Burlington's Mark Twain Zephyr

[buzz]

Does anyone know whatever happen to the Mark Twain Zephyr? The last I heard was that it had been moved from Mount Pleasant,IA to Kansas City or Kansas. Does it still exist? I had the pleasure of riding it many times during my highschool years from Quincy to Burlington to Chicago. Buzz

[HemiAdda2d]

Welcome aboard, Buzz!!
I never had a chance to ride any of the great streamliners of the 50's... My parents were but toddlers back then... :rolleyes:

[Larry E Shankles]

Here is a site with the history of the MTZ but it does not have the latest developement

http://www.gatewaynmra.org/articles/mt-zephyr.htm

The MTZ is now for sale, see below for history (same as site above) and current status

http://www.railmerchants.net/mt-zephyr.htm

[The Rocket]

One of the CB&Q Zephyrs is located inside the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

It is setup as a walk thru display where you can press a button at stategic locations and hear about the history of it. Very interesting!

Definitely worth the time if you every get around the Chicago metro area.

[buzz]

Yes, that is the Pioneer Zephyr on display at the Museum of S.& I. I've been through it several times. Neat!

Larry,
I checked out both sites. They mentioned that the CB&Q had to find a way to turn the train at Burlington,IA. They resolved this problem by building a wye about a mile below (compass-south) Burlington into a "crevice" in the river bluff (low hill). I remember the zephyr stopping for the "brakie" to throw the switch into the wye, then slowly head in towards the leg, stop, throw the leg switch behind the observation car and back slowly to the Burlington station at which time the train was heading compass south. When I road the Mark Twain Zephyr (circa 1948), they would then run east across the Mississippi river bridge at Burlington to Galesburg and Chicago. One of the reasons for this movement was that the tracks were too close to the river to build any reasonable curve to the east. Buzz

[ 02. March 2004, 01:38: Message edited by: buzz ]

[smurf764]

Buzz,

The Pioneer Zephyr was up here in Milwaukee being restored a couple of years ago. (It was at Northern Railcar.)

I talked to the manager of the project. He said that they wanted to restore the prime mover of the unit, but the museum refused stating that they didn't want to take a chanch of it being hit. That really would have been cool seeing the PZ under its own power :D

[HemiAdda2d]

Indeed I would be drooling....
And chasing it!!!

[BoxcabE50]

Originally posted by smurf764:
I talked to the manager of the project. He said that they wanted to restore the prime mover of the unit, but the museum refused stating that they didn't want to take a chanch of it being hit. That really would have been cool seeing the PZ under its own power :D It certainly would be very graemlins/cool.gif

Not exactly certain that I understand their logic. How was this unit moved to the place of restoration? Wasn't there danger in that transit? Seems as though returning under it's own power couldn't be much more hazardous.

:D

Boxcab E50

[clutch cargo]

Actually, the zephyr at the Chicago museum is not the Mark Twain. The Mark Twain is stored here in Illinois and actually is for sale. Clutch

[BoxcabE50]

From what I've read, it's in the vicinity of Joliet, Illinois?

So it's for sale? Has the current owner given up on raising funds for restoration?

:D

Boxcab E50

[Lurch]

You probably already know - but just in case.... Through 2006 and part of 2007, the MTZ was stored in a small town near Joliet. Minooka. This makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, since I've spent a fair bit of time there - my mother's parents lived there.

Last I heard, the MTZ was being moved to .. Fairfield IA. Should be there by now.

Now, for MY question: Does anybody have floor plans for the MYZ?

Thanks

[HemiAdda2d]

Welcome aboard, Lurch!
I cannot assist with floor plans, but I'll bet the CB&Q historical society (or whatever its name is) would!

[BoxcabE50]

You probably already know - but just in case.... Through 2006 and part of 2007, the MTZ was stored in a small town near Joliet. Minooka. This makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, since I've spent a fair bit of time there - my mother's parents lived there.

This worries me. I am guessing it's a very bad place to keep something this precious. So, sure hope it has been moved by now.

:eek:

Boxcab E50

[Lurch]

This worries me. I am guessing it's a very bad place to keep something this precious. So, sure hope it has been moved by now.

:eek:

Boxcab E50

well, Minooka is a pretty nice place; "close to Joliet" is relative - as I recall it's something like 15-20 miles west. Opposite direction from Chicago.

Fairfield, IA... well, it's Iowa. Nobody lives in Iowa :D, so the trainset should be relatively safe there.

Fortunately (or .. well, unfortunately, depends on your point of view at the time), not all that many people consider something like this "precious". Myself, even though I never got a chance to ride one of the Z's, I consider them priceless. But then, I'm a complete sucker for the whole art-deco and post art-deco era.

Regarding my original request for floorplans.. I'd already emailed CBQ historical sociaety a couple times asking for any information. To date, I've not received any reply at all, so I'm writing them off as a bust and looking elsewhere.

[BoxcabE50]

Regarding my original request for floorplans.. I'd already emailed CBQ historical sociaety a couple times asking for any information. To date, I've not received any reply at all, so I'm writing them off as a bust and looking elsewhere.

That's a shame. Sorry to hear about the non-response. Hope you can find what you need!

Boxcab E50

[pjern]

I was one of the appraisers on the Mark Twain Zephyr when It sat in Swope Park in 1983. I just found the slides I took back then, and have put them up on Flickr at Mark Twain Zephyr 1983 - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/pjern/sets/72157606826691997/)

[HemiAdda2d]

Welcome to TB, pjern! Good to have you with us!:D:D
Considering by that time the trainset was almost 50 years old then, times sure has taken its toll on the MTZ. The interior shots of the framework used to construct the stainless beauties is was was neatest for me. I never knew how these lightweight sets were structually built.

[RFE]

Actually, the zephyr at the Chicago museum is not the Mark Twain. The Mark Twain is stored here in Illinois and actually is for sale. Clutch


Yes It is all disassembled and the car bodies and setting out (open) on ties in Madison Illinois It can be seen from the road (Edwardsville road Rt 203).

You can get real close to it from the parking lot of the mini warehouses there.

Don't look good for it.

[Bob Weber]

Does anyone know whatever happen to the Mark Twain Zephyr? The last I heard was that it had been moved from Mount Pleasant,IA to Kansas City or Kansas. Does it still exist? I had the pleasure of riding it many times during my highschool years from Quincy to Burlington to Chicago. Buzz

Buzz, et al

The Mark Twain Zephyr is safe at at Gateway Rail in Madison, IL. Restoration plans are being made. You may find pix in the IRM website.

IRM Photo Gallery :: Mark Twain Zephyr
(http://www.irm.org/gallery/Mark-Twain-Zephyr)

If you are really intersted in more photos, might I suggest you access the CB&Q Yahoo Groups at: CBQ : CBQ (http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/CBQ/)