On the MoPac, a select few GP7's had a 'crew cab'. These units were originally on the Texas & Pacific and Gulf Coast Lines. Outwardly they looked like any regular Geep with the exception that the crew-cabs were modified with an extra set of number board cut-outs/windows that were exactly the same size as the number boards located just below the usual number boards on the short hood/nose. Behind the windows inside the cab sat a spare seat... right beside the typical toilet. The 'crew-cab' GP7s used by I-GN and STLB&M (series 4116-4123) were equipped with crew-cabs (modified circa 1953): 4117, 4119, 4120, 4122, and 4123. Since no other unit's received the crew cab, it's speculated that this modification may have been a 'Texas thing' for the brakeman to ride inside the unit.

Typically, the way freight arrived each weekday morning in Naperville on Track 1 (the track on the far right), running against traffic for about 10 miles from Eola to Naperville. Once in Naperville, the way freight stopped and phoned the dispatcher to get permission to unlock and throw the switch to leave the main and enter the siding. Once clear of the main, Track 1 was available for traffic. The way freight would switch the industries on the north side, and when finished, phone the dispatcher for permission to cross over to the south side. This was a bigger problem for the dispatcher; now all three main tracks had to be shut down for a few miles in each direction. Once the disptacher found the window (there was considerable waiting on the part of the way freight), six switches were electronically unlocked, The signal bridge (behind me in this photo) went to red in both direction on all three tracks, the ground throws, which had previously been mechanically unlocked by the way freight crew were thrown, and the backup move proceeded (seen here). There was a crew man following the train back and realigning the switches and locking them as the way freight cleared. The dispatcher was called and told he could have his railroad back. Once on the south side, generally the way freight held Track 3, cut off his train and switched the south side, which by this date was only Moser Lumber, a track barely seen off to the far left. At one time there was also an oil depot and a quarry to switch on this side, but the quarry had long been abandon (later it became the municipal swimming pool) and I never saw the oil depot receive anything. Once the way freight completed his chores on the south side, he phoned the dispatcher and received permission to leave town and proceed to his next assignment, generally Downers Grove. There was one interesting move at Moser Lumber. Since the empties pulled from Moser would be coupled to the front of the locomotive, this required a "flying switch" maneuver to get them to the other end. The locomotive and empties would head to about this point, reverse direction, and with considerable acceleration, head west toward his standing train. The switch was aligned to head the locomotive into the siding, and at about half way there, the freight cars were cut off, and the locomotive accelerated away and into the siding, The switch was thrown and the free rolling freight cars rolled past the locomotive and slammed into the standing train. One crew man was one the freight cars attempting to slow them down with the hand brake, but more important was to not allow the freight cars to stall on the switch, so more often than not there was quite an impact as the rolling freight cars and standing way freight met.