Steam & Excursion > Questions about AFT movement thru Chicago July- August 1975

Putting together some CUS documents for a future trainorders.com post.
There is some conflicting information about the American Freedom Train movements through CUS in July and August, 1975

Some documents are advance planning and some are actual records of movement.

Does anyone have the actual date the AFT with SP 4449 (?) came in from Aurora on the BN and was delivered to the CNW
apparently for movement to Navy Pier.? From the records this seems to be late July.

When was the return movement from the CNW to the BN ?  From docs I am pretty sure this was around noon Aug. 7.

Did it then go to the ICG ?  A document shows the ICG to deliver the AFT to the BN on or about Aug 11, for display in Aurora on 
the 12 and 13th thence to the MILW on the 14th.

On Aug 14th did it come back through CUS from the BN to the CNW or MILW ?  I have conflicting documents.

Any help will be appreciated so I can put the documents together in a manner that reflects the actual operation.
It appears the schedule was somewhat fluid at times.

Thank you.

I do not recall that the AFT ever made an appearance at Navy Pier.  I seem to recall track or clearance issues that prevented such a move.
However, we have many active TO posters can share the final details with you.

Thanks.  A July 9, 1975 memo to the Information Clerks says it will be at Navy Pier from July 28 to Aug. 3rd.

But as I indicated, the schedule seemed very fluid.  I am sure someone on TO will have the info.

EDIT
Looking back through issues of Rail Travel News, the second issue of July, 1975 says the 2101 went to the CNW roundhouse and did not go to Navy Pier due to poor track condition.  

The first issue of July reported the 2101 derailed while the PC was wyeing it at Kankakee. After the wye move the ICG was supposed to have taken it to Gilman for delivery to the TP&W for Peoria. 

Further scheduled moves were as of that time to be:
July 27: Springfield - Chicago via ICG
July 28 to Aug. 10: Chicago on display
Aug. 11: Chicago to Aurora via BN
Aug. 12 - 13: Aurora on display
Aug. 14: Aurora to Green Bay via BN, CNW and MILW

So did the SP engine take over after the Navy Pier display ?

I was probably working 3rd trick during all this because the only thing I saw was the 2101 (I think) that was sitting at the NS Landers yard on the south side one late evening.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/26 16:13 by Englewood.

If you can wait a day or so I can probably find some answers.
I have a lot of the original site maps and move notes.
(And if it comes to it, I could just ask Doyle- he has a pretty sharp recollection of such things)
SR
AFT Assistant Curator

I would suggest that you contact TO's HotWater.
 

BoilingMan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you can wait a day or so I can probably find
> some answers.
> I have a lot of the original site maps and move
> notes.
> (And if it comes to it, I could just ask Doyle-
> he has a pretty sharp recollection of such
> things)
> SR
> AFT Assistant Curator

Thanks, no hurry.

Englewood Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks.  A July 9, 1975 memo to the Information
> Clerks says it will be at Navy Pier from July 28
> to Aug. 3rd.
>
> But as I indicated, the schedule seemed very
> fluid.  I am sure someone on TO will have the
> info.
>
> EDIT
> Looking back through issues of Rail Travel News,
> the second issue of July, 1975 says the 2101 went
> to the CNW roundhouse and did not go to Navy Pier
> due to poor track condition.  
>
> The first issue of July reported the 2101 derailed
> while the PC was wyeing it at Kankakee. After the
> wye move the ICG was supposed to have taken it to
> Gilman for delivery to the TP&W for Peoria. 
>
> Further scheduled moves were as of that time to
> be:
> July 27: Springfield - Chicago via ICG
> July 28 to Aug. 10: Chicago on display
> Aug. 11: Chicago to Aurora via BN
> Aug. 12 - 13: Aurora on display
> Aug. 14: Aurora to Green Bay via BN, CNW and MILW
>
> So did the SP engine take over after the Navy Pier
> display ?

Yes. Although I no longer have exact dates (I sold my entire 35mm slide collection to White River Publishing/Railfan Magazine, some years ago), I remember 4449 departing the EMD McCook plant and traveled North to the C&NW Proviso Yard. AFT #1 (former Reading 2101) brought the entire train from downtown Chicago, and the "Engine Change Ceremony" took place right there in the yard. 


> I was probably working 3rd trick during all this
> because the only thing I saw was the 2101 (I
> think) that was sitting at the NS Landers yard on
> the south side one late evening.

Thanks.
From what I can make out from the CUS documents the AFT traveled through CUS twice.

August 7, after Navy Pier display, from the CNW to the BN via CUS.
BN then took it for display at Camp Grant Aug. 8-10 and Aurora Aug.12-13

August 14 from the BN to the CNW via CUS.

Any corrections to the above are welcome.

So unless someone else knows otherwise I assume those are the only times the AFT went through CUS.
Perhaps someone knows what its route was through Chicago enroute to the Navy Pier display.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/26 11:56 by Englewood.

Englewood - On Sunday afternoon, July 27th, I was playing basketball at our local park (77th & Trumbull in Chicago) and heard a steam whistle. I ran the two blocks north to the Belt Railway of Chicago (BRC). What do I see? The Reading 2101 pulling the American Freedom Train. It was heading west on the BRC track that ran on the north side of C&O's Rockwell Street Yard. I watched it pass Hayford Crossing (GTW) and, a couple blocks west, noticed that it would be taking the BRC north (on north side of Clearing Yard) . As you know, this is the line just east of Cicero Avenue.

Being 19 years old, I had to run back to the park and finish our game. However, once completed, I thought "I need to see where that American Freedom Train is going". I jumped into my dad's 1971 Opel Kadett with a friend (Nick) and began our drive heading north on Cicero Avenue checking the BRC tracks at various points. Well, we found it sitting in an empty yard just north of the Chicago & NorthWestern Overland Route mainline. Looking at a current Google Map, it appears this is just west of Kilbourn Avenue. The yard is gone, but the wye in the NE corner is still there.

We took some pictures of the AFT 1 with my Kodak 110 Camera. No one else was around. I walked over to the locomotive and asked if I could come up. "Yeah, c'mon up". Mind you, I was wearing a tee shirt with the sleeves cut off (looked cooler that way...), shorts, and gym shoes. Once in the cab, I was introduced to the engineer, Bill Benson, and the fireman, Steve Wickersham. They were waiting for the CNW to couple an engine to the rear of the train so the AFT could be towed to downtown Chicago, i.e. Navy Pier.

In the course of talking with Mr. Benson, he led it be known that he collected Lionel Trains. I asked him if I could ride in the cab to downtown Chicago. He told me if I could come up with some nice lookin Lionel trains, he would let me. Holy cow! We knew the AFT would be sitting at this spot for awhile, so I climbed down, ran back to the car, and drove back to my neighborhood (near Hayford).  That took 35-40 minutes. I certainly didn't have a Lionel trainset, but perhaps some of the kids in the neighborhood did. Well, I knocked on a number of doors asking...begging...for someone to give me a Lionel train. Finally, a neighbor across the alley from my house had some Lionel traincars. I bought them for $20.00. But now I needed to get back up north (driving on Pulaski Road & Cicero Ave. and hitting every red light...) and, hopefully, the AFT would still be there. 

My buddy, Nick was not into trains, so he went back to the park for more b-ball. So my dad took me back north and dropped me off. It had been a couple hours, but the AFT was still sitting there. I climbed up into the cab with a large brown grocery bag of Lionel Trains and handed them to Mr. Benson. He opened the bag, inspected them, and said, "These are all plastic. I wanted cast-iron". My heart sank. But...he knew a train lover when he saw one and said, "You can still ride with us here in the cab." Praise the Lord!

So a CNW Geep hooked on the rear of the AFT, took the wye, and pulled us eastbound to Chicago, probably no more than 20mph. I sat in front of Steve on the fireman's side hanging out the window. Mind you, I am still in that tee shirt, shorts, and gym shoes. It was after 7pm and daylight dwindling, but there were many residents who watched the train pass by their neighborhoods. The locomotive was on the rear, but Bill blew the whistle often. That brought out many folks. 

When we arrived in downtown Chicago on the CNW line that ran to Navy Pier (and also handled the Chicago Tribune newspaper business), we stopped for a long time. I stayed in the cab, but from what I gathered from converations between Bill, Steve, and other CNW people on the ground, either the clearances were too tight for the AFT #1 or perhaps some curves were too tight. The engine would not be able to get out to Navy Pier, only the train. 

It was getting close to 10pm. I had to be at my summer job at 7am the next morning, so I couldn't stay. I thanked Bill Benson. It was quite an experience just shy of my 19th birthday. I can say that I rode in AFT #1, but with a little more explanation and detail. I have pictures both in and out of the cab, but need to find them. I never saw the AFT again that week or even into 1976.

Hope this account fills in some of the blanks.

djy23 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Englewood - On Sunday afternoon, July 27th, I was
> playing basketball at our local park (77th &
> Trumbull in Chicago) and heard a steam whistle. I
> ran the two blocks north to the Belt Railway of
> Chicago (BRC). What do I see? The Reading 2101
> pulling the American Freedom Train. It was heading
> west on the BRC track that ran on the north side
> of C&O's Rockwell Street Yard. I watched it pass
> Hayford Crossing (GTW) and, a couple blocks west,
> noticed that it would be taking the BRC north (on
> north side of Clearing Yard) . As you know, this
> is the line just east of Cicero Avenue.
>
> Being 19 years old, I had to run back to the park
> and finish our game. However, once completed, I
> thought "I need to see where that American Freedom
> Train is going". I jumped into my dad's 1971 Opel
> Kadett with a friend (Nick) and began our drive
> heading north on Cicero Avenue checking the BRC
> tracks at various points. Well, we found it
> sitting in an empty yard just north of the Chicago
> & NorthWestern Overland Route mainline. Looking at
> a current Google Map, it appears this is just west
> of Kilbourn Avenue. The yard is gone, but the wye
> in the NE corner is still there.
>
> We took some pictures of the AFT 1 with my Kodak
> 110 Camera. No one else was around. I walked over
> to the locomotive and asked if I could come up.
> "Yeah, c'mon up". Mind you, I was wearing a tee
> shirt with the sleeves cut off (looked cooler that
> way...), shorts, and gym shoes. Once in the cab, I
> was introduced to the engineer, Bill Benson, and
> the fireman, Steve Wickersham. They were waiting
> for the CNW to couple an engine to the rear of the
> train so the AFT could be towed to downtown
> Chicago, i.e. Navy Pier.
>
> In the course of talking with Mr. Benson, he led
> it be known that he collected Lionel Trains. I
> asked him if I could ride in the cab to downtown
> Chicago. He told me if I could come up with some
> nice lookin Lionel trains, he would let me. Holy
> cow! We knew the AFT would be sitting at this spot
> for awhile, so I climbed down, ran back to the
> car, and drove back to my neighborhood (near
> Hayford).  That took 35-40 minutes. I certainly
> didn't have a Lionel trainset, but perhaps some of
> the kids in the neighborhood did. Well, I knocked
> on a number of doors asking...begging...for
> someone to give me a Lionel train. Finally, a
> neighbor across the alley from my house had some
> Lionel traincars. I bought them for $20.00. But
> now I needed to get back up north (driving on
> Pulaski Road & Cicero Ave. and hitting every red
> light...) and, hopefully, the AFT would still be
> there. 
>
> My buddy, Nick was not into trains, so he went
> back to the park for more b-ball. So my dad took
> me back north and dropped me off. It had been a
> couple hours, but the AFT was still sitting there.
> I climbed up into the cab with a large brown
> grocery bag of Lionel Trains and handed them to
> Mr. Benson. He opened the bag, inspected them, and
> said, "These are all plastic. I wanted cast-iron".
> My heart sank. But...he knew a train lover when he
> saw one and said, "You can still ride with us here
> in the cab." Praise the Lord!
>
> So a CNW Geep hooked on the rear of the AFT, took
> the wye, and pulled us eastbound to Chicago,
> probably no more than 20mph. I sat in front of
> Steve on the fireman's side hanging out the
> window. Mind you, I am still in that tee shirt,
> shorts, and gym shoes. It was after 7pm and
> daylight dwindling, but there were many residents
> who watched the train pass by their neighborhoods.
> The locomotive was on the rear, but Bill blew the
> whistle often. That brought out many folks. 
>
> When we arrived in downtown Chicago on the CNW
> line that ran to Navy Pier (and also handled the
> Chicago Tribune newspaper business), we stopped
> for a long time. I stayed in the cab, but from
> what I gathered from converations between Bill,
> Steve, and other CNW people on the ground, either
> the clearances were too tight for the AFT #1 or
> perhaps some curves were too tight. The engine
> would not be able to get out to Navy Pier, only
> the train. 
>
> It was getting close to 10pm. I had to be at my
> summer job at 7am the next morning, so I couldn't
> stay. I thanked Bill Benson. It was quite an
> experience just shy of my 19th birthday. I can say
> that I rode in AFT #1, but with a little more
> explanation and detail. I have pictures both in
> and out of the cab, but need to find them. I never
> saw the AFT again that week or even into 1976.
>
> Hope this account fills in some of the blanks.

Reports indicate the AFT came into Chicago from Springfield on IC (then ICG), so it must've gotten up to Burnside, backed up the connection onto the BRC, then taken the line you talked about up to the CNW mainline. Looks like that yard, the wye, and even the BRC/CNW (now UP) connection there are all gone now.

djy23, thanks for the report on your first hand experience !

And thanks to DRGWMark for the ICG info.

I should have my post about the CUS moves up in a week or two.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/26 13:50 by Englewood.

Great story.  Many of us would love to see those AFT - Chicago area photos.

I looked at some of my old photographs.  On August 7 1975, me and my brother and another friend chased the AFT from Aurora to Flagg Center (Rochelle).
The train then got on a BN branch and went northbound to Camp Grant (Rockford IL) for a few days.      Tom Paris      St. Petersburg FL

I would love to see any photos that you may have taken during your chase.
I look off from work to photo the AFT with the Daylight.  As I found out later, my print film never attached to the take-up reel.  I discovered the faillure only later in the day when there was nothing I could do about it.  Took many years before I converted to digital.  
Have you already converted your photos.  If not, I have a good volunteer that would be happy to help.
Thanks, Ron



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/26 21:01 by redberan4449.

Okay.  Since you asked.

1. Westbound in Aurora IL
2. Near Lee IL.

I was 15 years old and was using a 620 fold out camera (It was a dinosaur even back then).
I bought the camera at a garage sale.  That camera took some of my greatest photos.     

Tom Paris.      St. Petersburg FL

---

---

I don't have dates but I rode the deadhead with Glenn Brendel, founder of FWRHS- a NKP pal of Doyle McCormack. Aurora via BN to CUS in the middle of the night. It was so foggy and damo, the training truck booster was used to get through the river track. Then C&NW to Milw, Sheboygan- needed the booster again- and on to Green Bay in the PM. It was a great experience.