NOTE: The Lite Version is our electronic version which is available for free from this web site.  It has limited content but gives you a taste of what is offered in our Full Version.

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THE TRANSFER TABLE
The Wilmington Chapter NRHS Official Newsletter
Internet Edition

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JULY 20, 2006 MEETING NOTES

The regular, official meeting of the Wilmington Chapter of the NRHS was called to order in the Darley Room at the Claymont Community Center above the Claymont (DE) Library at 7 PM by Vice President Ron Cleaves with 14 members and 1 guest. Dave Warner presented a great number of slides in his presentation covering the entire decade of the 1970's.

On the same day, an unofficial meeting of officers and members of the Wilmington Chapter of the NRHS was called to order in absentia in the restaurant in the Dennison, Ohio train station across the street from the Claymont (OH) Library at 7 PM by President Phil Snyder with 13 members and guests. There were no reports from Treasurer Ralph Stevens, current National Director Tom Posatko (nor any of our Chapter's first three National Directors - Tom Smith, Steve Barry, and Ed Thornton), Editor Greg Ajamian, Public Relations Officer Frank Ferguson, member Mike Burkhart, nor past Trip Director Bruce Barry.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Richard E. Hall of the Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society has prepared a book of over 160 pages on Company Service Cars of the PW&B, PB&W, and PRR.

The work presents a selection of car numbers and history with many drawings representing the work train, wreck train, cabin, and other company service equipment of the PW&B, PB&W, and PRR which were maintained at the Wilmington Shops and / or saw service in our general area, primarily on the PW&B, PB&W main line, Media Division (the old P&BC which later became the Octoraro Branch), Delaware Division, and the former Norfolk Division (NYP&N).

Detailed lists include: Car Numbers, Tools For Maintenance Of Way Tool Cars, Supplies For Camp Trains, Materials to Equip a Pay Car, Tools & Supplies for Cabin Cars, & more. Drawings include: Pay Cars, Business Cars, Maintenance of Way Equipment, Dynamometer Cars, Cranes, Clearance Car, hand cars, & more.

Proceeds support the Wilmington Chapter. Price only $ 16.00 Plus $3.95 Postage (for each copy) Please make checks payable to: G. Ajamian and send orders with your complete mailing address to: Wilmington Chapter NRHS, P.O. Box 1136, Hockessin, DE 19707-5136.

 NEWS BITS   

Extended and widespread rainstorms, continuing from the previous week, notably disrupted passenger and freight train operations in the northeastern U.S. On Monday and due to washouts on CSX, Amtrak canceled service south of Washington, DC, except for its Auto Train. MARC and VRE commuter trains to and from Washington, except for MARC Penn Line service, were also canceled on Monday. On Wednesday, an extensive washout on the CSX Albany-Buffalo main line near Amsterdam, NY halted all train service on that route. CSX was able to one track back in service by Thursday evening and the second track back in service by Friday evening, but so many freight trains had been held that Amtrak trains on that route were suspended through Sunday, July 2 to clear out the freight train backlog. Canadian Pacific Railway lines in the Binghamton, NY area were also affected, with CPR reporting 7 washouts on the line from Binghamton south to the Norfolk Southern connection at Sunbury, PA. NS reported no damage to its Southern Tier line between Binghamton and Buffalo, but said that closed floodgates had halted rail service on the line since Tuesday. Rains and resulting floodwaters began to subside later in the week. (from Amtrak, NARP, Trains, wire services via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 01JUL2006 via Ed Mayover)

The Federal Railroad Administration released the results of a study that found that a passenger train being pushed by a locomotive has virtually no greater likelihood of derailing after a highway-rail crossing collision than does a train with a locomotive in the lead. The analysis examined grade crossing accidents from 1996 through 2005 and found that only 3 push trains derailed out of 218 collisions and 2 pull trains derailed out of 290 collisions, a statistical difference of less than 1 percentage point. Later in the week, a committee of the California state legislature rejected a ban on push operation. The committee considered the ban in response to the January, 2005 crossing accident involving a Metrolink train operating in push mode that resulted in the deaths of 11 persons. (from: FRA, wire services via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 01JUL2006 via Ed Mayover)

Hank Wolf's recent Merrill Lynch presentation provides more detail on some of the "digital railroad" tools at work on NS. Said Wolf: "To keep ahead of the curve and manage the growth and changes in our business, we are systematically implementing new systems that plan and control train operations. The railroad of the future will literally run on these new systems which are represented by the acronyms that you see here:" Operating Plan Developer, or OPD, allows us to plan our traffic movements and make changes in our operating plan. OPD provides "what-if" capability that allows us to make simulations on yard, train and blocking changes to our merchandise transportation network. This system allows planners to quickly evaluate the potential impact of infrastructure and traffic changes on our TOP operating plan. The capabilities of this system were perhaps best illustrated in our preparation for the Gulf Coast hurricanes. OPD let us quickly clear out equipment and re-rout traffic based on the storms' projected paths. This technology enabled us to safeguard our assets and to keep our network fluid. "The Locomotive Engineer Assist Display and Event Recorder system, or LEADER, provides the locomotive engineer with real-time information about the train's operating conditions so as to improve safe handling and fuel efficiency of the train in long-haul operations. "Optimized Train Control, or OTC, combines data communications, train movement and positioning systems, and onboard computers tied to locomotive control systems to enhance visibility of network operating conditions and provide safer and more efficient train operations. "Unified Train Control System, or UTCS, replaces existing equipment with networked, computer-aided dispatching work stations that function with tactical information systems and provide a seamless and disaster-hardened transportation management system. "Once fully implemented and integrated, these systems will provide a more comprehensive picture for our employees and customers as to where freight is and how it is moving across our system with respect to our transportation plan. Going forward, this new technology will enable us to operate our railroad more safely and with a reduced workforce." see www.nscorp.com (from Railroad Week In Review - June 30, 2006 via Ed Mayover)

The Mohawk River overflowed it banks and washed out the roadbed of the CSX Chicago Line near Amsterdam, NY. The line was completely severed for several days, disrupting both freight and Amtrak trains. Passengers on Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited, the only Amtrak train running between New York and Chicago, was stopped at Albany and bussed to Syracuse before traveling on to Chicago and the opposite with eastbound passengers. Other Empire Service trains were cancelled. (American Rail Link for July 12, 2006 via Ed Mayover)

The nation of China opened its new rail line to Tibet. The line, the first into Tibet, totals 710 miles between Xining, the capital of Qinghjai Province, and Lhasa, the Tibetan capital. The line is considered an engineering marvel, with much of it built on permafrost, and includes tunnels altogether totaling 19 miles in length and bridges altogether totaling 85 miles in length. The line reaches elevations up to approximately 16,500 feet and will operate trains with pressurized passenger cars, equipped with airline-style drop-down masks for use in case of depressurization. (from: Chicago Tribune, NARP via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 08JUL2006via Ed Mayover)

Amtrak announced that the at-seat electrical outlets on its Acela Express trainsets would temporarily be disconnected due to electrical problems. An Amtrak spokesman said that some of the outlets had been experiencing electrical shorts and that "disconnecting the outlets will reduce the possibility of passenger injury and damage to our passengers' electronic devices" The spokesman added that the outlets would be reconnected once the Amtrak Mechanical Department had solved the problem. (from: Trains via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 08JUL2006via Ed Mayover)

BNSF reported that more than 3,100 railfans had signed up for its new Citizens for Rail Security program. The program involves railfans in BNSF security, asking them to be on the lookout and to report suspicious activity. A BNSF spokesman said that, while the program does not grant access to BNSF property or facilities, participants do receive an official identification card and are able to access news and information on the CRS website. (from: Railway Age Trains via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 08JUL2006via Ed Mayover)

BNSF Asks Rail Fans to Help Keep America's Rail System Safe (2006-06-07) BNSF is recruiting rail fans to help keep BNSF properties safe by reporting suspicious activities and to help prevent possible security breaches. "Keeping America's rail transportation network safe from crime and terrorist activity is a high priority for the railroad industry," says William Heileman, BNSF general director, Police and Protection Solutions. "Every day across the country, rail fans photograph and watch trains as they pass through communities. It seems natural to harness their interest to help keep America's rail system safe." Rail fans can register for the program by going to the Citizens United for Rail Security (CRS) Web site http://newdomino.bnsf.com/website/crs.nsf/request?open). CRS participants will receive an official identification card along with access to news and information on the BNSF CRS Web site. To report suspicious activity, CRS members and the public can call (800) 832-5452. The information will be taken by a BNSF representative and routed for appropriate response. [BNSF Press Release via e-mail from Ed Thornton]

The Department of Homeland Security announced $388 million in Fiscal Year 2006 grants to help "prevent, protect against, respond and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies that could impact this country's critical infrastructure." The funding includes $136 million for transit and $7.2 million for Amtrak, the latter for them to "continuing improving security in the Northeast Corridor and Chicago, and begin enhancing security on the West Coast." (from: NARP, Progressive Railroading via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 08JUL2006via Ed Mayover)

The Senate defeated an amendment to the 2007 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill that would have increased rail security funding by $1 billion. The amendment, offered by Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE), was defeated on a 50-50 tie vote. After the vote, Mr. Biden addressed the Senate, saying, "We're going to regret this." Supporters of the measure had called attention to the fact that the federal government spends $9 per airline passenger on security, while spending only about one penny per transit passenger on security. (from: NARP from Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 15JUL2006 via Ed Mayover)

SENATE DEFEATS INCREASED FUNDING FOR RAIL SECURITY: Today the U.S. Senate defeated an amendment to boost funding by $1.1 billion for rail security in the fiscal 2007 Homeland Security appropriations bill. The amendment, offered by Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE), was defeated by a vote of 50-50. "You look around the world and bombings and attacks on rail systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated," said Biden. But Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Judd Gregg (R-NH), said the extra funding would break the spending cap the Senate established in the budget bill. Biden blasted the spending cap, saying it was too low to meet needs. "I'll tell you what, folks, we're going to regret this. We are going to regret this," he said. The vote came just one day after a series of train bombings in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India killed over 200 people; just under a year after the deadly London subway/bus bombings and over two years since the tragic Madrid rail bombings! It also came on a day when "The New York Times" disclosed a report from the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security citing that department's National Asset Database of suspected terrorist targets. The database, which is used to divvy up the hundreds of millions of dollars in antiterrorism grants each year, includes such well known targets as a petting zoo in Woodville, Alabama and the Mule Day Parade in Columbia, Tennessee, as well as "Nix's Check Cashing," "Mall at Sears," "Ice Cream Parlor," "Tackle Shop," "Donut Shop," "Anti-Cruelty Society" and "Bean Fest." Seven Republicans joined 42 Democrats and one Independent to vote in favor of the Biden Amendment. Two Democrats voted with 48 Republicans to kill the measure. To find out how your Senator voted go to the website at: http://www.FriendsOfAmtrak.com (from Friends of Amtrak, 7/12 via American Rail Link for July 19, 2006via Ed Mayover)

Workers demolishing a building across from Santa Fe Southern tracks in Santa Fe, NM discovered that its first floor had been made from 4 Santa Fe reefer cars built in the early 1900s. A Santa Fe Southern spokesman said that the 4 cars still bore Santa Fe markings of that time and that 2 of the 4 cars would be preserved. The Santa Fe Southern now operates the former Santa Fe branch between Lamy, NM and Santa Fe. Said SFS President Carol Raymond, "We have spent 14 years preserving rail service in Santa Fe. It was like discovering a treasure." (from: Santa Fe New Mexican, Trains via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 24JUN2006 via Ed Mayover)

Amtrak experience another electrical power outage on its Northeast Corridor line. The outage lasted for about 30 minutes during the morning rush hour. The next day, Amtrak SVP-Operations William Crosbie testified before a committee of the New Jersey state legislature that had been convened to examine the 4 NEC power outages that have occurred in the last 4 weeks. Mr. Crosbie stated that the disruptions had different causes and that experts hired to investigate the most serious failure, which occurred on May 25, were expected to finish their report in 3 to 6 months. Also testifying at the hearing was former Amtrak president George Warrington, now the head of New Jersey Transit, who alluded to Amtrak's continual problems in obtaining sufficient funding to keep the railroad in a state of good repair. "I am deeply concerned about the federal investment in this regional and national asset," said Mr. Warrington. He added that the Northeast Corridor has been held hostage to a 30-year-long ideological debate about intercity rail service. (from: Newark Star-Ledger, New York Times, wire services via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 24JUN2006 via Ed Mayover)

New York State officials announced that they had signed an agreement with developers timetabling the conversion of Manhattan's Farley Post Office Building into the new Moynihan rail station. A state spokesman said that the $850 million project will be completed in time "for the station to open for business by 2012." The new station will be used by New Jersey Transit and Long Island Rail Road commuter trains. Amtrak trains will continue to use the existing Pennsylvania Station across the street. The spokesman added that the conversion plans do not including building a new Madison Square Garden in the Farley Annex between Eighth and Ninth Avenues and West 31st and West 33rd Streets, as had earlier been proposed. (from: Newsday via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 24JUN2006 via Ed Mayover)

Norman Mineta announced his intention to resign as U.S. Secretary of Transportation effective July 7. Mr. Mineta, Age 74, has served in this position for nearly 6 years, longer than any other U.S. transportation secretary. Concurrent with Mr. Mineta's resignation, USDOT Deputy Council Jeffrey Rosen, who had been Mr. Mineta's representative on the Amtrak Board of Directors, also announced his intention to resign. (from: NARP, USDOT Newsday via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 24JUN2006 via Ed Mayover)

The Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association (York County, PA) is offering a steam engine operator's certification using their restored PRR 0-6-0 #643. Go to http://wghsea.org/default.aspx and click on "Steam Railroad" to learn more about this engine. For more info on the certification, contact Bill Medlin: email him at wmedlin@ptdprolog.net or phone 570.473.5659. see also http://www.williamsgrovesteam.org/ (from Ed Thornton)

Amtrak Offers Share Fares Discounts - With Amtrak Share Fares, groups of 3-6 passengers can save with deep discounts on select trains throughout the Northeast! The first two (2) passengers pay the full adult rail fare, or they may use the AAA adult, Student Advantage, ISIC, Veterans Advantage and NARP discounted rail fares. Passengers three (3) through six (6) will receive 75% off the best available rail fare. The offer is valid for sale through December 11, 2006 and for travel through December 14, 2006. Tickets are non-refundable & reservations must be made at least three (3) days prior to departure. Use Discount Code H620 when booking on-line at Amtrak.com or at 800-USA-RAIL.

LOCOMOTIVE SAVED FROM LANDFILL: Soo Line Locomotive No. 735 came close to being hauled off to the local landfill, encased in plastic and buried under a pile of dirt. Instead, the 93-year-old steam engine was feted Monday by members of the Minot Rotary, Minot Park Board and railroad enthusiasts who fought to save it. They attended a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday to rededicate the engine, which has rested at the entrance to Minot's Roosevelt Park since 1956. "We hope that it will be here for another 50 years," said Minot Rotary president Rick Anderson. The Rotary raised money to remove asbestos from the engine and give it a new paint job as a community service project. Each Rotary Club took on a service project as part of a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the International Rotary. President Ron Anderson said the Rotary had originally procured the engine from the railroad in 1956 and arranged to have it transported to Roosevelt Park for display. Asbestos on the engine became a concern a few years ago and CP Rail and the Minot Park Board had considered burying it in the landfill. At that point, the Rotary stepped in and arranged for the National Guard to remove asbestos from the engine so it could be saved, Anderson said. The total restoration cost about $10,000. The steam locomotive is a favorite photo background at the park for families with children. The engine was built in 1913 by Schenectady Works in New York and was in operation until 1956. It was called a 4-6-2 due to its wheel configuration and was built to be fast. It transported settlers and goods to the prairie from Chicago. The locomotive measures 85 feet long and weighs more than 158 tons. It carried 7,500 gallons of water and 12 tons of coal in its heyday. The locomotive has a "twin sister," the No. 736, which is on display in Appleton, Wis. (Associated Press, 6/06, via American Rail Link for June 14, 2006 via Ed Mayover)

SCENIC COLORADO-NEW MEXICO RAILROAD RESUMES TRIPS: Trains have started running again for the season on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, which is celebrating its 125th birthday this year. The railroad between Colorado and New Mexico was built in 1880 to access the silver mines and forests of the San Juan Mountains. It ran between Alamosa and Silverton through Antonito. Trains now run between Antonito and Chama, winding across the state line 11 times during the 64-mile trip. Trips will continue through Oct15. The train is owned by both Colorado and New Mexico. Ð (Associated Press, 6/08, via American Rail Link for June 14, 2006 via Ed Mayover)

AMTRAK FOCUSES ON POWER STATIONS IN BIG OUTAGE: Amtrak has traced an electrical outage two weeks ago that abruptly disrupted Northeast rail service to problems at Philadelphia-area power stations, the railroad said on Thursday. In a letter to executives at New Jersey Transit -- which had trains stranded in tunnels during the May 25 morning rush-hour outage -- Amtrak's acting president, David Hughes, said a preliminary investigation found that power conversion facilities in Philadelphia and Chester, Pennsylvania, just outside the city, were involved. It was the worst problem of its kind for Amtrak in 23 years, the railroad said. The outage triggered a cascading failure of electrical systems along the southern end of Amtrak's flagship Northeast Corridor line, disrupting service between Washington and Boston. The worst problems were between Washington and New York where busy commuter lines were affected for hours in addition to Amtrak service. Many trains were stopped between stations, including three New Jersey Transit trains and one Amtrak train that were stuck in New York tunnels. Amtrak said on Thursday that it took too long to remove two of the commuter trains and will now have an extra locomotive and crew in place at New York's Pennsylvania Station to respond to any emergency. While Amtrak has pinpointed the location of the problem, it has not yet determined what exactly disrupted the conversion of high voltage electricity to levels needed to run trains. Amtrak owns the 4-year-old facility in Philadelphia, while Philadelphia Electric Co. (PECO) owns the 1930s-era station in Chester. Schulz did say that the problems are not related to Amtrak's long-standing financial problems. "We have not seen this as a lack of maintenance or a cost issue in any way," he said. He also said that two other power problems in Philadelphia that caused minor delays on June 2 and 3 were unrelated to the May 25 incident. (Reuters, 6/8, via American Rail Link for June 14, 2006 via Ed Mayover)

Power Source Supply (PSS) has recently purchased 34 Low Level Platform Cars from NJ Transit. These Pullman Standard (AMTRAK certified) cars came out of regular service at the end of 2005 and are in excellent condition. These are likely the best cars on the market today according to a rep from Georgia Rail during their recent inspection. GA Rail was further quoted as saying "we could actually put most into service without doing anything to them". These cars are ready to roll and are available for inspection in two locations. One passenger car will be located in South Central Canada for inspections and the remainder of the fleet will be located in North Eastern USA. Their Web Site <http://www.powersourcesupply.com/?request=railcar> has all the specifications and color photos of the cars. The specification sheets and cross section are for the 1700 series cars, but we also have (3) three 1600 series cars which have restrooms. Power Source Supply, #954 105-150 Crowfoot Crescent NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T3G 3T2

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority activated its new and improved website. A MTA spokesman said that the website now features color-coded categories that include news, numbers, programs and regional transit information for each MTA agency, including the New York City Transit Authority, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad. The website locates at mta.nyc.ny.us. (from Progressive Railroading via Weekly Rail Review - For The Week Ending 17JUN2006 via Ed Mayover)

New Jersey Transit announced that it had begun reconstruction of the original clock tower at its Hoboken Terminal. An NJT spokesman said that the clock tower had been removed in 1950 and replaced with a radio tower. The spokesman added that the project was scheduled for completion next summer. The reconstruction of the clock tower is part of a $53.9 million renovation of Hoboken Terminal that will return it to its original design, including restoration of five of the original six water ferry slips. (from NJ Transit via Weekly Rail Review For the Week Ending 10JUN2006 via Ed Mayover)

PRODUCE TRAINS WILL SPEED DELIVERY, CUT FUEL COSTS: Buildings large enough to drive a freight train through and refrigerated cars tracked and monitored by satellite are the key components in a plan to move fresh produce quickly from the West Coast to Rotterdam, New York. A Long Island-based produce distributor is nearing completion of two new warehouses, one in Wallula, Washington, and the other in Rotterdam Industrial Park. They will serve as end points on the 3,000-mile route of the weekly 55-car produce express trains. Until now, the fastest freight trains took up to nine days to go from coast to coast. But Ampco Distribution Services Management LLC of Riverhead, NY, has an agreement with Union Pacific Railroad and CSX Transportation to cut the trip to five days. That's comparable to truck. But the two trains -- each of which will carry as much produce as 200 tractor-trailer trucks -- also will use less fuel, giving them an advantage that grows as the price of diesel fuel rises. If all goes well, the first train will roll in late September. When Ampco began its planning, diesel fuel cost $1.50 a gallon, said spokesman Paul Esposito. Today, it's twice that. Switching to rail will save 84,000 gallons of fuel a week, or more than 4.3 million a year. With the doubling of fuel prices, the $6.4 million in annual savings grows to $12.8 million. "The train only stops for crew changes," Esposito said. Satellites will track the shipments and even the conditions inside each car so customers can monitor their inventory. Spoilage has been an issue if a train is delayed or if refrigeration equipment fails. "A boxcar-load of asparagus is a high-dollar perishable," said Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis. "Any damage to that the railroad would have to pay for. Until the advent of today's more dependable refrigerator units, the railroads would allow that business to go to truck." Trucking industry officials say they don't view the new rail service as a competitive threat . (Albany Times Union, 6/2 via American Rail Link for June 7, 2006 via Ed Mayover)

This article was originally written for the "Transfer Table", the newsletter of the Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society by Chapter Member Tom Smith in 2001 (and then mislaid in the Editor's files) © Tom Smith 2001 & 2006

Sleep Cheap ! !The Budd Slumbercoach brings Economy to Pullman Passengers By Tom Smith

America's railroads and their suppliers endeavored to combat the decline in passenger boardings in the 1950's by efforts that were aimed more at reducing expenses than increasing revenue, and were phenomenally unsuccessful, such as the Aerotrain, Xplorer, and so forth. But one innovation from that period succeeded at both, and that was the Budd-built Slumbercoach.

In my opinion, the Slumbercoach was the most innovative development in passenger railroading in the post war period, save perhaps the Vista Dome. More than just updating existing technology, it gave long distance passengers a totally new kind of accommodation and a reason to ride the rails, as well as giving the carriers one of the few competitive edges against the growing competition. Unfortunately, not enough of them were built to make much difference.

The Slumbercoach featured both single and double types of rooms. Double rooms were about the size of a standard roomette, with two seats facing each other, and a hinged upper berth above, similar in arrangement to an Amtrak Superliner standard bedroom. At night, the seats folded down, and two doors behind the seats opened to form a bridge on which the bedding was placed. The upper berth folded down. The single room provided a seat for day use that also folded out of the way at night, and again two fold-down doors formed a platform on which bedding was rolled out from one of the wells to form the bed. The bedding was pre-made by the porter, and the passenger was given instruction to prepare his own room for sleeping, although the porter was always available to help. Each room had its own fold-down wash basin and a toilet. Single rooms were in a duplex arrangement to conserve space, with slightly different arrangements for the berths in the upper and lower rooms. The bed in the lower room was just above the floor, while the upper room bed was just above the window. Interiors were formed of two sections of molded pink fiberglass, and had two reading lights and chrome handrails.

Slumbercoach passengers did not enjoy luxury. Seats were small, the beds narrow, and there was little legroom in which to stretch out. But they did have privacy, and a real bed in which to sleep. Most of all, they could save money. A Slumbercoach passenger paid only a small room accommodation charge on top of a coach ticket.

The decline in long-haul passenger traffic following World War II hit Pullman travel quickly and especially hard. Although coach travel held on due to its economy, Pullman traffic was adversely affected not only by its inability to compete with the airlines on speed, but also by high cost. For example, in 1956 a B&O passenger would pay $27.21 to travel between Washington and Chicago in a coach seat, but a roomette would have cost $48.63, including a $12.40 Pullman accommodation charge on top of a $36.23 First Class rail ticket. After the Slumbercoach was introduced, a traveler would pay only the $6.00 accommodation charge above the coach fare, about two-thirds the cost of a standard roomette.

Most standard lightweight Pullman sleepers could accommodate 22 passengers. Because of the compact nature of the Slumbercoach design, a fully occupied Slumbercoach could accommodate 40 passengers giving the railroads virtually the same revenue-producing ability as the long distance 44-seat coach, which allowed the passenger to pay the cheaper coach fare instead of the first class rail fare. The Slumbercoach was aimed at a market the railroads were rapidly losing: the passenger who wanted to take the train for convenience or safety, did not want to sit up all night in a coach, and did not desire, or wish to pay for, first class Pullman service. Slumbercoaches proved immensely popular wherever they were introduced, bringing in new business while retaining the old, until they made their last runs for Amtrak a few years ago.

It is a testimony to the genius of Budd Company designers that they recognized the need for an economical private room before carbuilders were inundated with new orders for passenger equipment after World War II. One can see the origins of the Slumbercoach in the "Budgette," a design for a single passenger small duplex room that was announced in hopeful terms in the 1946 Car Builders Cyclopedia: "In these remarkable rooms Budd answers the most insistent request of passengers - the demand for privacy at low cost. At the same time it supplies an important need of railroads - better and more salable accommodations with high capacity per car...The Budgette is compact, yet each room has a comfortable seat by day; a full-length pre-made bed for sleeping. Each has its own toilet and lavatory, its own broad window and luggage rack."

The proposed Budgette car would have 32 duplex rooms, all singles. Cut-away diagrams show that the rooms were arranged very similarly to Slumbercoach rooms in the way the upper and lower room beds folded out. One noticeable difference is that Budgette rooms faced each other, but did not connect, so that half the passengers would always be riding backwards. However, when Budd's anti-trust suit against Pullman ended in victory for the Philadelphia carbuilder, they were swamped with new orders for standard Pullman cars and the Budgette car was never built. It would take 10 more years for the debut of the Slumbercoach.

The first four Slumbercoaches were delivered to the Burlington in late 1956 as part of two completely new Budd-built trainsets that would replace the original 1936 articulated Denver Zephyr trainsets. Each Slumbercoach had 24 duplex single rooms and 8 double rooms. Two cars were assigned to each trainset, one operating to Denver, and the other continuing to Colorado Springs, in a through car arrangement handled beyond Denver by D&RGW's Royal Gorge.

In 1958, two more Slumbercoaches were delivered to the B&O and assigned to the Columbian between Baltimore and Chicago. It is interesting to note that after the all-coach Columbian and all-Pullman Capitol Limited were combined, the Slumbercoach became part of the coach train.

Budd must have thought they had a winner in the Slumbercoach, but orders were not coming in from the railroads, who apparently lacked the faith in the long distance market that Budd had. Budd built the final 12 Slumbercoaches in 1959, which enjoyed the distinction of being the last new Pullman cars built. (See Table 1) These 12 cars were leased to the railroads on which they ran, saving the railroads a capital expenditure. Three carswent to the B&O, which assigned them to the Baltimore-St. Louis National Limited. A single car went to the Missouri Pacific, which in conjunction with the 3 B&O cars, inaugurated a through Slumbercoach between Baltimore and San Antonio, using the Texas Eagle beyond St. Louis.

Four cars were leased to New York Central, which assigned two to each consist of the Twentieth Century Limited. NYC had ended Pullman operation on intra-line sleeping cars a year earlier, so those four cars were not operated by Pullman as the others were. Finally, the remaining four cars went to the Northern Pacific, which assigned them to the North Coast Limited. It took five cars to equip the North Coast Limited, but an arrangement with partner Burlington allowed one of the Denver Zephyr cars to cycle to Seattle in a pool that saved one car.

New York Central, which in the late 1950's was rapidly retrenching in the passenger business and selling scores of surplus Pullman cars to Canada and Mexico, must have been impressed by the public's acceptance of the Sleepercoach, as they called it, and added 10 more cars to its fleet in 1961. To save the expense of buying new cars, these 10 cars were created by sending surplus Budd-built 22-roomette sleepers back to Budd where the interiors were stripped and Slumbercoach interiors installed. In order to make as much use of the existing windows as possible, the converted cars featured 10 double rooms and 16 singles. Twelve of the singles were duplex rooms nearly identical to those in existing Slumbercoaches, but four of the single rooms used existing windows and were on a single level, giving the passenger more room. I tried to request those rooms when I could.

The NYC assigned their new cars to runs serving Boston, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Cleveland, and aggressively promoted the service. In 1964, all 12 of the leased cars were sold to Northern Pacific, which added them to their secondary train, the Mainstreeter. This event brought the four NYC cars under Pullman operation, and they were given names. A year later, two of the former NYC cars were transferred from NP to the Burlington, most likely to better balance the pool. NYC covered the loss of the Slumbercoaches from the Century by shuffling the Cincinnati cars from the Ohio State Limited. Through Slumbercoach service ended to San Antonio with the loss of the B&O and MP cars, but B&O substituted their 1954 Budd Built 16duplex Roomette-4 double bedroom "Bird" cars (named Gull, Wren, Thrush, etc.) on the National Limited as "Slumber Room Cars" for which a slightly higher accommodation charge was added to a coach fare. These cars benefited passengers, especially those in double bedrooms, who had the same accommodations as those in standard sleepers paying first class fares.

Other railroads met Slumbercoach competition by charging coach fares in standard Pullmans. Union Pacific used a pair of PRR Budd-built 21roomette cars in 1956, called them "Slumbercoaches" and assigned them to the City of Denver. Missouri Pacific also met the Slumbercoach challenge in the Denver market by assigning three heavyweight 8Section-1Drawing Room-3Double Bedroom "Thrift-T-Sleepers" to the Colorado Eagle. Those short-lived experiments did not generate much revenue for the carriers, and the ineffective use of the Slumbercoach concept must have frustrated Budd salesmen, but passengers who used those competitor's services enjoyed standard Pullman accommodations at a great discount.

The unfortunate part of the Slumbercoach story is that it arrived too late. By the latter 1950's most railroads had little hope for the future of long haul passenger trains, and those still promoting passenger service had a surplus of sleeping cars and were not inclined to buy more. Still it is interesting to speculate on what might have been. It is surprising that the Florida railroads, especially long time Budd customer Seaboard, did not order any Slumbercoaches, as it would seem to be a market ideally suited for them. Perhaps there was a reluctance by partners RF&P and PRR to join in. The PRR would also have made an ideal candidate. They could have met the B&O/NYC competition by adding Slumbercoaches to the General, for instance, and they would have also been good on Pittsburgh runs or the Washington-Boston Federal, as well as forming a pool of cars that could rotate to Florida out of both New York and Chicago. Furthermore, the PRR could have obtained a fleet of Slumbercoaches the same way NYC did; by converting their underutilized fleet of fifty 21roomette cars built by Budd in 1949. One might also expect to see Slumbercoaches on the California Zephyr, not only because CB&Q was its principal partner, but also because it had only recently used 16Section cars that catered to an economy-oriented tourist market. Again, resistance by weaker partners D&RGW and WP to go along may have been involved. Another potential customer could have been the Santa Fe, where they would have fit in on the Grand Canyon or overnight runs to Kansas City and Texas.

I have spent many nights in Slumbercoaches, feeling that they were comfortable enough, and the savings allowed some rail travel that might not have otherwise been made. But when I tried using a Slumbercoach for a Seattle-Chicago trip on the North Coast Limited, I quickly concluded that Slumbercoaches were not meant for long trips! The compact Slumbercoach design which I had admired turned out to be too compact after two days! That was enough for me; my next trips to the Northwest were on the Empire Builder in standard Pullman Roomettes. (I could never picture a Slumbercoach on the Empire Builder!) I continued using Slumbercoaches on shorter overnight trips, although I must admit that as I grew older, (and maybe a little heavier) I began to find them more claustrophobic.

When Amtrak took over in 1971, the only Slumbercoach-equipped train they continued running was the Denver Zephyr. But Amtrak did acquire all of the Slumbercoaches except for three of the NYC rebuilds that had been wrecked and scrapped, and the two B&O cars sold to High Iron Co. in 1969, which Amtrak eventually acquired too, in 1982. Amtrak quickly realized the Slumbercoach potential, and deployed them where they were most effective. After a brief assignment on the Empire Builder, all the Slumbercoaches were soon brought to the east where they were used on the Broadway and Lake Shore Limiteds, as well as where they should have been all along, the Florida trains. They also ran for a while on the Montrealer and Night Owl. (See Table 3) Even after Amtrak abolished the two-class ticket in favor of a single class rail fare, Slumbercoach accommodation charges were still a bargain, about 25% of roomette charges. Slumbercoach passengers did not receive free meals when Amtrak included meals with sleeping car tickets.

Amtrak eventually converted all their Slumbercoaches to head end power, and in a nice touch, at that time restored the original Harbor-series names of the NYC 22roomette cars to the former NYC Slumbercoach rebuilds. Although still popular, the Slumbercoach did not fit in with Amtrak's future equipment plans, which did not include a 3-class service. Slumbercoaches ran to the very end of Heritage-car equipped trains. I'm not sure when the last Slumbercoach run was made; I'm guessing it might have been on the Broadway Limited when it was discontinued in 1995. My last Slumbercoach trip was on that train in 1994.

Table 1 is a compilation of all Slumbercoaches, including the 18 new cars and 10 NYC rebuilds, giving the name and numbers assigned by their owners. B&O and CB&Q assigned nonsensical names (Restland, Thriftland, Silver Siesta) and NP gave their cars the names of Scottish lochs, perhaps an allusion to the thrifty nature of those people. Pullman Floor Plan 9540 was assigned to all the 24-8 Slumbercoaches; the NYC rebuilds never had a Pullman Plan Number, since they were never operated by Pullman after rebuilding.

Table 2 tabulates the history of each of the 28 Slumbercoaches from the time they were built or rebuilt through their last Amtrak identity. (NYC cars 10811, 10813 and 10819 were scrapped in 1968) The Pullman Car Code number was an identifying number assigned to each car that remained unchanged through the car's history, and is used as a unique identifier to indicate a single car with different identities. Slumbercoaches survived mergers and renumberings, the last of which occurred when Amtrak rebuilt them to head end power.

Table 3 is a summary of Slumbercoach assignments, from 1962, when all cars were in their original service, and 1965, after NP acquired their additional cars. Amtrak moved cars around quite a bit, and the Amtrak list is based on a review of selected Amtrak timetables over the years. Some Amtrak assignments were very brief, and this list may not include all the trains on which they were used, but is a representative sample of how Amtrak deployed the cars.

The Slumbercoach has passed into rail history. They deserve recognition for their innovation and longevity through several owners. I owe them a personal tribute, though. On board the Broadway Limited, returning from a couple of days of railfanning in Chicago, I used the occasion of a power failure to start a conversation with the attractive young woman across the aisle from my room in Amtrak Slumbercoach 2006. She told me her name was Karen Smith. How convenient, I thought. We have now been married for (now more than [Ed.]) 23 happy years, all thanks to a Budd Slumbercoach.

SCHEDULE NOTES

Second Sunday each month from April to Nov. Chesapeake & Allegheny Steam Preservation Society from 11:00am to 3:30pm, Leakin Park, Baltimore, MD, http://calslivesteam.org/ The rides are free and there are picnic tables nearby for those who wish to make a day of it.

Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006 Chapter SEPTA Trip to Bryn Mawr in lieu of normal meeting.
INSTEAD OF THE NORMAL CHAPTER MEETING OF THE WILMINGTON CHAPTER NRHS:
DO-IT-YOURSELF = PAY-AS-YOU-GO = CIRCLE-TRIP
CIRCLE TRIP BETWEEN MARCUS HOOK TO BRYN MAWR, PA on AUG.17,2006
6:02 PM Leave Marcus Hook, PA Septa # R26:35 PM Arrived at 30th St. Station Train 4664
6:49 PM Leave 30th St. Station Septa #R57:09 PM Arrived at Bryn Mawr, PA Train 575
Ten minutes walk along the Bryn Mawr Ave. that start front of Post Office to Old Lancaster Ave just past the Hospital
7:37 PM Leave Bryn Mawr, PA Route #1007:47 PM Arrived at 69th St. Station Norristown High Speed Line
8:00 PM Leave 69th ST. Station Market St. Frankford
8:13 PM Arrived at 30th ST. Station Subway Blue Line Subway runs every 10 minutes at that time
8:39 PM Leave 30th St. Station Septa R29:11 PM Arrived at Marcus Hook, PA Train 4273 Marcus Hook Bound
If connection is missed9:37 PM Leave 30th St. Station Septa R210:09 PM Arrived at Marcus Hook, PA Train 4275 Wilmington Bound

Disclaimers / Notes:
1. While a schedule is listed, we cannot guarantee that any of the times will be met. (Schedule adjustments may depend upon time, delays, weather, or other factors beyond our control)
2. You are responsible for yourself at all times and for purchasing your own tickets. (Seniors may need to show proof to get discounts)

August  27, 2006 Pennsylvania Live Steamers Regular Run Day Graterford, PA. Open to the Public 11 AM - 3 PM, (no Rain Date), 468 Gravel Pike, SR 29 0.5 mile N of SR 113/SR 29 intersection

September 9 - October 3, 2006 Gardenfest at Longwood Gardens - Includes a garden railway

November 19, 2006 Auburn Heights Hunters Moon Trains, Museum & Grounds Open6:30 - 9:00pm Auburn Heights, Yorklyn, DE, http://www.auburnheights.org

November 24-30, 2006 Holiday Festival of Trains at the B&O Museum Baltimore, MD Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Holiday celebration of toy trains and model railroading layouts beginning with the arrival of Santa by locomotive on Friday, November 24, 2006. The festival features many different layouts including the Museum's "HO" model train layout in the C&O #725 passenger car and the outdoor "G" scale layout. Children can visit with Santa on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the Festival. Museum closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. http://www.borail.org/

CHAPTER EVENTS  

Thursday Aug. 17, 2006 6? PM Chapter Trip in lieu of normal meeting probably SEPTA Trip to Bryn Mawr

Thursday Sept. 21, 2006 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Dan Frederick entitled "Touring Europe"

Thursday Oct. 19, 2006 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Chris Kovacs entitled "Rail Camp 2006"

Thursday Nov. 16, 2006 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Frank Ferguson entitled "???"

Saturday Dec. 9, 2006 ? PM Chapter Event Trolley Night Photo Session, Malvern, PA

Sunday Dec. 10, 2006 5 PM Holiday Dinner in lieu of normal monthly meeting

The Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) meets at 7:00 PM on the third Thursday of each month [except August & December] in the Darley Room at the Claymont Community Center on Green Street in Claymont, Delaware.  Visitors are always welcome. Admission to regular meetings is free. Check out our Website, thanks to Russ Fox at:   http://www.WilmingtonNRHS.com

The Transfer Table is published six to ten times per year as the newsletter of the Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.  Items in this publication do not represent the official position of either Officers or Members of the Wilmington Chapter or the Editor of this publication.

Permission to reprint articles and news items appearing herein is granted to NRHS Chapters and other newsletters provided appropriate credit is given.   Contributions are always welcome and should be sent to the editor at SD40GMA@aol.com or send to: P.O. Box 1136, Hockessin, DE 19707-5136. Deadline for entries is the 25th of the month.

Chapter OfficersPresident: Phil SnyderVice President & Historian: Ron CleavesTreasurer: Ralph Stevens, Jr.Secretary: Dan FrederickNational Director: Tom Posatko Editor: Greg AjamianEducation Fund: Ed ThorntonPublic Relations: Frank Ferguson, Jr.Trip Director: Ralph Stevens, Jr.Event Photographer:  Ron CleavesWeb Master: Russ Fox

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