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A streamliner is a vehicle that incorporates streamlining
to produce a shape that provides less resistance to air, and is more
pleasing to the eye. The term is usually applied to trains, mostly the high-speed trainsets designed in the United
States in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, as well as successor bullet trains
incorporating some of the same ideas in Europe and Japan.
Two early streamliners were the Union Pacific M-10,000 (also known as Little
Zip and later renamed The City of Salina) and the Burlington Zephyr. Design of the
Zephyr (later named the Pioneer Zephyr to distinguish it) started first, although the train took longer to
build because of a more advanced design incorporating a diesel-electric power system, while the M-10,000 ran on gasoline. These trains were much lighter than the common engines and passenger cars of the day, as they were
constructed using stainless steel. Both trains were star attractions
at the 1933–34 World's Fair ("A Century of
Progress") in Chicago, Illinois.
On May 26, 1934, the Zehpyr made a record-breaking "Dawn to Dusk" run from
Denver, Colorado to Chicago. The train covered the distance in 13
hours, reaching a top speed of 112.5 miles per hour (181.1 km/h) and running an average speed of 77.6 mph (124.9 km/h). The fuel
cost for the run was US$14.64 (a mere 4¢ per gallon—if a similar
run was made in 2004, it would cost more like $550-650.)
For a time in the late 1930s, the ten fastest trains in the world were American
streamliners.
A variety of Zephyrs were eventually built by Burlington. After the Pioneer Zephyr, two Twin Cities
Zephyrs of the same design briefly served the link between Chicago and the Twin Cities. As a public relations
gimmick, the two trains first headed to Minnesota on parallel tracks while loaded
with, naturally, twins. Within a few years, they were replaced by other trains of a
slightly different design and the original twin trains went on to serve all around the country.
The success of the visual styling of the stainless steel locomotives did not
go unnoticed by fans of steam-powered engines. Many steam locomotives were also streamlined during this time to attract
passengers, although the streamlining was less effective in improving efficiency for those engines than it was in making a visual statement.
Streamliners and successor high-speed train systems largely disappeared in the United States due to the increasing popularity
of the automobile and airline
travel. Government regulations forced all railroads to continue to operate passenger-carrying rail service, even on long routes
where, the railroads argue, it was almost impossible to make a profit. Many argue that these regulations and the government's
heavy support of highway-building projects exacerbated the problem. Since 1971, passenger rail systems in the U.S. have been operated by Amtrak, but service is extremely limited in many areas and is often slow or inconsistent. Faster Acela trains have started to be introduced, and many areas around the country have been
considering construction of new high-speed lines, but rail travel is nowhere near the level in Europe, Japan, and other areas
around the world.
After 26 years of service and traveling over 3 million miles, the Pioneer Zephyr took up residence at Chicago's
Museum of Science and Industry. The
M-10,000 unfortunately found its way to the scrap heap.
External links
References
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