Amtrak Gallery Coach

[OlympianHiawatha]

I am doing a little "off the cuff" research on the small fleet of Amtrak Gallery Coaches, the converted ex C&NW Double Deckers that ran on some of the Illinois Service trains during the early days of Amtrak. While I have seen plenty of exterior pics, I am looking for any interior shots or descriptions of how the seating was laid out. Did Amtrak keep the commuter-style Walkover Seats of install something more comfortable?

 

[MikefromCrete]

The ex-C&NW gallery cars obtained by Amtrak were equipped and used by the Northwestern for short distance services on lines from Chicago to Wisconsin. They were not commuter cars. These cars had long-distance type seating 2x2 on the lower level and 1x1 on the upper. There were even a couple of parlor/lounge cars, but I don't know if Amtrak purchased those. They sure seem like a good idea for short-distance services. I'm surprised Amtrak never sought to buy more, since the gallery cars were easily obtained from Pullman-Standard and other builders by Metra and other commuter carriers. They certainly would have been better in the Midwest and West Coast than the Horizon cars.

 

[Anderson]

The ex-C&NW gallery cars obtained by Amtrak were equipped and used by the Northwestern for short distance services on lines from Chicago to Wisconsin. They were not commuter cars. These cars had long-distance type seating 2x2 on the lower level and 1x1 on the upper. There were even a couple of parlor/lounge cars, but I don't know if Amtrak purchased those. They sure seem like a good idea for short-distance services. I'm surprised Amtrak never sought to buy more, since the gallery cars were easily obtained from Pullman-Standard and other builders by Metra and other commuter carriers. They certainly would have been better in the Midwest and West Coast than the Horizon cars.

Well, remember that the Horizon order was late 80s/early 90s while Pullman-Standard got out of the business in the early 80s (after the Superliner I order).

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Thanks guys! I knew the C&NW ran Gallery Cars on some of the smaller 400 trains, but even though I grew up in Chicago, I never knew if they were different from the standard commuter versions.

 

[prech786]

I am doing a little "off the cuff" research on the small fleet of Amtrak Gallery Coaches, the converted ex C&NW Double Deckers that ran on some of the Illinois Service trains during the early days of Amtrak. While I have seen plenty of exterior pics, I am looking for any interior shots or descriptions of how the seating was laid out. Did Amtrak keep the commuter-style Walkover Seats of install something more comfortable?

Here's a couple of photos of the "intercity" Bi-levels. The Lounge and Parlor sections. Quite different then the Commuter Cars.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

WOW! Those are MUCH nicer than I expected! Thanks again prech786!

 

[railiner]

I vaguely recall riding on them, when Amtrak acquired them..

I looked thru my 'archives', and came across this description of them in a booklet entitled "Amtrak Car Diagrams", by Wayner Publications, published some time in the mid seventies...

".....Cars 9600 and 9601 were formerly a coach-parlor and a coach-bar lounge respectively; both were rebuilt in 1970 to coach-diners which were oases of refreshment to those riding in high-capacity chair cars 9611-9620.

The upper level of cars 9611-9620 has thirty-two single coach seats as seen above. (diagram) Cars 9600 and 9601 have sixteen single coach seats at one end of the upper level and six two-seat dining tables at the other end as shown in the diagram at right. (diagram)

Cars 9611-9620 have sixty-four coach seats on the lower level. In cars 9600 and 9601 the spacious entryway divides a thirty-two seat coach section and a twenty-four seat dining room served by a small kitchen as diagrammed in the plan at right. (diagram)"

Sorry I can't post the diagrams, but I think you can get the idea from the description....

 

[Big Iron]

I recall riding the Illinois Zephyr during the rainbow era when it used CNW bi-levels. Usually 2-3 cars and one locomotive. They were not a luxurious as the pictures above and no food options were available, just coaches, if I recall correctly. I liked riding in them, it was interesting being able to see the people below from the upper level. The upstairs was quite peaceful.

I believe that most of these cars were redone in Amtrak garb and used on the Calumet.

 

[MikefromCrete]

WOW! Those are MUCH nicer than I expected! Thanks again prech786!

The photos are of the parlor-lounge cars. The coaches were not as classy, but still had long-distance, reclining seats.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

WOW! Those are MUCH nicer than I expected! Thanks again prech786!

The photos are of the parlor-lounge cars. The coaches were not as classy, but still had long-distance, reclining seats.

Anything is better than the walkover seats if you are going to be on for more than an hour or so.

 

[railiner]

I really liked the reclining single seats in the galleries. The only other reclining single coach seats (not parlor, business, or custom class) that I can recall on Amtrak, were the few single seats at the transition end of the Hi-Level transition cars, before their conversion to trans-dorms obliterated those seats...those were the best, with legrests included...

 

[Slasharoo]

The Illinois Railway museum has a few of these in their inventory. I remember riding these to Green Bay in the '60s. Great fun for the kids, relaxing for mom, since the kids were all upstairs.

 

[chakk]

The first photo shows the bar-lounge section of the bi-level car that ran on the Peninsula 400 between Chicago and Ishpeming, Michigan. I rode it a couple times between Chicago and the penultimate stop, Negaunee, MI and many more times in the earlier years in the 1950's and 60's with single-level equipment. Best ride was the 3-mile roundtrip between Negaunee and Ishpeming, which included a ride in the locomotive out to and back from the turntable, since the conductor didn't want to leave me and my brother in the empty Ishpeming station at 2 in the morning while the locomotive was turned.

The conductor then decided not to collect any fares from us, as well, for the two 10-minute rides on C&NW trains 209 and 214.

 

[nshvlcat]

Is this a gallery coach @ 1:10? If so, they are being utilized on the Music City Star in Nashville. The equipment was bought from Chicago in the mid-2000s.

A Day in the Life of the Music City Star.mp4

 

[MrFSS]

Is this a gallery coach @ 1:10? If so, they are being utilized on the Music City Star in Nashville. The equipment was bought from Chicago in the mid-2000s.

Look like old Metra cars to me, especially if they came from Chicago!

 

[MikefromCrete]

Is this a gallery coach @ 1:10? If so, they are being utilized on the Music City Star in Nashville. The equipment was bought from Chicago in the mid-2000s.

Right, I believe those coaches are former C&NW cars.