A Zephyrette was a hostess on the California Zephyr between 1949 and 1970, while the train was jointly operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, and the Western Pacific Railroad. The position was the brainchild of Velma McPeek, the Burlington's Supervisor of Passenger Train Services, and was part of an effort to attract families to rail travel and accommodate their needs. Zephyrettes first appeared on the Denver Zephyr in 1936, and shortly thereafter on the Twin Cities Zephyr, but the position was discontinued during World War II. Zephyrettes resumed service after the war in 1949, but only on the California Zephyr.