Since I model the Zephyr-Rocket on my HO layout in 1963, I've done some
amount of research on it.
Let's review the public timetables of the
era:
The November 1959-April 1960 Public Timetable indicates:
- The
American Royal had a Vista-Dome Buffet-Lounge car Chicago-Kansas City.
-
The Zephyr-Rocket had Diner-Lounge St Louis to Burlington.
The
May-October 1961 Public Timetable indicates:
- The American Royal Zephyr
carried a Diner-Lounge Chicago-West Quincy
and return.
- The
Zephyr-Rocket carried a Diner-Lounge northbound for dinner and
return to
St Louis for breakfast (no drop off location indicated).
However, the Rock
Island had already dropped dining service on their
portion, so the turn
point was either Burlington or West Quincy. There
was sufficient dwell
time at both stops that a move could be made.
The May-October 1962
Public Timetable indicates:
- The American Royal Zephyr carried a
Diner-Lounge Chicago-West Quincy
and return.
- The Zephyr-Rocket
carried a Diner-Lounge car to West Quincy for dinner
and return to St
Louis for breakfast.
The November 1962-April 1963 Public Timetable
indicates:
- The American Royal Zephyr carried a Diner-Lounge Chicago-West
Quincy
and return.
- The Zephyr-Rocket carried a Diner-Lounge car to
West Quincy for dinner
and return to St Louis for breakfast.
The
May-October 1963 Public Timetable indicates:
- The American Royal Zephyr
carried a Diner-Lounge Chicago-Galesburg and
return.
- The
Zephyr-Rocket still had it's sleeper, but did not have any dining
service.
The November 1963-April 1964 Public Timetable
indicates:
- The American Royal Zephyr carried a Diner-Lounge
Chicago-Galesburg and
return.
- The Zephyr-Rocket had lost it's sleeper
and any dining service.
So there is a window from May 1962 to April
1963 where such a move would
of been possible on an emergency basis at
West Quincy. However, the
Vista Dome Buffet-Lounge car would have had to
pinch hit for the
standard Diner-Lounge service based on what is shown for
both trains.
Heavyweight diners #307 and #308 were the regulars on the
Zephyr-Rocket
with #326 sometimes being mixed in. NKP Car Products makes
kits for
these cars for HO modelers. Greg Stout's book Route of the
Rockets
mentions on a very occasional basis that Silver Star, Silver
Fountain,
Silver Bowl, Silver Manor and Silver Patio would show up in the
train
when the diner was being switched out at Burlington. The diner would
be
brought out from Chicago to Burlington on nameless Train 15 to be put
on
the southbound Zephyr Rocket. By the late 1950's/early 1960's both
roads were losing interest in the train (the service information for the
Zephyr Rocket is a small footnote in the public timetables listed above
after 1960).
The TRRA Historical Society has recently announced
their next bulletin
to be published in November 2012 will have an
extensive article on the
life of the Zephyr-Rocket. If they have dug out
some of this additional
car use information, I expect it will be in the
article. They have
already done a fine job covering other St Louis-based
passenger trains.
Bill Hirt
On 2/8/2012 10:48 AM, smokyjoe66
wrote:
> Zephyr Rocket/American Royal Zephyr
>
>
>
Regarding the cutting out of Silver Patio or Silver Garden from the American
Royal Zephyr at West Quincy to be picked up by the Zephyr Rocket I have no
information to contribute. But, I, too, would like to learn if this was a
regular move in the early 1960s. The ARZ was an overnight run between Chicago
and Kansas City, with West Quincy being about halfway between. So, on its
face, it is difficult to understand why this would have been done. But, the
explanation would become clear if the answer contained specific times and days
of the week when the pickup and drop-off by the ZR occurred.
>
>
Interesting question. Hope the answer is forthcoming from someone.
>
----------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
--- In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, Duncan
Cameron<d.cameron@...> wrote:
>> Group,
>> I'm
pursuing any evidence that, probably in the early 1960s, the Zephyr Rocket
picked up a Vista-dome chair-dormitory-buffet-lounge car, either #320, Silver
Garden, or #321, Silver Patio, from train #55, the westbound American Royal
Zephyr, at West Quincy, and that the northbound ZR would then drop the car to
be picked up by the eastbound American Royal, #56. If anyone can confirm such
a move, I'd appreciate hearing about it.
>> Duncan
Cameron
>>
>
>
>
>
------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups
Links
>
>
>
>