This neon sign once promoted the California Zephyr, one of the most celebrated passenger trains of the postwar era. First introduced in 1949, the train linked Chicago to the San Francisco Bay Area, offering panoramic views of the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada. The glowing red lettering, paired with imagery of a bridge, skyline, and streamlined locomotive, reflects the optimism of mid-20th-century American rail travel and the romance of crossing the continent in comfort and style.
Photo taken in December 2019. © Chad Davis