Passenger Trains > Santa Fe Hi-level

It has been a number of years since the former Santa Fe Hi-Level cars were retired from Amtrak service. There were more than 70 built and most of them survived through Amtrak service. Where are they now?

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

The survivors are mostly in the hands of private owners and equipment brokers.

I believe the largest "fleet" is in Texas, owned by a Dallas-based shortline.

Sold to some tourist line or short line railroads and then I believe some company in the Midwest has quite a collection of the former AT&SF Hi Level cars. Surprised Amtrak didn't try to buy those and reactivate them for the San Joaquin instead of the NJT Comet I's (Arrows). Not too many were scrapped - except for those in accidents or the like - from what I've heard or seen. I think there is a website out there with some tracking info on where these cars are now.

The Pacific Railroad Society has one in their Nokes Yard in East Los Angeles.

chris

There's a whole slew of them in private hands on the IL side of St. Louis in the same complex that the Respondek RR is. Not sure what their plans are with them.

- Jeff Carlson

Gateway Rail Services, Madison, IL (just NE of St. Louis),
would guess 20 or more.

Even the two prototype Hi-Levels survive. They are distinguishable from the regular ones by a
taper to their carbodies in the window band area. Inside, they have a step-down aisle from the
coach seats, similar to that in many intercity buses.

Photos:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/attachments/fullsize/327000/prototypeHiLevel_OkCity_Dec76a.jpg

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/attachments/fullsize/327000/prototypeHiLevel_SunsetLtd_Houston_Jan81.jpg

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/attachments/fullsize/327000/LoneStar_OkCity_Dec76a.jpg

Plans were drawn up for Hi-Level sleepers, too, but they were never built. They were not to be
like Amtrak's Superliner sleepers, but instead were to have "nested" private sleeping rooms,
alternating step-up and step-down from the aisle. That's the best I can do to describe the
design. There is a diagram in one of Dubin's "Classic Trains" books (Kalmbach, 1964, 1974).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/12 21:02 by GenePoon.

Here is a photo of 39919 owned by the Pacific Railroad Society. It is currently being rebuilt for excursion service. By the time all is said and done it will cost the PRS about $275,000 to put back on the road.

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Running some ex-Santa Fe refurbished high level cafe/lounges on LA-Seattle Coast Starlight.Call them sightseerer lounges.Reserved for sleeping car passgrs. only. Originally built for Santa Fe all coach El Capitan, LA-Chicago. Think
there are still 5 in service? Also has a superliner lounge for coach passgrs.

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Plans were drawn up for Hi-Level sleepers, too,
> but they were never built. They were not to be
> like Amtrak's Superliner sleepers, but instead
> were to have "nested" private sleeping rooms,
> alternating step-up and step-down from the aisle.
> That's the best I can do to describe the
> design. There is a diagram in one of Dubin's
> "Classic Trains" books (Kalmbach, 1964, 1974).

Discussed in "More Classic Trains", pp. 488-489.

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Even the two prototype Hi-Levels survive. They
> are distinguishable from the regular ones by a
> taper to their carbodies in the window band area.
> Inside, they have a step-down aisle from the
> coach seats, similar to that in many intercity
> buses.
>
> Photos:
>
> http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/attachments/
> fullsize/327000/prototypeHiLevel_OkCity_Dec76a.jpg
>

Both of these prototypes survive at Gateway Rail Services in Madison, IL. Bring some $$$ and they're yours!
>
> http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/attachments/
> fullsize/327000/prototypeHiLevel_SunsetLtd_Houston
> _Jan81.jpg
>
> http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/attachments/
> fullsize/327000/LoneStar_OkCity_Dec76a.jpg
>
> Plans were drawn up for Hi-Level sleepers, too,
> but they were never built. They were not to be
> like Amtrak's Superliner sleepers, but instead
> were to have "nested" private sleeping rooms,
> alternating step-up and step-down from the aisle.
> That's the best I can do to describe the
> design. There is a diagram in one of Dubin's
> "Classic Trains" books (Kalmbach, 1964, 1974).

Currently in Dallas just outside Fair Park. Believe they're owned by a guy who once sold Chevrolet re-engine kits for Jaguars way back when.

These pics were posted here about 2½ yrs ago, but the cars are still there.

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Thanks for posting the photos. Hopefully, they don't get scrapped.

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

There are two transition coaches on the Hobo Railroad in New Hampshire's White Mountains. They been there for several years, but to my knowledge have never been used on the railroad's tourist trains.

Dave

edsaalig Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here is a photo of 39919 owned by the Pacific
> Railroad Society. It is currently being rebuilt
> for excursion service. By the time all is said
> and done it will cost the PRS about $275,000 to
> put back on the road.


What happened to the trucks?? I thought that high-level cars had outside swing hanger trucks?

Here is the Santa Fe High Level Coach 800857 Mesa Verde used on a Christmas trip on the Crab Orchard & Egyptian Railroad.

Chris

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calzephyr48 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> edsaalig Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Here is a photo of 39919 owned by the Pacific
> > Railroad Society. It is currently being
> rebuilt
> > for excursion service. By the time all is said
> > and done it will cost the PRS about $275,000 to
> > put back on the road.
>
>
> What happened to the trucks?? I thought that
> high-level cars had outside swing hanger trucks?


Exactly.....must have been swapped out with this inside swinghanger truck. Maybe Amtrak prefers OSH trucks on the remaining heritage fleet and decided to swap before retiring this car. There will undoubtedly be more side sway on this re-trucked car.

edsaalig Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here is a photo of 39919 owned by the Pacific
> Railroad Society. It is currently being rebuilt
> for excursion service. By the time all is said
> and done it will cost the PRS about $275,000 to
> put back on the road.


I assume that $275k is using a lot of volunteer labor? What all has to be done to the car?

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

calzephyr48 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> What happened to the trucks?? I thought that
> high-level cars had outside swing hanger trucks?


They do. I believe those ISH trucks in the picture were being used as shop trucks while the correct trucks were elsewhere on the property, in pieces, being overhauled.

I for one still say Amtrak should've put them back in service instead of getting rid of them back in 1999 or 2000!