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In Kansas City, we’re always up for a party. From championship parades to wedding receptions and so many more events, there’s always something to celebrate at Union Station! This National Train Day, everyone’s welcome to climb aboard and learn about the marvelous machines that rule the Midwest.

Whether you’re an experienced trainspotter or just love a good story, the many trains that have passed through our station have some amazing tales to tell! To build up steam for our long journey through time, our story began one fateful fall night in 1914.

A Steamy Beginning

On October 30th, 1914, Union Station opened its doors for the very first time. But it wasn’t travelers who filled our halls; it was thousands of citizens who watched our modern marvel come to life! As one of Kansas City’s largest and most advanced buildings at the time, our station made headlines across the nation. This caught the attention of engineers from Kathmandu to Kalamazoo. Everyone wanted to be on the first train to arrive!

The world’s most powerful trains all raced against each other to be the first, but only one would fly to victory! The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Flyer, now known as the Katy Flyer, was the first train to arrive at the Station just after midnight on November 1st, 1914. With soot in their eyes, hearts pounding, and smoke still in the air, the crew tasted victory under a flashbulb. This photo would etch the Flyer’s name in the history of railroading in the Midwest forever.

Flying to Victory

Because of their true grit, determination, and engine 351’s raw power, this train would go down in history as one of the most celebrated steamers in the entire MKT line! Many more steam engines would make their way to Kansas City over the next decades, but whenever the Katy Flyer would roll through, train buffs young and old were always delighted to see her.

The Katy Flyer would have a storied history throughout Texas, Kansas, and Missouri for years! Alas, the sun began to set on steamers, and diesel power rose to popularity into the early ‘30s. As Union Pacific, Burlington, Santa Fe, and Kansas City Southern lines eyed new technologies, a new competition began to brew on the railroad.

Diesel-Powered Dreams

As the era of steam power came to an end, America was racing to design the future of transportation. Innovations that get overlooked today, like standard seatbelts and air conditioning, were huge milestones then! The most impactful innovation in rail transportation of the 20th century was diesel power.

These engines were more efficient, quieter, and faster than their predecessors. But the most memorable trains of the time came from competition between some of America’s biggest railroad companies. The ’60s may have had the space race, but before the first rocket left the ground, these mighty machines raced into the history books as some of the first and finest of their era.

The Union Pacific M-10000

In 1933, Averell Harriman, chairman of Union Pacific, took up his father’s vision to build one of the most innovative trains of the 20th century. This endeavor birthed one of the fastest, lightest “supertrains” of the time. The M-10000 was a distillate oil-powered, aluminum-bodied streamliner that outperformed any conventional train of the time.

The M-10000 only needed 500 horsepower to carry a fully loaded train at 90 miles per hour, while most trains needed over 4,000! This meant higher efficiency and fewer stops. While a conventional train could only travel about 100 miles on a single load of coal, the M-10000 could travel up to 1,200 miles on a full tank of fuel!

Even with these incredible feats in the 1930s, the M-10000’s reign of the rails was short-lived. Unfortunately, its most revolutionary aspects proved to be the reason for its demise. The aluminum body was lighter, but it proved to be much more fragile than steel. Additionally, the distillate oil-powered engine was less efficient than the diesel engines in development at the time. Ultimately, the M-10000 captured the hearts and minds of America, but it was scrapped in 1940 as it fell to more powerful diesel engines.

Left: Union Pacific M-10000, Right, Burlington Zephyr

The Burlington Zephyr

On May 26, 1934, the Burlington Zephyr raced into the history books, making the fastest run from Denver to Chicago in history. This record-breaking run officially kicked off the streamliner craze in America. The Zephyr’s popularity only continued to grow as it gained a starring role in Silver Streak, where the train became the character credited with saving a young boy’s life!

Following the glitz and glamour, the Zephyr was eventually put into regular service from Lincoln to Kansas City in November 1934. Stewardesses known as Zephyerettes lined every car, adding to the highest-quality experience on rails at the time. This earned the Burlington line the Passenger Service Award for 1947 from the Federation of Railway Progress.

While the Zephyrs remained immensely popular among railway travelers through the early 1950s, no trains could seem to outrun obsoletion. By the 1950s, highways and air travel would lead to an industry-wide decline. 26 years to the day after its remarkable record-breaking run, the Pioneer Zephyr was retired from service. You can now find the Zephyr at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, looking just as fast as the day it was designed.

Santa Fe Chiefs

Train sets around the world are adorned with the iconic red and yellow Santa Fe Chief paint scheme. But how did this streamliner become so iconic? To understand the rise and fall of America’s last great streamliner, we look to the Santa Fe rail line in 1926.

The Santa Fe line experienced runaway success with the Chicago-Los Angeles Chief line, with three key points: “Extra Fast, Extra Fine, Extra Fare.” These streamlined cars revolutionized the way we travel to the West, with lightweight cars and exceptional sleeping car service from New York to L.A.

With stellar service, expansive schedules, and even more innovations on the horizon, Santa Fe doubled down on empowering rail travel with the new and improved Super Chief running daily in 1948. Alongside the Super Chief, the El Capitan, Texas Chief, and San Francisco Chief all ran through Kansas City. The Texas Chief would even become the template for Amtrak’s Superliners in the 1980s! Despite the success of these iconic trains, Santa Fe would eventually pull the Chief name from their Amtrak trains in 1974. This put an end to the second-mightiest Chiefs in KC.

The KC Southern Belle

Our final chapter chronicling this golden era of rail travel in the US wouldn’t be complete without mentioning a hometown favorite. The Kansas City Southern line kept passenger rail travel alive well into the 1960s with a modest yet memorable train, the Southern Belle.

The Belle began service in 1940, running a relatively modest route compared to the other trains mentioned previously. However, the Belle continued to keep passenger rail travel alive longer than most! Thousands of Kansas Citians still remember their time on the Belle. Elfrieda Abbe recalls her time in the heyday of Union Station before embarking on her regular trip back to Gulf Park College in Mississippi:

“I recall the morning hours of September 1958 when my mother, brother, and I were having breakfast at Union Station and watching hurried passengers come and go as they passed through the shafts of light coming into the Great Hall with its wooden benches.

“Nothing matched the romantic aura of the Southern Belle with its gleaming dining car decked out in crisp white linens and sparkling tableware; the observation car fit for a movie set, and the sophistication, at least in my young mind, of sleeping in the Pullman car. It was all wonderful and new, evoking a sense of freedom.”

As the Kansas City Southern line fell to the innovation of highways and airlines, the Belle would make its last scheduled run in 1970 with a lot of accompanying fanfare. The KC Southern Belle would be replaced with Amtrak superliners into the final days of Union Station’s original continuous operation. But nothing could replace the memories made by riding the rails on some of the most iconic trains ever to grace the face of the Midwest.

KC’s Comeback of the Century

Thanks to thousands of citizens who made unforgettable memories riding the rails and visiting Union Station, rail travel in Kansas City was saved! While the main focus of our revival was to preserve the memories made inside the Station, the return of Amtrak meant that more memories could continue to be made out on the rails as well! As a new generation embarks on new, unforgettable journeys, two incredible trains pass through the station every day.

The Missouri River Runner

This historic route takes passengers on a tour of the Midwest that only rail travel can provide! From St. Louis to Kansas City and every stop in between, we invite you to connect with small towns and big cities alike. Sure, you could drive, but the Show Me State has so much more to see on this eye-opening adventure!

The Southwest Chief

A new Chief roars through Kansas City once more as the Southwest Chief connects Chicago to Los Angeles. To experience the fabled “Train of the Stars,” there’s only one ticket to punch! For those who prefer to truly experience the joy of travel, this train has every amenity you could dream of for your journey through 8 great states. The Southwest Chief stops right here to remind travelers that the best part of travel isn’t the destination, it’s the journey.

The Story Continues

To make memories without punching a ticket, get up close and personal with history at Union Station! The CPKC Final Spike Anniversary Tour brings The Empress to KC from 12–5 PM on May 18th during its once-in-a-lifetime continent crossing trip. The Empress is in town for one day only, so don’t miss your chance to climb aboard history!

Celebrating National Train Day at Union Station