Railroaders' Nostalgia > My Dumb Luck: the AFT years 17

17 Topeka KS Mar 24-26 / Kansas City KS Mar 27-30

Most of the main consist of the AFT was built out of retired NYC baggage cars. The Display cars (basically all those with the display windows covering the former baggage doors) were modified in Richmond CA. The 2 Showcase cars (with the huge windows) and the 2 cars with the main generators were done in Venice FL by Ringling Bros. Okay, now, one of the Generator Cars was also half Bunk Car. This arrangement was pure circus: Only the circus would consider it perfectly reasonable for employees to bed down with diesel generators! Noise? Comfort? Comfort-Smomfort. Hell- the Bunk Car originally didn't even have windows! Eventually (4-6mo into the tour) windows were added.
But only to the lower bunks.
I had an upper and it drove me nuts not being able see out. So in Topeka I borrowed a 'Saws-All' from the Locomotive Tool Car....

(Photos 1-4 That's Bobby (4449 & 2101 Crews) in photo 3

From the Topeka site we went north into Topeka itself on the Santa Fe, and then on to Kansas City via the Union Pacific. The display site in KC, at the GM assemble plant, was served by the Union Pacific, so UP did the switching. In my time with the AFT, this short trip was the only UP mileage I saw- but it was impressive. Out of Topeka they added 3 GP-7's ahead of the 4449 (the only time I remember helpers not tucked behind the '49) I wish I'd gotten a photo of this, GP-7's assisting steam road power probably happened just this way in the late 50's! In KC they showed up with God's Own Switcher: Centennial DD-40X 6909.

(Photo 5)

When they finished spotting the train, 6909 was displayed nose to nose with the 4449.

Display sites generally took on a county fair kind of atmosphere with 'local talent' providing entertainment. In KC the Fire Dept amused the crowd by having firemen repel from a snorkel truck boom extended to full height. Somehow I got a snorkel ride and took a few shots of the site. (Maybe they were offering rides to the public? I can't remember.)

(Photos 6&7)

While we were in KC Kansas, I made it across the river to KC Missouri. At Union Station I stumbled into something unusual..

(Photos 8&9)

It was one of the old semi-articulated CB&Q Zephyr train sets (I think it's the 1936 Denver Zephyr- but I'm not 100% on this). I'm not sure why it was here (KC), but it had been sold and was on it's way to Saudi Arabia!

To finish this week: The final part of my epic three part “AFT in Indian Country” trilogy- The Good, The Bad, and Ruben.

(Photo 10)

Ruben (A/C Mech Tech)

Car 2 of the exhibit dealt with the Native Americans. The main feature of the car was a life size diorama of an Indian camp with a tee-pee, a small cook fire, and 3 manikins- a man, woman, and child. The manikins had smooth featureless faces onto which a live action face was projected by a hidden film projector. And, they spoke. Because the viewer was on a moving walkway, and didn't really have enough time to get a close look, they were rather convincing as being somehow 'alive'. (If you had the time to stop and really see them, they were comically crude and more than a little bit creepy)
Anyway, alongside the manikins was a stretched buckskin that served as a screen for a continuous loop of color slides that showed scenes of everyday native activities- fishing, hunting, cooking, etc. One night I slipped the slide of Ruben I'd taken of him in his bunk- the one you see above- into one of the two carousels. So every half hour or so, there was Ruben with his mug of cocoa amongst the Indians going about their Indian ways.
I thought he blended in quite nicely.
Ruben rode the carousel un-noticed for several weeks. I'd all but forgotten about him. Until Ruthie saw him.
Oh Crap!
Ruthie was the Queen Bee of PR and happened to be escorting a Governor or a Mayor or something through just as Ruben showed up on the buckskin.
Oh Crap!!
What still amazes me is that I got the slide back! Peter (the A/V guy) shoved an envelope at me that night and hissed something like, “Thanks a lot, Bush! I got an hours dressing down 'cause of you!!”.
“Jeez Pete, what makes you think it was ME?”
He just rolled his eyes and walked away..

Fair enough.

SR Bush
Dutch Flat



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/14 09:53 by BoilingMan.

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Great Story,
Where was the 4449 and UP 6909 meet located?

--Jim Baker

JimBaker Wrote:
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> Great Story,
> Where was the 4449 and UP 6909 meet located?
>
> --Jim Baker

Do you mean the display site? We were at the GM plant in Fairfax (Kansas City) KS

I had completely forgotten about the "Reuben" slide. That was hilarious!

So I had this vivid recollection of the "Indian Camp", but could not for the life of me remember where I saw it till now! I wish I could've seen the Reuben slide, that's some funny stuff...Thanks for this series Mr. Bush, I look forward to it.

Cheers, Dave

Funny story on the ex-NYC baggage cars. I found them sitting on a siding near W.23rd. St. on the old CRRofNJ mainline in Bayonne. They'd obviously been there a good while as there were small trees growing up between the cars. When I called the Penn Central people to ask about buying them they couldn't find any record that they owned them. They were a book keeping casualty of the ill fated NYC-PRR merger several years prior and failed to get noted on the new companies roster.

After months of haggling they finally agreed to take "ownership" and sold them to us for $ 1.00 a car. Turns out they were structurally in good shape and held up well on the AFT's journey.

Thanks Steve for the great stories!! Ross Rowland

Hi Ross-
I'd heard that story (or some variation), but had forgotten it- I'm pleased to have heard it again from the "Horse's Mouth".
SR

Your window is evident in this shot from Belmont Park NY, 1 Aug 1976!

Regards,
Burlington John

Fans of the American Freedom Train
https://www.facebook.com/groups/713733358657025/

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I had a local glass shop make the aluminum frame for me and figured somebody else might want one too, and if so it would be best if it matched mine. So I had them make 3 or 4. In time someone did use one of the extras- that's it towards the center of the car. The other(s) was/were never used. For the life of me I can't remember who put in the other window or when they did it!
SR

Your window is even visible on my HO model of AFT 200! Are you going to be at the reunion in September?

Regards,
Burlington John



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/14 00:29 by burlingtonjohn.

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burlingtonjohn Wrote:
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> Your window is evident in this shot from Belmont
> Park NY, 1 Aug 1976!
>
> Regards,
> Burlington John
>
> Fans of the American Freedom Train
> https://www.facebook.com/groups/713733358657025/


Whats missing is the antennas on the end and top of the car, I'm sure that part of the story is in the works ;)

BoilingMan Wrote:
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> Most of the main consist of the AFT was built out
> of retired NYC baggage cars. The Display cars
> (basically all those with the display windows
> covering the former baggage doors) were modified
> in Richmond CA.

Do you know the story of how the baggage cars ended up being rebuilt way out on the west coast in Richmond, CA?

Yes, I'd seen that the decal set includes my window (I was both flattered & amused) and I was going to say that this dates your model as circa March 1976. But PalmDale (sp 5312) points out that the lack of antennas means August '76 would be more authentic. He's right but he needs to BE QUIET AND SIT ON HIS HANDS!
No, I won't be at next reunion.







burlingtonjohn Wrote:
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> Your window is evident in this shot from Belmont
> Park NY, 1 Aug 1976!
>
> Regards,
> Burlington John
>
> Fans of the American Freedom Train
> https://www.facebook.com/groups/713733358657025/

Posted from iPhone

Yes, pretty much- but you're opening up a whole subject onto itself!
Ross could better answer any questions about the business part of the story. I will say that the most intriguing part of the story is that the one of the surviving SP Triple-unit diners was to have been part of the AFT consist! Work was done, but time & money ran out and the car was never finished- the Golden Gate RR museum has it now out at Niles Canyon.
The site in Richmond where the work was done is all condos now.
SR



Topfuel Wrote:
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> BoilingMan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
>
> > Most of the main consist of the AFT was built
> out
> > of retired NYC baggage cars. The Display cars
> > (basically all those with the display windows
> > covering the former baggage doors) were
> modified
> > in Richmond CA.
>
> Do you know the story of how the baggage cars
> ended up being rebuilt way out on the west coast
> in Richmond, CA?

Visiting the Freedom Train at Fairfax is one of my fond memories of activities with my father.
I still have the tickets.

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I don't recall all the nitty gritty details but the main reason we did the display car rebuilds in California at the shipyard was that GM was owed a favor by the ship builders parent company and basically gave us the use of the place gratis as I remember it.

A lot of the pieces that went into the building of the project were made possible by the support of the 4 key sponsors ( Pepsi,GM,Prudential Insurance and Kraft Foods) and of them GM and Pepsi did by far the most.

When it became apparent that the 4449 couldn't work in the Northeast and we needed to get the 2101 done in a hurry to meet our committed opening date of April 1,1975 GM leaned on Babcock&Wilcox to build the new super heater units pronto which they did. When we originally contacted B&W through normal channels we were told that the job would cost $ 10,500.00 and there would be a 7 month wait for the new units. After the phone call from GM we got a call from B&W that the new units would be ready for pick up in 6 days and the total charge for the job was $ 1.00.

As the old saying goes........it ain't what you know....................

Great memories. Ross Rowland

Great stories everyone! I remember standing in a very long line in Boston to see this display train!