Passenger Trains > Amtrak Diner 8509

I photographed this Amtrak diner at Birmingham, AL on 4-4-97. I had the impression this might be a former Northern Pacific diner. Does anyone have some history on the 8509?

Thanks

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There is a site out there with Amtrak car info.
Can\'t remember the URL.I guess you will have to search.

I don\'t know if this will help your search but this has a very large listing of Amtrak equipment. It may help you at least start in the right direction.
NG

http://lib2.clark.cc.oh.us/amtrak/amtrak.html

It is indeed an ex Northern Pacific dining car built in 1957 as NP 460.


Chris

Thanks Chris! After 5 years I finally have the correct heritage of that car.

and it\'s still running...last seen on the Silver Star in June.

Geoff

8509 just arrived on Silver Service #91.

This car is usually used on consists with 3 sleepers. It has not been refurbished in some time.

With the large seating capacity and kitchen area with 2 grilles, 3 ovens, 4 steamtables, 2 hotplates and 3 microwaves, it allows a quick turnover during meals.

This is great news knowing that a former Northern Pacific dining car built in 1957 would still be in everyday service for Amtrak!

Actually it was built in 1958, not 1957, by the Budd company (Job No. 9624-210). It was one of five (numbered 459 thru 463) built for the NP, and one (numbered 458) built for the CB&Q for use on the Chicago-Seattle North Coast Limited (remember the "Great Big Baked Potato"). These were the last full diners built for use on a US railroad prior to Amtrak. I believe five are still in use on Amtrak, and the sixth one (former NP 459) is part of the BNSF business car fleet (named "Lake Superior"). I know from Trains Magazine articles that Amtrak has completely remodelled some of their cars recently, but don\'t know if they finished all of them yet.

The variety of re-built diners on East Coast long distance trains makes riding them a real treat. Last year I found myself in an ex-Southern Pacific Sunset Limited diner that had been reburbished. It was done in pale-green and salmon pink color scheme, and looked pretty nice. Also, part of the pantry had been openned up and a lunch counter, with 4 stools, installed. The counter was not in revenue service, it was being used at the waiter pick-up counter.

Stepping from an Amfleet or Viewliner into one of those old cars really gets this old geezer feeling maudlin.

8509 is enroute to NYP this morning.

If you look real close at the nameplate, you can see the SP logo and Sunset Limited name on it. Even though it was removed years ago, it remains etched in the stainless steel!

<<8509 is enroute to NYP this morning.

If you look real close at the nameplate, you can see the SP logo and Sunset Limited name on it. Even though it was removed years ago, it remains etched in the stainless steel!>>

Are you talking about the same car? The 8509 was a Northern Pacific, not Southern Pacific car. The original colors were the two tone green of the NP North Coast Limited (with painted, not stainless steel siding), with the letters "NORTHERN PACIFIC" above the windows and the NP Monad surrounded by the words "Vista Dome North Coast Limited" below the windows.

I\'ll take a look when it gets back. All the coloring is gone. I don\'t recall if they were NP or SP logos. You can just see a faint image of the markings when you look down the side of the car.

I\'ll bring in my camera and post it next week. I think I can enhance the picture enough to make the markings visible.

<I\'ll bring in my camera and post it next week. I think I can enhance the picture enough to make the markings visible.>

I look forward to seeing your picture - always interesting to see the old logos and paint schemes come through on these cars!

FB-111-A Joe:

Do you have a list you could post of all the refurbished, rebuilt diners finished by Beech Grove over the past few years?

Also, any still in the pipe line? Or is that project finished?

Thanks

Attached is a Pic of the Lake Superior at the Witchita Shops in January 2002. I talked to some of the shop employees and they said the car had just been recently completed. You\'ll notice that BNSF removed the Flat NP Stainless Panels and installed Regular Budd Fluting. Really nice car !! I\'ll attach the interior shots also.

Harry

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Interior of Lake Superior

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This is the interior of one of the former NP Diners in Amtrak service. This car recently just had a post Timitsu(sp) rebuild. Plain style bench seats with the nasty floroescent lighting. Quite a contrast to the Lake Superior. You can spot the similarities in the ceiling air vents.

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Most of the NP Diners still in Amtrak service retain most of the original etched glass dividers from the NP. The etchings are of NP\'s Yin/Yang logos and Pineapples to express Hospitality.

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harrybechtold wrote:
> This is the interior of one of the former NP Diners in Amtrak
> service. This car recently just had a post Timitsu(sp)
> rebuild. Plain style bench seats with the nasty floroescent
> lighting. Quite a contrast to the Lake Superior. You can spot
> the similarities in the ceiling air vents.
>

The Amtrak Heritage diners I\'ve been in look nicer than that. That one looks more like a Horizon Dinette!