03/02/2020
Some of you may already be aware that we made some purchases at an Amtrak auction last year. We had great success with two of those acquisitions during NPE 2019 with the two former Santa Fe hi level lounge cars which ran until recently on Amtrak's Coast Starlight train as "Pacific Parlour" cars. We were very pleased with the response to our "Pere Marquette Parlour" service! That makes us excited to say that we got two more arrivals from Amtrak: two single level heritage diners! The first arrival, Amtrak 8532, is now in the shop. It was originally a coach built by the Budd Company and dubbed "Silver Halter" for the CB&Q. It was sold to Amtrak in 1971 and became a dining car in the late 80s. Unfortunately, this car was heavily tagged on Amtrak's property and will need extensive exterior cleaning.
The second arrival, Amtrak 8550 awaits its turn in the shop. It was also built by the Budd Company in the 50s. It originally ran as a diner on the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle. In 1971 it was sold to Amtrak and, like 8532, has served as a diner on many of the eastern long-distance routes. This car also has some tagging on the outside, but will not require as much effort to remove it, thankfully. The wheels are turning in 2020!
