DALLAS'S PASSENGER TRAINS

OF THE PAST

Intercity passenger trains serving Dallas in 1942, 1956, and 1971 immediately prior to the creation of Amtrak.

THE STATIONS

The major stations serving Dallas, during the golden age of passenger trains.

Union Station
400 S. Houston St.
Opened 1916, consolidating 5 earlier stations

Number of station tracks: 18 through
Interlocked switches controlled as follows:
Tower 106: controlled the north end of the station
Tower 107: controlled the south end of the station

SANTA FE

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 67  (Motor Train)         Paris           8:45 am
116  Texas Chief           Gainesville                 2:15 pm
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 68  (Motor Train)         Paris           7:40 pm
115  Texas Chief           Gainesville                 1:15 pm
Passenger service discontinued in 1968.

BURLINGTON ROUTE (FORT WORTH & DENVER)

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  4  Sam Houston Zephyr    Fort Worth     12:40 pm
  1  Red Head              Houston         1:00 pm
  2  Texas Zephyr          Denver          2:00 pm     1:00 pm
  3  Sam Houston Zephyr    Houston         5:00 pm     5:00 pm
  8  Gulf Coast Special    Denver          9:15 pm     9:30 pm
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  1  Texas Zephyr          Denver          7:50        7:10
  4  Sam Houston Zephyr    Houston        12:35       12:47
  3  Sam Houston Zephyr    Fort Worth      4:45
  2  Red Head              Houston         5:40
  7  Gulf Coast Special    Denver          9:05        4:40
Passenger service discontinued in 1967, last train was the Texas Zephyr.

ROCK ISLAND

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 17  Texas Rocket          Houston         8:30  507   9:25 am
510  Texas Rocket          Kansas City     9:15 am
 18  Texas Rocket          Fort Worth      9:05 pm
 18  Twin Star Rocket      Herington      10:00  508   9:05 pm
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 17  Twin Star Rocket      Kansas City     7:45  507   9:15 am
 17  Texas Rocket          Fort Worth      8:15 am
509  Texas Rocket          Kansas City     8:15 pm
 18  Texas Rocket          Houston         9:00  508   9:00 pm
Passenger service discontinued in 1964, last train was the Twin Star Rocket.

MISSOURI KANSAS TEXAS

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  6  Katy Flyer            Kansas City     8:10        6:55 am
  1  Texas Special         San Antonio    10:20        8:25 am
  3  Katy Limited          San Antonio    12:50
  2  Texas Special         St. Louis       3:30        6:10 pm
  8  Bluebonnet            St. Louis       5:45        8:55 pm
  5  Katy Flyer            San Antonio    11:00       10:25 pm
  4  Katy Limited          Kansas City    11:00
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  7  Bluebonnet            St. Louis       7:35        8:05 am
  6  Katy Flyer            San Antonio     7:40        6:20 am
  1  Texas Special         St. Louis      10:15        7:30 am
  3  Katy Limited          Kansas City    12:30
  2  Texas Special         San Antonio     3:20        5:45 pm
  5  Katy Flyer            Kansas City     9:55        9:55 pm
  4  Katy Limited          San Antonio    10:00
Passenger service discontinued in 1965, last train was the Texas Special.

ST. LOUIS SAN FRANCISCO

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

518  Black Gold            Tulsa                      10:30 pm
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

517  Black Gold            Tulsa                       6:45 am
Passenger service discontinued in 1960, last train was the Black Gold.

Direct service to and from Dallas was suspended from the early 1930's to the mid 1940's, with Missouri Kansas Texas providing connecting service to and from Denison.

ST. LOUIS SOUTHWESTERN

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  6  Morning Star          Memphis         7:55 am
  2  Lone Star             Memphis         6:00 pm
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  1  Lone Star             Memphis         9:55 am
  5  Morning Star          Memphis         8:55 pm
Passenger service discontinued in 1956.

SOUTHERN PACIFIC

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 16  Hustler               Houston         8:10
 14  Sunbeam               Houston         5:00
156  (mixed train)         Beaumont        8:00
 18  Owl                   Houston        11:30       11:00 pm
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 17  Owl                   Houston         6:55        6:30 am
155  (mixed train)         Beaumont        8:45
 15  Hustler               Houston         1:50
 13  Sunbeam               Houston         9:10
Passenger service discontinued in 1958, last train was the Owl.

Until late 1930's, Southern Pacific passenger trains continued further north of Dallas to Denison.

TEXAS & PACIFIC

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 15  Texan                 Fort Worth      7:15    3   4:55 pm
  6  Texas Ranger          Marshall        9:10    8   7:35 am
  1  Sunshine Special      Fort Worth     10:05        8:00 am
 11  Sunshine Special      El Paso        12:35   21   8:35 am
  2  Sunshine Special      St. Louis       3:30        6:10 pm
 16  Texan                 Marshall        6:00   22   5:30 pm
  7  Southerner            El Paso         9:00        9:15 pm
  4                        St. Louis      10:00       10:15 pm
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 15  Texan                 Marshall        7:00    3   4:35 pm
  6  Texas Ranger          El Paso         8:50    8   7:15 am
  1  Sunshine Special      St. Louis      10:00        7:40 am
 11  Sunshine Special      Marshall       12:25   21   8:15 am
  2  Sunshine Special      El Paso         3:20        5:50 pm
 16  Texan                 Fort Worth      5:50   22   5:10 pm
  7  Southerner            Texarkana       8:30        8:30 pm
  4                        Fort Worth      9:15        9:20 pm
Passenger service discontinued in 1969, last train was the Texas Eagle.

After World War II, several trains were reequipped with streamlined cars, and evolved into the Texas Eagle service.

STATIONS TODAY

In 1969, Dallas became the largest US city without intercity rail passenger service. But Amtrak returned passenger service to Union Station in 1974, which continues to operate.

Union Station Dallas
Dallas - Railfan Primer
Dallas Union Station (Wikipedia)

Links to Web pages containing further information on Union Station.

MAPPING THE STATIONS AND RAILROADS

Links to locations of past and present stations and railroads, using Google Maps. Satellite views are also available.