BRHS Op Session Photo Album


	Burlington & Missouri River Railroad An HO Scale Model Railroad by David Lotz Home

BRHS Operating Session Photos
September 12, 2002
All photos courtesy of Richard Landon of Grayling, Michigan

Motive Power Roster Staging of Trains Dispatcher Train Sheet (PDF File)	The Burlington Route Historical Society held their 2002 Annual Meet in St. Louis. On Thursday September 12th, we held two operating sessions on the B&MRR. The goal was to recreate 16 hours of trains through Burlington, Iowa as they actually ran in September of 1963. Several of my BRHS compadres, Loren Johnsen, Tom Johnson, Russ Jandes, Phil Hansen and Rich Gortowski assisted by bringing equipment to fill in my gaps. We came very close to recreating all of the trains in this session, we were only short two fruit trains due to a lack of refrigerator cars. There are several folks in these photos whom I have not seen in quite a while and have unfortunately forgotten who they are. For that I sincerely apologize. If you see yourself, or someone you know identified with ??? - please drop me an email with the photo they are in and your/their name.
	The Westbound trains staged in Galesburg from left to right are: Train No. 73 a Daily Time Freight on GS2 track with F3A/F3B/F2A set 125A/125B/150A ADV CD the Chicago Denver Merchandise on GS3 track with F3A/F3B/F7A set 164ABC Train No. 11 the Nebraska Zephyr on GS4 track with E7A/E7A set 9924A/9920B Train No. 17 the California Zephyr on GS5 track with E8A 9939A and E9A /9948B
	The Eastbound trains staged in "Ottumwa". Since at the time of this operating session I only had one Nebraska Zephyr consist, we briefly moved the upper staging yard eastward from Creston to Ottumwa. From left to right are: Train No. 74A Daily Ex. Sunday Meat on OS1 track with Blackbird SD7s 300/303 Train No. 18 the California Zephyr Denver on OS2 track with E8A 9939A and E9A 9948B Train LW68 a Daily Fruit on OS3 with GP20 929 (GP20 900 had problems and was removed) Train No. 10 the Denver Zephyr on OS4 track with E5A/E5B 9915A/9915B X4000 an NRHS Excursion from Lincoln to Galesburg on OS6 track with S4A 4-8-4 No 4000 pulling an SSS coach, a Slumbercoach, CB&Q Pattern Dome "Silver Dome" and CB&Q business car "Burlington" bringing up the markers.
	In preparation for the operating session, I review the Trainsheets with everyone before we start the fast clock.
	Signing up positions for the session - ??? and ??? study the trainsheet as Russ Jandes watches. In the background Q Passenger Train Author, Bill Glick and ??? appear to be in a deep discussion. Kevin Schelen (BNSF Dispatcher for this portion of the BNSF) volunteered to be the Dispatcher, Steve Holding (BNSF Dispatcher for Union Tower, Chicago) quickly volunteered to be the Mississippi River Bridge Tender. Tom Johnson and Loren Johnson became our Galesburg and Ottumwa hostlers and many others became our engineers.
	Here, looking east at the "Ottumwa" staging yard, we find Loren Johnson (elbows on the layout) making sure everything is ready for the start of the session. Phil Hansen's "Spam Extra" can be seen in the foreground - the mock Spam can cleverly conceals highly classified Atomic weaponry headed for the Atomic Energy Commission's operations located just west of West Burlington at the Dayman wye.
	Prior to taking out the first train of the operating session, Engineer Richard Landon poses for a mug shot with me. On the fast clock it's 3:00 am and No. 7 the legendary "Fast Mail" from Chicago to Denver is ready to depart Galesburg. Richard has his train sheet and Digitrax DT300 throttle and is ready to go.
	On the fast clock it's 4:43 am and No. 7 is crossing the Mississippi approaching Burlington. Loren Johnson (L) is taking a closer look at the train while Bill Glick and Greg Koon (to the right) are part of the Burlington Yard crew waiting for the Fast Mail's arrival.
	Greg & Bill watch No. 7 pass Wood Tower with an E7A/E8A lash-up of 9924AB and 9940B. A Baldwin VO-1000 is parked on the Stock Yard lead and an NE-12 sits on the future scale track.
	Here we catch a glimpse of why the Burlington Yard crew is waiting - behind the SSS chair car is a specially equipped flat with two E-unit trucks and tractions motors from the Q's Chicago Zephyr Pit, on their way to the West Burlington Shops for a complete overhaul.
	No. 7 impatiently waits at the Burlington Depot (scale drawings in position to the right).
	The Burlington Yard crew in the SW-1 that is approaching the rear of the train, will pull the flat off and they will follow the mail up the hill to deliver the trucks to the shops.
	Finally, No. 7 departs Burlington. Don Benson (in the black shirt & cap), Cliff Salmon (in the Burlington T shirt) and ??? watch it's departure.
	??? (in the red shirt) and ??? (in the white shorts) watch the SW-1 following No. 7 up the West Burlington Hill. The SW-1 is just above Mel Hendricks' head on the westbound main, while No. 7 can be seen looping around the helix on its way up the hill.
	Loren Johnson's Denver Zephyr, Train No. 10, is getting a lot of attention. From Left to right are Tom Johnson (red T-shirt), ??? (Blue flowered blouse), Terry Ulrich, Loren Johnson, ???, Russ Jandes, Cliff Salmon and today's Bridge Tender, Steve Holding. All are watching the DZ approaching the West Burlington Depot. On the point today, are an A-A pair of stainless steel sheathed E5 locomotives that were totally unique to the Burlington. Yes, I'm aware that the depot is inappropriately painted and decorated with a Burlington Northern monogram. My oxide red with bronze green-trimmed version of the depot (appropriate for this 1963 operating session) had recently been presented to the late Robert Brown as a "thank you" for assisting me in creating an accurate depot kit.
	As No. 7 continues to climb the West Burlington Hill, it meets an on time Denver Zephyr, Train No. 10, scheduled to arrive at Burlington at 5:57 am.
	No. 7 (on the left, westbound main) has just passed the West Burlington Shop building. Several locomotives in various states of repair are parked outside the shops to No. 7's right. Our Dispatcher for today's session is Kevin Schelen (right).
	No. 7 continues westward through the rich, Iowa farmlands as it approaches Ottumwa.
	Caught using the five finger crane! We can also see the headlight of the Advance CD, a Chicago to Denver Merchandise 62, a daily merchandise freight led by an F3A/F3B/F7A set numbered 164ABC. This train left Galesburg at 9:45 AM and will be turned in Ottumwa at 12:15 PM to becomes Train #62. To the right, you can see the Rock Island RPO waiting for the northbound Zephyr Rocket to go back to Minneapolis.
	The Advance CD has just passed the Moehn Brewery and its traction motors are grinding as they lift their tonnage up the West Burlington Hill.
	We skip ahead to around 3:00 pm and the CD/CGI (Chicago Denver/Grand Island) freight with a bevy of GP30s (Q 955, UP 844 and Q 972) head westward over the drawspan section of the Mississippi River bridge. The CD/CGI is the longest train running today, with 65 cars!
	CD/CGI passing through the Burlington Station, ready to head around the curve towards Burlington's Main Street. If you look closely, the markers are being brought with both a Q waycar followed by a UP caboose that are just rounding the curve off of the bridge. Russ is enjoying watching the action through Burlington today.
	Train No. 99, the Quincy/Burlington Way Freight, was brought to Burlington today with GP7 No. 265. After the Burlington crews have worked the train, the dispatcher has called an extra with 265 to head westward to Albia and eventually Des Moines to clear congestion in the Burlington yard.
	Phil Hansen is keeping a close eye on Extra 265 as it departs Burlington's yard.
	Here Extra 265 begins its ascent of the West Burlington Hill as it passes where the 6th Street bridge will be located.
	Here, ??? is getting ready to take out the last train of the session, Train No. 74A a Daily Except Sunday Meat train powered by a pair of Blackbird SD7s Nos. 300 and 303. This train departs Ottumwa at 5:00 PM and is handed over to the Chicago Division crews at Galesburg at 8:45 PM.
	The BRHS had arranged for the Galesburg Railroad Museum to display their Burlington steam switcher and preserved EA units from the original Denver Zephyr, 9906A&B, Silver King & Queen. Also on display at the Galesburg coaling tower built by the Pages of Peoria, were EMD's GP30 Demonstrator unit and one of Sperry Rail's inspection cars. The BRHS had chartered the St. Louis Museum of Transport's Mark Twain Zephyr for an excursion today from St. Louis up the K-Line to Burlington and then eastward to Galesburg. They will return to St. Louis on the 9903 the following day.