| Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railroad 600 approaching Spring Road in Elmhurst, Illinois on an unknown date (best guess, 1924-25) and photographer, scanned from a 2¾X4½ print, Chuck Zeiler collection. Number 600 was built by the Niles Car and Manufacturing Company in 1906 as a 52 seat wood-bodied coach number 305. During 1923 the all-steel Pullman coaches were delivered and the CA&E needed a steel (looking) parlor car that would train with the new steel cars. Niles coach 305 and one of the original wood parlor cars named "Florence" were sent through the Wheaton Shops and converted to "steel" parlor buffet cars by attaching steel plate to the wood bodies. The couplers were changed and the 305 emerged as 600 and "Florence" became 601, with 601 retaining its original two traction motors and 600 losing two of its original four. The two new parlor cars operated in this capacity until 1929, when the service was discontinued. Both cars returned to the Shops where they were converted to 53 seat coaches, 600 became 436 and 601 became 435. During 1951 both cars had the remaining traction motors removed and operated until their 1954 retirement as control trailers. |