com/books?id=lNsDAAAAMBAJ&q=Popular+Science+1936+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA551 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 
The converted locomotive gained much popularity from the public. JGR therefore decided to build 21 new streamlined versions of the [[JNR Class C55|class C55 locomotive]]. Additionally, JGR built 3 streamlined [[JNR Class EF55|class EF55]] electric locomotives. Kiha-43000 diesel multiple units and [[52 series|Moha-52 electric multiple units]] also received a streamlined style.

The [[South Manchuria Railway]], which was under Japanese control at that time, also designed the [[China Railways SL7|Pashina class]] streamlined locomotive. The Railway operated the [[Asia Express]], whose style was coordinated with that of Pashina locomotives.<ref name = "shima" />

These streamlined steam locomotives took many man-hours to repair due to their casing. After the outbreak of [[World War II]], the lack of an experienced labor force made the problems worse. As a result, many of the locomotives had their casings removed.<ref name="shima" />