The photo atop shows vintage passenger car Silver View as the signature car of the Burlington routes Twin Cities Zephyr.  It was stopping at Oregon Illinois Depot in 1958 en route to the Twin Cities.  Silver View provided first class parlor car service from 1947 to 1968. The vista dome train would continue to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, do a quick turn around and return through Oregon that evening and back to Chicago.  The consists were the templates for other rail cars that comprised subsequent Zephyrs such as the California and Denver Zephyrs.  When Amtrak started in 1971, passenger service on the Burlington Twin Cities line was not chosen in favor of the higher population Milwaukee Road line through Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  When Amtrak was created, Silver View became part of Amtrak’s group of cars.  In approximately 1977, Silver View was retired and sold to the Susquehanna Railway for their charter and special passenger trains.

Mike Abernethy, a long time aficionado, and part-time employee of the Burlington, purchased Silver View in 2002 and in 2005 found an affordable storage site in Charles City, Iowa to begin his dream of restoring Silver View to its early parlor car grandeur.  Charles City is almost 6 hours from Mike’s home in St. Charles.  When it finally became evident that the distance was hampering Silver View’s restoration, in 2019, Mike began the hunt for a closer place for the restoration to continue and hopefully a fitting home for this great historic railcar.  Mike’s friendship with former Oregon residence Peter Medins produced “What about Oregon Depot Museum?”

Silver View’s history is intertwined with Oregon because it made a stop there in the morning northbound to the Twin Cities, and returned through Oregon that evening en route to Chicago, so the placement of Silver View in Oregon is similar to “returning home”.

Over the years of ownership, Mike has become aware that he is a caretaker and custodian of this very special and rare car.  In order to have Silver View become “living history”, restoration tasks must still be done.  The Oregon area has many skilled, enthusiastic people who together can accomplish the restoration of this car to its former splendor.  It takes vision, patience, and the will to finish and then operate Silver View as a living history.  By choosing the Oregon Depot Museum, Silver View will certainly achieve the ultimate goal of perpetuating the legacy, luxury and experience of Burlington Route Zephyr passenger service.

The short-term goal is to restore Silver View to become a stationary event location.  Parked just to the west of the Depot Museum, it will provide “Burlington Breakfasts”, lunches and dinners.

Mike Abernethy became acquainted with the Burlington Twin Zephyrs in early childhood.  Several rides from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin to Chicago, Illinois and many visits to the depot created a special affection for the Burlington Route.  It was an extra special ‘treat’ seeing SILVER VIEW adorn the Twin Zephyr.  All of the exposures to the Twin Zephyrs convinced me that I wanted to be a part of the Burlington Route Passenger Department as my lifelong career.

My family moving to Elgin, IL enabled me to work for the Burlington Route Passenger Department during my college summers, 1965-1969.  Some teenage correspondence and a meeting with Mr Julius Ams, General Passenger Traffic Manager, helped open the door to become a Burlington Department employee, but it was not to happen.  By 1971, Amtrak took command of the United States passenger service and eliminated most of the newly formed Burlington Northern routes.  I was so disheartened that I gravitated to an alternate career as an elementary teacher.  However, even to this day, I have never forgotten the quality experience that the Burlington Route Zephyrs provided.  To be seated in a parlor car or coach seat, dine at a Burlington Route dining car table, and view the scenery from a vista dome were precious time for me and other passengers who chose the Zephyrs as a way of travel.

After my parents passed away and left me inheritance monies, I decided to pursue purchasing my favorite Zephyr railcar, SILVER VIEW.  I became aware that other people had purchased and restored vintage railcars.  I felt that SILVER VIEW was one of the greatest railcars ever built, and restoring it to become one of the best charter railcars would be a successful business.  In 2002, I became the proud owner of SILVER VIEW.

Large amounts of monies are required to restore a railcar.  Unfortunately I am not a person who has large sums of money.  In order to establish myself in the private rail tour charter business, I created my rail tour company, Zephyr Route.  Any net profits from bookings on my tours go directly to restore SILVER VIEW.

The combination of the Oregon Depot Museum and SILVER VIEW would provide visitors with a true active understanding of the history of Burning Route passenger train travel, from the place where tickets were purchased, the waiting for the train to arrive, boarding a genuine Zephyr passenger car, and savoring traditional dining car style meals prepared from the Burlington Route recipe book.

Over the years of owning SILVER VIEW, it has become evident to me that I have become a caretaker and custodian of that car.  Furthermore, I have recognized that what I want to accomplish is to continue the legacy of the Burlington Route Zephyrs for future present and future generations.  Combining the Oregon Depot Museum and SILVER VIEW can deliver the goal of continuing the Burlington Route history and legacy.