Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad NW2 9209 on the eastbound East End Way Freight (Extra 9209 East to the Dispatcher) at Naperville, Illinois, September 4, 1964, Ektachrome by Chuck Zeiler. This was a pre-war switcher, built in April 1941 (c/n 1290) on EMD Order E376. The Burlington received 17 pre-war NW2's (9203-9219) before EMD was restricted from building switchers by the War Production Board. They were delivered with short exhaust stacks, only a couple of inches above the hood. The Burlington added home made straight stacks, and in this case, added covers to keep the rain and snow out. On the running board ahead of the cab is an enclosure and connected to that enclosure is a box on top of the hood. This was ATS (Automatic Train Stop) equipment required to operate over the C&NW main between Agnew and Sterling. If this locomotive (or 9208) was not available to operate Trains 92 and 93, the CB&Q would pay a fine to the C&NW, and the C&NW would be required to hold its trains east of Sterling and west of Agnew until the Q train cleared the appropriate control point. This locomotive also has class lights installed, required of all CB&Q locomotives used in road service. Engineer Fred Huntley is about to board his charge and back out onto the main and head for Downers Grove, having finished switching Naperville. This locomotive became BN 506 and was retired in May 1983. |