"Built to save the business", the EMD Aerotrain came to be in 1955. Inspired by the style of the day and the buses of the GM division, the train even was complete with Chevy Nomad tail fins on the last car. Lightweight with air ride suspension and a single axle, the ride was harsh and maintenance was a nightmare. Still, a wild concept at the time, wild enough that 2 full sets were built (and a third engine for Rock Island's own Talgo set). The PRR ran these across Horseshoe Curve en route to Pittsburgh from NY while the NYC ran them between Chicago and Cleveland. Even the AT&SF tested these, as well as the UP which ran them from LA to LV. Hard to believe so few pictures exist. Two sets survived, one in St Louis, the other at the National Transportation Museum in Green Bay, WI. Oddly, the tail car is absent from both sets. This is because the tail cars were bascially assemblies that were added to standard coach bodies. The Aerotrain tail cars were not saved because they were modified to standard coaches when the Rock Island put them in commuter service.
Now... why, you ask is this impressive display parked all by itself next to a dull shed? Well, the museum states "It gives families something to see while riding the museum's miniature train." Too bad the shed does not look like a station. Click (here) for a photo of CRI&P Aerotrain #2 in action in Chicago via a photo by Marty Benard.
