The Texas Eagle, Missouri Pacific Railroad's Long-Distance Eagle Between St. Louis and Texas

The Missouri Pacific was another classic fallen flag that had an entire fleet of passenger trains with a common name. The MoPac’s fleet became known as Eagles. Most of the Eagle fleet was regional in nature although two were long-distance in nature, the Texas Eagle and Colorado Eagle. While the MoPac’s Eagle fleet is well remembered, particularly in the regions and cities it served, the trains never carried the patronage of other famous fleets like the Union Pacific’s City trains or Southern Pacific’s Daylights. The Texas Eagle was Missouri Pacific's connection to the Midwest and Texas, serving literally most regions of the Lone Star State for over 20 years before being handed over to Amtrak in the early 1970s. Overall, the fleet carried enough status that the Texas Eagle remains an important route under Amtrak today, serving Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas, and San Antonio.

Between its earliest beginnings and the mid-1950s the railroad witnessed over a half-dozen bankruptcies and reorganizations (the final one being in 1956). At first, being only regional in nature (it covered almost 500 miles connecting the three cities) the original Eagle was a six-car consist (with an EMC E3 diesel locomotive on the point for power), built by American Car & Foundry, made up of only diners, lounges, and a parlor-observation.

The regional Eagle fleet reached across all stretches of the system and enabled passengers to connect to virtually any city in the Southwest or Midwest including Houston, Brownsville, San Antonio, Mexico City (yes, Mexico City!), Memphis, Tallulah (Mississippi), Denver, and Marshall, Texas (along with the aforementioned St. Louis, Kansas City, and Omaha).

Like the rest of the Eagle fleet the Texas Eagle featured dazzling designs on both its exterior and interior. All of this came from noted industrial designer Raymond Loewy (of Pennsylvania Railroad fame, he helped mold that railroad’s classic GG1 electric locomotive into a thing of beauty) who gave the Eagle fleet one of the all time classic liveries, which was an intricate design of dark blue, light gray, silver, and yellow with a chromed eagle flanking the nose of diesel locomotives. The interior of the train featured similar colors, particularly the train’s noted dark blue in a consist featuring diner-lounges, parlor-observations, coaches with reclining chairs, Pullman service (sleepers), and later (in the early 1950s) included the railroad's classic Planetarium Dome (commonly known as the Vista-Dome).

Interestingly, the Texas Eagle (listed as Trains #1 and #2 on the Missouri Pacific's official timetable) did not merely serve just two or three cities as did most long-distance trains. From St. Louis the Texas followed a single route until it reached Longview, Texas where it “fanned out” in multiple directions serving such cities as El Paso, Dallas/Fort Worth, Palestine, Houston, Galveston, and San Antonino. Also while riding aboard the Texas Eagle one could also reach cities beyond those served by the MoPac including the East Coast via the Baltimore & Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroads at St. Louis.

With numerous connections and through sleepers available aboard the Texas Eagle its timetable and scheduling could be a bit confusing to say the least. Aside from through service available with the B&O and PRR, one could also ride the Southern Pacific to Los Angeles via El Paso and even Mexico City aboard the National Railways of Mexico via Laredo! Despite having so many different connections the train could usually complete any segment of its journey under 20 hours averaging anywhere between 45 and 50 mph. For more information regarding the Texas Eagle's timetable and consist please click here. Along with the Texas the entire Eagle fleet reached across all stretches of the system and enabled passengers to connect to virtually any city in the Southwest or Midwest including Houston, Brownsville, San Antonio, Mexico City (yes, Mexico City!), Memphis, Tallulah (Mississippi), Denver, and Marshall, Texas (along with the aforementioned St. Louis, Kansas City, and Omaha). However, despite this vast network, the MoPac was plagued, like the rest of the railroad industry, with loss of ridership due to outside competition. In the early 1960s with losses mounting the MoPac had no choice but to downgrade or discontinue many of its regional services although fragments of them limped on until Amtrak took over intercity passenger train operations in 1971.

By the late 1960s the long-distance Texas and Colorado Eagles were not immune either from the cutbacks. By 1970 the Texas had lost all-Pullman status (thus reaching eastern points via the Pennsylvania and Baltimore & Ohio railroads was no longer an option) and had become a diminutive coach-only train between St. Louis and Texarkana. Despite this the train continued to field a few sleepers, a diner, diner-coach, and reclining seat coaches. Additionally, there was good news for the train after Amtrak's startup in 1971. The national passenger carrier elected to retain the Texas Eagle and today serves Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas, and San Antonio.

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