CNW Keeler Ave., Chicago, IL, Sept. 14, 1983, photo by Chuck Zeiler

Chicago and North Western (C&NW), Keeler Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, September 14, 1983, photo by Chuck Zeiler

What I know so far:

This was Keeler Avenue in Chicago, but it also went by the name 40th Street Shops, and I'm trying to get to the bottom of that.

Left to right:

C&NW #503 was built as UP E2B 984C (originally, #LA3, c/n 743, EMC order number E158B, built October 1937), rebuilt by EMD in March 1953 to E8B 925B, and after Amtrak took over rail passenger service, B-units were not in demand, and the C&NW picked up a few, this one entered C&NW service June 5, 1973. The C&NW added a homemade cab (Crandall Cab), and put the E-8Bm in commuter service. See this link for more info:

http://www.utahrails.net/cnw/cnw03.php#501-e8

C&NW #400 is an Executive F, and yes that is a different yellow paint than the other units have. It would appear that this was the 2nd #400, delivered October 1949 to the C&NW as F-7 #4084C (c/n 8573), retired January 8, 1985. Here's a link to more info on #400:

http://www.utahrails.net/cnw/cnw02.php#400-2-f7a

The next two (#'s 406 and 413) are work-a-day commuter F-7's.

The C&NW #406 pictured was actually the 3rd #406. The first was Minneapolis & St. Louis (M&StL) F-7A #150A, and the second was Litchfield & Madison (L&M) RS-3 #301, later #905. This one was built as C&NW F-7A #4086A in December 1949 (c/n 8576 on EMD order E1188A), retired December 31, 1977, sold to the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and leased back to the C&NW the very next day, January 1, 1978, retired from the RTA May 2, 1983. So, if this photo was shot on the date I say, and the records at the link below are correct, there might be more research in order.

http://utahrails.net/cnw/cnw03.php#406-3-f7a

C&NW #413 is the 2nd #413, the first being M&StL F-7 #151C, retired in 1963. The one pictured above was delivered to the C&NW as #4083A (c/n 8750 on EMD order E1188A) in December 1949, renumbered December 1971. It was retired from the C&NW December 31, 1977, sold the the RTA, and leased back to the C&NW the next day. Utahrails.net lists it as retired from the RTA on May 2, 1983, but feel pretty good about the date of the photo, so perhaps some sort of arrangement took place to keep it on the road a bit longer. See the link for #406.

At the time of this photo, the C&NW was "Employee Owned", and the C&NW's Bar and Ball logo at the top of the building appears to have been adjusted accordingly.