The Silver Streak

The Silver Streak is a 1934 film loosely based on the recordsetting dawntodusk run of the Pioneer Zephyr on May 26, 1934. The original Zephyr trainset was used for the exterior shots in the film, while interior scenes were filmed on a sound stage in Hollywood. For the film, the Burlington Route nameplate on the trains nose was replaced with one that read Silver Streak.

In the face of seriously declining railroad passenger travel, engineer Tom Caldwell presents to the president of the CBampD Railroad, B.J. Dexter, a design for a revolutionary dieselelectric train that will increase efficiency and lower costs. Dexter opposes change, however, and the railroads conservative board of directors agrees with him, rejecting Toms design. Tom quits in frustration. Sure that Toms theory is sound, Dexters daughter Ruth convinces Ed Tyler, a locomotive manufacturer, to look into Toms design. Tyler is impressed with the concept and initiates immediate construction of a prototype. Soon Tom and his team prepare the Silver Streak for a wellpublicized trial run with Dexter and Ruth aboard as passengers.The Silver Streak fails to attain even half of its projected speed of 100 miles per hour kmh, however, and is even easily overtaken by a steampowered freight train. An angry Dexter tells Tyler that all the Silver Streak is good for is an exhibit at the Century of Progress Exposition to recover his advertising expenses. Tom is baffled by the failure since all the engine components worked perfectly during assembly but Dexter stubbornly insists that the concept will never work. Furious with Dexters attitude, Tom quarrels with Ruth. Her brother Allen, who supported Toms idea, tells his father that he is quitting the railroad to take a job as a civil engineer with the Six Companies, Inc. constructing the Boulder Dam. ........

Source: Wikipedia