News and Publicity

For release June 20, 2011

Historic Train to Attend America’s Railroad Celebration in Rock Island, IL

Update July 19: Nebraska Zephyr to offer dinner train service at Train Festival 2011

Update July 19: Track the Nebraska Zephyr via GPS to Rock Island, Illinois

Train Festival 2011 in partnership with the Illinois Railway Museum announces the addition of IRM’s historic train set, the Nebraska Zephyr, to the Train Festival lineup.  The silver Zephyr, a full matching train, will take passengers to Bureau Illinois and return on July 24. This will be the first time the general public will be allowed to ride this train outside Museum grounds since the Zephyr was taken out of regular service in the 1960’s.

Accompanying the Zephyr to Train Festival 2011 will be ex-Chicago & NorthWestern F7 streamlined diesel locomotive and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy SW7 diesel switch locomotive. All locomotives and passenger cars will be on display during the 4 day event.

The Nebraska Zephyr will be on display for visitors to tour during the day. On Sunday July 24, the Zephyr, pulled by the 9911A, will do something it has not done in over 40 years, offer a public excursion for up to 150 people to Bureau, Il and return. The train has run at the Illinois Railway Museum for years and has left the museum rarely for a private charter or movie shoot. This will be the first opportunity for the general public to ride this historic train outside the museum in decades. The train is scheduled to depart Rock Island at 10am and return around 3:30pm. Lunch will be served on the train in the dinning car. Two classes of service will be offered, coach class and premium class. Premium passengers will be treated to a meal prepared on the train by IRM chefs over the original charcoal grill. Coach passengers will receive a gourmet boxed lunch and beverages. Tickets are limited to 120 coach seats at $219 each and 32 premium parlor seats at $329 each. Tickets include the round trip excursion, lunch, a photo run-by, admission to the event and a ride on history. This will be the only excursion offered on the Nebraska Zephyr. Tickets are available at http://trainfestival2011.com/tickets/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=10.

The Nebraska Zephyr, CB&Q E5, CB&Q SW7 and C&NW F7 locomotives will be on display at Train Festival 2011, July 21-24 in Rock Island, IL. The locomotives will join 7 steam locomotives from around the country, Amtrak locomotives, locomotives from the Iowa Interstate Railroad and others on display for public viewing. Excursions are offered each day behind different locomotives pulling historic passenger cars. Excursions run to different locations in Illinois and Iowa. Also offered at Train Festival 2011 are miniature train rides, children’s area, model trains, riverboat excursions, railroad vendors, children’s concerts, and various railroad displays. More information and tickets are available at www.trainfestival2011.com or by calling the Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-747-7800.  

For Information on the Illinois Railway Museum visit www.irm.org
For information on Train Festival 2011 visit www.trainfestival2011.com

Release Contact Info:
Jason Johnson
Chairman – Train Festival 2011
jason@prestigecreative.com
330-339-5100



Information About Trains:

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Nebraska Zephyr
Built in 1936 by Budd

Following the introduction of the highly successful "Pioneer Zephyr" in 1934, the first diesel powered streamlined train, the CB&Q took delivery of this train and an identical sister train in 1936 for use in the then highly lucrative and fiercely competitive Chicago-Minneapolis passenger market. They became known as the "Trains of the Gods and Goddesses", because the cars were named for Greek and Roman deities.

Like the "Pioneer Zephyr" and other early streamlined trains, this train and its sister were complete articulated units which could not be uncoupled except by the repair shops. Unlike the earlier streamliners, however, the locomotives of the 1936 Zephyrs were not integral parts of the trains. This prevented an engine breakdown from requiring an entire train to be removed from service. Articulated trains such as this one fell into disfavor soon after the 1936 Zephyrs were built because of the impossibility of varying train lengths.

The 1936 Zephyrs were replaced on the Twin Cities route by newer streamlined equipment in 1947. This train and its sister both then received the name "Nebraska Zephyr" and were used between Chicago, Omaha and Lincoln. Originally seven cars in length, both trains were reduced to five cars in later years. They were retired in 1968.

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 9255 (EMD SW7)
This operational SW7 switcher was built in 1950. It is a phase II variation that included a redesigned cab window eliminating the curves on the front. It was acquired from the Burlington Northern in 1995 as Davenport, Rock Island and North Western 121, a shortline jointly owned by BN and CP Rail that operated on the site of Train Festival 2011. It was restored at IRM to CB&Q 9255 in 2006 and operates regularly switching the museums yards.

Chicago & North Western 411 (EMD F7A)
This operational F7A was built in 1949 as CNW 4082C. It was acquired in 1999 from Metra as 305 along with Metra 308. It was used in CNW's Chicago commuter service as well as freight service, later being used for work train service on Metra.  It was restored to CNW 411 in 2006, and regularly operates at IRM with restored CNW commuter cars.