Nostalgia & History > Southern Pacific Duplex Coach-Oakland 1971

December 16 1971-Oakland CA-In 1971 I was intrigued by this two section Southern Pacific coach.  Little did I know that it would later become part of my life.
I'm intrigued that even at the time of the picture, the coach was in the freight yard.  Was it already on its way to a new owner?
Eventually it became part of the Algoma Central Agawa Canyon Train.  From there, "my" railway society (Bytown Railway Society in Ottawa Canada) acquired it for use on their Gatineau tourist train.
This was our only car with a retention toilet.  We had no emptying facilities and "slops" were removed by dumping the sludge into a garbage can and then tipping the crap into a toilet in our work area.

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I seem to recall riding on an Amtrak train between Oakland and Los Angeles in the '80s that had some of the articulated coaches. Am I correct or am I dreaming?

CNStratford Wrote:
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> December 16 1971-Oakland CA-In 1971 I was
> intrigued by this two section Southern Pacific
> coach.  Little did I know that it would later
> become part of my life.
> I'm intrigued that even at the time of the
> picture, the coach was in the freight yard.  Was
> it already on its way to a new owner?
> Eventually it became part of the Algoma Central
> Agawa Canyon Train.  From there, "my" railway
> society (Bytown Railway Society in Ottawa Canada)
> acquired it for use on their Gatineau tourist
> train.

​I don't think your car was this one, as this used to be a triple-unit diner.  The SP scrapped the middle (kitchen) section of the twin unit, retaining one 3-axle truck, and attached the two end cars together, gutted the interiors, and made them into coaches with no vestibules.  Not sure if they had any toilets.  Your car was an as-built articulated coach if I recall correctly. 

Interesting catch. Never noticed the middle truck had three axles?
JB

Topfuel Wrote:
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> CNStratford Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > train.
>
> ​I don't think your car was this one, as this
> used to be a triple-unit diner.  The SP scrapped
> the middle (kitchen) section of the twin unit,
> retaining one 3-axle truck, and attached the two
> end cars together, gutted the interiors, and made
> them into coaches with no vestibules.  Not sure
> if they had any toilets.  Your car was an
> as-built articulated coach if I recall
> correctly. 

I do not think this car went to Algoma Central.  Of course it's an articulated chair car, not a duplex coach.

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> Interesting catch. Never noticed the middle truck
> had three axles?
> JB

Only the cars converted from the triple unit diner had the three axle truck.

colehour Wrote:
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> I seem to recall riding on an Amtrak train between
> Oakland and Los Angeles in the '80s that had some
> of the articulated coaches. Am I correct or am I
> dreaming?

Amtrak certainly did acquire and operate several SP articulated coaches, and relettered them for Amtrak, but I don't think they lasted until the 80's.  BSB  

SP 2280-SP 2281 fondly known as the "bowling alley cars".  Used on trains #51 and #52.

rantoul Wrote:
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> SP articulated coach (trainorders.com)

Thanks for the link. I forgot that I had asked the same question back in 2008 and had received some good answers!

Don't believe this car went to the AC

Yeah, I doubt this particular car went anywhere- it was an orphan if ever there was.  No toilets or side doors (vestibules) made for a pretty miserable coach.  Without side doors for emergency exits I should think FRA rules caught up with it at some point.
SR

Nice catch of a rare car though!

I believe they always ran it between cars with bathrooms next to each end.
I also rememember a pic of it coupled to a tavern car which also had no vestibules.
ESPEE probably had more articulated cars than any other road. 
As a kid I rode all of them and I don't think anyone of the public ever noticed or cared.
I kitbashed many of them in my model railroading days...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

BoilingMan Wrote:
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> Yeah, I doubt this particular car went anywhere-
> it was an orphan if ever there was.  No toilets
> or side doors (vestibules) made for a pretty
> miserable coach.  Without side doors for
> emergency exits I should think FRA rules caught up
> with it at some point.
> SR
>
> Nice catch of a rare car though!
Toilet, a broom closet affair, was at each end of the car. unisex. Definately a supply car, that ran on specials and summer consists on the Daylights