| Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad observation 226, named JUPITER westbound at Naperville, Illinois on October 14, 1963, photograph by Chuck Zeiler. This was train # 11, the Nebraska Zephyr which carried mostly storage mail, but also included passenger accommodations. Pictured is the seven-car articulated trainset built in 1936 for the second Twin Cities Zephyr. It was displaced in 1948 by the third Twin Cities Zephyr. Known as the Train of the Gods ( in keeping with Zephyr, which was based on Zephyrus, Greek god of the West Wind ), the car names were chosen from Roman and Greek mythology, and another similar trainset was known as Train of the Goddesses. Two months after this photo date, this trainset would be withdrawn and two cars removed. It would continue to serve as the Nebraska Zephyr passenger accommodations until January 21, 1968. The Train of the Gods was sold to Saudia Arabia, but did not fare well in the sandy desert conditions. It is rumored to still be in Saudia Arabia. The Train of the Goddesses went to the Illinois Railway Museum. |