Passenger Trains > Metra/BNSF at Aurora

While hanging out on the High Street bridge in Aurora, IL yesterday, about 5 "BURLINGTON" gallery cars caught my eye on the numerous train sets parked in the yard. There are even a few with "BNSF RAILWAY" in the letterboards as well. All are ex-CB&Q cars with the restored lettering. I happened to notice one of each lined up pretty well and this image just scratches the surface for how many trains are parked in Aurora for the weekend.

Erik

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Burlington, Cool! I wonder who got that by the Metra powers that be?

Their silver trucks are always nice and clean
The Budd cars do look classier than the newer version. Maybe it is the stainless steel fluting pattern.

mp51w Wrote:
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> Burlington, Cool! I wonder who got that by the
> Metra powers that be?


There are a number of cars that have "Burlington" or "BNSF Railway" in the letter board. Don't know the story behind it but they have been around for several years.

Nice picture.

Good eye Erik!

Bob

Those cars are actually owned by the West Suburban Mass Transit District, not Metra.

The WSMTD was formed by communities along the Burlington as a way to receive federal and state funding for the commuter service before the RTA was formed in 1974.

Metra owns all the locomotives and the ADA-equipped cars (7400s, 8400s, and 8500s) and provides them to the WSMTD for the BNSF service. All the ex-Burlington Budd coaches (700, 800, and 7100 series cars) are leased to Metra from the WSMTD. BNSF decided to put the Burlington and BNSF Railway heralds back on the cars a few years back, and since they own the cars through the WSMTD they had every right to do so. That's also why you see BNSF logos on those cars, and don't see any on the ADA cars.

I LOVE that they did that, the letterboards looked stupid when they were blank. Cool stuff.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/14 11:47 by MetraUPWest.

What car builder constructed the big window version
seen in the photograph? Is it Hyundai/Rotem??

The 7400/8400 series were built by Amerail, the 6000/8500 series were built by Nippon Sharyo.

The 6000/8500 series have super large windows, and the 7400/8400 are slightly smaller- though still much larger than the Buss cars.

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