IRM Nebraska Zephyr Glides across Illinois

[kschmidt626]

This past weekend the Illinois Railroad Museum let its Nebraska Zephyr and its E5 run on the BNSF from Chicago to Galesburg and West Quincy and return. The trainset glistened in the bright sunshine both days.

Below are some shots from the weekend. The weather was great both days. The train ran really late on Saturday due to the dispatcher believing that the train started 5 fires along the tracks.

The GPS tracking on the IRM webpage was a great tool.

Thanks to everyone that made the trip possible.

Keith


Westbound Zephyr just south of Buda, IL on 09-22-2012 by kschmidt626, on Flickr


The nose of the E5 on the Zephyr on a bridge at St Augustine IL by kschmidt626, on Flickr


The profile of the Zephyr E5 crossing a rural crossing just south of Saluda IL northbound by kschmidt626, on Flickr


With sunsetting on the Zephyr and the CBQ signals eastbound just outside of Galesburg by kschmidt626, on Flickr


Zephyr E5 crossing over small river just west of Buda IL on 09-23-2012 by kschmidt626, on Flickr


IRM Nebraska Zephyr on Sunday evening eastbound with old CBQ signal behind by kschmidt626, on Flickr

To See More Zephyr Photos check out my Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22338037@N04/sets/72157631616908650/

Keith Schmidt

 

[Sinamox]

Keith, thank you for sharing here. Excellent choices. That shot near Buda has got me right there. Add a Baggage car and it could almost pass for the Nebraska Zephyr. Despite it’s non-stainlessness, IRM’s Havelock Baggage car would be a great addition to this trainset.

Growing up without a railroad outside my window, books defined my early railfan experience. After “The Little Red Caboose”, Bernard Corbin’s “The Burlington in Transition” was my train book growing up. The Zephyrs were cool!

The chance to see a Zephyr back on Q rails, to board this train at C.U.S. is something I never expected. I regret missing it and hope this wasn’t a once in a lifetime chance.

 

[Trainfanne54]

Nice shots.

 

[MargaretSPfan]

Keith: beautiful photos of a gorgeous train!
Sinamox: glad you were able to ride it -- and
it really must have been worth it, so beautiful
and so awesome a train it was, to go so far
to ride it.
Wish I could have been there.....

 

[Silver Racer]

Nice pictures! Add me to the list of people wishing they could've ridden. I managed to get a couple of shots of it at Somonauk, but wasn't able to chase it any further due to time constraints. Plus, I wasn't familiar with the route much past there, and didn't want to drive around and miss it.