Canadian National 102

Canadian National 102. . , In the 1950s and 1960s, sleek, streamlined passenger trains crisscrossed America, transporting passengers in the upmost luxury to their destinations. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q) Railroad operated many of these trains, such as the famous California Zephyr. This locomotive was one of many that were used on them., Speedy Service , Built for the CB&Q in January of 1950 by the Electro- Motive Division (EMD) of General Motors in La Grange, Illinois, this locomotive was one of 450 E8A type units constructed between 1949 and 1954. Designed for high speed passenger service, this unit, originally numbered No. 9940A, was used to pull the many passenger trains over the CB&Q between Chicago and points west for two decades., Carrying Commuters , In 1970, the CB&Q was merged into the Burlington Northern (BN) Railway, and No. 9940A was reassigned to pull commuter trains between Chicago and Aurora, Illinois soon after, when BN handed over the operation of its long distance trains to Amtrak on May 1, 1971. Two years later, this locomotive was sent to the Morrison-Knudsen Corporation in Boise, Idaho, where it was upgraded to the specifications of the slightly newer E9A locomotives. It was then renumbered to No. 9903., Preserving the 102 , The aging No. 9903 and similar locomotives on the Burlington Northern were retired in July 1992 and sold to new owners. This unit was one of several purchased by the Illinois Central (IC) Railroad for use during special events, and was renumbered for the final time to No. 102. In 1998, the IC was merged into the Canadian National (CN) Railway, who continued to use No. 102 on a limited basis. It last ran in 2016, and was generously donated to the Monticello Railway Museum in 2023.