California Zypher Sleeper Name.

Can anyone name California Sleeper;s CZ 18 Name. I was a passenger on the CZ in that car when I was younger. Thanks EJM Another comment, this car was labeled a CB&Q Pullman Sleeper. The Sleeper given the name SILVER PASS was designated a Denver and Rio Grand Car. It is a possibility that that may be the name of that car. EJM

This thread has some information — http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/61881.aspx — and this is a page in the California Zephyr Virtual Museum — http://calzephyr.railfan.net/cars/consist.html — It appears that the number designated the cars location in the train, but did not designate a particular named car. The CZ18 was a 10-6 sleeper but it could be any one of the twenty-one 10-6 sleepers in the CZ car roster. — http://calzephyr.railfan.net/cars/cars.html

I presume that is the designation that was on the Pullman ticket, which designated the particular car in the train that a passenger held space in–and you would find the same designation for the car in the same position in the train that left the day before you did, and in the train that left the day after you left. The only way to learn the name of the particular car would be to know the day that you left and then look the information up in the Pullman or railroad records. You must have ridden at a time when the CZ carried more cars than it usually did, since I do not see a CZ18 in any of the timetables in my possession that I have looked at.

CZ18 was not in the original train. It was added later (by 1964). See notes on this link: http://calzephyr.railfan.net/cars/consist.html

Hi Johnny, Thanks for the information. I happen to have a picture and also the ticket from that train trip on CB&Q Pullman Sleeper. It was the east bound train from San Francisco Jan. 5th 1969 in Roomette 1.Thre was defiantly a name Silver ? the photo didn’t catch the second part. Thanks, Ejm

Ho Again Johnny, I Didn’t mention previously, On that Jan 5th 69 eastbound trip on CZ18 that sleeping car was next to the last car a domed observation car at the end of the train. Thanks again EJM

All the regular California Zephyr cars were named “SILVER -----” The CB&Q 10-6’s were: CB&Q Silver Point 423, CB&Q Silver Shore 424, CB&Q Silver Butte 425, CB&Q Silver Cliff 426, CB&Q Silver Falls 427, CB&Q Silver Valley 428, CB&Q Silver Crag 429, CB&Q Silver Chasm 430… Looking at the consist I linked, one would expect (in 1969) a CZ16 (also a 10-6) to be between the CZ18 and the Dome Observation. However, as the train could be lengthened and shortened to fit the demand, CZ16 was not needed for your trip.

I should have kept going through my collection of timetables, but I did not realize that the CZ added more sleepers to the end of its operation. The Q apparently was able to take cars that had been used on other trains that no longer needed them and put them to use when many people wanted to ride the CZ before it was abolished. I wish I could give you more information, but, as I wrote, you probably would need access to either Pullman’s records or the Western Pacific records–a conductor was given a list of the cars in his train, and such a listing may be in the railroad’s records.