Missouri Pacific E7A 26 with Train 11, The Colorado Eagle, waiting to depart. GM&O E7A 102 with Train 4, The Limited, on April 17, 1963. Click to enlarge.
(A Roger Puta Photograph, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
COLORADO EAGLE
The Colorado Eagle was an American streamlined passenger train operated by the Missouri Pacific Railroad (MP) in the mid 20th century. It operated between St. Louis, Missouri and Denver, Colorado, using MP trackage from St. Louis to Pueblo, Colorado and traveling on the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad from there to Denver. The train began service on June 21, 1942 and replaced those railroads' Scenic Limited.
The Colorado Special operated until March 1964, when the name as well as on-board amenities (save for a diner-parlor coach for the initial St. Louis - Kansas City segment of the trip) were dropped as the MP reduced passenger service across its system. On April 2, 1966, the MP canceled the remaining unnamed trains serving Denver, ending passenger service along the Colorado Eagle's route west of Kansas City.
A Colorado Eagle Gallery - Click Image to Enlarge
Colorado Eagle menu cover. (Missouri Pacific, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection)
The Colorado Eagle. (Missouri Pacific, Public domain, W. Lenheim Collection)
The Colorado Eagle backs into St. Louis Union Station in October of 1957. Photo by Donald E. Smith. (Audio Visual Designs, Earlton, NY, Public domain via W. Lenheim Collection)
The Colorado Eagle is seen here near Colorado Springs. Photo courtesy Missouri Pacific Railroad. (©️ Mary Jayne's Railroad Specialties, Fair Use, via W. Lenheim Collection)
The Missouri Pacific's Planetarium Dome provides a smooth, quiet ride along with extra sight-seeing thrills for travelers aboard the luxurious, streamlined Colorado Eagle. (Curt Teich for Missouri Pacific, Public domain, via W. Lenheim Collection)
Overview
Service type: Inter-city rail
Status: Discontinued
Locale: Western United States/Midwestern United States
Predecessor: Scenic Limited
First service: 1942
Last service: 1964
Former operators: Missouri Pacific / Denver and Rio Grande Western
Route Termini St. Louis, Missouri / Denver, Colorado
Distance traveled: 1,021.1 miles (1,643.3 km) (1957)
Average journey time: Westbound: 18 hrs 50 min, Eastbound: 19 hrs 15 min (1957)
Service frequency: Daily
Train numbers: Westbound: 11-4, Eastbound: 3-12
On-board services
Seating arrangements: Reclining seat coaches
Sleeping arrangements: Open sections in early years; Roomettes and Double Bedrooms
Catering facilities: Diner-Bar-Lounge
Observation facilities: Planetarium coach; Vista Dome Chair Car
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Timetable
The Colorado Eagle
Missouri Pacific Lines
Denver & Rio Grande Western
June 16, 1957
11 Train Number 12
Daily ▼ Miles (Missouri Pacific Lines) Services ▲ Daily
4 00P Dp 0.0 St. Louis, MO (Union Station) (CT) C R Ar 12 30P
4 07P 2.9 Tower Grove, MO C 12 14P
RF 4 20P 12.9 Kirkwood, MO C DF12 01P
RF 4 38P 34.2 Pacific, MO C
6 00P Ar 121.5 Jefferson City, MO C Dp 10 15A
6 05P Dp Ar 10 10A
146.6 California, MO C F 9 44A
7 10P 185.1 Sedalia, MO C 9 07A
F 7 37P 214.6 Warrensburg, MO C F 8 37A
F 8 27P 269.5 Independence, MO C F 7 45A
9 00P Ar 279.2 Kansas City, MO C R Dp 7 30A
9 10P Dp Ar 7 10A
RF 331.2 Paola, KS C DF
10 18P 338.1 Osawatomie, KS C 5 40A
10 38P 359.1 Ottawa, KS C 5 13A
11 14P 391.4 Osage City, KS C 4 37A
11 56P 429.3 Council Grove, KS C 3 55A
12 19A 455.9 Herington, KS C 3 19A
1 02A 501.0 Lindsborg, KS C 2 36A
1 40A Ar 529.2 Geneseo, KS C Dp 2 10A
Through Sleeper Wichita-Denver
411 Connecting Train Number (Missouri Pacific) 412
9 30P Dp 0.0 Wichita, KS (CT) C Ar 7 00A
10 54P Dp 47.6 Hutchinson, KS C Ar 5 25A
11 53P Ar 88.1 Geneseo, KS C Dp 4 00A
1 40A Dp 529.2 Geneseo, KS C Ar 2 10A
2 17A Ar 563.2 Hoisington, KS (CT) C Dp 1 28A
1 30A Dp Hoisington, KS (MT) Ar 12 14A
F 1 57A 595.1 LaCrosse, KS C F11 36P
F 2 40A 645.0 Utica, KS C F10 55P
3 16A 687.2 Scott City, KS C 10 19P
3 46A 711.8 Leoti, KS C 9 56P
4 11A Ar 735.5 Horace, KS C Dp 9 35P
4 16A Dp Ar 9 30P
F 5 05A 790.5 Eads, CO C 8 39P
F 5 51A 846.1 Sugar City, CO C F 7 52P
5 57A 851.2 Ordway, CO C 7 47P
7 10A Ar 901.7 Pueblo, CO (Union Station) C R Dp 6 55P
4 Continuing Train Number (Denver & Rio Grande Western) 3
7 20A Dp 901.7 Pueblo, CO (Union Station) C Ar 6 45P
DF 933.2 D—Fountain, CO—A F
8 11A 946.2 A—Colorado Springs, CO—D C 5 53P
DF 959.2 Husted, CO F
DF 965.2 A—Monument, CO—D F
DF 969.2 Palmer Lake, CO C F
974.2 D—Greenland, CO—A F
DF 978.1 D—Larkspur, CO—A F
DF 988.6 D—Castle Rock, CO—A C F
DF 996.6 A—Sedalia, CO—D F
1000.4 A—Louviers, CO—D C F
DF 1010.8 A—Littleton, CO—D C F
9 50A Ar 1021.1 Denver, CO (Union Station) (MT) C Dp 4 15P
( ©1957 by National Railway Publication Company, Not renewed, via W. Lenheim Collection)
Colorado Eagle Route Map. Click to enlarge.
(Poor's 1891, excerpt, via Wikimedia Commons)
Equipment
(Missouri Pacific Lines Notes)
MISSOURI PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY
Route of the Eagles
Westbound
No. 11—Colorado Eagle—Streamlined Train
Sleepers—
St. Louis to Denver—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms No. 111.
St. Louis to Denver—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms No. 112.
St. Louis to Denver—14 Roomettes, 4 Double Bedrooms No. 113. (Last trip September 14.)
Wichita to Denver—6-Section, 6 Roomettes, 4 Double Bedrooms No. 114.
Diner-Bar-Lounge—St. Louis to Denver. June 15 to September 15, inclusive.
Reclining Seat Coaches-St. Louis to Denver.
Planetarium Coach—St. Louis to Denver.
Eastbound
No. 12—Colorado Eagle—Streamlined Train
Sleepers—
Denver to St. Louis—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms No. 31.
Denver to St. Louis—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms No. 32.
Denver to St. Louis—14 Roomettes, 4 Double Bedrooms No. 33. (Last trip September 15.)
Denver to Wichita—6-Section, 6 Roomettes, 4 Double Bedrooms No. 34.
Diner-Bar-Lounge—Denver to St. Louis. June 15 to September 15, inclusive.
Reclining Seat Coaches-Denver to St. Louis.
Planetarium Coach—Denver to St. Louis.
(Denver & Rio Grande Western Notes)
DENVER AND RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD
PASSENGER TRAIN EQUIPMENT
(All Equipment is Air-Conditioned.)
Nos. 3 and 4—THE COLORADO EAGLE.
(Diesel-Powered Streamlined.)
Diner-Bar-Lounge between Denver and St. Louis June 15 to September 15, inclusive.
Standard Sleeper between Denver and St. Louis (31 eastbound) (111 westbound)—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
Standard Sleeper between Denver and St. Louis (32 eastbound) (112 westbound)—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
Standard Sleeper between Denver and St. Louis (33 eastbound) (113 westbound)—14 Roomettes, 4 Double Bedrooms. (Last trip from Denver September 15; from St. Louis September 14.)
Vista Dome Chair Car between Denver and St. Louis.
Chair Cars between Denver and St. Louis.
In Mo. Pac. Nos. 11 and 12 between Pueblo and St. Louis.
Standard Sleeper between Denver and Wichita (34 eastbound) (114 westbound)—6 Sections, 6 Roomettes, 4 Double Bedrooms. (In Mo. Pac. Nos 11-411 and 412-12 between Pueblo and Wichita.)
NOTE—Between Denver and Pueblo passengers will take trains at stations indicated in this table as follows: U, Union Station; D, D. & R. G. W. Station; A, A. T. & S. F. Station.
( ©1957 by National Railway Publication Company, Not renewed, via W. Lenheim Collection)