Nostalgia & History > 5 Amtrak Turboliners on the South Leads of Chicago Union Station

Turboliners to Detroit and St. Louis used the south end of CUS.  The six French Turboliners train sets were number 58 through 69, i.e. a trainset carried a different number at each end.  For example, 66-67 was the fifth trainset.  Yes, use all the fingers on one hand to figure that out.

1. Train 354, The Twilight Limited to Detroit on May 26, 1974

2. On April 16, 1976.  Unfortunately the Turboloner's numbers were small and on the lower front sides so identifying them from a slide is often impossible.

3. AMTK Turboliner 58-59 as Train 354 and AT&SF 2379 working on August 20, 1976.  Was the Santa Fe Coach Yard still active in August 1976?  Must have been.

4. AMTK 64-65 on May 26, 1974

5. AMTK 66-67 "backing" into CUS for an outbound run on July 3, 1978

Enjoy,
Marty Bernard



Edited 7 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/16 21:47 by MartyBernard.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/16 22:12 by MartyBernard.

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nice photos ...was industry was around there that got all the covered hoopers in the first photo ...i see s cut of gondolas also

Does anyone know if there was much difference in the reliability between the original French version and the Rohr version of these trains, or were they pretty much alike?
SR

Thanks for the great pictures. And, there are several interesting pieces of Amtrak equipment in the background.  Like the slumbercoach in the last picture.

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
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> nice photos ...was industry was around there that
> got all the covered hoopers in the first photo
> ...i see s cut of gondolas also

I am wondering the same thing, and wondering if it might have just been car storage.

That "Slumbercoach" in the last picture was, indeed, sold as one, but it was actually an ex-NYC "Sleepercoach."  They were cars modified from 22 roomettes to have 16 single rooms and 10 double rooms instead of the typical "Slumbercoach" configuration of 24 single rooms and 8 double rooms.  You see 6 small windows, which were 6 single rooms on this side of the car.  There were 6 more on the opposite side, for a total of 12.  Then the next 2 larger windows toward the center of the car were 2 single rooms on each side that were rebuilt as full-size single rooms, which makes a total of 16 singles.  As you move along the car toward the vestibule there were 5 double rooms on each side, but they were the same size as single rooms 1-4.  I think the ex-NYC cars retained their public toilet at the vestibule end of the car, which the 24/8 Slumbercoaches didn't have.  If you knew you were going to be riding in a 16/10 "Slumbercoach," you tried to book rooms 1-4 because they were the same size as a double room, and also the same size as an old roomette, except that they had the smaller "Slumbercoach" bed.

Pics 4 and 5 show the B&O lift bridge to Grand Central Station in the down position (as is the lift bridge on the St Charles Air Line behind it to the south).  It's been a LONG time since that bridge was not pointing up at the sky.

Great pics of the Turboliners.  I rode one once in 1979 from Chicago to Milwaukee on an out and back trip to do some train watching in Milwaukee.  I definitely remember the huge windows.

Thanks for sharing, Marty.

- Norm
 

NCA1022 Wrote:
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> Pics 4 and 5 show the B&O lift bridge to Grand
> Central Station in the down position (as is the
> lift bridge on the St Charles Air Line behind it
> to the south).  It's been a LONG time since that
> bridge was not pointing up at the sky.
>
> Great pics of the Turboliners.  I rode one once
> in 1979 from Chicago to Milwaukee on an out and
> back trip to do some train watching in
> Milwaukee.  I definitely remember the huge
> windows.
>
> Thanks for sharing, Marty.
>
> - Norm
>  

When was the last train movement across the B&O lift bridge?  

NCA1022 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pics 4 and 5 show the B&O lift bridge to Grand
> Central Station in the down position (as is the
> lift bridge on the St Charles Air Line behind it
> to the south).  It's been a LONG time since that
> bridge was not pointing up at the sky.
>
> Great pics of the Turboliners.  I rode one once
> in 1979 from Chicago to Milwaukee on an out and
> back trip to do some train watching in
> Milwaukee.  I definitely remember the huge
> windows.
>
> Thanks for sharing, Marty.
>
> - Norm
>  
Grand Central was torn down in 1969 so I wonder what used the B&O lift bridge in 1974? ...if anything....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/16 18:36 by bluesboyst.

As I recall the B&O bridge was used into the early 1980's.
The story I heard was that the B&O stored cars on the east side
of the river so that the property was taxed as a railroad yard and not
something more expensive.  A switch engine would occasionally come
down and shuffle some cars around.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/16 18:58 by Englewood.

I briefly lived in Lincoln, Illinois and remember the day that the Rohr Turboliner went by my apartment with an Ilinois Central (Gulf) black Geep hauling it and making trememdous time!

Tom Y

Englewood Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As I recall the B&O bridge was used into the early
> 1980's.
> The story I heard was that the B&O stored cars on
> the east side
> of the river so that the property was taxed as a
> railroad yard and not
> something more expensive.  A switch engine would
> occasionally come
> down and shuffle some cars around.

Exactly.  I had the good fortune of working 16th Street Bridge on and off between 1972 and 1976.
Once in awhile B&OCT lite power would come down from Robey Street Yard or beyond,
make a move across the bridge, and after a few minutes, return with a car.  
Next time it might appear with a car, and return lite.  

I am surprised the bridge has been kept in the raised position for years; when we kept the bridge at CR
cracked open a few degrees for barges to clear, we caught hell because, according to the Division Engineer,
this would "damage the trunnion bearings."  I wish I had kept a copy of that letter.

And, as always, man, those were good times.