Old, Old, Old Amtrack car.
- Thread starter Clerk
- Start date
I love these cars!
Hi Dick, I am a new member at the gauge, and know that some should be seen, and not heard...But when I ran across your shots of that flutted coach, well I can't resist!
That is a Budd 52, or 56 seat 85 foot, stainless steel lightweight coach. It was built at the Budd Company plant in Red Lion, PA, probably just after WWII. Many roads bought this car, but with small interior and exterior differences. Depending on the year it was built, usualy determined what changes were present from year to year. Much as the auto makers did, and still do.
Judging by the full letterboard flutting, this is a fairly early model. As time went on, that detail was all but eliminated to keep costs down. If you look closely at that letterboard flute area, you'll notice that the banner area had been covered over with same material. I believe that may have been done by Amtrak in it's early days. This car obviously didn't hang around Amtrak's stables too long. That's appearent by the lack of the dual end markers usually found on a small amount of their Heritage Fleet. This car was part of the "phase 1" inventory, and was probably put out to pasture around 1972 or so. Many "baby boomer" Budd cars suffered from hairline structural cracks in their bolsters and underframes, due to hard use. The fact that Amtrak tried to weld these damages up in the conventional manner, made matters worse. These cars were almost entirely made of stainless steel, with their bodies shot welded. That was Budd's claim to fame in those days, beginning in 1938 or so.
I have a suspicion that this old girl may have at one time been a child of the New York Central. They owned scores of these models, early ones like this, too. But that's only a hunch.
If you ever find out the Amtrak car number, or who the original owner was, please forward that data to me. I am extremely interested. I've been chasing Budd equipment for more years than I care to mention.
If you get a chance, visit my yahoo groups site. address is; http//groups.yahoo.com/group/modelrailroadsofna
Best wishes, Pennsysdaddy
Hi Dick, I am a new member at the gauge, and know that some should be seen, and not heard...But when I ran across your shots of that flutted coach, well I can't resist!
That is a Budd 52, or 56 seat 85 foot, stainless steel lightweight coach. It was built at the Budd Company plant in Red Lion, PA, probably just after WWII. Many roads bought this car, but with small interior and exterior differences. Depending on the year it was built, usualy determined what changes were present from year to year. Much as the auto makers did, and still do.
Judging by the full letterboard flutting, this is a fairly early model. As time went on, that detail was all but eliminated to keep costs down. If you look closely at that letterboard flute area, you'll notice that the banner area had been covered over with same material. I believe that may have been done by Amtrak in it's early days. This car obviously didn't hang around Amtrak's stables too long. That's appearent by the lack of the dual end markers usually found on a small amount of their Heritage Fleet. This car was part of the "phase 1" inventory, and was probably put out to pasture around 1972 or so. Many "baby boomer" Budd cars suffered from hairline structural cracks in their bolsters and underframes, due to hard use. The fact that Amtrak tried to weld these damages up in the conventional manner, made matters worse. These cars were almost entirely made of stainless steel, with their bodies shot welded. That was Budd's claim to fame in those days, beginning in 1938 or so.
I have a suspicion that this old girl may have at one time been a child of the New York Central. They owned scores of these models, early ones like this, too. But that's only a hunch.
If you ever find out the Amtrak car number, or who the original owner was, please forward that data to me. I am extremely interested. I've been chasing Budd equipment for more years than I care to mention.
If you get a chance, visit my yahoo groups site. address is; http//groups.yahoo.com/group/modelrailroadsofna
Best wishes, Pennsysdaddy
Thanks for the info Pennsydaddy. The only number I saw was that one in the first picture.
Chris, Thanks for the reply.
Chris, Thanks for the reply.
Wow!
Pensysdady; Thanks for the detail information. That was very interesting.Do you have a website
I love those passenger cars. They look so much more "real" and "glamorous" then today's TGV, Acela, Ice, Thalys ect..
Thanks for sharing:thumb:
Clerk; do you have more pictures like that
Thanks for posting these one:thumb:
Pensysdady; Thanks for the detail information. That was very interesting.Do you have a website
I love those passenger cars. They look so much more "real" and "glamorous" then today's TGV, Acela, Ice, Thalys ect..
Thanks for sharing:thumb:
Clerk; do you have more pictures like that
Thanks for posting these one:thumb:
I would guess it is the reporting mark for the Pennsy? I think Amtrak kept the doner road's reporting marks on much of their equipment in the early years.
CN1. These are the only pictures I was able to get. This car was parked just a few feet from a busy 4 lane street. I parked at a 7-11 store about a block away and walked back to get these pictures. There are other cars that are in use on the Yolo Shortline for week end tours. I'll try to get some pictures today as I am going out that way.
Budd cars...
CN1, thanks for the response. I do have a yahoo groups page about model railroads. Stop over and take a look, and even join on too. It's all free, and free from pop-ups too. the address is;
http//groups.yahoo.com/group/modelrailroadsofna
Come and check it out, see ya', Pennsysdaddy
CN1, thanks for the response. I do have a yahoo groups page about model railroads. Stop over and take a look, and even join on too. It's all free, and free from pop-ups too. the address is;
http//groups.yahoo.com/group/modelrailroadsofna
Come and check it out, see ya', Pennsysdaddy
Amtrak 6023
IF the number on the car is actually the Amtrak number, I found the following in the Railway Passenger Car Annual 1978-1979.
6023 60-seat coach: ex 5210, ex SCL 5210, ex SAL 6225 Budd 1947.
Part of a series of 12 coaches that made it to the Amtrak roster.
IF the number on the car is actually the Amtrak number, I found the following in the Railway Passenger Car Annual 1978-1979.
6023 60-seat coach: ex 5210, ex SCL 5210, ex SAL 6225 Budd 1947.
Part of a series of 12 coaches that made it to the Amtrak roster.
Amtrak Budd car
60103, thanks much for the Amtrak, and former roads research. Looks like I was off on the original owner, and the seating capacity. But that's the way the switch throws. I'll mark these numbers down in my Budd list, it's good to know.
Pennsysdaddy
60103, thanks much for the Amtrak, and former roads research. Looks like I was off on the original owner, and the seating capacity. But that's the way the switch throws. I'll mark these numbers down in my Budd list, it's good to know.
Pennsysdaddy
Pennsydaddy, you weren't very far off. I was lucky enough to have a 25 year old book of passenger cars; I haven't been able to find another one. It's possible that the car was modified by reducing the seat spacing to compete with the airlines.
My RR library is slowly migrating up to the computer room. :thumb:
My RR library is slowly migrating up to the computer room. :thumb: