Mark Twain Zephyr on the move

[BurlingtonJohn]

Courtesy of the EJ&E and Illini Railists, the Mark Twain Zephyr is on the move as of Thursday, 24 January.  While no specific routing to Granite City is posted, I humbly submit that it would be a dream come true if it could move south on the old CB&Q K Line from Burlington Iowa to St. Louis.

Regards & Everywhere West,

Burlington John

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1027853
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1027863
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1027868
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1027871
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1027880
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1027837
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1027896

[lrfogle]

Sure wish we at Creston could have offered more so that route would be down the "main line"!  Thanks for the great photos!

[vsmith]

If they are considering restoration to operational stauts, then they should plan now to get the crews currently working on the Flying Yankee restoration to work on this one once the Yankee is finished. This should be a very similar project. Depends how complete the set is. 

[bobbygreg]

I am curious, I remember years ago seeing it in the  park where the Old Threshers Reunion is held in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. That was back in the sixties,  where has it been after it was removed from there?   If I remember correctly it looked rough even back then.  Thanks.

[DMUinCT]

  It's For Sale !

www.railmerchants.net   fourth item down, click for full details

[KayBee]

From the Railmerchants.net site:

"Plans are under consideration to move the historic trainset to milepost 256 on the CB&Q Chicago to Denver mainline at Fairfield, Iowa. There it would be displayed and made more accessible to potential buyers."

If anyone finds out where it went please tell!

[EJE818]

It is going to Granite City, IL to be restored and put on display at a new railroad related park there.

[DMUinCT]

 Remember, The Flying Yankee is being restored for operation.

[dkparks]

Don't know when it arrived but I noticed over the weekend it is now sitting in the yard in Madison, IL. You can see it coming off the overpass on Route 203 on the east side. It is in the same yard as the passenger cars that are for sale. (Sorry I don't remember the name of the business).

It appears that they have the lead unit in the work building. I will keep an eye open and if I can get some pictures, I will post them.

[Steve Hughes]

Thanks so much for this info & photos.  20 years ago when I lived in Kansas City I was taking my son to the zoo in Swope Park and took a short cut though a little industrial park, Ford's Crossing, I think.  To my total surprise I saw the *** Joe, Becky Thacher, Huck Finn, & Tom Sawyer sitting next to some industrial building.  No one was around so I stopped & climbed aboard.  The diesel engine was still in the power car & all the stainless steel siding was intact though the steel screws were rusting away.  I am sure I have some photos of it somewhere.  How I wished it could have been displayed at KC's Union Station but that building had not yet been restored.  After I left KC I learned the owner of the train set had died & his estate had sold it for a restaurant in Chicago.  I am not certain of all those reports, but I do remember seeing this wonderful trainset.  I hope where ever she goes, she will receive better care & be properly preserved.  Please continue to keep us posted on the progress on the Mark Twain!  [e-mail]

[LineBear]

The thing that bothers me is that the "Effie Dean" appears to have never existed and was never a part of the consist.  (See  http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1027868 ) 

My theory on this mysterious car is that it appears to me to be the original Pioneer Zephyr car 500, which was on display with the Mark Twain Zephyr consist when it was sitting in vandalized neglect at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.  As to when or even why it acquired the name "Effie Dean", I have no idea.

[lrfogle]

Heard a rumor that one or two of the Zephyr trains were purchased and moved to the Middle East some time ago.  Wonder if that is true and if so, where and who has them?  Are they being used? 

[spyderz343]

Effie Dean is actually my grand mothers name, she was married to my grandfather Albert Dean who was one of the original designers of the Zephyr, that's how the car ended up getting the name.  Hope that helps.

[John WR]

Thanks for the pictures.  You really did a good job letting us see what it there.  Beyond  that, some group sure has its work cut out for them but I'm sure they will succeed.  

[Overmod]

lrfogle

Heard a rumor that one or two of the Zephyr trains were purchased and moved to the Middle East some time ago.  Wonder if that is true and if so, where and who has them?  Are they being used? 

IIRC they are in Saudi Arabia, and I have seen aerial (satellite) imagery that shows at least one trainset.

Story is that someone 'well-connected' had convinced some of the al-Sauds to repatriate the trains, at Saudi expense... but that person died, and further action then ceased.  I'm sure that someone on this forum knows the true details and will either post or provide a link to the information.

I don't think they're in any serious danger of being scrapped, if that helps any...

[dm9538]

This is an interesting post. Since it's almost 5 years since the original post, does anyone know what became of this train. I remember seeing it down in Bloomington IL about 25+/- years ago when a buddy of mine was going to school down there. 

[John WR]

As of October, 2010 the Mark Twain Zephyr is reported to be at Gateway Restoration Services in Madison, IL.  However, it is not being restored.  

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811552.pdf

The train has been rather severely damaged.  It is for sale if you are interested.