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Monday, November 28. 2011Burlington Northern 9908 body work
On Sunday, November 20, we moved the BN 9908, an E9Am, deep into the shop to begin some steel work around the cab and continue interior prep, prime and paint of the floor. Jim West has spent the summer working on sealing up some of the water leaks around the carbody and engine room, and needle chipping, sanding and cleaning the engine room floors, under the cab, and in the nose. It is all primed and is about ready for paint, but needs the heated shop to complete it. E units are pretty close to F units in where they rust and rot around the nose and sides of the cab. Our plan is to spend one month doing as much steel work as we can before other projects will need the same space in the shop and 9908 will have to be moved out. Back in 2006 we were able to do all the same steel work on the CNW 411 in about five weeks. That story is available here in a photo album. After the work is done on the 9908, it will be painted back to its existing green and black scheme for the short term. Sometime in the future, it will be restored back to CB&Q 9976 with stainless steel side panels and will be used as backup power for the Nebraska Zephyr.
Some of the typical places of rust and rot are around the lower base of the nose steel against the anti-climber, and where the sheets were welded together along the beams of the cab side, and all around the nose door. Also around the sand fillers and step wells on both sides. We are starting around the anti-climber and nose door and will work our way backwards as these areas are completed. There are many more photos available than are shown in this blog, and are shown here with the most recent being shown first. This photo album will more than likely be updated more often than the blog, but we'll do our best to keep both up to date. Comments
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I a bit perplexed. Why stsrt another E-unit project while 33C languishes?
#1
MRZ
on
2011-11-28 15:47
(Reply)
The last time I saw the 33C it didnt even have body panels. I'd say its better to tackle the smaller jobs and get the locomotives out there rather than hold up an entire department for one locomotive. When it comes time for 6930's resoration we probably wont be seeing it again for a couple years at least, with all that metal.
#1.1
Adam
on
2012-01-23 19:57
(Reply)
It will be great to see the cleaned up green BN scheme, which is accurate for the locomotive in this configuration. The E9Au is a Chicago commuter classic. There are a couple of CB&Q hybrid restorations that don't look quite right. A Zephyr is just not what it is.
#2
Chris
on
2011-11-28 17:01
(Reply)
When we do go back to CB&Q, all the HEP equipment will be coming off the roof since it has no more HEP equipment inside of it anyway. The side sheets will be changed to stainless, the nose door will get its headlight back, and the pilot will get a couple minor modifications to make it look almost spot on to an E8 that was 9976.
#2.1
James Kolanowski
on
2011-11-28 18:15
(Reply)
Good point Chris. I lived in Chicagoland briefly in 1974 (working on C&NW, living in Schiller Park, near "Q" mainline. Those WSMTD rebuilt E-8s and E-9s were glistening in their shiny green BN paint. It's hard to realize that was 40 years ago. Sometimes, not realizing how NEAR our history is, we seek it FAR away!
#2.2
douglas kydd
on
2014-11-25 11:30
(Reply)
This is terrific news! I remember seeing 9976 in her CB&Q garb, sitting in the weeds outside of the West Burlington Shops with a few of her sisters back in 1976. She had not yet been rebuilt for commuter service on the BN. Can't wait to see her back as the 9976.
#3
Hubert Hanrahan
on
2011-12-09 21:35
(Reply)
My friends and I recently made a trip out to the museum from Chicago specifically to catch a glimpse of this locomotive. It was well worth the trip.
Seeing and hearing it brought back great memories of traveling to the zoo as a kid, celebrating Christmas downtown, and spending all day at the museums. This train may not have the 'national appeal' of the silver CB&Q scheme, but the locomotive as it looks in its BN green is nothing short of a local hero.
The St Louis Trans. Museum recently converted 2 E9AMs back to CB&Q silver and they look great, but the BN 'Chicago Commuter' train is unique. Every family living in the western suburbs anywhere between Chicago to Aurora from 1975-1995 recognizes the train.
Why is the E9AM in the 'Chicago Commuter' setup not considered worth saving?
#4
Jay Greene
on
2012-12-12 02:08
(Reply)
Jay, somewhere in another blog post we explained our plans for 9908 and BN3. Since 9908 is missing its HEP engine and given the work we need to do to it, it is much better suited to have a proper restoration back to CB&Q 9976. The BN-3 is complete as it is, HEP and all, and is better suited to be restored to BN 9919 in the commuter scheme, leaving the BN1 and BN2 to represent the executive scheme. Neither will happen for some time, but that is the plan.
#4.1
Jamie K
on
2012-12-12 03:33
(Reply)
You mean Burlington Northern #9908 will go back to being Chicago Burlington & Quincy #9976 ?
#4.2
Daniel Walton
on
2017-05-16 11:36
(Reply)
Yes, the plan is to have CB&Q 9976 available as an alternate silver locomotive for the Nebraska Zephyr should 9911A be unavailable for service. Since CB&Q 960, the Nebraska Zephyr "Venus" is a coach/power car, The Zephyr does not require a locomotive with head end power (and ran last year with Frisco 1630 up front!). Restoring BN9908 to CB&Q 9976 also adds the availability of a future second "silver train" for operation at IRM or movie location filming while keeping the rare Zephyr safe.
#4.2.1
Mike G.
on
2017-05-21 08:14
(Reply)
I must have missed that post, but thanks for the clarification.
I am really glad to hear plans are in place to save one of the BN commuters. You guys are amazing craftsmen and thanks for all the hard work! Thanks to you, I will be able to bring my kids out to show them the train their Dad rode into Chicago so many times.
#5
Jay Greene
on
2012-12-12 13:53
(Reply)
Is the pilot to the 9908 as-delivered or did it originally have a concealed coupler (I guess you could call it that)? If it had a different pilot, will it be restored to that?
#6
Nick D.
on
2012-12-13 22:24
(Reply)
Nick, the front coupler is the same as built non-retractable design. The pilot, which has a hole for the coupler, was changed during the MK rebuilds. We plan on making some cosmetic modifications when the times comes to have it match a little closer to the as-built pilot.
#6.1
Jamie K
on
2012-12-14 16:26
(Reply)
I honestly am not a fan of repainting the BN-3. There are plenty of BN E9AM's out there that don't need full repainting. Now I understand it costs money to acquire, move and do any necessary fixing and I know that the repainting will not take place for a while but, the BN Executive Trio, in my mind, is one of the coolest preserved items in any museum seeing as it actually pulled BN's Business Trains in the Early and Mid 90's. I do not believe that any other business train power from the 90's is preserved in a museum such as IRM, which makes the BN Executive Trio Unique.
I get that you would want a CB&Q E Unit, and a BN E Unit but there are some ways that can be done without repainting and breaking up the BN Trio.
Obviously I'm not going to complain about it if it happens as it will be nice to see some of that stuff preserved but that is just my .02 cents.
Thanx, Matt
#7
Matt H
on
2017-06-10 00:31
(Reply)
BN1 and BN2 represent the executive fleet well on their own, BN3 was used far less and was 9919 much longer. Another CBQ E unit is a bit excessive at this point.
#7.1
Nick D
on
2017-06-12 19:47
(Reply)
IRM is planning on painting the BN E Unit they have now (the one in the passenger scheme) into a CB&Q. Idk if that's what your referring to as excessive or not.
#7.1.1
Matt
on
2017-06-13 15:09
(Reply)
i think what he means is to give the Executive units some detailing while retaining the Executive Colors, because if you haven't noticed, some of the paint on those engines are starting to rust off and flake off.
#7.2
Raphael
on
2017-06-12 22:56
(Reply)
Did I see a Santa Fe Blue & Yellow GE setting near Barn 4 a couple of weeks ago? If so, what is the story on that unit?
#8
Jerry Pyfer
on
2017-06-13 09:07
(Reply)
You may have seen ATSF 543. That is the only blue & yellow Santa Fe diesel I can think of at IRM. You can search for ATSF 543 on the IRM home page for photos of its arrival and unloading.
#8.1
Mike G.
on
2017-06-20 10:57
(Reply)
A bit more information: ATSF 543 is one of only 3 Fairbanks-Morse H-12-44-TS yard switchers ever built. They had an extended frame and short hood to accommodate a steam generator, and were ordered and used by ATSF exclusively for switching passenger cars at Chicago's Dearborn station. They were retired after ATSF ended passenger service in 1972. Of the three, only 543 escaped the scrapper.
#8.2
Mike G.
on
2017-07-02 07:56
(Reply)
For the BN unit I would keep to when it was work for BN on the metra lines but get some bi levels and take metra off the side of the bi levels and put the BN on them before metra took over
#9
Michael Blecher
on
2017-06-29 13:28
(Reply)
Sorry about running this on the 9908 topic, but I couldn't get a new topic going. Anyway, I do know my diesels and it was not the ATSF FM unit. The view was from the Mainline webcam and the unit set on the last track to the left looking from the camera. I swear it was a six-axle GE C-30-6 type in ATSF blue & yellow. Or, I was seeing things.
Thanks for the reply none the less.
Jerry Pyfer
#9.1
Jerry Pyfer
on
2017-07-08 18:20
(Reply)
It's a Union Pacific GE Dash8-40B #1848. Been on campus for a few years.
#9.1.1
Tom
on
2017-07-10 09:41
(Reply)
UP yellow is quite different that ATSF blue & yellow. This was a six axle unit as well. I will now go away being the only one to see a ATSF GE and a green Martian engineer. Sorry for the bother.
#9.1.1.1
Jerry Pyfer
on
2017-07-12 16:37
(Reply)
Jerry, we only have one six axle GE locomotive, and that's BN 5383 which is very much green and black. The only GE unit that has been in the location you're describing (Track 23) this year is UP 1848, a four axle B40-8.
#9.1.1.1.1
Jeron G
on
2017-07-13 06:02
(Reply)
Its been 14 years guys, where is the unit? Like really? Did you guys misplace it? Or are repairs taking that long? At this point be might we will have it out when Metra gets SD70ACeH or something.
#10
Nick
on
2025-06-12 19:14
(Reply)
A little work was done to it for Diesel Days this year. You'll see photos floating around for the temporary short term job that was done to make it presentable for now.
#10.1
Jamie Kolanowski
on
2025-08-12 12:47
(Reply)
I'll also be doing another update on it soon. Keep en eye out for that.
#10.2
Jamie Kolanowski
on
2025-08-12 12:53
(Reply)
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