Steel on Wheels

Over the 37 miles from Chicago to Aurora, Ill., the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad hauls some 15,000 commuters a day. Some cars are half a century old, draughty in winter, hot and sooty in summer. Last week the Burlington served up a pleasant surprise: it rolled out three new stainless steel, 148-passenger, double-decker cars, the first of 30 being built by Philadelphia's Budd Co. at a cost of $152,000 each. With them, and 70 modernized conventional cars, the Burlington hopes to wean many a new customer from the highways, put its money-losing commuting service into the black.

Supplying money-making...

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