BRHSLIST
[Top] [All Lists]

[CBQ] Zephyr Rocket dining service

To: "Lawrence Thomas" <thomasl555@att.net>, <RITSlist@yahoogroups.com>, "Riebe, William" <william.riebe@yahoo.com>, "Weibler, Phil" <pawnbaw@sbcglobal.net>, "Bresnahan, Jim" <Sunsetatlake@hughes.net>, "Bresnahan, Jim" <jpbresnahan@cablemo.net>, "Zeiszler, Ken" <kenz5103@gmail.com>, "Sabin, Dan" <No17Eng654@aol.com>, <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [CBQ] Zephyr Rocket dining service
From: Duncan Cameron <d.cameron@sympatico.ca>
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:08:43 -0500
Cc: "Archie Haydens" <kliner@socket.net>, <okeete12000@yahoo.com>, <cbclowns@yahoo.com>
Delivered-to: unknown
Delivered-to: archives@nauer.org
Delivered-to: mailing list CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Dkim-signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=yahoogroups.com; s=lima; t=1329487722; bh=Qf+dxVTkjBT7gjrpEldrZd+MoPD5APzKQaTm7IpK/GM=; h=Received:Received:Received:X-Yahoo-Newman-Id:X-Sender:X-Apparently-To:X-Received:X-Received:X-Received:X-Received:X-Originating-Email:Message-ID:X-Received:To:Cc:References:In-Reply-To:X-Priority:X-MSMail-Priority:X-Mailer:X-MimeOLE:X-OriginalArrivalTime:X-Originating-IP:X-eGroups-Msg-Info:From:X-Yahoo-Profile:Sender:MIME-Version:Mailing-List:Delivered-To:List-Id:Precedence:List-Unsubscribe:Date:Subject:Reply-To:X-Yahoo-Newman-Property:Content-Type; b=LW6iTnXVHXe/suoR4l3zt0Z5mbdZwlgGMQA36BWzrF5vZBf2zklUVyTgDjy7yHd6RS9oOVzdOMSEoDCbTATnADMZJRoOSVMmjtU3e10SSDxk2K+RqJrIXb8VwQcu231S
Domainkey-signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws; s=lima; d=yahoogroups.com; b=Vmaoiu0AxzaQEsbzTquuAjNzRmHWJWhQi/3uGzEhW2wQlYhros2Kf7ste6fe7e8Fu9N0tP8Mc3Ix9k1mGWecwVJJjTmQJYMQ2w9jf46iI/F7bCJxVVf73+ZMfJKNPPwq;
In-reply-to: <1329439341.32458.YahooMailRC@web181618.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
List-id: <CBQ.yahoogroups.com>
List-unsubscribe: <mailto:CBQ-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com>
Mailing-list: list CBQ@yahoogroups.com; contact CBQ-owner@yahoogroups.com
References: <974248ACF8BD4690B040449DCD2B7B78@david> <BLU0-SMTP7196BCE7E58616115F7CF882710@phx.gbl> <BLU0-SMTP6542CC398CBC2A455E05F4827B0@phx.gbl> <1329439341.32458.YahooMailRC@web181618.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
Reply-to: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Sender: CBQ@yahoogroups.com


Here's what I've put together.  Any additions or corrections appreciated.
 

                Another change in equipment took place on October 28, 1956.  As of that date, the CRI&P-supplied diner-parlor-observation car was cut back to running only between Minneapolis and Manly on the southbound ZR.  According to Daniel Sabin, when the car was cut off at Manly, it was placed on the steam track at the depot, where it would be iced and watered.  As indicated by Steve Suhs in Rock Island Digest, Volume 10, the car then made the return trip from Manly to Minneapolis on northbound #510.   This move is documented in an April 25, 1958 Passenger Train Consist document issued by the CRI&P?s General Secretary of Transportation (though the document mistakenly places the returning car on the southbound #509) and by the spring-summer 1959 public timetable.

                As a result, there was no food service on the Burlington leg of the run for about six months.  In May, 1957, however, the CB&Q began to add either café-parlor car #307 or #308, and occasionally diner-lounge #326, to the train between St. Louis and Burlington.  Whichever of these cars was in service would provide breakfast on the southbound run, and then serve dinner to those heading north to the Twin Cities in the evening.  In order to simplify the switching at Burlington, the car was placed on the rear of the train rather than in the more usual position between the coaches and sleepers.  Greg Stout suggests that the northbound car was then carried from Chicago to Burlington on a different train #15, one which was part of the long-distance commuter service which the CB&Q was providing between Hannibal and Chicago.  Return routing for the dining service car is unknown, but may have been on #15?s counterpart, #2.
 
                Provision of dining services on the CB&Q seems to have undergone some additional changes by 1959.  A consist for the ZR from October, 1959 in John Strauss' Burlington Route Passenger Trains, volume 2 shows car #308 now travelling from Chicago to West Quincy to St. Louis via the American Royal Zephyr and then south on the ZR.  This may in fact have been the original westbound routing when the car was first added to the train in May, 1957.  However, the return routing for the car is now shown as being via the ZR from St. Louis to Burlington and then on the Ak-Sar-Ben Zephyr to Chicago.  The September, 1960 Official Guide provides corroborating details, showing that the ZR carried a dining car northbound all the way from St. Louis to Burlington, but southbound only between West Quincy and St. Louis.  It was just about this time that the Hannibal to Chicago commuter service was being cut back to Galesburg to Chicago, so a change in routing would indeed have been required.

                In late 1960, the CRI&P made the decision to drop the observation-diner-lounge car from the southbound train completely.  Cars St. Louis and St. Paul were sold for scrap the following year.  From that point on, a footnote on the timetable advised passengers that box lunches were available: ?consult trainman.?

                Mike Condren, who rode the ZR in the spring of 1961, makes the comment that it was his first and only ride in a square-ended solarium car.  In fact, various other cars did occasionally carry the markers for the ZR during this era; Loren Johnson and Greg Stout have both suggested that various Budd-built cars, such as parlor-diner-observation Silver Star, Silver Fountain, or C&S Silver Bowl, full diner Silver Manor, or dome-coach-buffet-lounges like Silver Patio may have found their way onto the rear of the ZR.

Steve Suhs in Rock Island Digest, Volume 10, suggests that the southbound ZR may, for a period of time, have picked up a dome-coach-buffet-lounge car, either #320, Silver Garden, or #321, Silver Patio, from train #55, the westbound American Royal Zephyr, at West Quincy and carried it to St. Louis.  The northbound ZR would then bring the car back to West Quincy and leave it to be picked up by the eastbound American Royal, #56.  Larry Thomas confirms this, referencing a conversation with a retired CB&Q operator who said that it was not uncommon to see the buffet domes from the American Royal Zephyr on the ZR to St. Louis.

According to the May-October 1961 public timetable, however, these cars were only being carried by the American Royal until that spring ? so the period of time during which the dome cars may have made somewhat regular appearances on the ZR seems to have been quite limited.  From that May on, the dome car was being replaced by a diner-lounge.  However, it?s entirely possible that the exchange of cars between the two pairs of trains may have continued to take place.  Interestingly, the May-October 1961 public timetable does not clearly indicate how far north dining service was provided on the ZR.  This suggests the possibility that dining service northbound may well have been cut back to West Quincy earlier than the May, 1962 which is usually referenced. 

                As of the May, 1962 public timetable, however, the CB&Q had definitely cut food service back to between West Quincy and St. Louis both ways.  The public timetable from that date indicates that the American Royal Zephyr was still carrying a diner-lounge between Chicago and West Quincy at this time, while the Zephyr Rocket was carrying a diner-lounge between West Quincy and St. Louis.  This suggests that an exchange at West Quincy may still have been taking place.


__._,_.___


Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
  • [CBQ] Zephyr Rocket dining service, Duncan Cameron <=