Andrew,
That looks a lot like what I saw. I would estimate the time at or about 1969.
I will always consider myself fortunate to have ridden passenger trains in the pre-AMTRAK days. Although many railroads had shoddy passenger service in the years immediately preceding AMTRAK, the railroads that served my college town of Winona, MN kept their standards high. Both the CB&Q (and later BN) and MILW took pride in their passenger services, and kept their equipment maintained to high standards.
My college years involved a lot of train riding, originally as just an alternative to driving, later as a blooming railfan. After graduation, I was approached by the Milwaukee Road and offered a job. That was the beginning of a career that will end in nine weeks. I am retiring, and my future railroading will be confined to my basement.
The late 1960's held some real treasures still in the Chicago-Minneapolis corridor. I recall riding both the first (Silver Dome) and second (Silver Castle) dome cars on the Q. These were not Budd-built domes. They were converted in the Burlington shops during WWII from Budd-built coaches. They had an interior layout different from production Budd domes, and used small panes of flat glass, much like the postwar Pullman-Standard domes. These cars ran often on the Twin Zephyrs, along with regular production Budd domes.
I also recall riding the CB&Q Blackhawk train, which still included some heavyweight equipment.
The combined GN-NP-CB&Q trains were always a treat to ride. Cars from all three railroads. I liked the GN Great Domes and the NP Lewis and Clark Travellers' Rest lounge cars especially.
The Twin Zephyrs that ran as independent trains were neat, too. Often just three or four matching Budd cars, always with at least one dome coach.
Power on the Q trains in those days were either E-9's, E-8's, or E-7's. All "A" units. The Q liked to run them nose to tail, elephant style. I remember riding several times in BN days behind an E-7 that was all silver with stainless steel side panels, but with a green nose as far back as the cab doors.
The Milwaukee Road was a really class act, and I was proud to work for them. I rode all their passenger trains on that run, the Morning and Afternoon Hiawathas; the Pioneer Limited; and the Fast Mail. The Pioneer Limited had the most comfortable reclining-seat coaches: the only coaches I have ever been able to sleep comfortably in.
Power on these trains were E-9's, E-8's, and E-7's. Also FP-9's, and, later, FP-45's. I was invited aboard the first FP-45 to come through Winona for a close look. Little did I know that one day I would be running SD-40's and 45's.
I regret never riding in a Skytop Lounge, although I often admired them from trackside. I did log many miles aboard the Superdomes.
While I was attending college, my parents moved to Colorado Springs. This opened more travel opportunities to me. The RI Minneapolis-Omaha train had been pulled. If I wanted to travel from Winona to Colorado I needed to first go to Chicago. (I didn't know about the CB&Q-NP-CB&Q route Winona-Billings-Denver at that time.) I had a choice of either MILW or CB&Q to Chicago, then either CB&Q or MILW-UP to Denver. As it were, I always travelled on the Q to Denver. Always on the Denver Zephyr, except for one return trip on the California Zephyr. My connections at Chicago were just better with the Q. I also regret not taking the UP at least once.
The D&RGW had pulled their Royal Gorge train the previous year to all this, or I would have rode on to the Springs in the Colorado Springs section of the Denver Zephyr. This was tacked onto the rear of the Royal Gorge. But I can still duplicate this operation in my basement on my Denver Union Station railroad.
The beginning of AMTRAK was sort of surrealistic. Kind of tacky, with a greatly reduced route map and train numbers. But interesting in a way for seeing foreign power and cars on the trains. I remember the first westbound "Empire Builder" through Winona. It was pulled by a NP F-9 in the lead: something you would never have seen previously. Also in those very early AMTRAK days, I took the Southwest Chief from LaJunta, CO to Chicago. It was virtually the same train as the late El-Capitan-Super Chief: same equipment, same warbonnet F units!
Les