BLI sells a stainless steel zephyr car except labeled “Pennsylvania” and with a black roof.
Could someone explain this to me, what were these cars for, what time period, when and where did they run? Basically, maybe another ‘duh’ question, but whats the deal with these?
I would like to buy one but I am not sure exactly what purpose it would serve.
I believe it was a sleeper you could take cross country without changing cars.
They were 10/6 sleepers. The Pennsylvania and the New York Central provided a sleeper every other day from New York. It was the placed as the last sleeper ahead of the observation car on the California Zephyer for transcontinental service.
If you are going to use it in California Zephyr service it is lettered incorrectly. You need the version that is all silver and has California Zephyr on the letterboard and Silver Rapids for the car name. PRR appears on a little plate on the door end of the car. All lettering was black and identical to other Zephyr cars. After it was pulled from Zephyr service it was relettered for Pennsylvania on the letterboard. The car was used as the PRR contribution to SAL Silver Meteor service to Florida and the roof was painted black to match the consist. So this car was used strictly in one of two services and none other according to PRRT&HS publication, “PRR Passenger Car Lettering and Painting”.
Although a different railroad (I am one of those Santa Fe nuts), the below link discusses the same concept:
This information is “Right On”
I have a BLI California Zephyr of twelve cars including the PRR car “Silver Rapids”
The consist of the CZ was:
Baggage
Dome Coaches(3)
Dome lounge Dormatory
Diner
5 Compartment-6 Bedroom Pullman
10-6 Pullman(3)
Dome lounge 3 Bedroom 1 Drawing room Obs.
There was a 14 section Pullman that ran directly ahead of the diner behind the Dome lounge Dormatory which was replaced by teh 5-6 car. The 14 section Pullman was converted into a coach and ran between the baggage and the first dome coach. I use the 14 section Pullman as a coach in my train.
The CZ cars were never painted except for the lettering just 18-8 Stainless Steel