With competitors all around, the Katy kept up wth the best of them in 1951.

From Kansas City and St. Louis, to points in Texas. Name trains like The Texas Special and the Bluebonnet operated with class.

The Texas Special used the rails of the St. Louis-San Francisco or "Frisco" between St. Louis and Vinita, Oklahoma.

At Denison, Texas the Katy would split the Katy Flyer, the Bluebonnet and the Texas Special and run them as separate trains to Dallas and Ft. Worth all the way to Waco. At Waco the trains were rejoined to continue to San Antonio. The Bluebonnet would run as separate trains to San Antonio and to Houston.