| CB&Q E9 9986B eastbound at Naperville, Illinois on June 18, 1965, Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler. The following is speculation: I believe this is eastbound Train #30, departing Aurora 7:01 AM, due in Chicago 7:50 AM. It was known as the Ak-Sar-Ben Zephyr, which is Nebraska spelled backward. It left Lincoln, Nebraska at 9:00 PM. About a half dozen cars back is a new suburban bi-level coach, likely being ferried from Lincoln to Chicago for assignment to the suburban department. As I understand it, the CB&Q received new deliveries in Lincoln to avoid paying Illinois sales tax. I will also speculate that this was not the lead locomotive when this train departed Lincoln, based on the open MU plug access door to the left of the upper headlight, and the attached MU hoses. Generally, the CB&Q removed the MU hoses from the lead locomotive because there was no provision to retain them to prevent them from flying around and banging against the pilot, not only creating noise, but also chipping the paint. |