Passenger Trains > Santa Fe "Snack Car"?

In the 1950s-60s Santa Fe converted at least one heavyweight car into a "Snack Car" to provide light food service on the Del Mar Race Track Specials. Can anyone provide me with a source for the car(s) history?  Such as was there only one such car? Car number(s)? and were they ever used on other trains? I seem to recall the car on some Southern California Excursion Trains in the 1960s. Whatever happened to it? Thanks in advance! 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/16 14:40 by railwaybaron.

IIRC, the Warbonnet had a rather extensive article about the Del Mar Race Trains about 8-10 years ago.
They were converted from Chair Cars and there may be something in the Santa Fe Coach, Smoker and Chair Car book too.

The Santa Fe had four snack bar cars rebuuilt from heightweight coaches. 3335 ans 3355 rebuilt in 1949 and replaced by 3365 and 3366 in 1956, Frailey's A Quarter Century of Santa Fe Consists stated that the car carried the number of the coach that was converted into the snack bar car.

Cliff

Below are some notes that I provided to the SFE Historical Society for their story.  Cliff, assisted with this material.
Coach, Smoker & Chair Cars by John McCall confirms the 3355 to Travel town.  I have yet to find any notes on the 3335 being a snack car.

I spent many a mile on trains with these cars on special trains and as coaches on the San Bernardino Local trains.
I made a note at the bottom that I hoped to do a story on snack cars on military trains.  What little I could remember, was covered a few weeks ago in "Railroaders Nostalgia of TO.  No one ever came forth with more info, sorry to say.

Ed


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The 1948 cars I believe were the 3335 and 3355.  One of them is at Travel Town in LA I believe.  Wish  we could confirm these old snacks, as I find nothing in the Official Resister of Passenger Train equipment that shows them as a snack car, nor any other numbers showing as a snack car.

The replacement cars were the 3365 and 3366.  These were air-conditioned, as part of four cars, 80 seats with high back walk over seats, the others being 3367 and 3368.  Santa Fe placed A/C and keep them  upgraded by the San Bernardino shops for use on the San Bernardino-Los Angeles local trains, which carried numbers such as train 51, 53, 54  etc.   The last local trains came off the end of April 1955.  Eighth Street yard in Los Angeles, took the 65-66, moved the snack bar, stoves etc. form the former older non/a/c cars.  1956 should have been the first year of service as in Cliffs story.  They showed up in the 1957 equipment register.  They had a long counter, with two large grills ,Ice chests were under the counter.  Staffed with two cooks, two waiters, they would service hamburgers, hot dogs, soda pop, beer, snacks, along with coffee, donuts in the morning.  A small amount of standing room was allowed at the end of each car, with shelves for the condiments containers.  I think at first they were painted the standard  ATSF green, however in the mid 60’st they operated with the solid Gray scheme.
 
These cars were kept busy, beyond Del Mar season.  They operated on many special day trains out of Los Angeles.
Scouts, railfans, Redlands Picnic trains,  Ramona Pageant Trains etc.  They also operated on Military furlough trains that were operated from Oceanside and Chicago, during and after the Koran War. (hopefully I can work up a short story on this in the future.)
 
 

The #3335 was 1 of 10 (#3335-#3344) 80 seat coaches built by Pullman in 1924 in Lot #4811 to Specification #1030 and Floorplan #15-C-896.  When rebuilt in 1949 to the snack bar layout, the Floorplan was changed to #23-C-3987.

The #3355, #3365, and #3366 were built by Pullman in 1928 in Lot #6150 to Specification #1056 and Floorplan #15-C-1115, also with 80 seats.  When rebuilt in 1949, the #3355 was also changed to Floorplan #23-C-3987.  I don't know the Floorplan the #3365 and #3366 were given when rebuilt in 1956.