Burlington's Zephyrs Karl Zimmerman
Page 57: OVERNIGHTING BY Zephyr
The Denver Zephyr of 1936 was another pioneer among Zephyrs. It was
the first overnight Zephyr and thus the first to carry sleeping cars. It
was the first Zephyr with double-unit cab-booster (A and B units)
locomotion.
IT INTRODUCED THE CONVENTION OF NAMING ALL CARS WITH THE PREFIX SILVER,
SO APPROPRIATE FOR THESE TRAINS OF GLEAMING STAINLESS STEEL..
Page 61............Penultimate paragraph: The Silvery shine of
that stainless steel was recognized FOR THE FIRST TIME in the naming of of the
Denver Zephyr cars. , BEGINNING A TRADITION THAT WOULD CONTINUE
UNTIL THE END OF ZEPHYR BUILDING, which came in 1956 with the completion of
the second edition of the Denver Zephyr. All the cars, including
the power units (or more properly, locomotives in the case of the Denver
Zephyr and second Twin Zephyrs WOULD HAVE SILVER PREFIX NAMES.
Depending on whether you think Mr. Z has his facts straight, I think that
the above offers the definitive answer to the origin of the Silver "moniker"
which I've always thought was correct.
If you doubt Mr. Z I guess you'll have to look elsewhere
Pete