Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad E9 9985A westbound on Train # 11, the Nebraska Zephyr, the daily Chicago to Lincoln, Nebraska mail train, at Naperville, Illinois, January 16, 1966, Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler. This locomotive was built in December 1955 ( c/n 20533 ) on EMD Order 2071, became BN 9985 after the March 2, 1970 merger, was remanufactured by Morrison-Knudsen in November 1973, returning numbered BN 9915 (owned by the West Suburban Mass Transit District and leased to the BN), retired in 1992, becoming NYS&W 2402. The following is excerpted from the book, Chicago Union Station, by Edward M. DeRouin ( Pixels Publishing ):
The economies of the 1950's drove the Burlington, among others, to consolidate schedules to reduce operating costs. Effective February 1, 1958, the Nebraska Zephyr and Coloradoan ran as one train. After October 28, 1962, the cars of the Kansas City Zephyr were included in the consist. They were removed at Galesburg and continued their trip to Kansas City ( as Train # 35 ). The primary purpose of the Coloradoan was to bring mail and express to Council Bluffs and the Union Pacific for forwarding to places like Salt Lake City and Oakland. A secondary chore was to carry storage mail to Denver. Now those cars were tucked in between the power and passenger cars of the two Zephyrs. Shortly after 9:00 AM, a switch engine would shove the articulated cars of the Nebraska Zephyr, the four cars of the Kansas City Zephyr, and cars filled with express to the ( Chicago Union Station, CUS ) depot. After setting the consist on the station track, the engine would then add two RPOs pulled from station track 14 and move on to other work. After finishing breakfast at the Zephyr Diner, the engine crew prepared their locomotives and when the switches were lined, proceeded west to Union Avenue. Once on the main, the locomotives reversed and headed for CUS. Before reaching the depot, the units were lined for station track 32, where storage cars filled with mail were picked up. Once the steam and air lines were hooked up and brakes tested, the locomotives and mail proceeded south past the Harrison Street Tower. Burlington 11's final preparatory move with a switchman, referred to as a Pilot, qualified to control backup moves at CUS, in place on the station end of the head end cars, and controlled the automatic brake with a hose and valve assembly referred to as a monkey tail ( because of its shape ). Upon receipt of the proper signal, the Pilot would draw off some air, and the Engineer would "shove on reduction". This procedure held slack in check. The movement was stopped before making the coupling and the monkey tail removed. Hand signals guided the last movement, and with people boarding, postal clerks working in the RPOs, and mail handlers loading the storage cars, the coupling had to be, and was, gentle. After the steam and air lines were made, the standing brake test was conducted and Number 11 was ready for departure at 11:00 AM.
