In a message dated 6/17/01 11:24:28 AM Central Standard Time,
danspach@m... writes:
> After the era of the steel open platform commute coaches, and prior
> to the Budd Gallery cars, the service was provided by steel
> vestibule 8-wheeled cars painted (as I recall) in a green and brown.
> These too had head end power cars, but different than those
> eventually used with the Gallery cars. I have always presumed that
> these cars had been converted from the open platform cars, but for
> some reason never learned how or where (Aurora?). Was this a
> different head end system than that finally adopted?
Denny,
Since you really didn't get all the answers you were looking for I thought
I'd take a crack. I double checked some of my data with Ed DeRouin, who had
an article printed on "Land of the Burlingtons" in Passenger Train Journal's
December 1988 and January 1989 issues. These are highly recommended issues
that deal with the Q's suburban service. It also includes a great roster of
suburban cars.
In the September-October 1948 Zephyr (the real one!) there was a blurb about
"Modernized Suburban Coaches". The text follows:
A progressive program for complete modernization of passenger cars in
Burlington suburban service in the Chicago area was announced recently when
two experimental cars were placed in regular service.
Under the program which will start this year and proceed at the rate of about
three cars per month, sixty all-steel suburban cars and twenty-five mainline
coaches will be rebuilt and modernized for suburban service. Improvements
will include a modified form of air conditioning, new seats or upholstery,
improved lighting, and complete interior redecoration. All of the modernized
cars will have enclosed vestibules and exteriors will be repainted in an
attractive color scheme.
The Burlington is also contemplating the purchase or construction of 25 to 30
completely new suburban coaches of novel design for replacement of cars which
will be retired.
Now the neat part is the picture included with this article shows a
modernized 7100 series coach in Simulated Stainless Steel (SSS) paint scheme!
It has "Burlington" in black Railroad Roman, not Zephyr font or Ribbonrail.
It looks very similar to the picture of the 6100 series coach on the back
cover of Volume 4 of the Burlington Bulletin (BRHS's). In fact, this is
probably the second coach referred to in the article.
These cars were modernized at the Aurora car shops and four 4500 series chair
cars and five 6100 series coaches (all ice-air conditioned) were repainted
and pressed into suburban service to help cover the loss of the 7100 series
as they were being modernized. They also began retiring the transom window
7000 series open-vestibule cars at this time.
If you look in the Dorin book Everywhere West The Burlington Route, it is
obvious that they tried a few variations of the green and tan before settling
on the final paint scheme.
The six 7200 series power cars were rebuilt out of the 7100 series car, were
painted in the green and tan scheme. The fourteen 7300 series power cars
were rebuilt out of 6100 series coaches and had more extensive
"modernization" done, including thermopane windows and hiding of the
clerestory roof. These were painted in the SSS paint scheme. The commuter
trains were not turned at CUS or Aurora so the power cars always operated on
the west end of the train. Therefore, the power car was the last car going
to Chicago and the first car when heading to Aurora. All the cars had
"walk-over" seats.
The E-Units could handle one or two bi-levels without the use of a power car.
> I do not recall the Gallery cars and these green cars ever mixed on
> the same train, but perhaps they were.
On page 28 of the December 1988 PTJ, it shows a heavyweight power car, a
bi-level and 4 or 5 more modernized heavyweight coaches. Ed tells me that
they did mix when necessary.
> This brings to memory a midday commute train stopping in Riverside
> about 1948-50 with three open platform cars trailing one of the
> Zephyr shovel nose units. How the mighty had fallen!
There is a picture of this on page 25 in Jeff Wilson's Burlington Route
Across The Heartland. BRHS member George Speir tells me that they would only
use the Shovelnoses for this during the warmer seasons during the day, as
these engines could not generate electricity to run the lighting!
> BTW, in the years 1939-52 when I lived in Riverside, and the CB&Q was
> an integral part of our everyday lives, I never remember any of these
>
As far as I know, these trains were always called "Dinkies" (I believe the C&
NW referred to their commuters as "Scoots"
Rich Gortowski
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