Good evening,
A group from my company is looking for a unique venue for a transportation related business meeting. We’ve been talking about possibly doing it onboard a train. Optimally it would be about 4 hrs on board. It could be a trip (i.e. 2 hrs out, 2 hrs back) or I guess stationary, if the car was right. The group would be about 8 -10 people.
Does anyone have any ideas for operators that might have a car that would have an open lounge area that would work and that might be able to provide such a trip? Anywhere in the lower 48 could work.
Look at some if the Dinner trains. The Spirit of Washington Dinner train in the Seattle area. There are a few others too. Check out this months Issue of Trains on page 48. There are several different trains.
Almost any of the dinner train or other excursion railroad operators will be glad to work with you, for a price of course. Another option is one of the private car owners, especially office cars, where for a pretty hefly amount of money, you could have the car attached to a regular Amtrka train, and go someplace interesting. For example, if you are anywhere between Washington, DC and Charlotte or Fayetteville North Carolina, at trip to and from Colonial Williamsburg would be a wonderful trip. Similarly, you should check with Amtrak about the exclusive use of the lounge or dining car on a regular trip.
In late June or earlyi July 1992 I traveled from New York to Atlanta on Amtrak. There were a number of church organists and choirmasters on the train going to the Atlanta American Guild of Organists convention. Amtrrak had a second open lounge car on the train with an electric piano, no extra charge! I think the music and party continued until about 2AM, when the attendant finally announced that although he was enjoying himself, he had to get some sleep.
You put a car on Amthrax [:D] and you are buying 80 Chairs (coach seats) plus the car rental. In Colorado, The Ski Train - Royal Gorge - RG&SL would all talk to you plus the narrow gauge outfits depending on time of year.
Talk to Railway Exposition Co. in Cincinnati about a meeting in one of their biz cars.
Talk to Iowa Northwestern or Boone Valley Scenic in Iowa among other options.
An electric lounge car keyboard as compared to a real pipe organ??? Hardcore enthusiast, you are. As an AGO member & railfan, maybe you can answer me this…I read somewhere (many years ago) that in Chicago Union Station, one of the two galleries at the ends of the main waiting room were at one time planned to be fitted with a pipe organ for serenading the passengers below. Ever heard anything about that? I don’t recall the source and have never heard it mentioned again. As much as I enjoy hearing “the king of instruments” (mostly on “Pipe Dreams” on NPR), I don’t know if such an idea would have thrilled the travelling public of the 1920’s-30’s quite as much.
Try finding the Association of Private Rail Car Owners (I think I have the proper name right)-they must be somewhere on line. Many members/owners lease cars for just such events. Some, if I remember right, can provide staffing and arrange Amtrak haulage. I know there are several PV’s parked at Union Station in Milwaukee, WI. Anyone down there remember the companies?
A pipe organ in CUS? Good grief! The organist could leave for a long coffee break, then return and still hear the last notes played bouncing off the walls.
Stack:
Lancaster and Chester RR usually has an ad for their business car as charter in TRAINS , they are South Carolina. You can probably find a whole range of deals, depending on how high you want to stack the George Washingtons.
Sam