Before cab cars ...

Does anyone know how commuter trains were turned around before the first cab cars were introduced (CNW?) ?

I'd imagine that the CUS trains used the current BNSF tracks as a wye, but that's just a WAG.

Was there any sort of wye between the current UP-W line & UP-N / UP-NW?

I think some of the C&NW steamers assigned to suburban service (R-1's?) had headlights and full pilots on the rear of their tenders to enable a quick run around of their train at the end of the line. I'm almost 99% positive I heard Harvard had a turntable at one time also. From looking at track charts from about ten years ago; Kenosha had a wye, Waukegan had a turntable, Crystal Lake had a wye, and the Chicago locomotive shop had a turntable. Again, that was from about ten years ago so who knows what was there fifty to one hundred years earilier.
Hope that helps a bit.

At Elgin they used to turn steam, and GP9's on the turntable. At CUS they would shove the train to Western Ave. and turn the engines there.

At Fox Lake they had a wye for turning engines.

There used to be a roundhouse and turntable a block from my house, here in Downers Grove. According to the book, "Downers Grove Revisited:"
"Approximately have the trains were turned here, and the other half went on to Aurora."

Also said that the last time they used the roundhouse and turntable was the last day for steam on the CB&Q commuter trains. That's when they got the new bilevels and cabcars, and I guess some F or E units.

Also said that the last time they used the roundhouse and turntable was the last day for steam on the CB&Q. That's when they got the new bilevels and cabcars, and I guess some F or E units.

That's kind of a radical transition!

Waukegan had a turntable

Yeah, ok, that makes sense. I always wondered why Waukegan had a turntable.

Joe wrote:Also said that the last time they used the roundhouse and turntable was the last day for steam on the CB&Q commuter trains. That's when they got the new bilevels and cabcars, and I guess some F or E units.

Not quite. At the time the CB&Q commuter service was dieselized, cab cars were not yet being used. The E units pulled gallery coaches and had to be turned at the terminals. The first cab cars on the Burlington showed up in the early '70s.

Dug around and found an old copy of "Car Names Numbers & Consists" edited by Robert J. Wayner in 1972.

He states that Cab Control cars 790-795 arrived in May-June 1965 for the CB&Q.

arnstg wrote: He states that Cab Control cars 790-795 arrived in May-June 1965 for the CB&Q.

My mistake. Regardless, there was a period during which the coaches were used without cab cars.

MikeF wrote:My mistake. Regardless, there was a period during which the coaches were used without cab cars.

Ironically enough, a situation like this happened tonight on a BNSF train where the rear car wasn't a cab car. But, something must have gone wrong with the cab car. 799 is the car in question. See my post in Locomotive Assignment Changes for more.

But, something must have gone wrong with the cab car.

It fell off?

How did the RI turn their trains?

John