Those CB&Q cars would do great in Union, IL. If everything comes to an auction, I hope that's where they end up.

I'm a little confused as to why IRM would need 3 CB&Q power cars. One maybe, but three? Maybe someone could explain that to me.

Les

I think the logic for the power cars boils down to: "They're CB&Q Heritage so they should be back up in Illinois rather than down in Texas." Probably something like that. Don't quote me on that.

There are reports out of Wichita Falls, TX that the city of Wichita Falls is preparing to put quite a bit of the collection of the now closed Wichita Falls Railroad Museum up for sale or donation to clear the real estate which is owned by the city. The Museum of North Texas has put forth a recommendation to keep some of the collection including the 'FW&D steam locomotive, but there will be a number of cars including cabooses for sale or donation, as well as the diesel switch engine. All this based on watching the MNT presentation to the Wichita Falls city council yesterday. The railroad stuff begins at about 1:40 in the presentation. Nothing is said about what they are disposing of, only what they are keeping, but I understand that there is quite a bit or equipment that they are not keeping.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?re ... 8483265850

Equipment Museum of North Texas wants to keep:


Deaccession:

Edit: https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/n ... 406128007/

Here is an archived roster: https://web.archive.org/web/20021223195 ... coroll.htm

Some photo collections from the museum:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archiv ... ?id=114541
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archiv ... ?id=125671

Does anyone know if the alleged ATSF hopper in the one list is actually there and/or worth saving?

This may be it, it was from a set of photos taken by Matthew Zisi mostly at the museum that I posted above: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=4868945

According to this page from the Kansas Historical Society, AT&SF 307949 was among a group of covered hoppers built by Pullman Standard at their Butler, PA plant in 1964. https://www.kshs.org/archives/446856

This would make this car among the first generation of covered hoppers built with larger capacities for grain traffic, setting off a race among the car builders for larger and more efficient covered hopper designs that continues (at a much slower pace) to the present. I don't know what the population is of surviving cars, but this one looks to be complete and in very good condition.

Here is a photo showing the as-delivered paint scheme: http://rr-fallenflags.org/atsf/atsf308087jpa.jpg

Here's my reasoning: these cars have a number of wearable components that are not easily found elsewhere. Having three cars allows for one to be kept as a static interpretive display (or adapted for other use-such as part of the museum's used book store), supplying parts to keep the other two active and preserving the original genset and HVAC components in place. In regards to the operating cars, I suggest refitting one with a modern HEP generator capable of producing 480VAC and both cars with modern HVAC components and standard 480VAC connections. This would provide a greater level of operational reliability that is needed to operate a sealed window coach. This is the best of both worlds when it comes to preserving an important technological stepping stone and offering a demonstration of the travel experience.

Standard 480VAC connections would be necessary if these power cars were used to power a train of former CB&Q Budd bilevels. That opportunity is coming soon as Metra has cars on order to retire the remaining former CB&Q cars. Budd rebuilt the former CB&Q bilevels with 480VAC HEP in 1974 at their Red Lion plant, replacing the DC trainline and Waukesha air-conditioning units that the cars were delivered with—along with other improvements. Many of the CB&Q cars have operated with restored CB&Q letterboards, operating that way with BNSF and Metra lettering since their last major rebuilding in 2005.

Here is a photo of a CB&Q suburban train comprised of 3-bi levels, powered by a power car at the rear, and pulled by an E-5 cycled between intercity assignments: 

https://metra.com/sites/default/files/a ... master.jpg

The use of dedicated power cars gave the CB&Q operational flexibility in rotating locomotives into assignments in suburban service.

Thomas - Thanks for the photo link showing AT&SF 308087 in its original paint, which is an extremely nice scheme. Hopefully some museum will add ATSF 307949 to its collection. Looks like the car could be moved by rail on its own roller bearing trucks.

Les

Does anyone have any updated information on the equipment at the Wichita Falls museum? Have the cars been moved or saved or scrapped or awaiting their fate?

Thanks - David Duncan

Apparently a new group is seeking to operate the museum:

https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/n ... 223782007/
https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/n ... 126091007/
https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/n ... 033989007/

There was a story September 4 about it but it is "only available to subscribers".

The defunct museum's main issue was a quite older and shrinking volunteer base as I recall, we'll see if this proposed new group has what it takes to revive it..

A bit more detail, apparently it will be called The Rail Yard at Depot Square, which sounds like a shopping center to me. https://railfan.com/texas-town-hopes-to ... ad-museum/