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[CBQ] Re: CB&Q Business Cars

To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CBQ] Re: CB&Q Business Cars
From: "Rick Keil" <rkeil6721@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 01:20:08 -0000
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All, thanks for the information on business car placement.

On a side note, it appears that Yahoo has been bouncing my emails so 
I apologize if you got numerous emails from me on this subject.

Rick Keil

--- In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, LZadnichek@a... wrote:
> December 28, 2004
> 
> Gerald and all - Reference placement of CB&Q business cars, as I 
recollect 
> from what my late father told me, it was standard operating 
procedure during the 
> 1960s for the cars to be placed directly between the last baggage 
car and the 
> first coach in any Zephyr passenger train carrying a rearend 
observation car. 
> Normally, the open platform faced the baggage car so train crew 
and 
> executives riding the business car could go back and forth safety 
into the passenger 
> train. Plus, the passenger department did not want the rear view 
blocked for 
> premium paying passengers in the observation car. 
> 
> If the business car was to be switched out at an intermediate 
division point, 
> then the Zephyr passenger train would have to be broken in two so 
that the 
> business car could be removed. This would, of course, entail some 
additional 
> station delay time that the engineer would have to make up with 
alittle fast 
> running to the next station stop. Only if the passenger train no 
longer carried an 
> observation car, then, the business car would be attached at the 
rear end 
> with the open platform facing to the rear. I'm sure that there 
were exceptions to 
> the rule, but, in general, that was how the business cars were 
handled in the 
> 1960s.  
> 
> I personally saw Mr. Murphy waving his straw Panama hat from the 
open 
> platform of the stainless steel "Burlington" to track repair crews 
in the summer of 
> 1965 on the LaCrosse Division where I was working on a steel gang 
as a college 
> student. The business car was on the rear end of, as I recall, a 
combined 
> North Coast Limited and Empire Builder (two complete trainsets 
coupled together 
> end-on-end with all the E units coupled elephant style leading). 
This was the 
> first train to pass over newly reconstructed tracks along the 
Mississippi River 
> near Winona. My gang had taken part in repairing the washed out 
tracks caused 
> by the flooding river. I'm pleased to remember that when I waved 
back to Mr. 
> Murphy, I caught his eye and he waved his hat a second time to me. 
It sure made 
> me feel "appreciated" at the time. This in one of the many reasons 
why CB&Q 
> employees had such deep respect and reverence for Mr. Murphy.     
> 
> Where passenger trains had been taken off, the business car was 
placed 
> directly behind the last diesel locomotive and the first freight 
car with no 
> particular attention being given to which direction the open 
platform faced. This 
> placement was the "safest" spot in the freight train to prevent 
slack action at 
> the rear end from damaging the car itself and injuring its 
occupants. I don't 
> ever recall hearing about any extra movements where just a 
locomotive and a 
> business car were used. The CB&Q was far to frugal to move 
business cars in such 
> an expensive manner when there was always a passenger or freight 
train to 
> carry them.
> 
> My late father also related that train crews were usually welcome 
to hot 
> coffee, rolls and occasionally "to go" meals when a business car 
moved in one of 
> their passenger or freight trains. The CB&Q of those days was much 
more of a 
> big, happy extended family than what today's BNSF employees might 
ever imagine. 
> I hope my recollections will help those CB&Q modelers wondering 
where to place 
> a business car in their miniature Zephyr or freight train. Best 
Regards,
> 
> Louis Zadnichek II
> Fairhope, AL   
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





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