Nostalgia & History > Did You Ride in an Open Gon?

I took my future wife, not yet engaged, on a 4960 trip and we rode part of the time in the gon. She still married me.

These two Roger Puta photos are from the last fan trip run of 4960 on June 17, 1966. I married that girl on August 11, 1966. Maybe she figured it was safe. Roger was in the wedding party.

1. Roger's caption, "CB&Q last trip for O1A 4960 as it leaves Union Station and emerges from the Post Office, Chicago, ILL. Crowd in gondola on July 17, 1966."

2. Roger's caption, "CB&Q last trip for O1A 4960 rounding curve east of Naperville, ILL. sponsored by the Illini Railroad Club taken from the gondola on July 17, 1966."


Enjoy,
Marty Bernard



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/17 22:39 by MartyBernard.

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I've never seen the Q 4960 nor her Grand Canyon reincarnation.

I did, however ride that gon several times behind the 5632.

-John

How did they manage the gondola?

Did it have a gate at the end, and you could walk into it from the rear coach?

Very interesting. I recently climbed in the on a permanent MOW collection at Vivian Park, UT as part of the Heber Creeper Railroad, it was a lot of fun to stand inside, look at the mountains, lie on the bed of gravel on the bottom. And a couple decades ago I may have ridden one over Cascade Summit. But I don't recall seeing one in regular use for passengers before...

Though, does the Skunk Train/California Western have one? I rode it in 2001, I recall an open air car, but it might have been a modified passenger car.

And how did the passengers like it? Did it have rough suspension? Were there railings in the middle of the car to hang on to for rough track?

Just curious, thanks for the photos, I'm a fan of open-air transportation.

Ted in OR

The open gon was the best part about the Burlington Steam Fan trips. Just a open gon. No hand rails no special trucks. With the #4960 cinders were everywhere. What they did back in late 50's and 60's as far as the gon, would never happen in this day and age. I rode many of these trips. They were the best!!

There was a steel plate, or wooden walk way that was in place from the coach to the gon, with the end section removed.

Cumbres And Toltec has an open gon in their trains and they have open ends to traverse to and from your car. And they have a docent their to describe the trip as you traverse back and forth thru New Mexico and Colorado several times.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Oh the humanity! Amazing no one died. If it wasn't an issue back then, it shouldn't be today. But now, we can't even have open vestibules. Sad.

That's because accident lawyers look at those open gon pictures and start salivating and seeing dollar signs.

Dave

The D&S has a gon with a roof, you have to be ticketed for.

Okay, Marty, I've enjoyed seeing these photos of the 4960's trips
you've been posting. However, I thought the O class were the Northern's
and not the Mikes. I need some education here please.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Hey back in 1961 things were different. I took this shot from an open Gon while hitching a ride from Bayshore to Oakland on the TBX, I look back now riding in a gondola loaded with pipe was not a good idea but idea's are something you don't have when you are 16. All the crews on trains we passed such as this one in the East bay just gave us a wave.

Robert Morris Photography
http://www.snowcrest.net/photobob/index.html

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The best gons for fan trips would be the rotary dumper kind. Much easier to organize photo runbys that way. 

Like photobob me and a buddy rode in an open gondola from Fort Collins to Cheyenne once while another buddy drove my van to pick us up and bring us back. But we did it under the cover of darkness so no great photos like Robert's...

The "O" class were both mikes and northerns. 4960 was an O1A and the northerns were O5s.

Future (and present) wife and I rode gons on Q fantrips out of STL. Cinder city.

Yes, I believe I have. In The Gorge, 1974

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1. Into Chicago behind #5632.

2. From Climax to Leadville, CO.

Ed

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You can still ride an open gon at the Monticello Railway Museum in Illinois.

Rode an open gondola on a GTW Steam Excursion from Chicago - South Bend (and return) on November 3, 1968 when I was 12 years old. One of the best times of my life.

I finally got around to getting a picture of this car on the North Shore Scenic Railroad, Duluth, MN.

-Larry Doyle

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Yes, the docent is 'there'. It's their job. They're in the car with you.