The Texas Special was a named passenger train operated jointly by the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad (also known as the MKT or the Katy) and the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway (the Frisco).

In light of this success the two railroads inaugurated a second train, named the Bluebonnet on December 11, 1927; it operated until May 1, 1948, serving the same route, but terminating in the Dallas/Ft.

Katy and Frisco outfitted two complete 14 car trains with EMD E7 locomotives and Pullman rolling stock.

In the early years of the streamlined Texas Special all these cars were bright red with shining corrugated aluminum side panels.

[1] At the height of its popularity the Texas Special also offered through passenger service to New York City with through 14-4 sleeping cars, via the Pennsylvania Railroad.

In the mid-1950s the Katy was taken over by a conglomerate whose focus was freight train profits; they showed little interest in properly maintaining the track and equipment to operate a comfortable passenger streamliner.

As a result of this change, Katy moved the northern terminus of the Texas Special from St. Louis to Kansas City, Missouri.

Note: Williams Electric Trains put the name Lonestar on many of its Texas Special passenger cars.