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The Exposition Flyer

The Exposition took place at the same time as the World's Fair in New York. Given the world events (September 1939 would officially begin World War II, and the end of the Great Depression) the nation was more than ready for a bi-coastal check of reality. The Golden Gate International Exposition, located on the man-made Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay, drew enough passenger trade for the CB&Q-D&RGW-WP combined train that it became credible competition for the Union Pacific-Southern Pacific Overland Route. The Exposition Flyer was the first through train over the CB&Q-D&RGW-WP route using the new Dotsero cutoff, which saved 150-miles over a circuitous route through the Royal Gorge.

4-8-4 1804 with Chicago–Oakland Exposition Flyer at Ralston, Colo., 1940. R. H. Kindig

The Exposition was originally scheduled to last one year, but the outstanding success raised expectations and San Francisco was expected to host the event again in 1940. As a result the three railroads agreed to retain the train through the winter of 1939-1940 and when the fair reopened, the train was once again extremely busy. The success of the train, even when the Exhibition was not open caused the railroads to rethink the temporary nature of the train, and it was left on the schedules until 1941. As the train continued to see success, it stayed on the schedule until being replaced by the California Zephyr..

One operational aspect that first saw the light of day on this route on the Exhibition Flyer was the Transcontinental Sleeper. In April, 1946 service was inaugurated with the through Pullman operating east of Chicago on the New York Central's Commodore Vanderbilt and the Pennsylvania's General (on alternate days).

The California Zephyr Museum Page on The Exposition Flyer

Railway Classics Page on their possible HO Brass version of the Exposition Flyer

Additional Resource: See J.W. Schultz & Hol Wagner's excellent treatment on the train and equipment in the Burlington Route Historical Society's Burlington Bulletin 42 Exposition Flyer.


Equipment Notes

The Exposition Flyer, taken in 1948 by Otto Roach

Attempting to compose a basic consist of the Exposition Flyer is somewhat impossible. The reason for the impossibility is that the train is a study in contradictions. The train was put into service for a limited-time event and was supposed to last about 1 year. It lasted 10 years. It was supposed to be mainly a summer train, yet found a winter following. It was supposed to be a leisure train, yet found itself running multiple sections of urgent war traffic. It was unique in that the consortium that ran the train had to deal with every type of operating condition in the United States, yet had to run the train as a single entity. It started service in the hey day of heavyweight Pullmans during the Pullman Pool years and ended its life during the Pullman divestiture. It started as a heavyweight train, yet there were lightweight cars included almost from the start, and by the end, the train included some of the most modern cars in existence, soon to grace its replacement, the California Zephyr.

The Exhibition Flyer often ran in two sections due to traffic, one all Pullman, and one for the coach & tourist cars. Note that between April 1945 and the beginning of 1946, the Exhibition Flyer was "All Pullman" on the Rio Grande, with the Advanced Exhibition Flyer (trains 7 and 8) taking the coaches and tourist cars. This arrangement stopped when trains 7 & 8 were renamed and rescheduled as The Prospector (second iteration).

So if one chooses to model the Exposition Flyer, he must first choose the segment run (CB&Q, D&RGW, WP), the year, the season and in some cases, the day. The train that ran on December of 1948 was vastly different than the one that ran in June of 1939.

Car Type Owner Class Number / Name Description Era Note Modeling Notes (in HO)
Express Reefer GACX/REA

WP

. 250 - 274 50' Composite Express Reefer 1939 - 1944  . Walthers 932-5484 (discontinued) but seen selling regularly on ebay
Express Reefer GACX/REA

D&RGW

. 1600 - 1624 50' Composite Express Reefer 1939 - 1944  . Walthers 932-5479 (discontinued) but seen selling regularly on eBay
Express Box CB&Q XM-32 8000 - 8299 40' Steel Box 1944 - 1949 . Sunshine (discontinued) Intermountain 40899 (discontinued) 
Express Box CB&Q XM-33 8500 - 8599 50' Steel Box 1944 - 1949 . Walthers Proto 2000 50' single door AAR 10'6" 920-54263 (discontinued)
Express Box CB&Q . 8600 - 8699 50' Converted Kitchen Cars 1947 - 1949 . Walthers 932-4182 (discontinued) but seen selling regularly on eBay

In N scale: Microtrains 118 00 000 50' Troop Kitchen Car Undecorated

Express Box WP . 22001 - 22200 40' Steel Box 1941 - 1949 Numbers nonconsecutive Intermountain (?); Branchline Yardmaster series 8044
Baggage CB&Q BA-10 BA-10-C 1500 - 1524 70' Wood or Steel Baggage 1947 - 1949 . NKP Car
Baggage CB&Q BA-11 1525 - 1539 70' Steel Baggage 1947 - 1949 . NKP Car
Baggage CB&Q BA-12 1540 - 1542 70' Steel Baggage 1947 - 1949 . NKP Car
Baggage CB&Q BA-14 1470 - 1489 73' Steel Baggage 1947 - 1949 Rebuilt GN sleeping cars Not Available
Baggage CB&Q BA-15 1543 - 1557 70' Steel Baggage 1947 - 1949 . NKP Car
Baggage CB&Q BA-16 1558 - 1566 70' Steel Baggage 1947 - 1949 . NKP Car
Baggage CB&Q BA-18 1567 - 1576 70' Steel Baggage 1947 - 1949 . NKP Car (?)
Baggage CB&Q . 1580 - 1591 75' Steel Baggage 1947 - 1949 Rebuilds of combines Not Available
Baggage D&RGW N/A 700 - 739 61' Steel Baggage 1939 - 1949 Usually on D&RGW portion only NKP Car/RGMHS
Baggage WP N/A 121 - 140 60' Steel Baggage 1939 - 1949 These are NOT Harriman or Harriman copies Not Available (PSC brought out a "WP Baggage car" - correct?)
Baggage CB&Q DRGW WP CZ Named 70' Stainless Steel Baggage 1948 - 1949 CZ Baggage Cars Brass - Challenger + Oriental Limited + Shorham - Broadway Limited

In N scale: Kato

Dormitory CB&Q . 1222, 1620, 2299, 2416 13 Section Sleeping Car 1947 - 1949 Converted from 12-1s - note these are 2410 not 3410 (i.e. Not Walthers or Branchline) Brass - The Coach Yard #1412, Rivarossi (both HO & N - this is really a hybrid car, having some 3410 & 2410 characteristics)
Coach CB&Q PB-20 6118 - 6160 70' Steel Coach 1939-1949 . Brass - Aurora Shops - NKP Car
Coach CB&Q PB-21 6161 - 6170 70' Steel Coach 1939-1949 . Brass - Aurora Shops - NKP Car
Coach - Smoker CB&Q PB-22 6200 - 6202 70' Steel Coach - Smoker 1939 - 1949 60 in coach section, 24 in smoking section Brass - Aurora Shops - NKP Car
Coach D&RGW . 900 - 950 70' Steel rebuilt 1939 - 1949 . Not Available
Coach WP . 301 - 320 Steel arched roof 1939 - 1949 Not Harriman or Harriman copies. 301 - 306, 310 assigned Expo

Plan 7013 Lot 4716

Not Available
Chair CB&Q PC-6 4500 - 4514 70' Steel Chair 1941 - 1949 . Brass - Aurora Shops
Chair CB&Q PC-8 4515 - 4519 70' Steel Chair 1941 - 1949 . Brass - Aurora Shops
Chair CB&Q PC-9 4520 - 4527 70' Steel Chair 1941 - 1949 . Brass - Aurora Shops
Chair CB&Q PC-11 4540 - 4541 70' Steel Chair 1947 - 1949 ex NP Brass - W&R
Chair CB&Q PC-12 4550 - 4559 70' Steel Chair 1941 - 1949 . Brass - Aurora Shops
Chair CB&Q PC 4700 - 4702 80' Stainless Steel Lightweight 1939 - 1949 SILVER CHARIOT, TRAIL, SPRING Brass - Eagle Imports
Chair CB&Q PC 4703 - 4715 80' Stainless Steel Lightweight 1941 - 1949 SILVER GLOW, GLEAM, EAGLE, BIRCH, BROOK, CASTLE, CLOUD, CREST, CROWN, FOREST, ALCHEMY, CASCADE Brass - Eagle Imports, Oriental Limited (#4700-4713, 4715 ), Hallmark

In N scale: in Kato sets 106-1605, 106-1606

Chair D&RGW . 1000 - 1004 70' Steel rebuilt 1910 coaches 1939 - 1949  . Not Available
Chair D&RGW . 900 - 950 70' Steel rebuilt 1939 - 1949 . Not Available
Coach-Dome CB&Q . SILVER DOME 85' Stainless Steel 1945 - 1949 Homebuilt Brass - Oriental Limited 1619
Coach - Dome CB&Q D&RGW WP . Named 85' Stainless Steel 1948 - 1949 CZ Dome cars Brass - Challenger + Oriental Limited + Shorham - Broadway Limited

In N scale: Kato

Diner CB&Q DA-5 170 - 177 79' 6" Steel Diner 1948 - 1949  . Brass - Aurora Shops - NKP Car
Diner CB&Q DA-6 178 - 187 79' 6" Steel Diner 1948 - 1949  . Brass - Aurora Shops
Diner CB&Q DA-7 190 - 192 Named 85' Stainless Steel 1939 - 1949 SILVER PHEASANT, INN, SPOON Not Available

In N scale: Kato set 106-1503

Diner D&RGW PEAK CASTLE PEAK; PIKES PEAK, SOPRIS PEAK, TWIN PEAK  79' Steel Diner .  . Not Avaialble.
Diner WP . 501, 503, 504, 505, 506 83' Steel Diner 1939 - 1949 NOT Harriman or Harriman copies

Plan 7014 Lot 4717

Not Available
Diner Lounge D&RGW MOUNT MT. ANTERO; JAMES PEAK; MT. HARVARD, MT. MASSIVE, MT. YALE; MT. PRINCETON; MT. TIMPANOGOS  80' Steel Diner- Lounge - Observation 1939 - 1949 . Not Available
10 Room Pullman . COACH-SLEEPER I & II Tourist Sleeper 1940 . Not Available
16 Section Pullman 2412-F

2412-T

2412-U

. Tourist Sleeper 1939 - 1949  . Brass- The Coach Yard #1409-1, PSC #16132 - Walthers tin sides
13 Section Pullman  .  . Tourist Sleeper 1946 Converted from 12-1s - note these are 2410 not 3410 (i.e. Not Walthers or Branchline) Rivarossi (both HO & N - this is really a hybrid car, having some 3410 & 2410 characteristics)
10-1-1 Pullman 3973-A LAKE *, ISLAND *, CHIEF *  . 1939 - 1942 . Branchline - check A/C s/b Ice 5510, 5511, 5599
10-1-2 Pullman 2585 .  . 1939 - 1949  . Brass - PSC #16290 #17336 & Oriental Limited 0897
10-1-2 Pullman 3585 LAKE * . 1939 - 1949 . Brass - PSC #16284, The Coach Yard #0431 - Branchline 5299, Walthers 932-10551 - Check A/C s/b Ice;
8-5 Pullman 4036-B

4036-E

4036-F

CLOVER * . 1940 - 1949 . Brass - Challenger #2101 4036-F
8-1-2 Pullman 3979-A .  . 1940 - 1941 Summer use only Brass - PSC #16256 - Walthers 932-10051, Branchline 5099- Check A/C s/b Ice
8-3-1 Pullman 4090-E * TOWER . 1941 - 1944 Mostly St. Louis portion  Not Available
12-1 Pullman 2410

3410

.  . 1946 - 1947 . 2410 - Brass - TheCoach Yard, Oriental Limited, PSC

3410 - Brass - The Coach Yard #603 , PSC #15426 - Branchline 5399, Walthers 932-10001 - check A/C s/b Ice -

10-6 CB&Q D&RGW WP . Named Cars 10-6 California Zephyr Cars 1948-1949 . Brass - Challenger + Oriental Limited + Shorham - Broadway Limited

N scale Kato

10-Section Observations Pullman 3521-A MOUNT * 10 Section, Lounge, Observation 6/1942 - 6/1947 . Brass - Lambert 802 has a version that requires a lot of updates; Soho, The Coach Yard #0426, PSC

In N Scale: Pecos River Brass 1848

Observation Solarium Lounge CB&Q DL-3 209; MINNEAPOLIS, ST. PAUL, OMAHA, LINCOLN - CLUB 80' Steel Lounge Car with Solarium 1939 - 6/1942

6/1947 - 1949

Plan 7149

Lot 6114

Brass - Oriental Limited
Observation Solarium Lounge CB&Q . RIVERVIEW, MISSISSIPPI 80' Steel Buffet Lounge Solarium 1939 - 6/1942

6/1947 - 1949

Barney & Smith 1915 Not Available
Observation CB&Q . SILVER FOUNTAIN; SILVER HOURS Stainless round-end Observation 1941 -1943 Found on Advanced Expo Brass - Eagle Imports, Hallmark
Observation D&RGW CANON SPANISH FORK CANON; GRANITE CANON 70' Steel Observation-Lounge 1939 - 6/1942

6/1947 - 1949

Rebuilt from 1910 coaches Not Available
Observation D&RGW CANON GLENWOOD CANON; RUBY CANON; OGDEN CANON; EAGLE CANON; ROYAL GORGE 80' Steel Observation-Lounge 1939 - 6/1942

6/1947 - 1949

Rebuilt from 1910 buffet-library cars - GLENWOOD CANON further modernized Not Available
Observation Solarium Lounge Pullman . BURLINGTON HOUSE, LIGHT, ROUTE 80' Steel Buffet Lounge Solarium 1939 - 1941 Mostly on 2nd section

Plan 3964 Lot 4965

Oriental Limited?
Observation Solarium Lounge WP . 651 - 653 81' Steel Observation Solarium Lounge 1939 - 6/1942

6/1947 - 1949

Rebuilt 16 Section Pullmans Not Available

Note: This page will likely be continually updated as models and more information come forward.

N Scale information from Michal Basta

All Rights Reserved, Rio Grande Modeling & Historical Society

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