Amtrak Heritage Diners Thread

8530, 8531, and 8532 all had vestibules to begin with. 8530 was originally a PRR lounge, and 8531 and 8532 were originally CBQ coaches.

Regarding the 8530 if my reference data is accurate, the 8530 -Molly Pitcher- began life as a parlor car for PRR Senator/Congressional service. Budd built 1952. Not bad lineage for a 61 year old still active passenger service car.

Amtk30

Did the PRR or PC convert 8530 into what is now known as the Heritage Diner, or did Amtrak? I didn't realize that any Heritage Diner was built originally as a coach. Interesting.....

Speaking of 8530, just saw it at Wilmington Station. Hard to tell, but pretty sure I could pick out where the old vestibule was.

If I can get a picture uploaded, I will.

Regarding the 8530 -Molly Pitcher- my reference lists -airline- style galley installed during PC era. Perhaps Amtrak later reconfigured Molly as the diner?

Amtk30

8530 was ex-PRR 7143. Note evidence of a vestibule and stairs on the far right in this view.

For comparsion, here's another 1952 PRR parlor : 7127. The main difference is that 7127 has an "observation" end.

Amtk30 wrote:Regarding the 8530 -Molly Pitcher- my reference lists -airline- style galley installed during PC era. Perhaps Amtrak later reconfigured Molly as the diner?

The galley could have been to convert it from a Parlor Car to a Parlor Club Car - "Meals and Beverages served at your seat". Some of these still had a day Drawing Room, and others were "combines", half Parlor Club Car, half Snack Bar Coach, with the galley in the center instead of the far end from the Drawing Room.

Quite possibly our Molly Pitcher 8530 was one of the former PC Parlor Club Cars with the day Drawing Room. At least as of Feb 1972, PC 7143 (Amtk 3643) was listed as a 29 chair-DR-galley car (cite: F. Frailey's Zephyrs Chiefs and other Orphans). Car was later converted to Galley-Lounge Amtk 3321 (cite: Amtrak Car Spotter-Wayner 4th Ed.). The HEP and conversion to diner of course came later.

Amtk30

"Arundel" was the combine which directly followed Maine Central 470 on the final steam trip.

RGlueck wrote:"Arundel" was the combine which directly followed Maine Central 470 on the final steam trip.

Dick,

I'm curious...how is that possible? It never had side doors installed and was used in diner service by Amtrak (not to mention the successor railroads after service on MEC).

As reported in the Superliner Wreck Rebuild thread the Chief Mechanical Officer's report for November 2014 (PDF Page 32) had some interesting news. Also interested was what was not there. The Heritage rebuild program has apparently ended. And so it has finally begun.

The final year(s) of the Heritage fleet at Amtrak are upon us. Hard to believe they lasted so long to begin with.

Something tells me private operators that have a sleeper and/or coach, may be interested in these Heritage Diners and would be willing to throw Amtrak some descent cash for the Diners..........In the early 2000's even VIA Rail Canada was eyeing some of the Heritage Diners. Not now though - VIA has surplus equipment with the further reductions in frequency etc. that have occurred there.

Looking back to the early 1980s, Amtrak has disposed of most (but not all) surplus passenger cars through the sealed bid auction process.

All of these cars have value as parts donors (coupler, draft gear, trucks, wheelsets, HEP components, electrical panels, HVAC equipment, etc.) to those who own streamliner era equipment. Some components salvaged from baggage cars and diners could be re-used on heavyweight cars.

Baggage cars are popular because they can be reutilized as a storage facility on wheels.

I so would love to have my own private railcar... and then a diner to go with it.

But, unfortunately, I think the only way to make say a million doing that is to start with two.

jp1822 wrote:Something tells me private operators that have a sleeper and/or coach, may be interested in these Heritage Diners and would be willing to throw Amtrak some descent cash for the Diners..........In the early 2000's even VIA Rail Canada was eyeing some of the Heritage Diners. Not now though - VIA has surplus equipment with the further reductions in frequency etc. that have occurred there.

Gateway Rail Services will suck up whatever is left over once the higher bidding PV folks pick off what they want.

Greg Moore wrote:I so would love to have my own private railcar... and then a diner to go with it.

But, unfortunately, I think the only way to make say a million doing that is to start with two.

Private cars aren't that expensive to buy. A good one only costs a couple hundred grand, about the same as a cabin cruiser and lots of people are able to afford boats. The problem is that private cars are very expensive to run and while Amtrak's fees can always be defrayed by selling tickets and such, any PV owner needs about $50,000 cash on hand for when his car develops a hotbox and is set off in West Nowhere.