Nostalgia & History > The North Coast Limited on the Racetrack

Eola, IL on August 27, 1969

Enjoy,
Marty Bernard



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/15 15:59 by MartyBernard.

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nice image ... does anyone know how much the CB&Q would charge connecting railroads to deliver and forward passenger trains to railroads that didn't have a direct route into Chicago ... or did they get a cut of the revenue on the train ... and if they did get a cut of the revenue would it be for patronage just on their railroad or would the amount be for full patronage of the train on it's entire route ???

this day's NCL has a little GN content.

CB&Q got revenue prorated based on mileage on their railroad vs. the total mileage travelled.  Also, they owned a certain number of cars used on the North Coast Limited train sets based on their portion of the total mileage for these trains.  These cars were painted in the NP's color scheme for these trains, but had the initials "CB&Q" at the ends of the cars denoting ownership.  Same for the Empire Builder.

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> nice image ... does anyone know how much the CB&Q
> would charge connecting railroads to deliver and
> forward passenger trains to railroads that didn't
> have a direct route into Chicago ... or did they
> get a cut of the revenue on the train ... and if
> they did get a cut of the revenue would it be for
> patronage just on their railroad or would the
> amount be for full patronage of the train on it's
> entire route ???

Also, CBQ was owned by GN & NP, so it was all in the family.

We still haven't determined why the Q put a GN baggage car on the North Coast.  A vexing
situation.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

easy explanations NPcar was bad ordered, or perhaps went east, maybe replaced at the twin cities coming in or the zephyr pit after a bad order component was found

The SP&S also owned a few NCL cars as they forwarded the Portland section of the train from Pasco to Portland

Same arrangemant on the CZ as well.

...more goodies fron Marty . Thanks !

By 1969, I believe the Q normally ran the North Coast Limited / Empire Builder / Morning Zephyr together as one train from St Paul to Chicago even during the heavy summer season.  If either the NCL or EB was excessively late coming in to St Paul from the west, they probably would run them separately; that may be what we are seeing here.  My guess is that the NCL was running very late, so they sent the Empire Builder / Morning Zephyr out on time, and operated this NCL as a second section, or extra train when it finally arrived in St Paul.  I'm not sure what the normal baggage car procedure was when the trains were combined, but perhaps by this late date they normally combined baggage into one car when they combined the trains, but needed an extra car to handle baggage for the extra train?

All idle speculation, of course.

czephyr17 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> By 1969, I believe the Q normally ran the North
> Coast Limited / Empire Builder / Morning Zephyr
> together as one train from St Paul to Chicago even
> during the heavy summer season.  If either the
> NCL or EB was excessively late coming in to St
> Paul from the west, they probably would run them
> separately; that may be what we are seeing here. 
> My guess is that the NCL was running very late, so
> they sent the Empire Builder / Morning Zephyr out
> on time, and operated this NCL as a second
> section, or extra train when it finally arrived in
> St Paul.  I'm not sure what the normal baggage
> car procedure was when the trains were combined,
> but perhaps by this late date they normally
> combined baggage into one car when they combined
> the trains, but needed an extra car to handle
> baggage for the extra train?
>
> All idle speculation, of course.

Yes, these days we're all guilty of idle speculation.  Now, to
my admittedly untrained eye, this looks to be westbound.  
Please correct me if I'm wrong.  Further, I speculate the car
came from St. Paul as GN cars, other than the "Builde" did
not normally populate the "Zephyr Pit."  Still don't know why
the car is there.  Where's Larry Doyle when we need him!

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

ntharalson Wrote:
>  Now, to
> my admittedly untrained eye, this looks to be
> westbound.  

I believe the pole line through Eola (indeed on most if not all of the Q/BN/BNSF "racetrack") is on the north side of the main line, thus this would be an eastbound train.

ntharalson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> czephyr17 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > By 1969, I believe the Q normally ran the
> North
> > Coast Limited / Empire Builder / Morning
> Zephyr
> > together as one train from St Paul to Chicago
> even
> > during the heavy summer season.  If either the
> > NCL or EB was excessively late coming in to St
> > Paul from the west, they probably would run
> them
> > separately; that may be what we are seeing
> here. 
> > My guess is that the NCL was running very late,
> so
> > they sent the Empire Builder / Morning Zephyr
> out
> > on time, and operated this NCL as a second
> > section, or extra train when it finally arrived
> in
> > St Paul.  I'm not sure what the normal
> baggage
> > car procedure was when the trains were
> combined,
> > but perhaps by this late date they normally
> > combined baggage into one car when they
> combined
> > the trains, but needed an extra car to handle
> > baggage for the extra train?
> >
> > All idle speculation, of course.
>
> Yes, these days we're all guilty of idle
> speculation.  Now, to
> my admittedly untrained eye, this looks to be
> westbound.  
> Please correct me if I'm wrong.  Further, I
> speculate the car
> came from St. Paul as GN cars, other than the
> "Builde" did
> not normally populate the "Zephyr Pit."  Still
> don't know why
> the car is there.  Where's Larry Doyle when we
> need him!
>
> Nick Tharalson,
> Marion, IA

As confused as the rest of you!

-LD

He is eastbound on Main #3.  The track to his right is the "lullabye" or the "running track"
in the East yard.  The yard in the back ground is the West yard at Eola.
CJV in Illinois

Thanks for the corrections on the direction of the train.  It is appreciated.  I'll
try to remember the Q put its code lines on the north side of the track. 
However, we still don't know the reason for the GN baggage car.  This seems
very odd to me. 

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/15 09:15 by ntharalson.