History of Burlington Northern's Commuter E Units: Chicagoland’s Suburban Streamliners

[@EastEndProductionsArchiv-lm3lq]

Great program! I ran the BN E units on the East End. 9905 was the fastest of the fleet and 9925 was the slowest. See more BN E unit action on our East End Productions Archive channel.

[@nigelrichardson4327]

BN 9912 is like The Giving Tree. After it’s retirement it of course made its way to Nashville. At a time, a number of E units including 9912 were kept in Nashville for possible use in commuter service with the then new Music City Star; however, due to a large surplus of retired, but functional, F40s from Amtrak readily available, the units were never used and 4 F40PHRs took their place. While the other E units were sold off, the 9912 sat on TCRM grounds and was used as a parts source for the museum’s private-owned E8 6902, which was unfortunately sold off just a few weeks ago due to its owner becoming increasingly physically unable to maintain it anymore. To this day 9912 sits outside in the elements with no more purpose other than to sit pretty with the looks it has left.

[@alcopower5710]

That’s a rather sad story

[@BNProductions-vy7mf]

@@alcopower5710 yes it struck a person at 60MPH

[@WesternOhioInterurbanHistory]

We gotta save 9912 It is a beautiful locomotive

[@BNProductions-vy7mf]

@@WesternOhioInterurbanHistory ok

[@DaimosZ]

BN 9912 is such an unlucky locomotive, it's like destined to be a magnet for some bad thing to happen to it (and those around it apparently)

[@WesternOhioInterurbanHistory]

E-units are honestly the peak of intercity passenger diesels.

[@bigshouldersrails1318]

They're reliable and good looking machines!

[@ivangenov6782]

*BR CLASS 37s AND 43s WANT TO KNOW YOUR LOCATION*

[@WesternOhioInterurbanHistory]

@@ivangenov6782 BR Class 37's are not streamlined enough, double ended (ruins the streamlined look), and sometimes the headlights make it look like a pigs snout. The BR Class 43 looks like a car, and isn't long enough.

[@ivangenov6782]

@@WesternOhioInterurbanHistory "the BR 43 looks like a car and isn't long enough" bro it's meant to look like that, it's a high speed train set power car, as for the BR 37 in europe double ended cab locomotives (both electric and diesel) is normal, so it still looks cool compared to other european locos

[@WesternOhioInterurbanHistory]

@@ivangenov6782 The BR Class 43 does look cool, not as much as an E-unit.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Nice catch of the air horn used on BN's E9s at 3:02. Thanks for sharing!

[@DelayInBlockProductions]

A huge quality improvement from your earlier videos. Great audio. Nice work!

[@bigshouldersrails1318]

Thank you for your kind words, it is high praise coming from your channel!

[@brianburns7211]

I worked the dinkies early in my career. Several of the engineers used to say that they liked the E9 more than the F40. One more point is that I’ve never heard a railroader call the East End the race track. I think that it was coined by Trains Magazine about 30 years ago. They had a two part article about BN’s eastern operations between Chicago, Galesburg, and LaCrosse.

[@ShawnCalay]

My dad worked there in that era. HL Calay.

[@PlayinWithMahWii]

I've only heard the IC electric line called the race track.

[@ericcriteser4001]

I was fortunate enough to be able to see these locomotives in the late 80s and early 90s throughout the Union Station facilities. Very cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@tommythomason6187]

The E units and EMD F units were the best looking engines made, IMHO. And, they were well-made. Too bad every one of Burlington Northern's Es weren't saved.

[@christopherorourke6543]

Many HO scale model locomotives & N scale locomotives are of the Burlington Northern E units & F units. It lives on as model railroads locomotive power.

[@tommythomason6187]

@@christopherorourke6543 They had a lot of Northern Pacific F9s. Those were around forever in the Pacific Northwest.

[@christopherorourke6543]

@@tommythomason6187 the Burlington Northern railroad was always a favorite railroad for me as was the Santa Fe, Rio Grande, I ‘m an N scale model railroader that will be building my permanent layout in the future which is the Pacific West Coast railroad, it will cover all railroads that served the West Coast from 1974 to the present, the area it will cover from Tijuana, Baja California Sur,Mexico all the way to Vancouver, British Columbia,Canada.

[@tommythomason6187]

@@christopherorourke6543 i hear ya! I also modeled in N-scale. Started buying cars and engines in 1970 when I was 12. Had quite a collection. N-scale engines were mainly crap back then, with the exception of some built in West Germany (Arnold-Rapido). Sold all of it in 1994. Terrible mistake and maybe the only life-regret I have. I had a free-lance Empire late 80s/early 90s.

[@SCRM_Rail]

**cough** Burlington Nothern E9 9912 **cough**

[@lectrician2]

Roger Puta is actually insane. I flipped through all of his photos on Wikipedia, as in his death they were released to public domain, and they truly have to be some of the coolest photos out there. It truly was a sad day for railfans when he died.

[@bigshouldersrails1318]

Thank you for sharing this story! We are very lucky he left us with so many amazing photographs. It certainly made my life much easier when I made this video. This is where I found them: www.flickr.com/photos/129679309@N05/collections/72157660036921885/

[@pacificostudios]

It was that curved white stripe that made the BN paint scheme on the E-units look special. Regular BN locos had no longitudinal stripes, only diagonal warning stripes on the ends. It was still a memorable paint scheme, that looked beautiful in wooded settings.

[@RailBrothersProductions]

I always wondered why the Burlington Northern E units lasted so long well now I know. Great video

[@bigshouldersrails1318]

The rebuild was promised to last 15 years, but they instead got 20 years out of them. Pretty good deal!

[@RailBrothersProductions]

@@bigshouldersrails1318 indeed

[@Pensyfan19]

Great video! I knew that Morrison Knudsen rebuilt F40s and other Americanclassics, but I had no idea that they restored these E8s as well. I'm also interested to learn that BN kept an E unit as their #3 for OCS service instead of just the F units.

[@bigshouldersrails1318]

The more research I do, the more I find out that Morrison Knudsen rebuilt just about everything. It was also only a few years ago that I found out that BN had an E Unit as part of their OCS service. All the years I've been to IRM, you'd think a 70ft long E Unit would be hard to miss!

[@brianburns7211]

D&H PAs too.

[@RLTtizME]

I was on a BNSF Metra train years ago...pulled by the old E Units. The engine caught fire and we rolled up to the Hinsdale, IL Fire Department right next to the track...and they extinguished the fire. We had to wait for another train to pull us westbound. I road the Naperville 5:00PM BNSF Express from Union Station...a rocket at 33 minutes station to station.

[@brianburns7211]

When I worked there they put lots of pride into the operation. The crews and the company made sure that everything was done right. BN Suburban Services unit was an example of how passenger rail should be operated.

[@RLTtizME]

@@brianburns7211 I agree. It ran on time!

[@LetsGoChaseThatTrain]

Interesting to finally know which unit was involved in that infamous incident.

[@SynchroScore]

Grew up in Downers Grove, so this brings back some nice memories. I was still in grade school when they had the last run special, but my dad and I went out to see it.

[@ManiacRacing]

These are the engines I grew up seeing. Always loved the streamlined looks.

[@Mr.E723]

I’ve been riding Metra’s BNSF line my entire life. When I was possibly as young as two or three, I remember my dad taking me to look at the trains in Aurora. This had to have been just after they were retired, but in my earliest memories I can still remember a few E9’s sitting there in the yard. Theses days Metra is basically in the same place with the F40ph’s that they were with the E units when they were retired. They’re definitely operating well past their intended lifespan

[@vettebecker1]

So wish they didn’t take them out of service, truly a loss of an iconic legend

[@ericcriteser4001]

I remember pulling into Chicago in 1990 and seeing the E- units! I was 13 and didn't know they would be gone in the next two years. Very cool video. Thanks for sharing.

[@mgr_video_productions]

Nicely done! Glad someone made a video talking these neat locomotives. I've always found it neat that these E-units lasted into the 1990s in commuter service. Loved this BN paint scheme as well.

[@aceebrown9266]

This was a well done documentary on the E units.

[@danielulz1640]

In the 1960's, I used to see KCS E units pulling The Southern Belle through Baton Rouge.

[@SIGINT007]

I spent a day on the racetrack in summer 1992 just before the E9s were pulled and watched these monsters all day, along with other now-vanished old iron from BN, ATSF and SP

[@stevechilders2425]

Great video! I did note that the route map towards the beginning was missing probably the most important of all of the BN's suburbs, Downers Grove with the most stations for a single suburb (3, Fairview st, Main St, and Belmont ave). This, especially in light of the most notable incident caught on film/video at the Fairview st station that was noted.

[@bigshouldersrails1318]

The reason I left Downers Grove off the map was because it was one of three towns that was not a part of the West Suburban Mass Transit District. Along with Aurora and Cicero, Downers Grove did not join mainly due to political reasons. I did not intentionally exclude them!

[@AMPProductionsVideo]

Nice to see BN's E's

[@paulescudero9973]

Great video. Thank you very much for showing it!

[@able34bravo37]

When I was a young railroad enthusiast, my grandparents lived in Western Springs. The triple track was one block from their house. I'd go down to watch the trains all of the time, and remember watching (and loving) the old E-units, as Burlington Northern was my favorite rail line. I was really sad when Metra took over. Their locomotives were pretty-ish, but they weren't the green, white, and black E-units.

[@joefrasson8997]

I grew up watching these trains from Downers Grove....

[@landon176]

They did restore the Nebraska zephyr, and it’s in perfect shape right now at the Illinois railway museum

[@jeffreyhunt1727]

Terrific documentary, thank you for creating this & sharing!

[@johnny5805]

Beautiful, beautiful locomotives.

[@bdvids7930]

I think Metra should keep at least one or two of these old locomotives and bring them out for fan trips

[@Audamus]

Your history videos are second to none~!! Awesome job and so cool to learn about these iconic engines. Hope to see more from you, definitely got a sub from me~!!

[@bigshouldersrails1318]

Thanks for the comment and sub! I’ve got some more video ideas, so stay tuned!

[@AcuraLvR82]

The video of the accident you mention was extremely horrific in its full version. The locomotive that hit the lady was moving so fast it threw her body quite a long distance and so hard it knocked over other people as it flew. It was literally like a hundred foot long, 200 ton steel baseball bat hitting the woman's body at 90 mph.

[@LetsGoChaseThatTrain]

Love those E units. Subscribed.

[@g-manonthego6678]

I must say, I've watched all of your mini documentaries a few times, and I'm impressed! I hope that the next one that you make can be about the Metra Electric Highliner series (first and if possible second class), as I spent most of my childhood growing up near the 59th street station on Metra's only electrified line.

[@mbrproductions160]

Subscribed! Your videos are very interesting, you deserve much more subscribers!

[@themodelrailroadresource]

Great video!

[@bigshouldersrails1318]

Thanks!

[@frankgarrett242]

It’s interesting that private railways were able to start a quasi-public/private transit system.

[@bobmmann3917]

Nice detailed documentary. I enjoyed that.

[@aphotographerfromcaliforni2661]

First time I’ve heard of these locomotives was when I found out about the Downers Grove incident 11 years ago

[@tczephyr3665]

The narrator calls the line “The Racetrack “, all the references I found called it the “Triple-Track Speedway “ Still, a very entertaining video

[@richharris9489]

I have heard the term racetrack before on a dvd i have

[@SIGINT007]

It has been known as the racetrack for decades

[@TrainMaster26]

Loved it!

[@hobospoonfedrailfanningfun1315]

Love the older trains

[@Nvideofilmsproductions]

It has mold

[@jacobmaurin7549]

You know what would be cool if Metra had a Burlington Northern heritage unit.

[@trainliker100]

That accident of the woman walking into the train while another was parked (among other similar accidents) is why trains will now often stop short of a station and wait if there is a through train about to come through on another track. Too many people get off a train and then walk around one end or the other of the stopped train they just got off of. And right onto a live track with a train coming by at speed. By delaying pulling into the station, those who get off who are stupid enough to walk across a track like that are protected from their stupidity. And I mean stupidity. It is stupid to walk onto a railroad track without having looked both ways up and down the track, no matter what.

[@trainliker100]

@Dan C. I'm sorry, but you are factually wrong. Metra in Chicago absolutely has used practice on at least the three-track BNSF line going west. I have personally observed this many times. The other method they sometimes employ is to stop the train on the center track until the formerly stopped commuter train has cleared the station such as shown about 22 minutes in at this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWmWZJeJe6eXnZI Also, Amtrak in California has a rule for San Luis Obispo where the northbound and southbound Coast Starlight cannot be at the station at the same time. (Again, to protect against somebody walking around the end of a stopped train into another moving one). The trains often meet at San Luis Obispo and typically the northbound train will wait about a quarter mile south (right in front of the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum in the form SP freight house) until the southbound train has cleared the station. Only then does the northbound train proceed to the station. Since this is a ten minute station stop, the northbound train is often waiting in a safe place for quite awhile. In some places, railroad operations HAVE changed, even though railroads have the right of way, to accommodate stupidity.

[@User0000000000000004]

You've never been to Chicago in your life and you're confusing commuter trains with school buses. You think Chicago commuter trains stop short of a station, with the capacity they serve, because some horrible woman (sorry, she was with her lawyer outside his office and getting divorced, so...) walked in front of one like an idiot? Get outside, read a book, you need to know that your thoughts aren't what the rest of us experience in the real world.

[@trainliker100]

@@User0000000000000004 I grew up in Oak Park which is adjacent to Chicago. Been back to Chicago many times after moving away. Always spend some train watching time at Riverside. That is where I have frequently seen Metra trains do exactly as I described. Also, in San Luis Obispo, CA Amtrak does a similar activity with the northbound and southbound Coast Starlights which often arrive there at the same time. The northbound is held stopped about a quarter mile south of the station (right in front of the Railroad Museum in the old Southern Pacific freight house) until the southbound in the station completes its scheduled 10 minute stop and train servicing and departs the station. Only then does the northbound move to the station. Same reason. Finally, I don't think it was this single event that caused this. I think it happened multiple times which would not be surprising. Even in the video you see a number of others crossing the tracks in front of the stopped train even though the gate is down.

[@bnsf5624illinois]

@@trainliker100having ridden a freight train or two down the race track, they don’t wait for other trains to load and unload before coming through. They blow the horn as needed and keep on rolling. There are places where dispatchers do protect Amtrak, as was practiced west on the Mendota Sub, but no protection was granted for dinkies on adjacent tracks.

[@trainliker100]

There may be some who don't know that not all wheels were powered in E units. The center wheel set of each truck is unpowered and is just an idler. For this reason, the wheel classification notion for these is A1A-A1A (power, idler, power - power, idler, power) instead of C-C (3 powered - 3 powered).

[@tommythomason6187]

I read that is why they had traction motor burnout on steep inclines with big trains, and why roads like Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Rio Grande Western and Santa Fe went with the F units, instead. I love both those models.

[@ILOVEBDTRAIN635]

Súper video my friend

[@PowerTrain611]

Very interesting. I had no idea there was so much of a story behind these units. By the way, the "K" is silent in Knudsen.

[@bigshouldersrails1318]

Thanks for the comment! The pronunciation of Knudsen is correct in this video, or at least the way the company used to pronounce the word. Check out this old documentary of MK here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZnSnWSMgdF-iqc

[@PowerTrain611]

@@bigshouldersrails1318 I've never heard it pronounced that way before... I guess I"VE been saying it wrong for years. Go figure!

[@Haya_archive1]

This video gives me Burlington race track vibes

[@willberestartingthischanne9984]

Awesome Video

[@thomasdeturk5142]

E Unit Locomotives Reminds me of Vancouver Washington because BN and BNSF owns most of the class 1 mainline railroad tracks In Washington State and helped reopened the Line over Stevens pass in 1996.

[@usafflight1977]

Bit of an Update, both of CN's ex BN Units (102 and 103) have been donated to Museums in the Midwest, with 102 going to the Monticello Railway museum in Monticello IL, and 103 going to the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, WI

[@SkyhawkTL]

The Burlington Railway today still owns and operates the Chicago Suburban Service. Metra, a Transit Agency, became a customer of BN after the RTA was formed. The Metra Agency was created to work with Heavy Rail through purchase of Service Agreements for Commuter Service in Chicago.

[@Robloxity_News]

Nice

[@northpennvalleysteamrailroad]

Nice video!

[@tracynation2820]

An excellent video. 💙 T.E.N.

[@joshuabessire9169]

You know today most commuters would claim they were named "Trainy McTrainyface" or something deliberatly offensive. They got off lucky with "Putz."

[@daveyboy_]

Dammmm, those Burlington Northern was the exact same train of the commuter train in Mtl. In the 80s . The engines were CP's E of F units. And the cars were double Deckers were the same

[@YukariAkiyamaTanks]

I love that BN named some of the Es after local people.

[@amtrakp4242]

I just realized that 9912, the one that hit Mary, is actually preserved, spooky is it?

[@richardwales7825]

Plenty of "Bulldog" units still in daily use in Australia.

[@danielbackley9301]

Fun fact all of the CB&Q's E-8/9s also pulled all of their long distance passenger trains I.E. the Zeyphrs as they were rotated in and out of the commuter pool. I was told this was so they could run at high speed for longer distances so as to blow the soot out. The E-5s such as shown at IRM which is why it's under wires and the E-7s weren't as far as I know but I don't know the reason why.

[@JoeyLovesTrains]

So strange hearing an RS2M outside of New York

[@timosha21]

I'm a train and I approve this video!

[@LukeLovesTrains-Mr.RailYard]

Can you a video on the history of Merta?

[@tyhik9338]

You should do a review on the highliners

[@erikgustafson9319]

Could you do a rock island E units and F7s

[@bigshouldersrails1318]

I'll take a look into it. I've always got my eyes open for video ideas!

[@erikgustafson9319]

@@bigshouldersrails1318 I reccomend Steven J Brown for reserch kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKave2yYaqubitU kzbin.info/www/bejne/fauQhIibi8mhn80

[@ShawnCalay]

No

[@landon176]

Chicago in north western F7 no 411 has been restored at the Illinois railway museum

[@ShawnCalay]

@@landon176 Chicago and northwestern....not in.

[@renegadetenor]

Retired on my 24th birthday, ugh!

[@VojtovySumavskeVlakyCZ]

Nice video like and subscribed from Czech Republic 🙂👍👍👍

[@PlanesTrainsBoatsOnline]

Nice catch, I just subbed you

[@Mauscmkwk]

You should do the f7 next

[@thomasdeturk5142]

I also made a Video about the E Units from Pentrex and it’s better to have a commuter train with multiple passenger cars and add more hours and make it run 7 days a week not 5 days a week. It should also run every 20 minutes instead of every 45 minutes because it will help our transit become more useful and reliable again.

[@ironhorsemedia2881]

There’s one in my town! BN9920

[@tompao7832]

Where was the first sequence filmed, where a Burlington streamliner runs under catenary?

[@bigshouldersrails1318]

That was at the Illinois Railway Museum. CB&Q 9911 is the last E5 in existence, and still runs to this day!

[@tyhik9338]

Can please you talk about Metra's Highliner cars?

[@thelastdefenderofcamelot5623]

this train is only famous for that "video". everytime I hear that horn, I can picture that image very clearly. oh the trauma!

[@rottenroads1982]

The EMD E & F units. Someone should have told the railroad people that as long as the locomotives are maintained and modified for changing times, they can last forever.

[@bryanphillips6666]

What happened to Edwin Putz' locomotive?

[@bigshouldersrails1318]

The last it was seen, it was residing at Larry's Truck and Electric, presumably to be scrapped. While the names were originally painted under the cab (or at least for Mr. Putz), they were eventually replaced with metal plaques with the names engraved. These plaques were given back to recipients after the units were retired.

[@wynston92]

Did anyone see the video of 9912

[@uhlijohn]

The main reason that Ms. Wotyla was hit was at that time, the BN did NOT adhere to GCOR rule 630. I saw the unedited version of that accident and it is NOT pretty. Rule 630 states that when a train is standing in a station that an oncoming train cannot enter that station other than at restricted speed unless crossing protection (other than automatic crossing gates/warnings) for the approaching train is provided. There was another commuter train standing in the Fairview Ave. station. On the CNW/UP rule 630 is strictly observed but NOT on the BN or BNSF. I will wager that there are more pedestrian incidents on the BNSF's single commuter line to Aurora than ALL 3 of the UP's commuter lines! Why the BN/BNSF refuses to strictly enforce rule 630 can only be answered by its legal department.

[@iron1349]

Was 9939 part of the commuter fleet?

[@buzzytrains9037]

you guys all thinking they're rare you haven't seen Vline's A66 in australia lol, it ran for a long time with passenger service

[@buzzytrains9037]

and S classes an B classes in victoria can be found to be pulling freight

[@cmag19]

As fate would have it, one of the MARC E units somehow made its way back to Chicago, and now sits abandoned somewhere near one of Chicago’s airports. Perhaps this unit could one day be restored and join its sister at the IRM, or maybe a new private car company could acquire it and use it as their own motive power.

[@citychris3215]

Great video! Is there an email address I could contact you by? I wanted to ask a historical Chicago commuter rail question.

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

Nice buzz on the horn on that very first (pre-rebuild) E unit -- was that normal for the original horns, or did that one just have something stuck in it?

[@SynchroScore]

The E5 has two horns, one a passenger-type multichime horn, the other an old single-note 'honker'. The engineer was blowing both at the same time.

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

@@SynchroScore That makes sense. The 2 types of horns complement each other amazingly well.

[@SynchroScore]

@@Lucius_Chiaraviglio Yes, they just happen to be tuned in the same key.

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

@@SynchroScore Wish we had more horn combinations like this.

[@roberthoffhines5419]

And I moved to Chicagoland that next month...

[@ICrailroadprod.2007]

Imagine if they threw a Leslie LS-4T on one of these bad boys. One of those I think 9916 is now at a meuseum in Texas and is going to be resstored

[@OldIronVideo]

There's alot in the ltex railyard on lordstown ohio

[@joshuafajardo5697]

I wanna see the Burlington Northern F40PHM

[@mistermadmachine6311]

Not even the putz locomotive survived 😢

[@landon176]

I agree they should’ve restored that one in honor of putz

[@BlakesTrainsandMore4014]

A Plus ➕video

[@wavesnbikes]

I've heard that there is an interesting story on Metra 210 "Two Tenny". Can you share?

[@bigshouldersrails1318]

You really want to fall down that rabbit hole? 😂

[@wavesnbikes]

@@bigshouldersrails1318 Just Sayin 🤷‍♂️

[@bigshouldersrails1318]

I'll be honest, I've totally thought about doing a video on "TwoTenny". But I don't want to be a jerk about it either. It's... a difficult line to walk 😂

[@wavesnbikes]

@@bigshouldersrails1318 walk the line, my dear. You can definitely make it a love story, baby just say yes...

[@ianisaacs2340]

@@bigshouldersrails1318 I don't know what you are talking about, but I am very interested

[@michaelf2375]

I don't know about the most beloved by railfans yes but O-5s were beautiful engines

[@cedw80]

EMD 💪🏿

[@RailBrothersProductions]

GE 🔥

[@QuartiyoPasdevHerjiKreuz]

ALCO 😎

[@anotherHelldiver]

Man,I’d love to have my name on a Locomotive.

[@TankGuyz]

9912?

[@TankGuyz]

She got hit by that exact engine in 1991 downers grove…

[@mrdogebread703]

were are not gonna talk about the down grovers incident

[@paulmoreno6279]

Interesting

[@crecencioresendiz2831]

Lindas locomotoras