Private rail car questions.

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

I was wondering if anyone could answer a couple of questions about private cars?

If a private car is traveling on a Amtrak train, can members of the train crew, such as the conductor, board the private car?

How is a private car declared suitable for service? Does someone from Amtrak, a freight road inspector, or the FRA inspect the equipment?

I recall reading somewhere that a private car can’t be occupied if it is in transit. I suppose this means that if the car is being positioned for a charter, it must be “shipped” like a freight car to its destination and then occupied. Is this correct? If so, does it move by Amtrak or freight?

Also, when I recently passed through Minneapolis/St. Paul on the Empire Builder, I saw a round end observation car that appeared to be undergoing a refurbishment sitting at the station. It had no markings on it except, if I recall correctly, ATSK 105. There were several other private cars parked there including the CARITAS, which I have seen in some photos. Anyone know the history on this car? It was a beautiful stainless steel car that looked like it may have had a storied past.

Who is Charter? They had a couple of immaculate cars sitting at Milwaukee station. They were painted in what looked like a NYC Twentieth Century Limited two-tone gray. One was named the Imperial Leaf, a open-end observation car. They were something to behold, outfitted to the max, inside and out.

As always, I thank you for any responses.

Gregory

2

You can find most info at www.aaprco.com.

The cars have to be certified by Amtrak before they can be part of an Amtrak train. Since the car is under Amtrak control, Amtrak would be able to access the car. The cars can be moved by either Amtrak or a freight rr as a special move. Since Amtrak only has certain routes, cars may be moved by other rrs unoccupied for safety reasons. Also there would be no heat/ lights with no head end power.

I can’t tell you any history as I have not researched the cars, but many cars have a website. Google is your friend.

3

Here are some links to current information concerning Private Varnish Ownership and costs.

Ownership:

http://www.movie-trains.com/ownership.html

Associations:

Railroad Passenger Car Alliance:

http://www.rpca.com/

American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners:

http://www.aaprco.com/

Amtrak Tariff for Private Car Movement:

http://www.rpca.com/memberservices/amtrak/amtrak.htm

LC

4

I always wondered about this too. Those links are great.

5

Sometimes the cars are occupied. Moving the WSOR cars around, and the Quad-Graphics cars, usually there is an attendant on board.

Part of being Amtrak-qualified is having an onboard power system. When 480v is applied, either from an engine or shore power (at a siding where the cars are parked, for example), there is a switch that shuts down the generator.