Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad

Former railroad in the Midwestern United States

"Burlington Railroad" redirects here. For other uses, see Burlington Railroad (disambiguation).

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad

Burlington Route system map

Texas Zephyr postcard

Overview
Headquarters| Chicago, Illinois
Founders| John Murray Forbes
James Frederick Joy[1]
Reporting mark| CBQ
Locale| Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
Dates of operation| 1855-1970
Successor| Burlington Northern Railroad
Technical
Track gauge| 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length| 12,000 mi (19,000 km)

The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (reporting mark CBQ) was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, CB&Q, or as the Q,[2][3] it operated extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and also in Texas through subsidiaries Colorado and Southern Railway, Fort Worth and Denver Railway, and Burlington-Rock Island Railroad.[citation needed] Its primary connections included Chicago, Minneapolis–Saint Paul, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Denver. Because of this extensive trackage in the midwest and mountain states, the railroad used the advertising slogans "Everywhere West", "Way of the Zephyrs", and "The Way West".

In 1967, it reported 19,565 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and 723 million passenger miles; corresponding totals for C&S were 1,100 and 10 and for FW&D were 1,466 and 13. At the end of the year, CB&Q operated 8,538 route-miles, C&S operated 708, and FW&D operated 1,362 (these totals may or may not include the former Burlington-Rock Island Railroad). In 1970, it merged with the Northern Pacific Railway and the Great Northern Railway to form the Burlington Northern Railroad.

## History

[edit]

### 1848–1882

[edit]

The earliest predecessor of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, the Aurora Branch Railroad, was chartered by act of the Illinois General Assembly on October 2, 1848. The charter was obtained by citizens of Aurora and Batavia, Illinois, who were concerned that the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad would bypass their towns in favor of West Chicago on its route; at the time, that was the only line running west from Chicago. The Aurora Branch was built from Aurora, through Batavia, to Turner Junction in what is now West Chicago. The line was built with old strap rail and minimal, if any, grading. Using a leased locomotive and cars, the Aurora Branch ran passenger and freight trains from Aurora to Chicago via its own line from Aurora to Turner Junction and one of the G&CU's two tracks east from there to Chicago. The G&CU required the Aurora Branch to turn over 70 percent of their revenue per ton-mile handled on that railroad; as a result, in the mid-1850s, surveys were ordered to determine the best route for a railroad line to Chicago.[4]

The line from Aurora to Chicago was built through the fledgling towns of Naperville, Lisle, Downers Grove, Hinsdale, Berwyn, and the west side of Chicago. It was opened in 1864, and passenger and freight service began. Regular commuter train service started in 1864 and remains operational to this day, making it the oldest surviving regular passenger service in Chicago. Both the original Chicago line, and to a much lesser extent, the old Aurora Branch right of way, are still in regular use today by the Burlington's present successor BNSF Railway.

The company was renamed Chicago and Aurora Railroad on June 22, 1852, and given expanded powers to extend from Aurora to a point north of LaSalle;[5] this extension, to Mendota, was completed on October 20, 1853. Another amendment, passed February 28, 1854, authorized the company to build east from Aurora to Chicago via Naperville, and changed its name to Chicago and Southwestern Railroad.[6] The latter provision was never acted upon,[7] and was repealed by an act of February 14, 1855, which instead reorganized the line as the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.[8] The new railroad was formed by the consolidation of the Chicago and Aurora Railroad, the Central Military Tract, the west end of the Peoria & Oquawka, and the Northern Cross Railroad companies.[9] With a steady acquisition of locomotives, cars, equipment, and trackage, the Burlington Route was able to enter the trade markets in 1862. From that year to date, the railroad and its successors have paid dividends continuously, and never run into debt or defaulted on a loan—the only Class I U.S. railroad for which this is true.

After extensive trackwork was planned, the Aurora Branch changed its name to the Chicago and Aurora Railroad in June 1852,[10] and to Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad in 1856, and shortly reached its two other namesake cities, Burlington, Iowa, and Quincy, Illinois. In 1868 CB&Q completed bridges over the Mississippi River at both Burlington and Quincy, giving the railroad through connections with the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad (B&MR) in Iowa and the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad (H&StJ) in Missouri. In 1860 the H&SJ carried the mail to the Pony Express upon reaching the Missouri River at St. Joseph, Missouri. In 1862 The first Railway Post Office was inaugurated on the H&StJ to sort mail on the trains way across Missouri.

The B&MR continued building west into Nebraska as a separate company, the Burlington & Missouri River Rail Road, founded in 1869. During the summer of 1870 it reached Lincoln, the newly designated capital of Nebraska and by 1872 it reached Kearney, Nebraska. That same year the B&MR across Iowa was absorbed by the CB&Q. By the time the Missouri River bridge at Plattsmouth, Nebraska, was completed the B&MR in Nebraska was well on its way to Denver. That same year, the Nebraska B&MR was purchased by the CB&Q, which completed the line to Denver by 1882.[11][page needed]

Early repair shops for rolling stock were built by the Aurora Branch Railroad in Chicago, but the first true shop site was established at Aurora, Illinois in 1855. These were capable of repairing and building locomotives, freight cars, and passenger cars. Other shop sites were established or inherited from predecessor lines as the system grew. By the early 1900s, the shops at Aurora served the Chicago Division, the shops in Galesburg, Illinois served the Galesburg Division, the shops in Hannibal, Missouri served the St. Louis Division, the shops in West Burlington, Iowa and in Creston, Iowa served the Iowa Division, and the shops in Denver, Colorado served the McCook and Red Cloud Divisions. The latter were the final steam era shops built for the CB&Q, completed in 1922.[12]

### 1882–1901

[edit]

Burlington's rapid expansion after the American Civil War was based upon sound financial management, dominated by John Murray Forbes of Boston and assisted by Charles Elliott Perkins. Perkins was a powerful administrator who eventually forged a system out of previously loosely held affiliates, virtually tripling Burlington's size during his presidency from 1881 to 1901.

Burlington Route system map, 1892. Burlington lines are black; connecting railroads are red.

Ultimately, Perkins believed the Burlington Railroad must be included into a powerful transcontinental system. Though the railroad stretched as far west as Denver and Billings, Montana, it had failed to reach the Pacific Coast during the 1880s and 1890s, when construction was less expensive. Though approached by E. H. Harriman of the Union Pacific Railroad, Perkins felt his railroad was a more natural fit with James J. Hill's Great Northern Railway. With its river line to the Twin Cities, the Burlington Route formed a natural connection between Hill's home town (and headquarters) of St. Paul, Minnesota, and the railroad hub of Chicago. Moreover, Hill was willing to meet Perkins' $200-a-share asking price for the Burlington's stock. By 1900, Hill's Great Northern, in conjunction with the Northern Pacific Railway, held nearly 100 percent of Burlington's stock.

By 1899, the company had rostered 1,205 locomotives, 936 passenger cars and 40,720 freight cars.[13]

In 1901, a rebuffed Harriman tried to gain an indirect influence over the Burlington by launching a stock raid on the Northern Pacific. Though Hill managed to fend off this attack on his nascent system, it led to the creation of the Northern Securities Company, and later, the Northern Securities Co. v. United States ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.

#### Burlington strike of 1888

[edit]

The only major strike in the line's history came in 1888, the Burlington railway strike of 1888. Unlike most strikes, which were based on unskilled workers, this one was based on the highly skilled well-paid engineers and firemen, a challenge to management prerogatives. A settlement would have been much cheaper, but President Perkins was determined to assert ownership rights and destroy the union threat. The fight dragged on 10 months before the financially and emotionally exhausted strikers finally gave up, and Perkins declared a total victory. However, he had spent heavily on strikebreakers, lawsuits, and police protection, hurting the balance sheets and putting the railroad in a poor position to face the nationwide depression of the Panic of 1893.[14][page needed][15][16]

### 1901–1945

[edit]

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4-6-0 steam locomotive 710 on static display at Iron Horse Park.

Following the purchase of the Burlington by GN and NP, expansion continued. In 1908, the CB&Q purchased both the Colorado and Southern Railway and the Fort Worth and Denver Railway, giving it access south to Dallas and the Gulf of Mexico ports in Houston and Galveston.[citation needed] It also extended its reach south in the Mississippi Valley region by opening up a new line from Concord, Illinois, south to Paducah, Kentucky. It was during this period that the Burlington was at its largest, exceeding just over 12,000 route miles in 14 states by the 1920s.[17] With the First World War having the same effect on the railroad as on all other railroads, during the 1920s, the Burlington Route had an increasingly heavy amount of equipment flooding the yards. With the advent of the Great Depression, the CB&Q held a good portion of this for scrap.

In 1929, the CB&Q created a subsidiary, the Burlington Transportation Company, to operate intercity buses in tandem with its railway network. On January 1, 1932, the CB&Q received a new president; former Great Northern Railroad president Ralph Budd.[18] By which time, the CB&Q was facing a decline in passenger ridership from the Depression, and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was exploring ways to help the rail industry improve.[18] Ralph Budd subsequently asked for a streamlined stainless-steel train to be built, and this resulted in the railroad introducing the famous Zephyrs.[18] As early as 1897, the railroad invested in alternatives to steam power, namely, internal-combustion engines. The railroad's shops in Aurora had built a three-horsepower distillate motor in that year, but it was not reliable (requiring a massive 6,000-pound flywheel), and it had issues with overheating (even with the best metals of the day, its cylinder heads and liners would warp and melt in a matter of minutes), so it was therefore deemed impractical. Diesel engines of that era were obese, stationary monsters and were best suited for low-speed, continuous operation.

A Zephyr arriving at East Dubuque, Illinois

It was not reliable for a railroad locomotive; there was no diesel engine suitable for that purpose then. Always innovating, the railroad purchased "doodlebug" gas-electric combine cars from Electro-Motive Corporation (EMC) and built their own, sending them out to do the jobs of a steam locomotive and a single car. After the positive results the doodlebug cars created, and after having purchased and used three General Electric steeple-cab switchers powered by distillate engines, Ralph Budd requested the Winton Engine Company to design and construct a light, powerful diesel engine that could stand the rigors of continuous, unattended daily service.

Burlington locomotive hauling an express freight c. 1967. These locomotives were also used for the Zephyr passenger trains.

The experiences of developing these engines can be summed up shortly by General Motors Research vice-president Charles Kettering: "I do not recall any trouble with the dip stick." Ralph Budd, accused of gambling on diesel power, chirped that "I knew that the GM people were going to see the program through to the very end. Actually, I wasn't taking a gamble at all." The manifestation of this gamble was the eight-cylinder Winton 8-201A engine that powered the Burlington Zephyr (built 1934) on its record-breaking run, and it opened the door for developing the long line of diesel engines that has powered Electro-Motive locomotives for the next seventy years.[19] In 1936, the CB&Q would become one of the founding members of the Trailways Transportation System, and still provides intercity service to this day as Burlington Trailways.[20][21]

1940 was the final year the CB&Q added steam locomotives to their roster, having completed construction on their O-5A class locomotives at the West Burlington, Iowa shops.[22] With their freight traffic weighing 31 million tons that year, the CB&Q saw no further necessity for any more steam or diesel locomotives to be added to their roster.[22] In 1942, following the United States' entrance into World War II, the railroad's freight traffic increased to 49 million tons, with Ralph Budd (now named President Roosevelt's federal transportation commissioner) poised to ensure his company would help the war effort.[18][22] In 1943, the War Production Board authorized EMC (now reincorporated as EMD) to construct sixteen FT locomotives for delivery to the CB&Q the following year, by which time, the road's freight traffic peaked 57 million tons.[22]

### 1945–1970

[edit]

After World War II ended, the CB&Q began ordering additional diesel locomotives from EMD, as part of a $140-million program to dieselize their roster.[22][23] August 31, 1949, was Ralph Budd's final day as president of the railroad before he would retire during that year's Chicago Railroad Fair, and Harry C. Murphy succeeded him in September.[18][23] Dieselization of the CB&Q's commercial passenger operations was completed on September 26, 1952, when the last of the 4-6-2 locomotives that operated for the Chicago-Aurora suburban service were retired; the remaining steam locomotives on the CB&Q were primarily reassigned as freight haulers and yard switchers.[22][24]

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy steam locomotives 4960 and 5632 sitting inside the Clyde Roundhouse on August 22, 1962

The final division on the CB&Q to be fully dieselized was the Beardstown Division in Southern Illinois, where 2-8-2 locomotive No. 4997 worked the last revenue steam assignment for the railroad at Herrin Junction on January 27, 1959. The only major U.S. railroads to operate revenue steam after this date were the Union Pacific, Illinois Central, Nickel Plate Road, Norfolk and Western, Grand Trunk Western, Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range, and Lake Superior and Ishpeming.[25][26]

On July 1, 1965, Harry Murphy retired from his position as president of the CB&Q (he remained on the railroad as a director until October), and former Frisco Railway president Louis W. Menk took over as president and CEO.[23][27][28] During his presidency, Louis Menk explored ways to reduce costs for the CB&Q's passenger operations and to reshape the road's freight operations.[27][28] Passenger service was markedly reduced, as people had shifted to using private automobiles for transportation.[29] In late 1966, Louis Menk became president of the Northern Pacific, leaving William John Quinn in charge of the CB&Q.[28][30]

As the financial situation of American railroading continued to decline throughout the 1960s, forcing restructuring across the country, the CB&Q merged with the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle (SP&S) railroads on March 2, 1970, to form the Burlington Northern Railroad (BN), with Louis Menk serving as the company's first president and CEO (twenty-six years later, the BN and Santa Fe Railroads merged to become the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF)).[29][28] Most passenger operations would be assumed in 1971 by Amtrak.[29]

CB&Q 528, a brand-new EMD SD45 in 1969, with an experimental paint scheme that would later be adopted by the Burlington Northern the following year, albeit in a different form

#### Steam program

[edit]

Beginning in the summer of 1955, the CB&Q hosted a series of occasional steam excursion trains per request of railfan clubs, such as the Illinois Railroad Club.[31][32] Harry C. Murphy was a steam fan who recognized the popularity in steam locomotives, and he authorized additional steam excursion trains to take place on the railroad throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s.[26][33] Twenty-one steam locomotives of varying classes took part in the CB&Q's new steam excursion program, only two of which remained operational by 1961: 2-8-2 No. 4960 and 4-8-4 No. 5632.[33][34] In 1962, the CB&Q's passenger department began sponsoring the excursion runs by offering ticket discounts to paying customers, and the Burlington began to host several school trains for school students.[33][34]

In 1964, steam excursion operations on the railroad had dwindled, in the wake of rising operation and maintenance costs and a loss of experienced steam locomotive mechanics; the only factors that kept the CB&Q's steam program going were public demand and Harry Murphy's passion for steam.[32][35][36][27] In the process of reducing operating costs for the railroad, Harry Murphy's successor, Louis Menk, ordered for the CB&Q's steam excursion program to be shut down by August 1, 1966.[27] Despite a subsequent public outcry and protest over the program's cancellation, the No. 4960 locomotive pulled the railroad's final excursion train on July 17.[35][27]

## The Burlington Zephyrs

[edit]

The passengers, including "Zeph" the burro, that rode the Zephyr on the "Dawn-to-Dusk Dash" gather for a group photo in front of the train after arriving in Chicago on May 26, 1934.The Alton-Burlington Ozark State Zephyr in 1936.

The railroad operated a number of streamlined passenger trains known as the Zephyrs which were one of the most famous and largest fleets of streamliners in the United States. The Burlington Zephyr, the first American diesel-electric powered streamlined passenger train, made its noted "dawn-to-dusk" run from Denver, Colorado, to Chicago, Illinois, on May 26, 1934. On November 11, 1934, the train was put into regularly scheduled service between Lincoln, Nebraska, and Kansas City, Missouri.[37] Although the distinctive, articulated stainless steel trains were well known, and the railroad adopted the "Way of the Zephyrs" advertising slogan, they did not attract passengers back to the rails en masse, and the last one was retired from revenue service with the advent of Amtrak.[38][page needed]

The Zephyr fleet included:[39][page needed][38][page needed]

* Pioneer Zephyr (Lincoln–Omaha–Kansas City)
* Twin Cities Zephyr (Chicago–Minneapolis-St. Paul)
* Mark Twain Zephyr (St. Louis–Burlington)
* Denver Zephyr (Chicago–Denver)
* Nebraska Zephyr (Chicago–Lincoln)
* Sam Houston Zephyr (Houston–Dallas-Ft. Worth)
* Ozark State Zephyr (Kansas City–St. Louis)
* General Pershing Zephyr (Kansas City–St. Louis)
* Silver Streak Zephyr (Kansas City–Omaha–Lincoln)
* Ak-Sar-Ben Zephyr (Chicago–Lincoln)
* Zephyr Rocket (St. Louis–Burlington–Minneapolis-St. Paul), jointly with Rock Island
* Texas Zephyr (Denver–Dallas-Ft. Worth)
* American Royal Zephyr (Chicago–Kansas City)
* Kansas City Zephyr (Chicago–Kansas City)
* California Zephyr (Chicago–Oakland): Chicago–Denver handled by CB&Q; Denver–Salt Lake City by Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad; Salt Lake City–Oakland by Western Pacific Railroad

Other named passenger trains which operated on the Burlington included:[40]

These trains were operated jointly with Northern Pacific Railway and had a different name when they were east or westbound. The club car of the Chicago Limited and the Denver Limited. The train had an eastbound and westbound name.

* Adventureland (Kansas City-Billings)
* Aristocrat (Chicago–Denver): replaced the Colorado Limited[41][42]
* Ak-Sar-Ben (Chicago–Lincoln): replaced Nebraska Limited and replaced by Ak-Sar-Ben Zephyr
* American Royal (Chicago–Kansas City): replaced by the American Royal Zephyr.
* Atlantic Express (Seattle-Tacoma-Chicago): jointly with Northern Pacific Railway
* Black Hawk (Chicago–Twin Cities overnight)
* Buffalo Bill (Denver-Yellowstone) Seasonal tri-weekly service between Denver, and Yellowstone National Park via Cody, Wyoming
* Chicago Limited (Chicago-Denver)
* Coloradoan (Chicago–Denver): replaced by the Aristocrat
* Denver Limited (Denver-Chicago)
* Exposition Flyer (Chicago–Oakland) in conjunction with D&RGW and WP before the launching of the California Zephyr[43]
* Empire Builder: handled Great Northern Railway's flagship between Chicago and Minneapolis
* Fast Mail (Chicago–Lincoln)
* Mainstreeter: handled the Northern Pacific Railway's secondary transcontinental between Chicago and Minneapolis
* Nebraska Limited (Chicago–Lincoln): replaced by the Ak-Sar-Ben
* North Coast Limited: handled Northern Pacific Railway's flagship between Chicago and Minneapolis
* North Pacific Express (Chicago-Seattle-Tacoma): jointly with Northern Pacific Railway
* Overland Express (Chicago-Denver). This train, along with The Aristocrat and the Colorado Limited, were promoted as companion trains to the streamlined Denver Zephyr[41]
* Shoshone: (Denver-Billings) operated between Denver and Billings, Montana; referred to affectionately as "The Night Crawler"
* Western Star: handled the Great Northern Railway's secondary transcontinental between Chicago and Minneapolis
* Zephyr Connection: (Denver-Cheyenne) offered daytime service along Colorado's Front Range between Denver and Cheyenne, Wyoming

The California Zephyr is still operated daily by Amtrak as trains Five (westbound) and Six (eastbound). Another Amtrak train, the Illinois Zephyr, is a modern descendant of the Kansas City Zephyr and the American Royal Zephyr services.[38][page needed]

## Preserved locomotives

[edit]

Multiple locomotives from the Burlington have been preserved, including two Zephyr power units, thirty-five steam locomotives, and thirty-four diesel locomotives.[44][45]

* Pioneer (locomotive) (4-2-0) – It was built by Baldwin in 1837 as the very first steam locomotive to operate in Chicago, Illinois, as well as being the oldest locomotive to be used by the Burlington. It is currently on static display at the Chicago History Museum without a tender.
* Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 4-4-0 steam locomotive 35 on static display at Patee House Museum.35 (A-2 4-4-0) – It has made an appearance at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, as well as the 1939 New York World's Fair(as Union Pacific 119) and the Chicago Railroad Fair in 1948. It is currently on static display at the Patee House Museum in St. Joseph, Missouri.[46]
* 114 (GE U28B) – It has been painted as Transkentucky Transportation Railroad 260\. It is currently awaiting restoration to be repainted back to its Burlington appearance by the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois.[47]
* 504 (EMD SD24) – It is currently operational and used for pulling occasional tourist trains at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union.[48][49]
* 637 (K-2 4-6-0) – It made an appearance at the Chicago Railroad Fair, and was used for pulling the Burlington's excursion trains in the mid-1950s.[50] It is currently on static display at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union.[51]
* 710 (K-4 4-6-0) – It is currently on static display at Iron Horse Park in Lincoln, Nebraska.[52]
* 1548 (G-3 0-6-0) – It is the only Burlington 0-6-0 left to be preserved. It is currently on static display behind Quaker Square in Akron, Ohio.[53]
* 3001 (S-4 4-6-4) – It is currently on static display by a station in Ottumwa, Iowa.[54]
* 3003 (S-4 4-6-4) – It is currently on static display in Burlington, Iowa.[55]
* 3006 (S-4 4-6-4) – It is currently on static display at Colton Park in Galesburg, Illinois.[56]
* 3007 (S-4 4-6-4) – It is currently on static display at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union.[57]
* 4000 Æolus (S-4a 4-6-4) – It was rebuilt as a streamlined locomotive for use as an emergency backup for the Zephyr motor units, and the streamlining was later removed in favor of World War II. It is currently on static display at Copeland Park in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
* 4960 (O-1a 2-8-2) – It was famous for being used in the Burlington's steam excursion program in the 1960s, and it was eventually used to pull tourist trains for the Bristol and Northwestern Railroad. It has been heavily modified, and it is currently operational while being used to pull the Grand Canyon Railway's steam saturday trains between the Grand Canyon National Park and Williams, Arizona.
* 4963 (O-1a 2-8-2) – It was used on the Bevier and Southern Railroad before being used as a spare parts provider for 4960. It has been on static display at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union since 1991.[58][59]
* 4978 (O-1a 2-8-2) – It was formerly on static display in Ottawa, Illinois, and it currently resides by a station in Mendota.[60]
* 4994 (O-1a 2-8-2) – It is currently on static display as Fort Worth and Denver 401 at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.[61]
* 5614 (O-5B 4-8-4) – It is currently on static display at Patee Park in St. Joseph.[62]
* 5629 (O-5B 4-8-4) – It is currently on static display at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, Colorado.
* 5631 (O-5A 4-8-4) – It is on display at a depot in Sheridan, Wyoming.[63]
* 5633 (O-5A 4-8-4) – Currently on static display in Douglas, Wyoming.[64]
* 9146 (EMD SW1) – It went through several ownerships before it became owned by the Gopher State Railway Museum in New Prague, Minnesota. It is currently operational there as Northern States Power Company 4.[65]
* 9255 (EMD SW7) – It is currently operational at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union.[66]
* 9903 Injun Joe (Mark Twain Zephyr power unit) – It went through several ownerships throughout the years. It is currently undergoing restoration by the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad in Trego, Wisconsin.[67]
* 9908 Silver Charger (General Pershing Zephyr power unit) – It is currently on static display at the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis.
* Chicago Burlington and Quincy 9911A at the Illinois Railway Museum9911A Silver Pilot (EMC E5A) – It is currently operational and occasionally used to pull excursion trains at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union.
* 9976 (EMD E9AM) – A It is currently undergoing restoration at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union.[68]
* 9989A (EMD E9A) – A It is currently operational as Burlington Northern 3 at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union.[69]
* Pioneer Zephyr. The original record setting Denver to Chicago train. On display are the engine and all cars at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois. The train is inside the main entrance near the parking garage elevators.[70]

Originally, 5632 (O-5B 4-8-4) was preserved, but later scrapped.

## Innovations

[edit]

The Burlington was a leader in innovation; among its firsts were use of the printing telegraph (1910), train radio communications (1915), streamlined passenger diesel power (1934) and vista-dome coaches (1945). In 1927, the railroad was one of the first to use Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) and by the end of 1957 had equipped 1,500 miles (2,400 km) of its line. It played a central role in bringing air brakes to freight service.[71]

The railroad had one of the first hump classification yards at its Cicero Avenue Yard in Chicago, allowing an operator in a tower to line switches remotely and allowing around-the-clock classification. The company also tested the twin cylinder car.

## Cities platted by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad

[edit]

* Massena, Iowa[72]
* Pacific Junction, Iowa[73]

## See also

[edit]

* Trains portal

* Burlington Refrigerator Express
* History of rail transportation in the United States
* Milo Kendall

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Douglas, George H. (2007). "Joy, James F. (1810–1896)". In Middleton, William D.; Smerk, George M.; Diehl, Roberta L. (eds.). Encyclopedia of North American Railroads. Indiana University Press. p. 569.
2. ^ "Chicago Burlington & Quincy Station". Rock Island Preservation Society. February 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
3. ^ "Burlington & M. R. R. Co. in Nebraska v. Burch; Court of Appeals of Colorado, May 12, 1902". The American and English Railroad Cases: A Collection of All Cases Affecting Railroads of Every Kind, Decided by the Courts of Appellate Jurisdiction in the United States, England, and Canada. Vol. 27\. E. Thompson. 1903. pp. 21–26. Retrieved September 6, 2015 - via Google Books.
4. ^ Newton, A.W. (1948). "Early History of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in Illinois". The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. No. 74\. pp. 7–22\. JSTOR 43520021.
5. ^ Illinois (June 22, 1852). An act to amend the charter of the Aurora Branch Railroad company - via Google Books.
6. ^ Illinois (February 28, 1854). An act to amend the charter of the Chicago and Aurora Railroad Company - via Google Books.
7. ^ Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (1917). Corporate History of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company and Affiliated Companies. p. 8\. "A provision of the Amendment, of date February 28, 1854, which changed the name of this company to 'Chicago and Southwestern Railroad Company,' was never acted upon or recognized by this company."
8. ^ Illinois (February 14, 1855). An act to amend an act entitled 'An act to amend the charter of the Chicago and Aurora Railroad Company', approved February 28, 1854 - via Google Books.
9. ^ Andreas, Alfred Theodore (1884). History of Cook County, Illinois: From the Earliest Period to the Present Time. A.T. Andreas. p. 180.
10. ^ Dorin (1976), p. 9.
11. ^ Daniels, Rudolph L. (2000). Trains across the continent: North American railroad history. Indiana UP.
12. ^ Starr, Timothy. The Back Shop Illustrated, Vol. 2.
13. ^ Evolution of the railway, Triumphs and wonders of the 19th century, A. J. Holman & Co., 1899; p. 645.
14. ^ McMurry (1956).
15. ^ White, Richard (2011). Railroaded: The transcontinental's and the making of modern America. pp. 336–347.
16. ^ Overton (1965), pp. 206–217.
17. ^ Dorin (1976), p. 10.
18. ^ a b c d e "Biography: Ralph Budd". PBS. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
19. ^ "The Pioneer Zephyr". ASME. Archived from the original on October 24, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
20. ^ Schwantes (2003), p. 187.
21. ^ Yago (1984), p. 172.
22. ^ a b c d e f Stagner (1997), p. 3
23. ^ a b c "Harry C. Murphy, Headed Railroad; Was President of Chicago Burlington & Quincy". The New York Times. March 5, 1967. p. 87. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
24. ^ Stagner (1997), p. 7
25. ^ Stagner (1997), p. 4
26. ^ a b Stagner (1997), p. 15
27. ^ a b c d e Stagner (1997), p. 22
28. ^ a b c d Saxon, Wolfgang (November 27, 1999). "Louis Menk, Railroad Executive, Dies at 81". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
29. ^ a b c Lennon, J. Establishing Trails on Rights-of-Way. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of the Interior. p. 50.
30. ^ "William J. Quinn, railroad executive, dies at 104". Chicago Tribune. November 18, 2015. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
31. ^ Stagner (1997), p. 9
32. ^ a b Stowe (1966), p. 3
33. ^ a b c Stowe (1966), p. 4
34. ^ a b Stagner (1997), p. 17
35. ^ a b Stowe (1966), p. 5
36. ^ Stagner (1997), p. 18
37. ^ Donovan, Frank P. (1969). "Way of the Zephyrs". The Palimpsest. Vol. 50, no. 9\. pp. 526–533.
38. ^ a b c Zimmermann (2004).
39. ^ Doughty, Geoffrey H. (2002). Burlington Route: The Early Zephyrs.
40. ^ Dorin (1976) Chapters 2, 4, 5. pp. 14–29, 36–77, 78–90.
41. ^ a b "A Marvelous Vacation in Cool Colorado (ad for the Denver Zephyr)". Life Magazine. April 19, 1937. p. 79. Retrieved February 26, 2012 - via Google Books.
42. ^ Mann, Charles F.A. (September 17, 1935). "Most Powerful Diesel Ready for Rail Service". The Meriden Daily Journal. Retrieved March 28, 2012 - via Google News.
43. ^ "The Scenic Way to California (ad for the Exposition Flyer)". Life Magazine. April 21, 1941. Retrieved February 26, 2012 - via Google Books.
44. ^ "Burlington Route Historical Society – A Roster". www.burlingtonroute.org. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
45. ^ "Burlington Route Historical Society – Roster". www.burlingtonroute.org. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
46. ^ "CBQ A2 #35". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
47. ^ "Historic U28B diesel locomotive acquired". Illinois Railway Museum. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
48. ^ "IRM Photo Gallery :: CB&Q 504 Restoration". www.irm.org. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
49. ^ "Flickriver: Most interesting photos tagged with cbq504". www.flickriver.com. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
50. ^ "Chicago Railroad Fair – www.rgusrail.com". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
51. ^ "Illinois Railway Museum Train Shed – www.rgusrail.com". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
52. ^ "CBQ K-4 #710 – www.rgusrail.com". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
53. ^ "CBQ G-3 #1548 – www.rgusrail.com". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
54. ^ "CBQ S-4 #3001 – www.rgusrail.com". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
55. ^ "CBQ S-4 #3003 – www.rgusrail.com". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
56. ^ "CBQ S-4 #3006 – www.rgusrail.com". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
57. ^ "Illinois Railway Museum Yard – www.rgusrail.com". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
58. ^ "Illinois Railway Museum Train Shed – www.rgusrail.com". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
59. ^ "A Passion for Steam". The Trackside Photographer. March 18, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
60. ^ "CBQ O-1A #4978 – www.rgusrail.com". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
61. ^ "CBQ O1-A #4994 – www.rgusrail.com". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
62. ^ "CBQ O-5a #5614 – www.rgusrail.com". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
63. ^ "CBQ O-5A #5631". rgusrail.com. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
64. ^ "CBQ O-5A #5633 – www.rgusrail.com". www.rgusrail.com. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
65. ^ "Gopher State Railway Museum – Roster of Equipment". www.gsrm.org. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
66. ^ "IRM Roster – Chicago Burlington & Quincy 9255". www.irm.org. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
67. ^ "Pictures of CBQ 9903". www.rrpicturearchives.net. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
68. ^ "Chicago Burlington & Quincy 9976". Illinois Railway Museum. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
69. ^ "IRM Roster – A Burlington Northern BN-3". www.irm.org. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
70. ^ "What's Here, exhibits, Pioneer Zephyr".
71. ^ Steven W. Usselman, "Air brakes for freight trains: technological innovation in the American railroad industry, 1869–1900." Business History Review 58.1 (1984): 30–50.
72. ^ 2018–2019 Cass County Fact Book (PDF). Atlantic News Telegraph. p. 20. `{{cite book}}`: `|website=` ignored (help)
73. ^ History of Mills County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, Etc. State Historical Company. 1881. p. 590 - via Google Books.

## References

[edit]

* Dorin, Patrick C. (1976). Everywhere West: The Burlington Route. Seattle, Wash.: Superior Publishing Company. ISBN 0-87564-523-2. LCCN 76017317. OCLC 2225153.
* McMurry, Donald L. (1956). The Great Burlington strike of 1888: a case history in labor relations. Harvard UP.
* Overton, Richard C. (1965). Burlington Route, a History of the Burlington Lines. New York: Knopf.
* Schwantes, Carlos A. (2003). Going Places: transportation Redefines the Twentieth-century West. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-34202-3 - via Google Books.
* Stowe, J. A. (1966). The Northern and the Mike: A Tale of Two Locomotives. Illinois Railroad Club.
* Stagner, Lloyd (1997). Burlington Route Steam Finale. David City, Nebraska: South Platte Press. ISBN 0-942035-38-0.
* Yago, Glenn (1984). The Decline of Transit: Urban Transportation in German and U.S. Cities, 1900–1970. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-25633-X - via Archive.org.
* Zimmermann, Karl (2004). Burlington's Zephyrs. Saint Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-7603-1856-0.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Black, Paul V. "The Development of Management Personnel Policies on the Burlington Railroad, 1860–1900" (PhD dissertation, University of Wisconsin – A Madison; ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 1972. 7309185).
* Black, Paul V. "Reluctant Paternalism: Employee Relief Activities of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in the 19th Century." Business and Economic History (1977): 120–134. online
* Bryant, Keith L. Jr., ed. (1990). Encyclopedia of American Business History and Biography, Railroads in the Twentieth Century. New York: Facts on File. ISBN 978-0816013715.
* Frey, Robert L., ed. (1988). Encyclopedia of American Business History and Biography, Railroads in the Nineteenth Century. New York: Facts on File. ISBN 978-0816020126.
* Hidy, Ralph W.; et al. (1988). The Great Northern Railway, A History. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
* Jones, C. Clyde. "The Burlington Railroad and Agricultural Policy in the 1920's." Agricultural History 31.4 (1957): 67–74. JSTOR 3740487
* Kinbacher, Kurt E., and William G. Thomas. "Shaping Nebraska: An Analysis of Railroad and Land Sales, 1870–1880." Great Plains Quarterly 28.3 (2008): 191–207. online
* Klein, Maury (2000). The Life and Legend of E.H. Harriman. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0807865538.
* Larson, John L. (2001). Bonds of Enterprise: John Murray Forbes and Western Development in America's Railway Age (expanded ed.). Iowa City: University of Iowa Press. ISBN 978-0877457640.
* Martin, Albro (1976). James J. Hill and the Opening of the Northwest. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0873512619.
* Miller, George H. "Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Company v. Iowa." Iowa Journal of History 54.4 (1956). online
* Newton, A. W. "Early History of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in Illinois." The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin 74 (1948): 7–22. JSTOR 43520021

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.

* Burlington Route Historical Society
* North American Railroad Slogans
* Pioneer Zephyr Exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry
* California Zephyr Virtual Museum
* The CB&Q Mark Twain Zephyr
* Streamliners: America's Lost Trains Archived June 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine - The American Experience
* The Northern Securities Decision Northern Securities Co. v. United States at Cornell Law School's Supreme Court Collection.
* Illinois Railroads as of 1850
* List and Family Trees of North American Railroads
* Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad Company Records at the Newberry Library

* v
* t
* e

Named trains of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad

Zephyrs|

* Advance Texas Zephyrs
* Afternoon Zephyr
* Ak-Sar-Ben Zephyr
* American Royal Zephyr
* California Zephyr
* Denver Zephyr
* General Pershing Zephyr
* Kansas City Zephyr
* Mark Twain Zephyr
* Morning Zephyr
* Nebraska Zephyr
* Ozark State Zephyr
* Pioneer Zephyr
* Sam Houston Zephyr
* Silver Streak Zephyr
* Texas Zephyr
* Twin Cities Zephyr
* Zephyr Connection
* Zephyr Rocket

Other named trains|

* Adventureland
* Ak-Sar-Ben
* American Royal
* Aristocat
* Atlantic Coast Limited
* Black Hawk
* The Buffalo Bill
* Chicago Limited
* Chicago-Nebraska Limited
* Colorado Limited
* Denver Limited
* Exposition Flyer
* Fast Mail
* General Custer
* Gulf Coast Special
* Minnesota Limited
* Missouri Limited
* Nebraska-Chicago Limited
* Night Hawk
* Overland Express
* Shoshone
* St. Louis Limited
* Texas Rocket
* Twin City Limited
* Yellowstone Park Train

Operated with GN & NP|

* Atlantic Express
* Empire Builder
* Great Northern Express
* Mainstreeter
* Mississippi Valley Express
* North Coast Limited
* Northern Pacific Express
* Oriental Limited
* Pacific Express
* Puget Sound Express
* Southeast Express
* Western Star

* v
* t
* e

Rail transit in the Chicago metropolitan area

* Chicago Union Station
* LaSalle Street Station
* Millennium Station
* Ogilvie Transportation Center

Rapid transit|

* Chicago "L"
* Red Line
* Blue Line
* Green Line
* Brown Line
* Orange Line
* Purple Line
* Yellow Line
* Pink Line
* Loop

Commuter rail|

| Current
services|

* Metra
* Heritage Corridor
* Milwaukee District North
* Milwaukee District West
* North Central Service
* SouthWest Service
* Rock Island District
* Metra Electric District
* Union Pacific North Line
* Union Pacific Northwest Line
* Union Pacific West Line
* BNSF Railway
* BNSF Line
* NICTD
* South Shore Line

|

Former
services|

* Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (Chicago–Joliet)
* Calumet
* Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad (Chicago–Momence)
* Chicago and Erie Railroad (Chicago–Rochester)
* Chicago and North Western Railroad (Chicago–St. Charles/Aurora/Freeport/Crystal Lake, Kenosha–Harvard)
* Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad (Chicago–Dolton)
* Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (Aurora–West Chicago, Aurora–Geneva)
* Chicago Great Western Railway (Chicago–DeKalb)
* Grand Trunk Western Railroad (Chicago–Valparaiso)
* Illinois Central West Line
* New York Central Railroad (Chicago–Elkhart, Gary–Joliet)
* Pennsylvania Railroad (Chicago–East Chicago, Chicago–Crown Point, Chicago–Valparaiso),

Streetcar|

* Kenosha Streetcar
* Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric
* Chicago and West Towns Railway
* Chicago City Railway
* Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
* Chicago Surface Lines
* Evanston Railway Company
* Gary Railways
* Hammond, Whiting and East Chicago Railway

Interurban|

* South Shore Line
* Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric
* Aurora, Plainfield and Joliet Railroad
* Chicago and Interurban Traction Company
* Chicago and Joliet Electric Railway
* Chicago, Aurora and DeKalb Railroad
* Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad
* Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
* Chicago, Ottawa and Peoria Railway
* Elgin and Belvidere Electric Company
* Fox and Illinois Union Railway
* Joliet and Eastern Traction Company
* Woodstock and Sycamore Traction Company

Inter-city|

* Amtrak
* List of historical intercity services

People mover|

* Airport Transit System

Agencies|

* Chicago Transit Authority
* Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District
* Regional Transportation Authority
* Kenosha Area Transit

Italics denote lines or services which are no longer in operation.

* v
* t
* e

Class I railroads of North America

Current|

| United States|

* AMTK
* BNSF
* CN (GTC)
* CPKC
* KCS
* SOO
* CSX
* NS
* UP

|

Canada|

* CN
* CPKC
* CP
* VIA

Mexico|

* CPKC
* KCSM
* FXE

Former|

| 1956–present|

* AA
* ACL
* AC&Y
* AGS
* ASAB
* AT&N
* AT&SF
* AUT
* A&WP
* B&AR
* B&M
* BN
* B&O
* CAR&NW
* CB&Q
* C&EI
* CG
* CGW
* C&IM
* CNJ
* CNO&TP
* C&NW
* C&O
* CPME
* CR
* CRR
* C&S
* CS
* CSPM&O
* CV
* C&W
* C&WC
* DH
* DL&W
* DM&IR
* D&RGW
* DSS&A
* DT&I
* D&TSL
* DW&P
* EJ&E
* EL
* ERIE
* FEC
* FW&D
* GA
* GB&W
* G&F
* GM&O
* GN
* GS&F
* GTW
* IC
* ICG
* ITC
* KO&G
* L&A
* L&HR
* LI
* L&M
* L&N
* L&NE
* LS&I
* LV
* MEC
* MGA
* MI
* MILW/CMStP&P
* MIS
* MKT
* MN&S
* MON
* MP
* M&STL
* NC&STL
* NH
* NKP/ NYC&StL
* NYS&W
* NO&NE
* NP
* NS
* N&W
* NWP
* NYC
* NYCN
* NYO&W
* PC
* P&LE
* P&N
* PRR
* PRSL
* P&WV
* RDG
* RF&P
* RUT
* QA&P
* RI/CRIP
* S&A
* SAL
* SBD
* SCL
* SD&AE
* SI
* SIRT
* SLSF
* SLSFTX
* SN
* SOO/MStP&SSM
* SOU
* SP
* SP&S
* SSW
* TC
* TFM
* TM
* T&NO
* T&P
* TP&W
* VGN
* WA
* WAB
* WC
* WM
* WP

|

pre-1956|

* A
* AB&A
* AB&C
* AC
* A&D
* A&STL
* BA&P
* BC&A
* B&G
* BRI
* BR&P
* B&S
* BSL&W
* C&A
* CA&C
* C&C
* CCC&STL
* C&E
* C&G
* CH&D
* C&I
* CINN
* CI&S
* CI&W
* CL&N
* CM
* CM&PS
* CNE
* CNNE
* CNOR
* CP&STL
* CPVT
* CRI&G
* CR&NW
* CRP
* CVRR
* DGH&M
* D&IR
* D&M
* DM&N
* DNW&P
* D&SL
* EP&SW
* E&TH
* F&CC
* FJ&G
* FS&W
* FW&RG
* GC&SF
* GH&SA
* GM&N
* GR&I
* G&SI
* HE&WT
* H&TC
* HV
* ICRY
* IGN
* KCM&O
* KCM&OTX
* LA&SL
* LE&W
* LS&MS
* MC
* MD&V
* M&I
* M&NA
* M&O
* MSC
* MTR
* MV
* NCRY
* NJ&NY
* NN
* NOT&M
* NYP&N
* OCAA
* OE
* OR&L
* OSL
* OWRN
* PB&W
* PCC&STL
* PCO
* PE
* P&E
* PM
* PRDG
* P&S
* P&SF
* PS&N
* SA&AP
* SB&NY
* SD&A
* SFP&P
* S&IE
* SJ&GI
* SLB&M
* SLIM&S
* SOUMS
* SSWTX
* T&BV
* T&FS
* T&N
* T&OC
* TSTL&W
* U&D
* UTAH
* VAND
* VS&P
* WJ&S
* W&LE
* WPT
* WSN
* WV
* Y&MV

Timeline|

* 1910–1929
* 1930–1976
* 1977–present

Railroads in italics meet the revenue specifications for Class I status, but are not technically Class I railroads due to being passenger-only railroads with no freight component.

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

Other|

* Yale LUX

*[c.]: circa
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template