Since no one else has responded directly to the consist question, I
will add my memories of the consists from the several times I
rode the trains during the mid 60's ending in 1966. I will add that I
always rode from Chicago to Prairie du Chien and never the other way.
The Blackhawk was always a big train when I rode. On those times the
consist was 3 or 4 E units, several head end cars (as many as 10 and
mostly hwt.)with some GN and NP cars included, then a NP coach, one
or two GN coaches, a Q coach, a Q dining car(may have been a
diner-lounge), 2 Q sleepers and a GN sleeper. On at least one trip
the diner was a hwt. car, but I know there was a stainless car on
some trips. The other variation was that the Q coach was either a
flat top or one of the coach/lounge/domes built for the KCZ/American
Royal.
Things that I remember are that we always ran at very high speed
between station stops but had long dwell times at Savannah, E Dubuque
and Prairie du Chien where I had to find residential streets to cross
the tracks as the train had the main streets blocked. I also
remember that when the dome car was on the train, I would ride the
dome and watch the engineer use the mars light, which would be on
most of the way to Aurora. West of Aurora it would be turned on prior
to crossings and through towns but off when running in open country.
The same was true north of Savannah.
I hope this helps a bit.
Bob Plaehn
--- In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, William Barber <clipperw@...> wrote:
>
> Paul & Tom,
>
> Wouldn't a check of an official guide from the period show the
> standard consist of each train as it departed from Chicago? The
chart
> from the GN historical society appears to be nothing more than a
copy
> of such a page. While I am not home at the moment, I do have an
> official guide from about 1955. I am sure others on this list also
> have copies available. Since tickets were sold for all three
trains
> out of Chicago, it should show available equipment for each
consist
> as though they were separate trains. If nobody else responds, I
will
> be home in a couple of days and will check my guide.
>
> Bill Barber
> Gravois Mills, MO
>
> On Dec 5, 2008, at 6:51 PM, CBQ@yahoogroups.com wrote:
>
> > Re: Q Passenger Consists and photos - late 60's C&I
> > Posted by: "pal_houston" paulaleonard@... pal_houston
> > Fri Dec 5, 2008 4:39 pm (PST)
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, "pal_houston" <paulaleonard@> wrote:
> > >
> > > --- In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, "Tom Mack" thommack@ wrote:
> > > > > I just got my copy of Volume 2 of Strauss's Burlington Route
> > > Passenger
> > > > > Trains - Vista Domes and Slumbercoaches (Weekend Chief/Four
Ways
> > > > > West). Although a very detailed book, almost all the photos
and
> > > > > consists seem to be for the late 50's and early 60's (e.g.
> > almost
> > > all
> > > > > locomotives are black stripe E's). For us late 60's
modelers,
> > are
> > > > > there some detailed consist lists available from someone
here on
> > > the
> > > > > group? I am especially interested in the secondary trains
> > between
> > > > > Chicago and Mpls/StP (Blackhawk, Mainstreeter, Western
Star).
> > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Tom Mack
> > > > > Cincinnati, OH
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > Tom:
> > > Excellent question. I also would like similar info.
> > >
> > > For what it's worth (and not answering your question), the
following
> > > link provides some interesting info for both GN and NP trains
> > west of
> > > Minneapolis/St.Paul.
> > >
> > > http://www.gngoat.org/gn-np.htm
> > >
> > > Also, CB&Q used the same numbers for the eastern part of the EB
> > > between MPLS/CHI as did GN for their part of EB west of
> > > MPLS (Nos.31/32), and CBQ also used the same numbers for the NCL
> > > between StP/CHI as did NP for the western part of the NCL
> > > (Nos.25/26).
> > >
> > > However CBQ used 47/48 for the combined Blackhawk/Mainstreeter
> > > between MPLS/CHI. And near as I can tell these trains ran in the
> > > dark -- leaving Minn/STP way late and arriving Chicago way
early. No
> > > wonder pix are so hard to come by.
> > >
> > > The NP RHA website is really interesting and very well put
together.
> > > http://www.nprha.org/
> > > Lots of great info there, but other than naming their newletter
> > > Mainstreeter, I couldn't actually find much info about the
train or
> > > its consists, or pix either!
> > >
> > > Interestingly, NPRHA NP Train Number Summary lists NP Nos. 1&2
as
> > > NCL, and not Mainstreeter; and there is no Mainstreeter listed
on
> > > their Train Number Summary (!). Neither does the NPRHA site list
> > > NP Nos.25/26.
> > >
> > > Maybe we run whatever equipment we want for the combined
> > > Mainstreeter/Blackhawk, as long as we run in the dark. :) ?
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > Paul
> > >
> > I found some additional info that may be of interest on the GN
> > website.
> > Here is a link to the GN website that provides copies of the Aug.
1955
> > public schedule for GN passenger service, or "Official Guide"
> >
> > http://www.gngoat.org/official_guide.htm
> > <http://www.gngoat.org/official_guide.htm> .
> >
> > Among other information it provides an Empire Builder Schedule and
> > equipment info.
> >
> > http://www.gngoat.org/p1069.jpg <http://www.gngoat.org/p1069.jpg>
> >
> > GN-1 the Westbound EB departed Chicago at 2 pm, the same time the
> > eastbound EB GN-2 was scheduled to arrive. Thus, GN and CBQ did
NOT
> > use
> > the same train numbers for the EB on their parts of the route, as
I
> > said
> > yesterday. My mistake.
> >
> > The GN site also has a Western Star schedule and equipment info.
> >
> > http://www.gngoat.org/p1070.jpg <http://www.gngoat.org/p1070.jpg>
> >
> > The Western Star was GN train Nos. 3 and 4 which departed
Chicago
> > at 11
> > pm or arrived Chicago at 8 am.
> >
> > While the equipment info on these schedules is interesting, I am
not
> > sure it does a lot of good relative to what was being run from
Chicago
> > to Minneapolis in the mid-1960's, unfortunately.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Paul
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
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