CRI&P TA 601 "Peoria Rocket" - WB Morris, IL - September 19, 1941 - AW Johnson Photo

The Grand-Daddy of the TAs, number 601, has the morning WB "Peoria Rocket" (Train 501) in tow past the Morris, IL depot. The Rock began operating to/from Morris, 62 miles from Chicago, on January 5, 1853. Morris was not a scheduled stop for these "Rockets" - they ran non-stop from Joliet to Ottawa, 27 miles west of Morris.

An article in the premiere issue of "Trains" (November 1940) noted the 601 had accumulated 125,000 miles without requiring the removal of any moving parts of the Winton 201A 16-cylinder prime mover. These custom-built/designed locomotives were a beautiful complement to the articulated Budd-built consists that equipped the original "Rockets." Each of the two daily round-trips of the "Peoria Rocket" provided coach, coach-dinette and parlor-lounge accommodations.

Rock retired the 601 in December 1957. The locomotive was scrapped at the Silvis Shops in April 1960.

C&NW E7 5016A "Twin Cities 400"- NB Evanston, IL - April 22, 1951 -HM Stange Photo

Allotted just 12 minutes to cover the 12.1 miles to its first stop at Central Street, Evanston, it's no surprise that the "Twin Cities 400" is stirring up a healthy cloud of dust as it roars past C&NW"s Main Street depot. Not long after this photo was taken, the speed survey in "Trains" noted that the train was required to cover the 49.9 miles from Evanston to Racine in just 39 minutes, working out to an average speed of 76.8 mph.

From its initial streamlining in September 1939, the Northwestern spent lavishly to ensure the "400" fleet had the latest in modern passenger equipment. Addiitonal, coaches, diners and parlors were added in 1941, followed by more coaches in 1946 (the first new cars to go to a western road post-War) and in 1947 (along with additional parlors). The year 1950 saw another diner, along with baggage-café-lounge cars, added to the pool of cars available to meet passenger demand.

Alongside the passenger car orders, C&NW continued to improve its motive power. E7 5016A was built in September 1947. This locomotive remained active on the Northwestern after the "Twin City 400's" last run on July 23, 1963. Retired in September 1971, it was sold for scrap the following month.

IC E7 4006 "Green Diamond" - NB Clinton, IL - February 3, 1955 - ML Powell Photo Photo

The IC's "Green Diamond" streamlined trainset of 1936 was replaced by a conventional locomotive-hauled consist from 1949. Competition on the Chicago-St. Louis corridor was still intense in the mid-50s and the IC scheduled some hot running by this train.

Over the 18 miles from Clinton to Farmer City, Train 22 had to average 64.2 mph and then repeat this performance on the 28.9 miles between Gibson City and Gilman. However, the really hot running for the "Green Diamond" was required on the 32.4-mile sprint from Kankakee to Homewood. The timetable allotted just 29 minutes for this run, for an average of 67.5 mph.

The last run of the "Green Diamond" took place on May 19, 1968. Truncated to a Chicago-Springfield run the next day, the train was renamed "The Governor's Special."

C&NW E7 5008B Kate Shelley 400" - EB Waller Avenue, Chicago - June 22, 1958 - AW Johnson Photo

The loss of the UP "Cities" trains on its Chicago-Omaha corridor, meant that C&NW had an opportunity to expedite its freight service and to restructure the passenger schedules on this corridor. That transition gave birth to the last of the "400: fleet, the "Kate Shelley 400." Initially running between Boone and Chicago, the train was trimmed back to a Cedar Rapids-Chicago run from August 1956. In October 1957, the train was further reduced to a Clinton-Chicago schedule. Dining car and parlor car accommodations came off with this final truncation. A pair of the 1946 Pullman-Standard-built coaches trail the 5008B (itself a graduate of EMD in August 1946), as the "Kate" approaches Central Avenue in Chicago's Austin neighborhood. The C&NW's passenger deficit in 1957 amounted to $19.6 million and was just one of many challenges the new C&NW management (led by Ben Heineman) was having to face head-on. The financial situation led the road to consider some innovative approaches. For example, during 1958, the Northwestern would sell 50 of its Pullman-Standard-built coaches to Hyman-Michaels, which would then contract for rebuild of the cars by Pullman-Standard, as well as lease the cars back to the C&NW for a 6-year term. The "Kate" would survive until the start of Amtrak.

CB&Q 9900 "Pioneer Zephyr" - EB Burlington, IA - March 20, 1960

A photo stop was scheduled on the approach to the Mississippi River bridge for this most-successful of the pioneering streamline trains. The combination of visionary railroad and supply industry personnel, willing to take the chance on applying the Winton 201A diesel engine, along with the Budd stainless steel/shotwelding process would forever change the industry. This trip commemorated the retirement of the trainset to Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry, where it was displayed from May 26, 1960.

About nine months prior to this view, the "Pioneer Zephyr" (this train was not designated by that name until November 11, 1936) had accumulated around 3.2 million train-miles. Its final revenue assignment (from late 1957) had been the on Lincoln-St. Joseph run. In the mid-1950s, the trainset had been operating between Galesburg and St. Joseph. Bouncing around on various runs on the CB&Q network was familiar territory for this train. It began its operating career on the Lincoln-Kansas City run from November 11, 1934 and moved to the: Advance Denver Zephyr" assignment during 1936.