Car 411, the only half-motor Pullman and the only one that had Baldwin trucks, sits in Wheaton Yard on March 14, 1957. Behind it is ex-Washington Baltimore & Annapolis combine 700.
Photo from the collection of Jay Williams
Ex-WB&A car 600 sits in front of a Pullman in Wheaton yard on April 13, 1946. The car bears the Sunset Lines logo in the variant of the blue and grey scheme without the light stripe along bottom of the car.
Photo from the Van Dusen Collection
Photo No. ILL-22, IRM.
Sandwiched between two motor cars is 701 in the "early American" scheme with the Sunset Lines logo. The baggage door seen here, which was not used on the CA&E, is left over from service on the Washington Baltimore & Annapolis where this car served as combine. The baggage compartment was converted into passenger space with the instalation of bench seats arranged longitudinally against the door.
Photo from the Van Dusen Collection
Illinois Railway Museum, Photo No. ILL-23.
A solitary ex-WB&A car sits in Wheaton Yard. A caboose is on the right.
Photo by Jim Dyer
Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis car 35 is seen after its arrival at Wheaton yard in April of 1937. In short order it will be rebuilt for CA&E service. Upon completion, it will be renumbered as the 600.
Photo by Ed Frank Jr., from the collection of Don Ross
600 (with 702 behind it) is coupled and MUed to a Pullman in Wheaton yard on July 3, 1949. Standard practice called for having one motor car for every trailer in a train meaning that there is at least one other motor car outside of the frame to balance out the two non-motored ex-WB&A cars.
Photo from the collection of Don Ross
The remains of 602 and 103 behind it (seen here) are in Wheaton yard on April 14, 1952. Due to the fire dammage, the arched upper sash—covered over when the car was rebuilt for CA&E service—is once again exposed. Interestingly, 602 was the first of this series to enter service on the CA&E and also the first of this series to be removed from service.
Photo by Don Ross
603 is in Wheaton yard on July 3, 1949. The two people in the car and the attached jumpers suggest that this car has either recently come from service or is about to be added to a train.
Photo from the collection of Don Ross
WB&A 80 is in Wheaton yard awaiting reconstruction to become CA&E 700. As the car has not yet been given equipment to collect power from the third rail, the truck sideframes are easily seen. Other external changes that await it are the removal of its trolley poles and the addition of windows to the baggage door.
Photo by Ed Frank Jr., from the collection of Don Ross
The lack of motors on the ex-WB&A cars meant that a train with them as part of the consist had less power (and was therefore slower) than a train equipped with all motor cars. This had earned them the nickname “the sinkers” among train crews. Here 700 and another sinker are in Wheaton yard in August of 1953.
Photo from the collection of Don Ross
The 700 is seen in Wheaton yard in the 1950s. By this time the car has been painted into the red and blue-gray scheme of the railroad’s final years. Although these cars lacked motors, they were fitted with control equipment and were sometimes used at the front of trains. The roller curtain on this car indicates that during the last time it was used as such, it was on the head-end of a Chicago limited.
Photo from the collection of Don Ross
The bus (electrical) and buzzer jumpers dangle from the recpticle above the end door of the 701 which is in Wheaton yard in June of 1948. Interestingly, the MU jumper (located beneath the anticlimber to the left of the steps) is not connected. Note the backs of the longitudinally arranged seats installed in the baggage compartment through the windows on the baggage door.
Photo from the collection of Don Ross
Car 82 has arrived in Wheaton yard fresh from the WB&A as seen in August of 1937. This car will shortly become Chicago Aurora & Elgin 702. The arched, stained glass, upper sash windows—while popular at the time of construction—are now dated and will be covered over during reconstruction to give the car a more modern appearance.
Photo by Ed Frank Jr., from the collection of Don Ross
On a wintery day the 702 waits between runs in a snow covered Wheaton yard in this undated photo. The car has yet to be repained into the red and blue-gray scheme and the Washington blue livery it wears is well worn. Unlike on the Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis where these cars ran in service trained with wooden cars, the 702 is mechanically and electrically incapable of operating with the wooden car seen behind it.
Photo from the collection of Don Ross
