Nostalgia & History > CB&Q E8s, Part 1

1. Having just crossed the St. Croix River into Wisconsin from Minnesota, CB&Q E8A 9938A leads the Empire Builder past the Prescott Depot. It has about 400 miles to go to get to Chicago. The two Es look ready for the speed run down the River and across Northern Illinois on June 26, 1964.

2. 9938A with the Builder again on June 15, 1962 at Westmont, IL. 9938A was built December 1949 and became BN 9938.

3. 9938B and two sisters elephant style lead the westbound CZ through Downers Grove on the Zephyr Track. She was built in 1950 and became BN 9932.

....more....

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4. 9939B with the DZ the morning of April 28, 1963 on the Zephyr Track at Hinsdale, IL. Unlucky 9939B was built January 1950 and destroyed February 19, 1969.

5. 9941A at Oakland Tower, St. Paul, MN on June 14, 1964, was built March 1950, became BN 9941, and then AMTK 336.

6. During the evening blue hour, E8A 9943A (with her steam generator popping off) and sisters handle the North Coast Limited at St. Paul on June 14, 1964. She was built in 1950, became BN 9943, and then AMTK 338.


I hope you enjoy these E8s. The Q had a bunch for me to photograph! More to come.

Marty Bernard



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/14 22:37 by MartyBernard.

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Great catch in number 1. Of course the Qs Es are cool, but the frosting on the cake would be that motorcar sitting there. Can't get enough of something so common but so rare in photographs.

Traingeek087

Great photos, Marty. I especially enjoy the first one at Prescott.
Thanks for sharing.....

Got to say that I love all of the Q pictures, but the E units are just great!

Thanks, Marty!

I just have one thing to say Marty... Sweeeeet......

Steve

Another good batch....

Steve Mitchell
http://www.yardgoatimages.com

Incredible photos. Love to look at them. Only question is on the first one, that doesn't exactly look like main line trackage the Empire Builder would use. Was that the normal route of the Empire Builder?

BlackWidow Wrote:
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> Incredible photos. Love to look at them. Only
> question is on the first one, that doesn't exactly
> look like main line trackage the Empire Builder
> would use. Was that the normal route of the
> Empire Builder?


Yes. The bridge over the St. Croix was, and still is,
single track from a place called Burns in Minnesota, in
sight of the bridge of which a photograph was posted
earlier, and a spot just behind Marty where the double
track ABS resumed.

I have to say I like the picture with the "North Coast"
which would be arriving in St. Paul if it were an evening
shot. The Q E units would come off and go to Dayton's Bluff
for servicing which four NP F's would get on the train and
head west for Livingston, where they would be changed out.
The time I rode the NCL, they went from four to three at
Livingston. I never understood that and I've heard several
explanations.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Marty,
Thanks for making my day with these Q E-8 slides !

Indeed beautiful photos, Marty, and thanks for having gone to the trouble of getting them digitized and sharing them with us all! I hope that Todd keeps this site up forever--and makes arrangements when he's no longer with us (probably long after I'm no longer with you...LOL).

Like I said on the other thread about these CB&Q E-Units, it was their VERSATILITY in addition to their sheer beauty that really always made me sit back and take notice of them. (And, for the ones that became BN "Dinky Locos," their INCREDIBLY long lives). But, the fact that an E8 might be on one of the name trains going out at extreme high speed into beautiful parts of the country for several round trips, then perhaps spend a day, several days, or a week in commute service, then back out into a road consist for more mainline running. And just wondering if the typical CB&Q commute passenger ever could've realized that the E-Unit pulling them to work, or, back home after a hard day at the office, might be the same unit that lead them on a trip out west over a previous weekend to see the in-laws or their parents' home or what have you--or to the lake house or something? Something really & truly Nostalgic about that, if you think about it? Of course, David P. Morgan KNEW (even though he wasn't a regular Chicago commuter, but he sure as heck rode most of the name trains Marty has photographed with this E-Unit montage, as well as the various Chicago commute trains).

I'm so glad to see that this is "Part 1," and hoping for many more parts to come!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/18/14 23:14 by Red.

bluesboyst Wrote:
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> I just have one thing to say Marty...
> Sweeeeet......
>
> Steve


I'll second that: "SHWEEET!"

Greg