The American Association of Private Railcar Owners
Convention
Chattanooga,TN
September 2012

by John Beirne

The American Association of Private Railcar Owners held their convention in Chattanooga in September 2012. They ran a special train of 29 private passenger cars from Washington, DC to Spencer, NC-Asheville, NC –Knoxville and Chattanooga, TN prior to the meeting. The cars returned to Washington from Chattanooga via Knoxville-overnite in Roanoke-Front Royal and Manassas, VA on September 30 and October 1. The equipment laid over on Track 30 in Washington Union Station the night of October 1.

Ann and I rode the special train from Chattanooga to DC and on October 2 returned to Roanoke on Amtrak to Lynchburg and Smart Bus to Roanoke.

The train, pulled by 3 Amtrak locomotives tied up in two sections for the convention at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo. The Amtrak engines were split up to provide electrical power to each of the two sections.

The first car in the train is “City of Spokane” built by American Car & Foundry in 1950 and used on Great Northern’s International between Seattle and Vancouver. The car was also used by Amtrak on the Empire Builder.

“Royal Street” is a 5 double bedroom-buffet-lounge-observation built in 1950 by Pullman Standard for the Louisville & Nashville.

“Pacific Union” is a 6 double bedroom-10 roomette built by Budd in 1950.

“Northern Sky” is a dome lounge-observation car built in 1955 by American Car & Foundry for the Union Pacific city trains (City of St Louis/City of Portland/City of LA). The car also served on the Auto Train.

“Northern Dreams” is a 1955 5 double bedroom-buffet-lounge. Union Pacific rebuilt the car to 11 bedrooms in 1956 and renamed it the Star Scene. The car also served on Amtrak’s Auto Train.

“Pacific Sands” built by Budd in 1950 for Union Pacific’s City Trains. The car was also used system wide by Amtrak.

Scottish Thistle” built by National Steel Car as an office car for Canadian Pacific.

“Cimarron River” was built by Pullman Standard in 1948 as a 14 roomette/4 double bedroom car for the Frisco Railroad “Meteor” between St Louis, Oklahoma City and Lawton. In 1965 Frisco sold the car to Canadian National. The car is owned by my college roommate/best man at our wedding, Anthony Marchiando and his brother Andy.

"Suits Me” was built in 1928 by Pullman as an office car for the Bangor & Aroostook RR.

“Caritas” was built by Pullman Standard as a 14 roomette-4 bedroom sleeper for the Frisco Railroad Texas Special. It was sold to the Canadian National for regular service on the Transcontinental.

"Puget Sound” dome car was built in 1955 by Budd for the Great Northern Empire Builder.

“Sierra Hotel” was built in 1948 by Budd for the California Zephyr and was named Silver Lounge. It is a dome-dormitory-coffee shop. The car was also operated on Amtrak.

“Oliver Hazard Perry” was built by Pullman Standard in 1954 for Canadian National’s Super Continental.

“Birch Grove” was built in 1950 by Budd as a 6 bedroom 10 roomette sleeper for Southern Pacific’s Los Angles-New Orleans Sunset Limited. It also operated on Amtrak.

“Observatory” was built by Budd in 1954 as a dome coach for the Northern Pacific "North Coast Limited" joint service with the the Chicago Burlington and Quincy car owner.

“Santa Fe 56” was built by Pullman in 1923 as an Office Car for the Santa Fe Railroad.

"Pacific Sunset” was built by Budd in 1950 as a 6 bedroom 10 roomette sleeper for the Union Pacific. It also operated on Amtrak and the Auto Train.

“Vista Canyon” was built in 1947 by Pullman for the Santa Fe. The car was built as a one double bedroom; four drawing rooms with a round end observation for the Super Chief. In 1956 the round end was modified to allow the car to run in the middle of a train.

“Federal” was built by Pullman in 1911. It was in general service for the Pullman Company operating out of St Louis. In 1933 Pullman sold the car to the Lackawanna Railroad for use as an office car.

“Dover Harbor” was built by Pullman in 1923. Named Maple Shade the car operated as a baggage-buffet-club on the Pennsylvania Railroad. The car was rebuilt in 1934 for New York Central.

“Portland” built by Pullman in 1928 as a New York Central office car. Later the car was named Penn Central 4 and Conrail 1.

“Georgia 300” built in 1930 by Pullman as a 10 section-lounge named General Polk. It was converted to a business car in 1954 for the Georgia Railroad.

“Cannon Ball” was built by American Car Foundry in 1922 for the Wabash Railroad. The office car was acquired in 1964 by N&W.

“Wisconsin” was built in 1948 as a business car of the Milwaukee Road. The car was also operated by the Union Pacific and the Soo Line.

“Hollywood Beach” was built by Pullman Standard in 1956 for the Seaboard Railroad Silver Meteor. This car has unique window placements to allow a dome car like view to travel into Penn Station in New York City.

“Pickney Henderson” was built in 1954 by Pullman Standard as a 72 seat coach for the Katy Railroad. The car also ran on the Northern Pacific and Amtrak.

“Mount Vernon” built in 1950 by Budd as a 10 roomette 6 bedroom sleeper named Pacific Island for Union Pacific. The car also ran on Amtrak.

“Berlin” was built by Pullman in 1956 as Union Pacific 11, Placid Lake. It was rebuilt by American Orient Express and renamed Berlin.

“Dearing” was built by Pullman in 1925 for the Great Northern Oriental Limited between Chicago and Seattle. It was in Pullman pool service from 1931 to 1948 when it was sold to the Chicago Great Western Railway in 1948 for office car duty for CGW and Chicago & Northwestern.