Passenger Trains > St. James Place & Charter Club on Amtrak 5 thru CO.

Charter Wire private varnish business car ST. JAMES PLACE and ex-Union Pacific dome 7003 now CHARTER CLUB are headed for California on Amtrak's California Zephyr, train 5-07. Cars brought up the markers on Amtrak train 5 departing Denver, CO, May 8, 2008. Car with lone photographer was at Coal Creek Canyon, CO, climbing UP (ex-Denver & Rio Grande Western RR) Moffat Tunnel line rails.

ST. JAMES PLACE was Illinois Central 11-double bedroom car BELLEVILLE. It was acquired by John and Charles Mellowes in 1985. The car was built by Pullman as Illinois Central's second of six cars built to plan 4168A in lot 6913 ordered in July 1952 and delivered to the IC one year later. It was IC car number 3501 (number added in 1969). IC retired the car in 1971 and sold it to Butterworth Tours of Moline, IL. Butterworth operated the car occasionally as a day parlor car between Rock Island, IL and Chicago over the CRI&P in the early 1970's. BELLEVILLE ended its Butterworth days named BONNIE B. wearing Navy blue and light gray paint. The car was later picked up by Kasten Railcar Services which sold it to Charter Wire in 1985.

More info on Charter Wire's three cars; IMPERIAL LEAF, GOLDEN MOON & ST. JAMES PLACE in Private Varnish, Vol. 9, Number 5, issue 16, pages 9-16 published in 1987.

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cool shot and great info on the cars. I watched them go by Burlington, IA yesterday while I was switching some cars out in my train.

GL

Regarding photo above - looks like Charter Manufacturing chairman and chief executive officer John Mellowes might be out enjoying a spring fling around the Western Amtrak system. Great way to relax. Thanks for the wave!

These PV's are based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.