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6/9/2024
 
 
 
 
 
Owner: Denver & Rio Grande Western
Type: Passenger Car
AAR Class: PA: Car equipped to handle passengers.
AAR Type: M500
Detail Info:   Misc Cars
User Notes:   "Big Ben"

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Westbound Yampa Valley
Title:  Westbound Yampa Valley
Description:  Bringing up the rear of the westbound Yampa Valley Mail was Dome Coach-Lounge-Obs. 1248. 1248 was built by Budd in 1948 as Chesapeake & Ohio 1875. It was sold to the Rio Grande in 1949 and renumbered 1248. 1248 was sold to Autoliner in 1970 and was sold that same year to Ben Butterworth. Butterworth ran the car as the "Big Ben" out of Chicago on the Rock Island for most of the 1970s. "Big Ben" was later leased to Golden Arrow Tours. In 1995, "Big Ben" was donated to the C&O Historical Society. It would be sold to a private owner in 2002. In 2005, the Butterworth family would buy the car. It is currently stored in an undisclosed location.
Photo Date:  3/12/1968  Upload Date: 10/10/2023 9:06:24 PM
Location:  Leyden, CO
Author:  Dave Straight
Categories: 
Locomotives: 
Views:  48   Comments: 0
CRI&P 652 Arriving with Quad Cities Rocket
Title:  CRI&P 652 Arriving with Quad Cities Rocket
Description:  Dome car is Big Ben, see http://railfan44.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=660823 and http://railfan44.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=662262
Photo Date:  3/29/1971  Upload Date: 2/24/2007 5:32:27 PM
Location:  Joliet, IL
Author:  Marty Bernard
Categories:  Passenger
Locomotives:  CRIP 652(E8A)
Views:  2070   Comments: 2
Ex-DRG&W, Big Ben Spread Across the GM&O and Santa Fe Tracks and Serving as a Parlor Car on Chicago-bound CRI&P Tr #6
Title:  Ex-DRG&W, Big Ben Spread Across the GM&O and Santa Fe Tracks and Serving as a Parlor Car on Chicago-bound CRI&P Tr #6
Description:  Note, she is unfortunately behind the head-end cars. Scott Schiechl provided the following information on her. Big Ben was originally ordered by the C&O as their #1875 but was actually delivered to the Rio Grande. The D&RGW butchered the observation end to install a diaphram so that it could be used mid-train. Configured as a coach it often ran on the Yampa Valley until that train was discontinued. It was purchased by Butterworth Tours and operated as a private parlor car on the Rock Island's trains between Chicago and the Quad Cities after the RI opted not to join Amtrak. Following the RI's bankruptcy Butterworth traied to operate some kind of dinner train on the Iowa Interstate but gave up after a single season. The Butterworth's still own Big Ben and it is in good condition under roof in Iowa. For pictures of the whole trains see http://railfan44.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=663561 and http://railfan44.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=662262
Photo Date:  3/29/1971  Upload Date: 2/21/2007 3:25:11 PM
Location:  Joliet, IL
Author:  Marty Bernard
Categories:  RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  4368   Comments: 0
Big Ben and the Board of Trade
Title:  Big Ben and the Board of Trade
Description:  This is the departing Quad Cities Rocket with LaSalle Street Station and the Board of Trade at the left edge of the photograph. Big Ben (see http://railfan44.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=660823) the dome-observation-parlor car is on the end of the train where it belongs.
Photo Date:  3/30/1971  Upload Date: 2/23/2007 7:10:32 PM
Location:  Chicago, IL
Author:  Marty Bernard
Categories:  Station,Passenger
Locomotives:  CRIP 648(E8A)
Views:  2045   Comments: 3
Quad Cities Rocket
Title:  Quad Cities Rocket
Description:  Big Ben observation car carries the markers.
Photo Date:  7/25/1971  Upload Date: 1/13/2013 6:21:58 PM
Location:  Joliet, IL
Author:  Tom Harris
Categories:  Station,Passenger,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  753   Comments: 0
Quad Cities Rocket
Title:  Quad Cities Rocket
Description:  Clark and 16th Street crossing.
Photo Date:  8/29/1971  Upload Date: 1/13/2013 6:27:55 PM
Location:  Chicago, IL
Author:  Tom Harris
Categories:  Passenger,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  783   Comments: 0
CRIP #6-8
Title:  CRIP #6-8
Description:  "Big Ben" dome car
Photo Date:  12/29/1971  Upload Date: 9/11/2011 9:55:37 AM
Location:  Joliet, IL
Author:  Gil Ford
Categories:  RollingStock,Passenger
Locomotives: 
Views:  986   Comments: 1
Dome car going on rear of w/b Rocket
Title:  Dome car going on rear of w/b Rocket
Description: 
Photo Date:  8/2/1972  Upload Date: 7/9/2020 10:45:56 AM
Location:  Joliet, IL
Author:  Gerard Putz
Categories:  RollingStock,Passenger,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  136   Comments: 0
Big Ben
Title:  Big Ben
Description: 
Photo Date:  3/5/1982  Upload Date: 5/13/2012 9:44:49 PM
Location:  Beech Grove, IN
Author:  Mitch Cline
Categories:  Roster
Locomotives: 
Views:  995   Comments: 1
CO 1875 "Big Ben"
Title:  CO 1875 "Big Ben"
Description:  Private car "Big Ben", (ex-CRI&P "Big Ben", exx-D&RGW 1248, nee-C&O 1875) Budd dome - coach observation car.
Photo Date:  10/24/2006  Upload Date: 3/21/2007 1:29:14 AM
Location:  Unknown, US
Author:  Robert Olsesski/Brent MacGregor Collection
Categories:  RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  2864   Comments: 1


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