Nostalgia & History > Toto Tusday: Bringing Uniforms Out of Moth Balls

In 1990 in honor of the Eisenhower Celebration at Abilene, KS, the UP, Santa Fe and Burlington Northern brought special trains for the
event. The UP and BN Specials came from KC to Abilene via the KP Line. The Santa Fe arrived via their Strong City Sub.
After letting off passengers at Abilene, the trains continued west eight miles to Solomon, KS to wye and wait out the day of activities
in Abilene.
The first train to arrive at Solomon was the BN Special pulled by the Executive Fs BN 1-2. As it was running on the UP, it had a UP crew
out of KC. Next to arrive was the Santa Fe and last but not least the UP Special pulled by the 844.
It had been a little over 19 years since Amtrak took the passenger jobs off the UP in KC and west over the KP. Pretty much all of the
regular passenger old head trainmen were gone by 1990, but then younger brakemen, who in the old days, once in a while caught a passenger
job off the extra board still had to buy uniforms. On this day, out they came.

1) After wyeing the BN Special they pulled down and put the train on the south siding at Solomon. Here is Conductor Larry "Digger"
Vobornik. (the nickname "Digger" came from the fact that he was a licensed mortician). He told me that he was one of three picked
for this job out of 150 men because he was one of a few that could still fit into their uniforms.

2) The UP passenger crew in charge of the BN Special wait the arrival of the 844 and the UP Special.

3) This lucky guy still has a regular passenger job. In a time honored pose, he watches his train as it starts around the wye.

All photos taken at Solomon, KS
October 14, 1990

Thanks for looking.

Bob Helling
PRose

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Those BN F-units were classy, classy, classy! Why didn't the BNSF keep using them??

I heard the fuel tanks were too small. Funny they're not to small for NS and KCS.

coach Wrote:
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> Those BN F-units were classy, classy, classy! Why
> didn't the BNSF keep using them??


BNSF has done there best to get rid of the BN heritage.

coach Wrote:
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> Those BN F-units were classy, classy, classy! Why
> didn't the BNSF keep using them??

That they were.

However, it is probably for the best, had they kept them around they would very likely be wearing that awful 'swoosh' today ;-)

Nice shots, Bob. Thanks for sharing.

~Ryan