I have looked at the photo and all of the responses, and I have some thoughts on the location. I think there are only two curves that fit the location for the photo. These are curve #43A at the north end of Armour and curve #45 south of Rushville.
To me, there is no question that the streamlined baggage car is Silver Treasure, which was put into service in 1948. This dates the photo between 1948 to about 1951, when according to Burlington Bulletin 13, the 9904-05-06A-07A were all converted to B-units. If St. Joseph Division ETT's are correct, manual block was still in service between Block 4 and Beverly (until 1959 when CTC was put into service), so the searchlight in the photo should rule out Waldron and Farley.
Beverly to Weston was never double track. Between Weston and Block 36 (MP 36.24) no curves match the photo. Block 36 to MP 41.89 was never double track. North of Rushville, I would expect to see the Rock Island's main in the background all of the way to St. Joseph.
North of St. Joseph, there are only two curves that I think could fit the photo, curve 82 and 85 either side of Forbes, and neither curve looks right. These curves are about 1 degree, and the curve in the photo looks sharper.
Of the two locations I listed first, I prefer Rushville. For one thing, the photographer is quite a bit higher than the train. At Rushville, he could be standing on the US Highway 59 bridge over the Rock Island. Also, the searchlight is an absolute signal with no number plate, so it could be interlocking signal for the Rock Island diamond.
At Armour there is nothing that would allow the photographer to be higher, unless it was a building that has since been removed. Also at Armour, there were two other tracks that should appear in the photo, but are not there.
Having said all of this, I'm still not sure, because I can't locate the tall building or elevator in the background of the photo that would help pin down the location better. And unless there was a wye at Rushville, I don't have an explanation for the track that appears to be coming in from the west side, or the station sign that appears in the photo.
My 2 cents worth.
Glen Haug
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
From: klinerarch@charter.net
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 08:24:57 -0700
Subject: [CBQ] St Joe Zephyr? [1 Attachment]
[Attachment(s) from klinerarch@charter.net included below]
List, I found a picture of a Zephyr in an old late 40s tourism booklet for the St Joe area of Missouri. Can anyone ID the site? Seems to be a switch or junction behind the train.
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