I was at LaGrange Road in 1959 when #6315 and #5632 pulled in westbound. The noise and the smoke was unreal and literally buried everything in smoke and steam for blocks around. I also rode the 1964 "Gold" special behind #5632. IMHO It is nothing short of shameful that no CB&Q main line engines, the S-4 and O-5, are even being considered for operational restoration even though many are on static display waiting for the call.
Fantastic! Anyway I could purchase a copy of this on DVD? I was on 3 of these trips with my Dad. The doubleheader with the 6315 and the 5632 in September 6, 1959 when the 6315 bent the eccentric rod and the 5632 pushed the engine and 18 car train to Galesburg. The 4960 and 5632 doubleheader on April 1, 1962 and the 4960 Ottawa trip. Beautiful film that made beautiful memories for me since I just lost my Dad 6 months ago.
Super cool stuff! Grew up in a tiny little hamlet in South Central Iowa that was on a branch of a branch line on the Q. Brings back a lot of memories. Thanks for posting this.
Omg, CB&Q 637 is my favorite locomotive in existence. It used to sit in a park in Aurora a block away from my first house. It was taken away shortly before I was born. But I always admired pictures my parents had of it, and it was always my favorite thing to see at the Illinois Railway Museum. I never would’ve guessed any footage of it actually running existed. Thank you so much for the video!!!
I didn't know 4000 operated for excursions! The poor thing is just sitting in La Crosse now. I actually found recordings of the doubleheader with 6315 & 5632.
FAbulous collection of Burlington greats! You have a 2-10-4 (none were saved), O5a 4-8-4's (a few were saved, but most went to the torch in prime condition), and a Hudson ( several were saved). Great sense of steam power at its best.
My wife's uncle was an engineer on the CB&Q. She has his railroad watch. He ran both steam and diesel. The "Q" ran through my small, home town in western Illinois. I remember seeing the steam freights switching the local stockyard in the late 1940's. I don't remember seeing any of their steam as clean as pictured here. I expect they were running out their final miles before scrapping.
The views here were probably shot in the late 1950s or the early 1960s, after the end of regular steam operation. In the beginning of this video, the engine goes past the coaling tower and has its tender filled with coal by a crane.
Terrific video, really got a kick out of it! I really dig the Q; perhaps I just look in the wrong places, yet it seems that there are more videos of underdog busted railroads (Rock Island is lead example number 1) than the first class operation of the Burlington.
Sweet, I would bid on it had I not just spent a bunch for a new camera. Love the Hannibal stuff. I have been down there quite a bit but now that father in law has passed away I expect we won't go down much anymore.
I read somewhere that along that excursion, the 6315 broke down and 5632 had to pull the whole train and push the disabled engine the rest of the trip. On the clip starting at 2:54, it looks like no piston exhaust is leaving the stack, and if you look closely starting at 3:10, 6315 looks like it's missing it's eccentric rod leaving the end of the eccentric crank exposed. If that's the case, I'm going to assume that 6315 broke down just before that clip.
"Chief Illini," a former Pullman 10S sleeper/lounge car built in 1910 for use on the PRR and SAL. Originally named "Inglehome," it was sold to Maury Klebolt of the University of Illinois' Illini Railroad Club in 1959 (the orange and blue are the colors of the U of I). The IRRC used it on many excursion trips throughout the early 1960s. When the CB&Q steam program shut down in 1966, the club switched to model railroading and the car was donated to the Illinois Railway Museum, where it has been restored to its original appearance.
