I recently started reading three booklets I have on the evolution of the E-unit, published by the Burlington RRHS (CB&Q, not BN or BNSF). The first tells the evolution and history of CB&Q 9900, the Pioneer Zephyr; the second tells the story of the other original CB&Q "shovel nose" units, and the third goes into the CB&Q, and other roads, working with EMC to develop the first E-units. Glad these people did this pioneering work, as it all resulted in our favorite E's - the SLSF E7's and E8's. The history of the development of the 9900 is fascinating. The unproven, pioneering work by the Budd Company in the use of stainless steel and shot-welding to hold it all together, their race with arch-rival UP to get their respective light streamliners in service; the UP won - they used Pullman Standard, aluminum construction, and switched to a distillate engine (while the CB&Q stayed with the slower developed Winton 201A diesel, obviously the better choice), which allowed the UP to win the race by a few weeks. And something I didn't know - the Texas & Pacific was really the winner, as months before they introduced a Budd-built, fluted stainless steel, gasoline engine powered, two car lightweight (sort of streamlined) train that was a failure as it had a number of design flaws, including the use of Michelin rubber-tired rail wheels on the coach, which were a disaster. Any of you who has visited the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry will recall that the Burlington Pioneer Zephyr is on display there. Anyway, these are a great read; I really like to read of the history of railroad locomotive, and rolling stock, development. I guess it's the engineer in me - at least whatever is left of it! Anybody else reading anything neat? Ken
Not too much from this end. I keep going back to my hardcover Frisco books, and a nice Katy book that I had forgotten that it had stashed away. However, that being said ... I have now watched the TV dvr that I saved from the weekly rr channel program about the development of the diesel locomotive from the mackeen motor car onwards to the FT units. Have watched it at least a dozen times, and will watch it a dozen more times. in a hurry, so hope this makes some sense.
Might try Rock Island Requiem, by Gregory L. Schneider. It's a very good recounting of the Rock Island bankruptcy. GS
This is an interesting site: http://www.railway-technical.com/diesel.shtml Links at the bottom to more technical information and operating manuals for various models.
Actually, Tom, it's the RFD-TV channel. every week Monday at 3 PM out here they show an hour long DV on many different RR's. I have saved about 10 of them to look at ... Drives my wife crazy with all the horns blowing.
I have that channel on my DirecTV serivce- the program's name is "Trains and Locomotives". Comes on at 5:00 PM here, and I have the box set to record every Monday. This past Monday, they had an awesome vid on the Feather River Canyon route, with UP, BNSF and Quincy RR trains, plus the WP motive power at the museum in Portola. Plus, with my son copying every single episode of "South Park" he can find (God alone knows why), I consider it an intellectual balancing-out.
The Feather River program was done by Aaron Bentsen of 7idea productions. He has an entire catalog of programs on Western railroading - IMHO the best on the market. Check out his website 7ideaproductions.com
I just purchased " The St. Louis-San Francisco Transcontinental Railroad" by H.C.Miner. Never seen it before, so I'll see what I get. Not too expensive, so I thought what the heck!! Dan
Mr Miner, who died recently did a great financial history of the Frisco that ends in 1896 when the FRisco emerged from bankruptcy. It is a shame that no serious history has been written to cover the 1896-1980 framework.
