All about the community of model railroading and rail enthusiasm
Texas & Pacific Class M-1 4-8-2 Mountain No. 901 heads the Sunshine Special at Marshall, TX, in June 1934. Missouri Pacific touted the train to be “Out of St. Louis at Sunset into Texas at Sunrise!” The Sunshine Special is explored in the January/February 2013 Cowcatcher Magazine. – Courtesy Harold Vollrath collection
The Cowcatcher has runs periodic perspectives on historic passenger trains dating to the early days to the Golden Era of railroading. From 2007-2016, author Joel Rosenbaum offered retrospectives on trains that roamed Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana from days gone. More recently, author Pat Hiatte has examined passenger trains from all points of the U.S. with his whimsical journeys. Both Rosenbaum’s and Hiatte’s perspectives provide interesting background on the time when transportation depended heavily on rail.
Below are stories by issue on some of U.S. railroading’s famous (and not so famous) passenger trains and engines. A link to the landing page where the issue can be purchased is provided for each perspective.
Joel Rosenbaum’s Regional Perspectives
Texas Zephyr bridged FW and Denver – Jan/Feb 2007
Texas Special made best of connections – May/June 2007
Chief linked Chicago, Texas cities – July/August 2007
Texas Rocket offered alternative – Sept/Oct 2007
Twin Star Rocket had longest run – March/April 2008
Riding high on the Santa Fe – May/June 2008
T&P Westerner was night train west – July/August 2008
RI’s Choctaw spanned 762 miles – Sept/Oct 2008
T&NO’s Alamo pulled head-end traffic – Nov/Dec 2008
Santa Fe loco a ‘public relations dream’ – March/April 2009
Golden Rocket train that never was – July/August 2009
Katy Flyer was Sooner link – Sept/Oct 2009
Louisiana Eagle linked Big Easy, Big D – Nov/Dec 2009
Santa Fe motor train served Beaumont, Longview – March/April 2010
SF served West Texas with El Paso Express – May/June 2010
Rabbit hopped along HE&WT – July/August 2010
Texas Electric was a giant in its time – September/October 2010
Delta Eagle wasn’t short on service – November/December 2010
Well-known trains ran through Oklahoma City – January/February 2011
Travel to Dallas was often via Paris – March/April 2011
Southern Belle linked KC, New Orleans – May/June 2011
California Special linked Houston to West Coast – July/August 2011
SP’s Sunset Limited automatic buffet car – September/October 2011
Firefly was a homegrown streamliner – November/December 2011
Zephyrs paid tribute to Ozark region – January/February 2012
Miss Lou left mark on New Orleans – March/April 2012
Railroad bonds Wichita Falls, Woodward – May/June 2012
Iconic Blue Goose served KC, Tulsa – July/August 2012
MP’s Eagle linked Missouri, Nebraska – September/October 2012
Morning Star took the long route – November/December 2012
Sunshine Special a train for snowbirds – January/February 2013
Missouri Pacific’s crew of one rolled on – March/April 2013
KCS filled a critical need with ingenuity – May/June 2013
Frisco provided a quick winter escape – July/August 2013
Following the flag – September/October 2013
Under the Dome – November/December 2013
HSN served passengers when wires went away – January/February 2014
M&A named streamlined cars after governors – May/June 2014
QA&P was a small railroad with big ambitions – September/October 2014
Illini made tracks between Chicago, Champaign – November/December 2014
City of Miami was a rolling tropical splendor – January/February 2015
Miss Myers Girls enhanced trips from New York to New Orleans – March/April 2015
Cotton Belt’s Lone Star served Shreveport – May/June 2015
San Juan weaved across the border – September/October 2015
Railfan delight hurried travelers’ curse – November/December 2015
From Mandy the Mule to PCC street cars – January/February 2016
Trains to all compass points: Kansas City – May/June 2016
The train with auto styling and a bus body – July/August 2016
The Golden Age of Passenger Travel Series
Chicago Great Western Mill Cities Limited – May/June 2020
Milwaukee Road Olympian Hiawatha – September/October 2020
Union Pacific Portland Rose – November/December 2020
Missouri Pacific Colorado Eagle – March/April 2021
Baltimore & Ohio National Limited – May/June 2021
Louisville & Nashville Pan American – July/August 2021
Southern Railway’s The Southerner – September/October 2021
Chesapeake & Ohio Flying Virginian – January/February 2022
Monon Thoroughbred – May/June 2022
Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Ann Rutledge – September/October 2022
Frisco Meteor – November/December 2022
America’s Top 20: The 1940s Railroad Industry – January/February 2023
Rock Island Memphis-Californian – March/April 2023
Southern Pacific Golden State – May/June 2023
To order one or more of these retrospectives, click here!
