Doug, Bill-
There is no rush on this project, if you guys can scout out the local
libraries, etc.. there might even be other sources. I have gone through all
the online resources and even ordered a photo book of exhibits at the Worlds
Fair of 1893 where the "Z" was on display... but it was not photographed.
Westinghouse published a number of pamphlets on Air Brake Trials but no photos
of the test trains nor the car.
There is some conflicting data on when the car was built.... some rr sources
say July 1884 and others show July 1885. Worse, there is some indication that
there might have been two cars.... the "Z" and ...maybe a "Y"... because in the
renumbering there are two cars listed. One might have been a similar
waycar-like body air brake instruction car rather than a dynamometer because we
can't find any railraod references to more than one.
I also would like to find some earlier photos of CB&Q freight equipment,
especially waycars. There is a shot of Aurora Shops taken some time in the
1870s (???) that show a variety of waycars that are very different from the
pattern we know of.... very narrow, short length, and tall cupolas on a variety
of different carbodies including bobbers. One shot on the CB&N also shows a
more normal-looking waycar but with a fourth window on a 28' six window body on
the end of the car behind the cupola.
Of course, drawings would be as good as photos.... I would like to document
where CB&Q information of any kind resides besides the known collections at the
Newberry and other places. Apparently the material at the Burlington Library
is not cataloged.... a list of what they have and what is at the Des Moines
County Historical Society would be nice for the society (and them!) to have.
The knowledge of our membership could be helpful because even the Newberry,
with competent staff, has some mislabeled material and uncatalogued collections.
The same is true for members living near other "Burlington Towns".....
Galesburg, Denver, Havelock, etc.... I am amazed at the "holes" in the
recorded history of the CB&Q. While some of the lack of material can be
ascribed to the Chicago Fire, the later Chicago CB&Q HQ Fire, and the BN
merger.... there has to be more material out there! If we could document
where it exists maybe we could get a project going to get it digitized so that
it doesn't get tossed in the general trend of libraries getting rid of paper
and print records. I was at the Northwestern University Transportation Museum
and was appalled at the deterioating condition of the collection... the
university obviously hasn't had any curator who was interested in the material
for decades and much of it was multilated, disinigrating, and randomly shelved.
Some Newberry files cannot be viewed because of poor condition of the paper.
Absent our own archives, this is at least something the CB&Q enthusiasts can
get involved in to preserve the history of the Burlington Route.
Charlie Vlk
----- Original Message -----
From: Douglas Harding
To: cvlk@comcast.net
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 7:48 AM
Subject: Re: Burlington IA Members?
Charlie I live about 50 miles from Burlington. Can't do anything this week,
but perhaps in another week or two I can make a trip over there if you don't
hear from anyone else.
Doug Harding
www.iowacentralrr.org
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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