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| Last updated on August 8, 2025
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy’s Zephyr was the first diesel streamliner, entering service in 1934. The locomotive, which was articulated with the train set, was powered by a 660-hp Winton 201A diesel engine.
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Let’s recall that while a revolutionary design, the Pioneer Zephyr was not the first streamliner; that title went to the M-10000 of the Union Pacific Railroad, which made its first trip in February 1934. However, the Pioneer Zephyr had several key differences, including the use of a diesel powerplant and stainless steel construction, in contrast to the M-10000’s gasoline powerplant and aluminum construction. These two design decisions had a profound influence on future streamliners and other passenger trains, which had more in common with the Zephyr than the M-10000. The streamlined Hiawathas launched by the Milwaukee Road in 1935 were a direct response to (and directly competed with) the Burlington Route’s Zephyrs.
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