Colorado Eagle

For the minor-league hockey team based in Loveland, Colorado, see Colorado Eagles.

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.^[2] The train began service on June 21, 1942 and replaced those railroads' Scenic Limited.^[3]

Colorado Eagle

Missouri Pacific E7A 26 with Train 11, The Colorado Eagle, waiting to depart St. Louis' Union Station on April 17, 1963
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 operator(s)	Missouri Pacific / Denver and Rio Grande Western
Route
Termini	St. Louis, Missouri Denver, Colorado
Distance travelled	1,021.1 miles (1,643.3 km) (1957)
Average journey time	Westbound: 18 hrs 50 min Eastbound: 19 hrs 15 min (1957)[1]
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	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)
Route map v t e Legend St. Louis Tower Grove Kirkwood Jefferson City Sedalia Warrensburg Independence Kansas City Missouri Kansas Paola Osawatomie Ottawa Osage City Council Grove Herington Lindsborg Geneseo Hoisington La Crosse Utics Scotts City Leoti Horace Kansas Colorado Eads Sugar City Ordway Pueblo MP DRGW Colorado Springs Denver

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.^[2][4] 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.^[2]