BKSX Dome Coach #9544 "Silver Scene" at the Portland Union Station Centennial

Displayed at the 100th Anniversary of Union Station in Portland, Oregon, on May 11, 1996, Dome Coach Silver Scene was built by the Budd Company in 1947 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #4729 for the Twin Cities Zephyr. It became Burlington Northern #5484 and then Amtrak #9544. It was retired in December 1983 and passed through a series of owners, by this time being restored with a California Zephyr letterboard (though this was not a California Zephyr car) and being operated as a RailVentures/Montana Daylight car.

4449 Heads East for Train Festival 2009: Silver Solarium

Continued from Silver Rapids…

Silver Solarium in Wishram, Washington on July 3, 2009

Silver Solarium is a Dome Lounge-Observation built by the Budd Company for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in 1948. The car was assigned #377.

Silver Solarium in Wishram, Washington on July 3, 2009

Silver Solarium for use on the Chicago-Oakland California Zephyr, which was jointly operated by the CB&Q, the Denver & Rio Grande Western and the Western Pacific.

Silver Solarium in Wishram, Washington on July 3, 2009

When CB&Q was merged into Burlington Northern in 1970, Silver Solarium was to become BN #377 but was not relettered before being sold to Amtrak in 1971, where it served as #9252 until its retirement in April 1978.

Silver Solarium in Wishram, Washington on July 3, 2009

Silver Solarium was sold to Nav Fosse's Cedar Rail Enterprises as CREX #377 in November, 1985 and used in charter service.

Silver Solarium in Wishram, Washington on July 3, 2009

Silver Solarium’s current owner, Roy Wullich's Rail Journeys West, purchased it in August, 2002 and leased it to the American Orient Express.

Silver Solarium in Wishram, Washington on July 3, 2009

Silver Solarium was upgraded in 2003 and is now operated in charter service by California Zephyr Railcar Charters.

Silver Solarium in Wishram, Washington on July 3, 2009

Silver Solarium even features a fully-operational California Zephyr neon drumhead.

Continue to Homecoming…

4449 Heads East for Train Festival 2009: Silver Lariat

…Continued from Colonial Crafts.

Silver Lariat in Wishram, Washington on July 3, 2009

Silver Lariat is a Dome Coach built by the Budd Company for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in 1948 for use on the Chicago-Oakland California Zephyr, which was jointly operated by the CB&Q, the Denver & Rio Grande Western and the Western Pacific. The car was assigned #4718. In California Zephyr service, Silver Lariat was originally designated for unescorted women and mothers with young children and was the first dome car in the train, right behind the baggage car.

Silver Lariat in Wishram, Washington on July 3, 2009

When CB&Q was merged into Burlington Northern in 1970, Silver Lariat was to become BN #4682 but was not relettered before being sold to Amtrak in 1971, where it served as #9452 until its retirement in July 1984. Current owners Al Bishop and Burt Hermey purchased the car from Amtrak in 1985 and spent 5 years restoring it.

Silver Lariat in Wishram, Washington on July 3, 2009

Silver Lariat still contains an original California Zephyr mural by Mary Louise Lawser called Pony Express. Silver Lariat is currently operated by California Zephyr Railcar Charters with two other former California Zephyr cars: Silver Rapids and Silver Solarium.

Silver Lariat in Wishram, Washington on July 3, 2009

Continue to Silver Rapids…

Chehalis-Centralia Railroad: CB&Q Boxcar #18288 & Union Pacific Caboose #25479

CB&Q Boxcar #18288

This 40-foot boxcar was formerly Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #18288. It retains its CB&Q paint, but only on one side. The other side was painted as an a advertisement for the tourist train. Today it is stored next to the shop building.

Union Pacific Caboose #25479

This caboose was originally Union Pacific CA-7 caboose #25479. It was built in March of 1959 by the Union Pacific Railroad in their own Omaha shops using a welded steel underframe from the International Car Company and body components from the Youngstown Steel Door Company. It was retired on April 19, 1989 and in May 1989 it was donated to the Centralia College Foundation. In Centralia it was used as a depot for the tourist train. Today it is stored next to the shop building.

Union Pacific Caboose #25479

Continue to Return to Portland…

CB&Q Caboose #13572

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy caboose #13572 was built by the Burlington Route in 1960 at their shops in Havelock, Nebraska. It became Burlington Northern #10343 after the merger on March 2, 1970.

Photo by Cliff West

Continue to Milwaukee Caboose #01984…

CB&Q Nebraska Zephyr

The Nebraska Zephyr trainset was one of two sets built by the Budd Company in 1936. The two sets were originally built as the second Twin Zephyrs, replacing the original 1935 equipment of the service between Chicago and Minneapolis, Minnesota which had been quickly outgrown. These new Twin Zephyrs entered service on December 18, 1936. On November 16, 1947, as new Twin Zephyr equipment entered service, the old trains were reassigned to a new service between Chicago and Lincoln, Nebraska called the Nebraska Zephyr. The original 1800 horsepower shovelnose diesels were replaced with 2000 horsepower E5s like Silver Pilot. The trains were retired in February 1968, though the Nebraska Zephyr service would continue with different equipment until 1971. This set came to the Illinois Railway Museum on September 21, 1968 with Silver Pilot. The other Nebraska Zephyr train was acquired by the Royal Saudi Railroad and is in storage in Saudi Arabia.

Continue to CB&Q Caboose #13572…

CB&Q E5A #9911A Silver Pilot

Silver Pilot is the silver locomotive in the center.

Silver Pilot is an E5A built by General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division (EMD) in 1940 for general passenger service on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (aka the Burlington Route). It produces 2000 horsepower from two 12 cylinder engines. E5 locomotives were purchased only by the Burlington, and were notable for being the only EMD E-units with stainless steel fluting on their sides. Later Burlington passenger locomotives had smooth stainless sides. This locomotive was assigned to the Nebraska Zephyr between Chicago and Lincoln, Nebraska at or shortly after the train’s inception in December 1947. Though the locomotive’s assignment never changed, reshuffling within the CB&Q led to Silver Pilot being owned by Burlington subsidiary Fort Worth & Denver as their #9982A and later becoming #9952A of the Colorado & Southern, another Burlington subsidiary. Silver Pilot was donated to the Illinois Railway Museum with the Nebraska Zephyr on September 21, 1968. Of 11 E5As and 5 cabless E5B boosters, Silver Pilot is the only survivor.

Continue to Milwaukee Road H10-44 #760…