Passenger Trains > MN Zephyr Cars

Here's an update from the TwinCitiesRails Yahoo Group March 20, 2013 on the MN Zephyr Cars Dinner Train cars

Sounds like the San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad (SLRG), part of Iowa Pacific Holdings bought them. They arrived at the Minnesota Commercial yard yesterday afternoon and the UP picked them up today and brought them to their East Minneapolis yard. Next they are off to Pueblo, CO. Here's a few photos I got of them coming into Midway...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mndrummer74/8573911698/in/photostream/lightbox/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mndrummer74/8572794389/in/photostream/lightbox/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mndrummer74/8573886482/in/photostream/lightbox/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mndrummer74/8573885738/in/photostream/lightbox/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mndrummer74/8572792029/in/photostream/lightbox/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mndrummer74/8572791443/in/photostream/lightbox/

Any idea of their routing and/or a car number to trace?

Thanks,
Jeff

Thanks for posting!

Very relieved that these cars are removed from their precarious former location.

That ex-SP Dome Lounge -- the low-profile full dome that's second in the train's position -- was built for the "San Joaquin Daylight" in 1955 virtually from the ground up by SP's Sacramento Shops using a few selected frame and body parts from the first "Daylight" Parlor car of 1937, SP 3000.

One has high hopes that the ambitious Iowa Pacific/San Luis & Rio Grande efforts include respect for the very complete condition of the car's interior fittings. Some might say it currently looks like a Victorian cathouse inside, but the seating and hardware are mostly vintage SP underneath all the faded velvet and veneer.

Best wishes to the new owners/operators.

~ BZ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/13 11:38 by Notch16.

Notch16 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for posting!
>
> Very relieved that these cars are removed from
> their precarious former location.
>
> That ex-SP Dome Lounge -- the low-profile full
> dome that's second in the train's position -- was
> built for the "San Joaquin Daylight" in 1955
> virtually from the ground up by SP's Sacramento
> Shops using a few selected frame and body parts
> from the first "Daylight" Parlor car of 1937, SP
> 3000.
>
> One has high hopes that the ambitious Iowa
> Pacific/San Luis & Rio Grande efforts include
> respect for the very complete condition of the
> car's interior fittings. Some might say it
> currently looks like a Victorian cathouse inside,
> but the seating and hardware are mostly vintage SP
> underneath all the faded velvet and veneer.
>
> Best wishes to the new owners/operators.
>
> ~ BZ


Yes BZ, all to often private car owners remodeled interiors to "reflect" the past, not understanding that 1955 (example)styles did not include the Victorian whorehouse look. I remember a car on the 1984 World's Fair Daylight, an ex-GN diner I believe, that had been remodeled into what can only be described as "velvet plush combined with colors not normally found in nature". Eck. I guess in one respect, a car remodeled in such a fashion is slighlty better then turning it into scrap. But only slightly, in my opinion.

Maybe that period has passed. We can hope, anyway! Fake Victorian gaslamps may have had their day.

Thankfully, when the Minnesota operators moved the original SP sofa seating around to create their 'table car', they retained the original seats.

SP's original colors for these cars were very pleasant and harmonious. How nice it would be to see a return, no matter what the intended use.

~ BZ

glad eee&co picked them up and saved them, reality set in, for the owner wanted a lot for these, sheriffs auction maybe got his attention, thought he made 4.6 million earlier, maybe he was in debt. Cars will need a lot. trace these perhaps

ITTX 961668
ITTX 965401
ITTX 964730
ITTX 962452
ITTX 961220


http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3027828,3027828#msg-3027828

someone posted a video of them , and came up with this partial list to north platte den publo the cars with the trucks allready had a load shift so are behind



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/13 21:21 by dan.

Boy pretty soon SLRG will own all the old passenger cars left in this country. Anyone have a number on how many they own now?

The cars were totally neglected once the dinner train
quit in December 2008. Not even a tarp over the dome car windows.

I love deep pockets! Thank you Ed!

these cars are rolling today, the 6 car loads are anyway, the 2 truck cars are still in South St Paul MN. Due out tonight on MSSNP.

The cars are due into Cheyenne shortly and then south from there to North Yard in Denver.

FWIW