Charlie,
I realized my error about the carbody skirts after I posted the comment. Obviously, they were a maintenance headache and were eventually removed as were the carbody skirts on most E's and F's. I had forgotten about the 9908 and it's train (i believe Ken Martin is correct that it was the General Pershing Zephyr, not the Silver Streak). However, I have heard from another source, that the special train in the photo was, as you state, the first assemblage of pre war Budd equipment in a complete train. It is amazing that, with all the fixed consist Zephyr trains of the day, the Q had acquired that many individual Budd cars. I wonder what their intent was. Were these individual cars simply additions to the fleet or did they have another idea in mind that was interrupted by WWII? Did they plan to streamline the Exposition flyer or some other train earlier than they finally did with the CZ? Does anyone know how many individual Budd cars that the Q owned that were built before WWII?
Bill Barber Gravois Mills, MO
Sun Sep 2, 2012 8:05 pm (PDT) . Posted by:Bill-
What a super photo!!!
I don't think it is the first complete train of Budd non articulated cars;
that would be the Silver Streak Zephyr as built..but it might be the first
assemblage of pre-war Budd cars with a diner, etc.. into a full train
outside of the 9909. It looks like it was 12 cars or longer..must have
taken quite an effort to gather all the pool cars for the special!
By way of clarification, the truck skirt did not hide a carbody skirt; they
were on the same level as the carbody skirts and took their place. Postwar
cars had full skirts over the trucks and the 9904-9907 had smooth carbody
skirts over the power trucks as well.
Charlie Vlk
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