| Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad E7 9929B on Train #21, the westbound Twin Cities Zephyr (aka the Morning Zephyr) at Shabbona, Illinois on April 2, 1964, Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler. I am a passenger on the Oregon Way Freight, the last mixed train working out of Eola Illinois to Oregon, Illinois and return. The way freight, an extra train (the orders were written to Extra XXX West, where XXX is the locomotive number), worked the industries between Eola and Oregon, and was also the passenger accommodation, allowing passengers rail travel to points where they could board a Zephyr, or between rural communities on the Burlington's Twin Cities route from Chicago to Savanna and the Twin Cities. I rode this train a few times, and recall one time the way freight stopping at a rural crossing to pick up a woman, who paid her fare in homemade chicken sandwiches. She was let off at the next rural crossing. I got one of the sandwiches, which was delicious of course. She made enough sandwiches for the head-end crew to have some too. |