Burlington Northern E-Units

Producer: Pentrex

Timeframe: 1990s

Location: Chicago to Aurora

Length: One hour

Source: Pentrex

Pentrex takes a grand tour of the BN Racetrack! The triple track mainline, serving Chicago. Featuring the venerable E9A locomotives. A fast paced and interesting visit, is on tap.

Professional in all aspects of production. Expert Videography is just the start. A slick edit that is intelligently cut. Really keeps what could have been a repetitive drag, into a highly engaging program.

Excellent narration by one of the best house professionals. Smoothly delivered. A finely tuned, script.

A chapter menu is included. As is, a simple map. This is all at is required. The BN terrirory is approximately a 30 mile westbound, straight shot exiting Union Station. Station stops. Nothing to it.

The action begins as it obviously should. At Chicago Union Station. Cavernous and dark. What a difference when the train emerges into the sunlight!

Moving outwards towards the western suburban destinations. Fine audio. As one would expect from Pentrex. Well balanced.

Eventually reaching the obvious conclusion at Aurora, Illinois.

The placement of transporting into the cabs of the E unit at random times.

BN # 9914 is the locomotive with the camera. This elevates and maintains a higher interest level of viewing.

A number of stops are visited. Famous Brookfield Zoo is mentioned. Special architecture at the Brookfield station. No taverns are visited at any stops. Oh well… You can’t have everything.

FYI- Not mentioned in this show. A little ATVR reader bonus. Congress Park had a large trackside building, back in the 1950s. West Hinsdale once had a large, old wooden station. Burlington Route era. Seek still photos of these, for more. Also… All the various BN E units were upgraded to E9, during rebuilds.

Beautiful, Stone Avenue Station was always a personal favorite. LaGrange is the town.

They missed the LaGrange Road station. That one is located at the center of town. Similar to the other brick designs.

Highlands, in Hinsdale was another favorite station. Great architecture!

At Western Avenue. Locomotive 9907 gives a perfect view of the 1970 Cascade Green (hockey stick) paint scheme. Same firm that designed the Great Northern (Big Sky Blue) circa 1967.

Naperville is pretty far out. High growth city. That famous curve, has been previously filmed, as in the old (CB&Q) days. Not included in this show.

A few freights sneak into the show! As it should be. They appear between those dinky sets, as well.

The Engineer needs to reverse his position on the train. Take the cab controls on top of this car. Continue inbound, to traverse the BN trackage into Union Station.