Passenger Trains > What CZ cars still roam the rails today?

Forgive me if this has been asked before, I couldn't figure out the right key words to use for a good search through the archives... The recent mini Cal Zephyr trip in Northern California got me thinking... What former CZ cars (still dressed in CZ attire) are rolling along today in mainline operable condition?

I can only think of the three that were together recently including Silver Lariat, Silver Rapids, and Silver Solarium. You see, i've got this CZ set in HO scale from Broadway Limited. The 12 car set has never been run in the four years I've owned them. I just haven't had the interest... I figured I'd feel more obligated to run some if I dressed them up for the named cars that are still out there today, like the three mentioned above. Are there any others? I know that there are a bunch of "former" CZ cars still alive and well working for other RRs often painted in various schemes, I'm not interested in that. I'm curious what is still in operation with "California Zephyr" on the side rolling down the tracks behind Amtrak or any other major RR.

Mr. MRL

see:

http://calzephyr.railfan.net/

I rode in former diner Silver Restaurant on Amtrak's Silver Meteor this summer.

Adam

http://www.californiazephyr.org/resource_library/equipment_sites.phtml

http://www.californiazephyr.org/resource_library/museums.phtml

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,2049041

adamauxier Wrote:
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> I rode in former diner Silver Restaurant on
> Amtrak's Silver Meteor this summer.
>
> Adam


Sadly, the Silver Resturant has been heavily rebuilt. I have been told that one of the Amtrak ex-CZ diners has been scrapped and the third is either scrapped or out of service. Anyone confirm that?

Z

I believe Silver Banquet was scrapped in the early 80's due to a center sill crack, someone correct me if i am wrong

Adam

Here are a couple of pictures of the ex-WP 813 Vista Dome (CZ-21) car Silver Palace, re-named Spirit of Superior, taken in May 2009 in the Algoma Central rail yards at Sault Ste. Marie Ontario. (For more pictures of the Algoma yards and the actual rail journey to Hearst, check out: http://www.railroadnews.com/algoma/)

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Stainless steel has its own set of problems, not the least of which is STRESS CRACKS IN THE FRAME. If serious, the repair costs can be astronomical and that's why a lot of former Budd cars have gone to scrap.

Add to that some of the "botched" repairs done over the years and its no small miracle many have survived!

While not currently in service, ex WP Silver Crescent is the only CZ dome/lounge/obs that retains its original interior and furnishings. Currently on display at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Miami, Florida. http://gcrm.org/cz10.aspx#pagetop

'Silver Banquet' was scrapped by Amtrak in the mid '80s because of a center sill crack. She was sold to Amtrak by D&RGW in 1983. It's a shame- she would have been a great museum piece, being D&RGW's only California Zephyr diner and having served on the 'Rio Grande Zephyr' as well.

MrMRL Wrote:
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> What former CZ cars (still dressed in
> CZ attire) are rolling along today in mainline
> operable condition?
>
> I can only think of the three that were together
> recently including Silver Lariat, Silver Rapids,
> and Silver Solarium.
>
> I'm curious what is still
> in operation with "California Zephyr" on the side
> rolling down the tracks behind Amtrak or any other
> major RR.

Based on the criteria you have given, in addition to the three you mentioned, you also have:
- 6-5 sleeper Silver Quail.
- 6-5 sleeper Silver Thrush is road-ready I believe, and just needs lettering applied to its nameboards.
- Ex-Section Sleeper/Flat-Top Silver Larch is available.

Keep in mind, some of these no longer have their full skirting. Also, some have been modified for charter service. Waste retention tanks and generators underneath, HEP, Lexan, bathrooms removed, kitchens installed, bedrooms installed... etc...

the picture shown indicating one of the two last zephyrs is not the actual final #18 but a file photo of a previous #18.

bob

cherrycitycinderdec Wrote:
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> the picture shown indicating one of the two last
> zephyrs is not the actual final #18 but a file
> photo of a previous #18.
>
> bob


Huh? What picture? What'd I miss?

zephyrus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Sadly, the Silver Resturant has been heavily
> rebuilt. I have been told that one of the Amtrak
> ex-CZ diners has been scrapped and the third is
> either scrapped or out of service. Anyone confirm
> that?


I don't believe any Amtrak ex-CZ diners have been scrapped.

A post from March of this year at railroad.net attests to the fact that the poster rode 8551 (Ex-CZ CB&Q Silver Diner) "a couple of months" prior. So, as recently as this year it was still in service. It is the last post on the page here: http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=50371&start=15#p644571

The next post (on the following page) states regarding ex-Silver Cafe: "Diner 8510 is in the Chicago coachyard coupled to baggage car 1763, just north of Roosevelt Ave."

I do know that one of the Amtrak ex-CZ bags, Silver Buffalo, has been scrapped.

Speaking of CZ diners... I ran across this page with a photo showing the current interior of Silver Restaurant.

Brace yourselves CZ fans....

(copy & paste)

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=255523



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/06/09 02:04 by CalZephyr.

Thanks for all the input folks! I've visited the calzephyr.railfan.net/ site before but found a lot of it severely dated... Also a number of the possible cars offered above are indeed former CZ cars, but they have had lettering removed or new stripes added, etc. I think CalZephyr got the closest with labeling additional CZ cars that still look (at least on the outside) like they did 50 years ago, but are road worthy today. Thanks again for the information everyone, now I get to go through my BLI collection and see what I can update.

Mr. MRL

CalZephyr Wrote:
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> Speaking of CZ diners... I ran across this page
> with a photo showing the current interior of
> Silver Restaurant.
>
> Brace yourselves CZ fans....


Looks like the interior of the former S. Restaurant has been "fully restored". Nice to see yet another hatchet job of a once beautiful interior. But whether it's the Grande Luxe equipment, or the latest incarnation of the BNSF/NS/UP business car fleet, or even many privately owned cars, running a bulldozer through the interior and starting over seems to be all the rage these days.

The site calzephyr.railfan.net has not been updated sine the year 2000. Probably not too helpful here. Anything newer?

Chicagoboy Wrote:
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> The site calzephyr.railfan.net has not been
> updated sine the year 2000. Probably not too
> helpful here. Anything newer?


Have you visited my website?

http://www.californiazephyr.org/