Dear Bob Yarger,

A quick Google steered me to you as someone who has considerable knowledge of the early CB&Q Zephyrs, the later E model Zephyrs and the wannabe Zephyrs (Rebel, Flying Yankee, etc.). The publishers of the "Tech" series of books (WarbirdTech, CarTech, etc.) are starting a new series: TrainTech. They've commissioned me to write one of the first books aimed at modelers and rivet counters. I was on one of the creative teams responsible for the Pioneer Zephyr display at the Museum of Science and Industry as team historian. I've written a half-dozen train books, helped the Museum of S&I catalog their Chicago Railroad Fair archive and do museum-quality railroad modeling. I'm looking for anyone who might have construction drawings and photographs of the any of the 9900 series Zephyrs; anyone with constuction diaries, notes, etc of the Winton diesel engine or the shotweld process. I have the Nebraska Zephyr at the Illinols RR Museum and the Burlington archive is at the Newberry Library in Chicago. Any photographs of the operating Zephyrs are appreciated as well.

The Pioneer Zephyr reconstruction company, Northern Steel Car Co., no longer has a Web site, but hopefully the Museum has some of their paperwork. Any leads to resources will help me concentrate on the quality of the book for readers. Your help will be greatly appreciated. You can Google my name and check out our Web site
www.avril1.com, to see this is a legitimate request.

Thanks,

Gerry Souter
847-398-3074
avril1grp@comcast.net


avril1grp@comcast.net

> Dear Gerry,

Out here in California we have the Portola Railroad Museum, that is strong into the Calafornia Zephyr.

They have a couple of the Diesels, a Dome car and perhaps other equipment.

You might want to look over their web site or contact them.

ted_miles@nps.gov

You might want to check with the people restoring the "Flying Yankee". URL is www.flyingyankee.com.

Ed

ff1044@aol.com

I'm looking for anyone who might have construction drawings and photographs of the any of the 9900 series Zephyrs; anyone with constuction diaries notes, etc of the Winton diesel engine or the shotweld process.
> Gerry Souter

In addition to the Nebraska Zephyr, IRM has the EMD Technnical Library and the Pullman Collection. Pullman almost beat the Zephyr to market with a 1932 version of the IC's Green Diamond and the UP's M-10000. I believe the Budd Archives went to the Hagley Museum in Wilmington, Delaware. The Newberry Library in Chicago has the Burlington Railroad Archives -- the Zephyr material is to-recent to be included in their published finding aid, so ask the reference librarian for help. Newberry also has material in their Pullman collection -- they were particularly interested in how the Zephyrs withstood crash impacts and have a good collection of accident reports. Finally, Mark Reutter of the University of Illinois recently gave an excellent talk to the Indiana Historical Soceity on the early Zephyrs--I assume it will appear in Railroad History, of which he is Editor.

fred_ash@bankone.com

> I'm looking for anyone who might have
> construction drawings and photographs of the
> any of the 9900 series Zephyrs; anyone with
> constuction diaries notes, etc of the Winton
> diesel engine or the shotweld process.

> In addition to the Nebraska Zephyr, IRM has
> the EMD Technnical Library and the Pullman
> Collection. Pullman almost beat the Zephyr
> to market with a 1932 version of the IC's
> Green Diamond and the UP's M-10000. I
> believe the Budd Archives went to the Hagley
> Museum in Wilmington, Delaware. The Newberry
> Library in Chicago has the Burlington
> Railroad Archives -- the Zephyr material is
> to-recent to be included in their published
> finding aid, so ask the reference librarian
> for help. Newberry also has material in
> their Pullman collection -- they were
> particularly interested in how the Zephyrs
> withstood crash impacts and have a good
> collection of accident reports. Finally,
> Mark Reutter of the University of Illinois
> recently gave an excellent talk to the
> Indiana Historical Soceity on the early
> Zephyrs--I assume it will appear in Railroad
> History, of which he is Editor.

I would strongly suggest contacting the Burlington Route Historical Society for all things CB&Q. They publish a fantastic "Burlington Bulletin" and I'm sure that one or more of their members could assist you. Please be aware that a book was published about a year ago entitled "Early Zephyrs". Its content is very similar to what you envision for your work.

Don C.

http://www.burlingtonroute.com/
milw261@sbcglobal.net

At the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis we have #9908, "Silver Charger," from the General Pershing Zephyr. This was the last of the "shovel noses" to be built, and has an A1A-2 classification, as only the front truck is powered. The rear portion was a baggage room for the train. You can see a view of it at our web site.



Museum of Transportation
rdgoldfede@aol.com

The Mark Twain Zephyr still exists, though in terrible shape. The link below no longer has photos of it's current condition, but has some good info, and a contact.

Boyd

Mark Twain Zephyr
bowens@rypn.org

> The Pioneer Zephyr reconstruction company,
> Northern Steel Car Co., no longer has a Web
> site, but hopefully the Museum has some of
> their paperwork.

I found a Museum of Science and Industry page that has a link to the website in question, I believe. That site is indeed defunct, but I found an archived version, that, alas, don't seem to have reference to the Pioneer Zephyr. There is some contact information, though, that might be still valid?:



Northern Rail Car Corporation
bilburns1313@tds.net

MSI: The Big Dig Construction Site
bilburns1313@tds.net