It's a typical summer day in Texas and the year is 1950. The Katy's "The Bluebonnet" train No. 7 southbound, headed by a beautiful Pacific type 4-6-2 locomotive, with a consist of eight standard heavyweight passenger cars - departs from Dallas on its lengthy run to San Antonio.

Interior view of the Parlor Lounge Car in the consist of the Katy's "The Bluebonnet" train No. 7 southbound enroute from Dallas to San Antonio, Texas. This beautiful parlor lounge was a standard heavyweight car.

In an era of rapid transit in Texas the Southern Pacific's advertisements cited the "Sunbeam" trains - modern streamliners - as the apex in luxury and speed between Dallas and Houston - an elapsed time of four hours and twenty-five minutes. This view portrays the "Sunbeam" train No. 14 southbound headed by Engine No. 651 - a streamlined Pacific type 4-6-2 locomotive - rolling out of Dallas Union Station, enroute to Houston on the afternoon of October 5, 1952.

Southern Pacific's the "Hustler" train No. 15 northbound, headed by Engine No.650, a streamlined type 4-6-2 locomotive, entering Dallas Union Station on its run from Houston. The train is passing under the electric street railway viaduct (destroyed in the late 1950s) which spanned the railroad tracks and crossed over the Trinity River. Electric street cars to and from Oak Cliff and Interurban cars of the Northern Texas Traction Company and Texas Electric Railway used this double track facility.

One of the nation's finest railroad terminals: Dallas Union Station which is served by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, known as Amtrak, and soon to be served by commuter trains, operating between Dallas - Fort Worth and other North Texas points. The station is owned by the City of Dallas and represents an investment and modernization aggregating fifteen million dollars.

Main rail lines approaching the Dallas Union Station from the south.

Fort Worth and Denver (Burlington) Railway's "Texas Zephyr" train No. 2 northbound, headed by Engine No. 551, a Pacific type 4-6-2 locomotive, departing from Dallas enroute on its legendary journey via Fort Worth to Wichita Falls, Amarillo, Trinidad, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, and Denver. Spanning a period of more than sixty years, dating from the "Gay Nineties", this was the most popular rail route connecting Colorado and Texas points.

Observe this scene of activity in the Dallas Union Station's yards - the "Sam Houston Zephyr" has just entered the terminal, closely followed by the "Hustler" while the "Texas Zephyr" waits for its scheduled departure.

Breathing just a wisp of smoke, the Texas and Pacific's "The Texan" train No. 15 westbound, headed by Engine No. 715, a type 4-6-2 locomotive, pulls into the Dallas Union Terminal Station in 1948.

One of the Texas and Pacific Railway's finest long-distance passenger consists, " The Southerner" train No. 8 eastbound, headed by Engine No. 908, a 900 class Mountain, type 4-8-2 locomotive, crossing the Trinity River Bridge, enroute from Fort Worth into Dallas.

Observe this masterpiece of streamlined steam motive power - bearing the name "Sunbeam", Southern Pacific's Engine No. 652, a Pacific type 4-6-2 locomotive, on the turntable at the Cadiz Street Roundhouse in Dallas, Texas.

Observe this rare specimen of steam motive power: Southern Pacific's Engine 741, a Mikado, type 2-8-2 locomotive, Train No. 155, heading a passenger train of two cars passing through Belt Junction in Dallas on June 22, 1952. Train 155 was a mixed freight and passenger train from Beaumont, Texas, which having dropped off its freight cars at Fox siding, out of sight just behind the coach, will continue to Union Terminal to deliver its passengers and express. The freight cars left at Fox would then be picked up by the Miller Yard switch engine and sorted for delivery in the yard. Engine 741 was one of fifty-seven of the Mk-5 class engines normally assigned to the train when it ran heavy.

Southern Pacific's "The Sunbeam" Engine No. 650 - type 4-6-2 and Burlington's "Sam Houston Zephyr" at Dallas Union Terminal in 1950.

On the ready tracks at The Cadiz St. roundhouse in Dallas are SP-T&NO 4-6-2 No. 652, Cotton Belt 4-8-2 No.679, and FW&D No. 51 on a partly cloudy day in 1949.

Southern Pacific Railroad's "The Sunbeam" engine No. 650, a type 4-6-2 locomotive, at Dallas Union Terminal in 1950. Streamlined steam locomotive No.650 has been serviced and coupled to its train. When the number 13 is placed into its train indicator atop the boiler it will be ready to depart "On the Advertised" at 5:00PM as The Sunbeam.

Missouri - Kansas - Texas Railroad's "The Texas Special" train No. 1 - Engine No. 390 - type 4-6-2 locomotive arriving in Dallas just prior to dieselization in 1948.

Burlington-Rock Island's "Twin Star Rocket" races southward out of Dallas in 1951 powered by 1500HP FP7A No.677 and a 1500HP "B"unit in an effort to beat the Southern Pacific's Hustler into Houston.

Southern Pacific, Engine No. 650, a type 4-6-2 locomotive, heading Train No. 16 departing from Dallas in 1948.

Fort Worth and Denver Railroad, Engine No. 554, type 4-6-2 heading Train No. 2, the "Texas Zephyr" in Dallas on September 13, 1954.

M-K-T Train No.6, The "Katy Flyer" slows through Dallas yard heading for Union Terminal behind a pair of Alco PA model 2000HP diesel electric locomotives on June 18,1953.

Missouri - Kansas - Texas Railroad's train No. 7, "The Bluebonnet", headed by Engine No. 392, a type 4-6-2 locomotive in Dallas in 1950.

Locomotive No. 620 one of the P-6 class "protection" engines kept under steam at Ennis, substitutes for one of the three streamlined P-14 engines (650, 651,or 652) normally assigned to bring The Hustler, Train No. 15 into Dallas in 1949. The Southern Pacific was in direct competition with the FW&D in Texas at the time and the Dallas/Houston route's schedule had to be protected against engine failures. One engine was kept with steam up at Ennis and another at Hearne for just such emergencies.

Photograph of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad's "Texas Rocket" train arriving in Dallas in 1949. In addition to the engine, a number of cars are visible, on curved tracks.

Texas & Pacific's eastbound premier train The Sunshine Special rolls across the Trinity River near Dallas shortly before entering Union Terminal trackage with mostly headend cars double-headed with 4-6-2 No. 713 on the point in 1948.