PRINCETON, Ill. — Amtrak marked the 75th anniversary of the launch of the California Zephyr today (Tuesday, March 19) with ceremonies in Chicago, Princeton, and Galesburg, Ill., as well as onboard today’s westbound departure from Chicago.
In Princeton, at least 50 people were on hand when the train arrived to sing “Happy Anniversary” for the train’s arrival. Mementos were handed out on board, and in Chicago, on board the train, and in Galesburg, Tom Whitt, president of the Burlington Route Historical Society, spoke about the history of the train.
An additional commemoration is scheduled for this Saturday at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, Colo., featuring talks by two former “Zephyrette” train hostesses and re-christening of the “Dome Car Monument” — once along the Zephyr route in Colorado’s Glenwood Canyon and now at the museum — to mark the location’s role in the development of the dome-car concept.
Trains News Wire will have more on the today’s events on Wednesday. Amtrak also says it will offer a photo gallery and more information on the train in its media center.
Wednesday also marks the actual 75th anniversary of the March 20, 1949 debut of the original California Zephyr, a joint offering of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Denver & Rio Grande Western; and Western Pacific. That train lasted until March 22, 1970, when the Western Pacific portion was discontinued; with the Rio Grande declining to join the new passenger operation, a remnant of the service, the Rio Grande Zephyr, continued between Denver and Ogden, Utah, until April 24, 1983. Amtrak’s version of the Zephyr began operation on July 16, 1983, delayed from the planned April launch because of a huge mudslide in Thistle, Utah, that closed the D&RGW route.
For more on the Zephyr and its history, see “The California Zephyr at 75” in the April 2024 issue of Trains Magazine.
Southwest Limited wasn’t a bad ride as it still had Santa Fe equipment. The best sleeping car attendant I have ever had was Dr. Pepper. A Santa Fe guy.
Sure beats what attendants east and west out Chicago are today.
I will be riding this train in May between Denver and Emeryville CA. The last time I rode Amtrak was close to 25 years ago when I rode the Coast Starlight from Oakland to Seattle. It will be interesting to compare the experience.
76 noncontiguous years of a train of the same name…… Celebrate if it pleases you.
I never rode either version, the real CZ or the current one. What I did ride was the interim Amtrak train, the San Francisco Zephyr. Compared to what Santa Fe was running for Amtrak in those days (early 1970’s) I wasn’t terribly impressed.
The early-Amtrak SFZ was a mosh-up of CBQ, UPRR, and SP track, with rolling stock from all three railroads. Of all these, the Q’s ex-Denver Zephyr cars were the best, the ex-SP cars overdue for retirement.