Burlington Northern BN-3

BN-3 was originally built as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy E9A #9989A by EMD in January 1956. It became Burlington Northern #9989 after the merger of March 2, 1970. In April 1973 it was rebuilt for Chicago commuter service and became E9AM #9919, the Joseph F. Coyle. At this point, the locomotive technically was owned by Chicago’s West Suburban Mass Transit District and leased to Burlington Northern. The rebuilt E-units were retired from Chicago commuter service in July 1992, and in August #9919 was transferred back to Burlington Northern. It was sent to be repainted and emerged on January 6, 1993 as BN-3. It joined BN-1 and BN-2 in Executive Service until the 1996 BNSF merger, after which it was donated to the Illinois Railway Museum.

Photo by Cliff West

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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.

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