Life after the Chicago Brookfield Zoo. Open wooden coaches on lease to the Hesston Steam Museum. Hesston Indiana USA. June 1987.

Two green open wood coaches, still lettered for the now defunct Brookfield, Salt Creek & Western Railroad, are seen on a temporary lease to the Hesston Steam Museum in northwest Indiana. On Memorial Day weekend in May of 1985, the museum's enginehouse caught fire and burned to the ground. Several pieces of wooden narrow guage rolling stock were destroyed in the inferno, and several locomotives were damaged.

The 2 foot narrow guage Brookfield, Salt Creek & Western RR, operated at the Chicago Brookfield Zoo from May of 1967, to Labor Day weekend in September of 1985. A new dolphin show aquairium was to be built on the railroad right of way, as well as high operating costs, made the museum decide to abandon the zoo railroad for more
cost effective rubber tired shuttle trams used today.

The zoo railroad rolling stock was in storage, but the Hesston Museum negotiated a three or four year lease, and leased some of the old wooden Brookfield Zoo coaches, until more secondhand cars were acquired from various amusement parks. After the 2nd hand cars arrived in 1990, the zoo cars were returned to their owner. In the year of 2002, the entire Brookfield Zoo train of 2 steam locomotives, 1 gas powered diesel switcher replica, and several coaches were donated to the Hesston Steam Museum where they are undergoing restoration today. A happy ending.