Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railway coach 137 at Wheaton, Illinois, unknown date and photographer, scanned from a 2¾X4½ print, Chuck Zeiler collection. The date is a best guess, based on the purchase of these cars from the CNS&M in 1946. This car was built by the Jewett Car Company in 1907 as Chicago & Milwaukee Electric Railway (later CNS&M) 137, equipped with four GE73C traction motors in Baldwin 295 trucks, seating for 54 passengers. It was leased (along with #'s 129, 130, 133, and 134) from the CNS&M in 1936 to permit the CA&E to shop its own cars for heavy repairs. The CA&E re-worked the controls, changed the coupler height, installed electric heaters and made them suitable to run in multiple with other CA&E cars. The leased cars were returned to the CNS&M after WWII, and still in CA&E paint, were used for extra moves. They were purchased in 1946 to help with increased traffic on the CA&E, and saw their last service around 1953. Because of a difference in gearing, they were segregated into trains of like construction. |