Nostalgia & History > One Last Zephyr Photo from February 1970

One last photo of WP's CZ with 804D, February 1970 along Stanley Blvd. Between Radum (East Pleasanton) and Livermore.

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Beautiful!

An excellent example of the amazing climate change the CZ (as well as the other Chicago - West Coast trains) went through in the winter. On this February day California is pleasant and green but by the time the train gets to Chicago it'll be cold and probably pretty snowy.

Great photo. I love how good the roadbed looks.

I'll second that - beautiful shot.

This would have been the off season, of course, but it seems like it only has two dome coaches. Lots of flat top cars though.

Waybiller Wrote:
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> This would have been the off season, of course,
> but it seems like it only has two dome coaches.
> Lots of flat top cars though.

I count four ... three forward and one waaaaaaaaaay back. :-)

Next Q: what's cut-in between the B unit and the Baggage car?

* JB *

That would be one of the shorty heater cars used near the end of the trains long history.

Q: what's cut-in between the B unit and the
> Baggage car?
>
> * JB *


The car behind the b-unit is a steam generator car. The WP's old F's were not the greatest at generating steam or they just need more because it was cold. Anyway, I believe the WP had two of those they obtained from the GN who used them behind their electric locomotives to provide steam thru the Cascade Tunnel

prr4828 Wrote:
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> Waybiller Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This would have been the off season, of course,
> > but it seems like it only has two dome coaches.
>
> > Lots of flat top cars though.
>
> I count four ... three forward and one
> waaaaaaaaaay back. :-)
>
> Next Q: what's cut-in between the B unit and the
> Baggage car?
>
> * JB *

JB,

Steam Generator car, ex GN I believe.

As for the train itself:

FP-7
F-7b
Steam Gen
Dome Coach
Dome Coach
Coffee Shop Dome
Sleeper
Sleeper
Diner
Sleeper
Sleeper Dome Obs

Pretty sure that would be it.

J.

Minor correction to the probable consist of the CZ in the photo - the diner is mislocated on the list. The diner was only placed amongst the sleepers for a short time after the train was inaugurated. After a few months, the diner was always placed right behind the dome coffee shop dorm. Note that there are very few pictures of the CZ that do not show the diner right behind the dome coffee shop dorm. This was supposedly due to too many first class passengers (likely the ones that were assigned space in the sleepers that were between the diner and the dome coffee shop) using the coffee shop car for afternoon cocktails instead of the bar in the obs lounge. Moving the diner ahead of all the sleepers gave these passenegers the hint to use the bar in the obs lounge, thereby opening up space in the coffee shop car for coach passengers, as intended. This change was made during the first year of operation.

Topfuel Wrote:
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> Minor correction to the probable consist of the CZ
> in the photo - the diner is mislocated on the
> list. The diner was only placed amongst the
> sleepers for a short time after the train was
> inaugurated. After a few months, the diner was
> always placed right behind the dome coffee shop
> dorm. Note that there are very few pictures of
> the CZ that do not show the diner right behind the
> dome coffee shop dorm. This was supposedly due to
> too many first class passengers (likely the ones
> that were assigned space in the sleepers that were
> between the diner and the dome coffee shop) using
> the coffee shop car for afternoon cocktails
> instead of the bar in the obs lounge. Moving the
> diner ahead of all the sleepers gave these
> passenegers the hint to use the bar in the obs
> lounge, thereby opening up space in the coffee
> shop car for coach passengers, as intended. This
> change was made during the first year of
> operation.

Top,

Good to know.

J.

However, dome seats in the dorm/coffee shop car were for the use of First Class passengers only...

calzephyr48 Wrote:
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> However, dome seats in the dorm/coffee shop car
> were for the use of First Class passengers only...

This I didn't know, although it makes sense, as otherwise they would only have had the observation dome.