Unfortunately, I did not get the pictures I hoped to as I seemed to be the only rail fan there and the rest of the passengers (including the 3 that came with me) were there for the murder mystery event with no interest in the history of what we were on! People were just constantly everywhere inside and out and I didn't want to keep snapping pictures of strangers. So I got a few but I plan on going back VERY soon to give this railroad the attention it deserves!
Car 6217 (Premium Coach Car): 1947 Budd Company 52-seat chair coach originally with SAL and SCL. Now a very poorly laid out dining car with your knees touching under a too narrow table.
Car 8266 (Latrobe Inn): 1949 Budd Company 21 roomette sleeping car originally with Pennsylvania Railroad and MARC. Now a beautiful dining car more reminiscent of an actual restaurant than a train's dining car.
Car 2989 (Café Car): 1950 Budd Company French Quarter Lounge originally with SP on the Sunset Limited. It's the only SP car they have. If Amtrak could use the layout that CVSR used for this car for their café cars, I would be the happiest girl! It was done SO well.
Car 1105 (Silver Bronco): 1948 Budd Company. I'm going to copy/paste the description from CVSR's site:
Built by the Budd Company in 1948 and named the Silver Bronco, Coach #1105 began service on the California Zephyr and Rio Grande Zephyr, operating over the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad from Chicago to Denver, the Western Pacific Railroad from Salt Lake City to Oakland, and later on the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad between Denver and Salt Lake City. Philadelphia architectural firm Harbeson, Hough, Livingston and Larson designed the interior, and the painting on the wall of the back cabin is called Central City by Mary Louise Lawser. The car was originally fitted with a forward section reserved for women and children only. Service was discontinued in 1983 and the Silver Bronco became the property of Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad’s parent company Ansco. In 2006, the Silver Bronco was sold by Ansco into private ownership and sent to San Antonio, becoming the last car built for the California Zephyr to pass into private ownership after spending all of its 58 years with the Rio Grande. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad purchased the car from a private owner in 2011. The car was restored with sponsorship by Emerson Electric, and was renamed the Emerson Dome Car. When the sponsorship ended in 2012, the Silver Bronco took back its original name.
I promise the next round I will do better! Once a year they send out invites to get a back stage look at their fleet and I will do my best to get EVERYTHING I can to show everyone! I would LOVE to get a really close look at their full Zephyr trainset and their 6 locos!
