Nostalgia & History > Hamburger Grill to Heritage Diner?

Amtrak Dining Car #8527 on my Silver Meteor trip leaving Orlando started life as Southern Pacific 10212, built by Budd in 1950. I got a photo of the dining room, but unfortunately did not get one of the lunch counter area. Amtrak doesn't use the area for food service, at least they didn't  on this trip.

I wondered if it was originally one of the SP's Hamburger Grill lounge cars? Can any of the SP fans on here provide more information, history, or photos?

Thanks.

B&OBill



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/16 14:54 by bandob.

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No, this was a full dining car built for the Sunset Limited in 1950.  Never a hamburger grill to my knowledge.  The Pride of Texas diner lounges from the same equipment order from Budd to provide food and lounge service for the coach passengers were converted to hamburger grills, but eventually converted back to diner lounges, used on trains like the Cascade (1969-71) where there weren't enough passengers to require a full diner and full lounge car.

Lee Hower - Sacramento



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/16 15:14 by mcfflyer.

Thanks, Lee. Was that usual for SP to also have a lunch counter in the diner, or perhaps was this an "after market" change?

B&OB

bandob Wrote:
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> Thanks, Lee. Was that usual for SP to also have a
> lunch counter in the diner, or perhaps was this an
> "after market" change?
>
> B&OB

No, strictly "after market".  A full 48 seat diner.  I probably rode and ate in the 10212 more than once in my holiday season home travels from college from Albany, Oregon to Redding, California on SP 11-12.   Beautiful car to boot.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/16 15:19 by mcfflyer.

This is one of those cars they rebuilt at Timosa or some name like that.

Uncle Joe,Sefner,Fl.

retcsxcfm Wrote:
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> This is one of those cars they rebuilt at Timosa or some name like that.

Temoinsa.

mcfflyer Wrote:
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> No, this was a full dining car built for the Sunset Limited in 1950.
> Never a hamburger grill to my knowledge.
> The Pride of Texas diner lounges from the same equipment order from Budd to provide
> food and lounge service for the coach passengers were converted to hamburger grills,
> but eventually converted back to diner lounges, used on trains like the Cascade (1969-71)
> where there weren't enough passengers to require a full diner and full lounge car.

Correct.  To expand on what Lee said:

The Class 83-D-3 48 seat diners ordered for the Sunset Limited and built by Budd in Lot #9624-040, SP #10210-#10215, were known as the Audubon cars, and 5 of these (#10210-#10213, #10215) went to Amtrak as #8060-#8064; the #10214 was retained by SP, was renumbered in 1974 to #290, was later assigned #800471, then was painted in Daylight colors, went to UP at the 1996 merger, and was sold/donated to the California State RR Museum in 2001.  Of the 5 cars sold to Amtrak: #8061 (ex-#10211) was wrecked on October 2nd, 1979, at Lawrence, KS, in the consist of train #4, the eastbound Southwest Limited (it was subsequently scrapped and is listed as retired in July 1981, so that most likely indicates when it was scrapped); #8064 (ex-#10215) was retired in 1975 and sold for scrap to Tuman Demolition (Joplin, MO); and the other 3 cars (#8060 [ex-#10210], #8062 [ex-#10212], #8063 [ex-#10213]) were converted to head end power (HEP) in 1981 as #8526 to #8528; the #8526 (ex-#8060) was modified in 1986 to griddle diner #8559.  Also, seating in the #8527 was reduced to 40; the other 2 HEP-converted cars are listed as still having 48 seats.

The Class 83-DL-2 14 seat coffee shop (club lounge)-32 seat diners ordered for the Sunset Limited and built by Budd in Lot #9609-040, SP #10407-#10411, were known as the Pride of Texas cars, and all 5 of these went to Amtrak as #8320-#8324.  When these 5 cars were modified in 1957 to hamburger grills, the number of dining seats was reduced by 10, and the cars were returned to their original configuration in 1968.  Here are the dispositions:

#8320 (ex-#10407) was stored at an unknown date and is listed as retired in 1992, no further info.

#8321 (ex-#10408) was wrecked in 1976 and was subsequently sold to Brian B. Garrett, who moved it to his Whistle Stop Ranch in Flint, TX.  Like Garrett's other cars, it was listed for sale on Ozark Mountain Railcar several years ago.

#8322 (ex-#10409) was stored at an unknown date and is listed as retired in 1993.  It was subsequently sold to a private owner in Minneapolis, was later resold to Hank Peterson in Dennison, OH, and is now in the excursion fleet of the Arkansas & Missouri.  It was in the consist that was wrecked on October 16th, 2014, at Brentwood, AR, and I don't know if it has since returned to service.

#8323 (ex-#10410) was stored at an unknown date and is listed as retired in 1993, no further info.

#8324 (ex-#10411) was stored at an unknown date and is listed as retired in 1994.  It was subsequently sold to Dave Varilek in Fremont, NE, and in 2014, Varilek sold his 5 various Budd-built cars, including the ex-#10411, to Iowa Pacific, and all 5 were then moved to Alamosa, CO.

The Class 83-L-2 40 seat club lounges ordered for the Sunset Limited and built by Budd in Lot #9629-040, SP #2987-#2992, were known as the French Quarter cars, and had a barber shop/valet room with shower as well as a stewardess' room.  5 of these cars (#2988-#2992) went to Amtrak as #3310-#3314; the #2987 was retained by SP, was renumbered in 1974 to #291, was later assigned #800492, then was painted in Daylight colors, went to UP at the 1996 merger, and was sold/donated to the California State RR Museum in 2001.  After sale to Amtrak, seating was reduced to 36, the former valet/shower was used as a crew room, and the former stewardess' room was used for storage.  Here are the dispositions for the 5 cars that went to Amtrak:

#3310 (ex-#2988) was planned to be converted to HEP as lounge #3115, but instead it was converted to HEP in 1983 as Auto Train 32 seat café (buffet) car #8701, was stored in 1994 and retired in 1995, was subsequently sold to Illinois Transit Assembly (ITAX), went through several owners while stored there, was leased to Mid-America Railcar Leasing (MRLX) as part of their lease fleet, and entered service in 2013 as the commissary car on NKP #765 trips.

#3311 (ex-#2989) was planned to be converted to HEP as lounge #3116, but instead it was converted to HEP in 1983 as Auto Train 32 seat café (buffet) car #8700.  It was retired in 2002 and was subsequently sold to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic RR (CVSR).

#3312 (ex-#2990) was converted in 1981 to HEP as lounge #3117, and was wrecked in May 1994 in the consist of the southbound Silver Meteor at Selma, NC.  It was subsequently retired in 1995, no further info.

#3313 (ex-#2991) was converted in 1982 to HEP as lounge #3114, was retired in 1995, and was subsequently sold to Royal Rail (RR)/Gold Coast Limited as the #800699 and named Daniel.  It was later resold to Bennett Levin's Juniata Terminal Company (JTCX) as the #1157 Warrior Ridge.

#3314 (ex-#2992) was converted in 1981 to HEP as lounge #3113, was retired in 1995, and was subsequently sold to a private owner.  It is in service in the excursion fleet of the Tennessee Central Railway Museum as TCRX #3113.

SP 10408 "Pride of Texas", I purchased from Mr. Garrett's son in 2015, it is now at 9300 Highway 290 West Austin Texas.

www.texascompound.com for photos of car.  It is being restored for stationary use by a high end takeout food service tenant.  This car derailed in 1976 wreck near Hawkins, Texas.  Amtrak sold it as scrap, to be removed from wreck site by buyer.  Mr. Garrett was a former railroad claims agent so he knew just exactly how to work the system and rescue the cars from scrapyard fate.

Have 5 Budd cars  arrived at this location since 2013, and a 6th car restored and in service by lease to Austin Steam Train, ATSF 1371 "Nambe".  Wife says that is enough railroad cars....

- Wm Osborn

Thank you, everyone, for such complete information. Here are scans from the Sunset Limited Brochure, "The Streamlined Train with the Southern Accent," showing the Audobon Dining Room and Pride of Texas Coffee shop.

B&OBill

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Why the low ceiling in the photo?  Air conditioning?

Why can't Amtrak do this????


Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

retcsxcfm Wrote:
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> Why can't Amtrak do this????
>
>
> Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

Why you ask???....Because Smoking is Prohibited on Amtrak!  Note how may people are smoking in the last picture.

Why can't Amtrak do what?

And when's the last time you were on a long distance train and every man was dressed in a suit, and every woman in a fasion dress?

Lee Hower - Sacramento