Passenger Trains > Ex ATSF Hi-level interior colors during Amtrak ownershi

Anyone have information on the interior colors on the ex-ATSF Hi-Level cars when Amtrak ran them in the mid 70s?

Thanks in advance for any info.

Hi-Level Lounge (upper level); year 1974

Photos by Charles O'Rear for Documerica (a program initiated in 1971 by the newly formed Environmental Protection Agency)

---

---

---

Although not a Hi-Level, chair car interiors were similar to this:

---

Oh so '70's: red and purple vinyl seats and polyester sport jackets.

Santa Fe seats were interesting. The top of the leg rest was as high as the seat cushion, and they made the seat cushion very short to compensate. They you turned a crank on the side to loosen the spring and the leg rest would pop up, then you tighten again. But people would stand on the leg rest and break the whole thing. Those low-level El Cap cars never came east of Chicago until they got HEP'd.

There were 2 little slits in the side of the luggage rack to hold seat checks for each seat pair.

Note the conductor taking up a lounge table even back then :-)

Dave

swsf Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> DavidP Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Note the conductor taking up a lounge table
> even
> > back then :-)
> >
> > Dave
>
> I looked up the Charles O'Rear for Documerica
> photos on Flikr and the caption for that photo
> reads:
>
> "Bingo is available for passengers who wish to
> play in the lounge car of the Southwest Limited
> enroute between Albuquerque New Mexico, and Dodge
> City, Kansas. The Amtrak passenger train also has
> a highly regarded dining room and a dome car on
> the run between Los Angeles, California, and
> Chicago. The corporation is using some procedures
> similar to those employed by the airlines in an
> effort to upgrade the rail system, June 1974"
>
> It appears he is assisting the Bingo game since he
> has his hands on the tumbler for the numbered
> balls.

I realize that - was taking up scarce table space is a pet peeve of travelers (like me) today.

Dave

The worst is when the crew takes up three tables in the cafe/lounge car on the NEC trains. Some of the crew is deadheading, but it is still not right when there are no tables to be had most of the time - especially during rush hour time periods......