Passenger Trains > Private cars on Amtrak 21 out of Joliet IL today

21 had 2 private cars on the rear today, dome car "Charter Club" and open deck Private car "St. James Place". First time I've seen these. What's the story on them. Pics are at Joliet IL. TIA Dan Tracy

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That BNSF train that's waiting, is that a GP60M in the H3 colors? I have never seen one of them. Nice catch!

You saw 2 of the 4 private cars owned by Charter Manufacturing company. Their fleet is among the finest private varnish in north America.

TommyBNSF Wrote:
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> That BNSF train that's waiting, is that a GP60M in
> the H3 colors? I have never seen one of them.
> Nice catch!

Here it is. Thanks. Dan

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Dome coach 'Charter Club' is ex-UP #7003, later owned by Auto-Train and the C.P. Huntington chapter of the NRHS, who stirred up contention with UP by painting it in full UP colors without any other reporting marks back in the early '90s. "HUNX" was later added in front of the number to avoid confusion with UP's own dome fleet. Now, in NYC two-tone gray, such confusion is no longer a problem. (info from WebLurker's DOME-main website)

I remember seeing those cars at Milwaukee's station a while back. They look great. Good catch, Jeff

these cars were done at avolon rail coperation they have a video o the making of the charter club.

Does Charter charter their cars?

Window shades in the dome, not cool....

Just out of curiosity - where was the Texas Eagle's baggage car - or were they using the Trans-Dorm sleeper as the baggage car? I assume this train had through cars for/from the Sunset Limited tacked on the back - so there was at least a full sleeper in the consist? Again, just curious.

Private cars looked great! I can't wait to get back up to Canada and ride VIA's Canadian (probably not till Feb 2007) to get that nostalgic feel of riding the Heritage diners, sleepers and domes!

IndyRails Wrote:
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> Does Charter charter their cars?

As I understand it, no, these are not available for charter but are used as private/business cars for the [ironically-named] Charter Wire Company, which is based in Milwaukee, WI. The cars often sit on the farthest south station track in Milwaukee.

http://www.chartermfg.com/

I remember photographing "St. James Place" in Salt Lake City (on the end of the CZ or Desert Wind) in 1987, in Charter colors. What is its heritage?

The St. James Place, while very nicely turned out, is a classic private car owner bulldozer job. It was actually an ex-IC B series 11 bedroom sleeper built in 1953. It was completely gutted and the original windows were blanked. They then effectively built a new car inside and out, complete with open platform.

jp1822 Wrote:
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> Just out of curiosity - where was the Texas
> Eagle's baggage car - or were they using the
> Trans-Dorm sleeper as the baggage car? I assume
> this train had through cars for/from the Sunset
> Limited tacked on the back - so there was at least
> a full sleeper in the consist? Again, just
> curious.
>
> Private cars looked great! I can't wait to get
> back up to Canada and ride VIA's Canadian
> (probably not till Feb 2007) to get that nostalgic
> feel of riding the Heritage diners, sleepers and
> domes!

Baggage is carried in a baggage-coach on both the Texas Eagle and the City of New Orleans. If a baggage-coach is not available, then a baggage car is operated. Through cars (a sleeper and coach) are still exchanged with the Sunset at San Antonio on connecting days. Non-connecting trains also carry a full sleeper as the rear car out of St. Louis (quite often a STL local coach will operate between Chicago and St. Louis.)

As for the private cars, Charter Manufacturing has four of the best, if not THE best, cars in the country. All four were in Chicago coupled together, just prior to this move. The other two, "Imperial Leaf" and "Golden Moon", have been in private car service for CM for many, many years. When I worked for Amtrak in Milwaukee in 1975-1976, I rode a University of Wisconsin football special from Milwaukee to Madison via Watertown and the Madison branch. Charter ran a special for alumni and friends to several of the home games at Madison each year during this time frame.

Silver Sky