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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