Last commuter rail bar cars in US to be retired

[Kev3188]

A few months ago, the topic of bar cars came up somewhere on this site (IIRC, the UAL board).
 
I'm not about to burrow through God-knows-how-many topics to find that tangent, but I thought it might be of at least mild interest to post this for E, xUT, and the others that had weighed in...
 
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2014/05/last-commuter-rail-bar-cars-us-are-about-go-line/9065/
 

 

[eolesen]

I remember the thread... it was actually in the AA forum two months ago... but we also discussed it years ago either in the Cooler or UAL regarding how UA was losing employees when they moved the HDQ from the suburbs to downtown Chicago.

I'd love to see one or two of them wind up in museums, but they'll likely get scrapped instead. None of the bar cars in Chicago wound up being preserved. They got converted into standard chair cars.

 

[xUT]

A few months ago, the topic of bar cars came up somewhere on this site (IIRC, the UAL board).
 
I'm not about to burrow through God-knows-how-many topics to find that tangent, but I thought it might be of at least mild interest to post this for E, xUT, and the others that had weighed in...
 
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2014/05/last-commuter-rail-bar-cars-us-are-about-go-line/9065/
 

I don't know how you got a neg rep for your post but I fixed it... LOL

 

[xUT]

I remember the thread... it was actually in the AA forum two months ago... but we also discussed it years ago either in the Cooler or UAL regarding how UA was losing employees when they moved the HDQ from the suburbs to downtown Chicago.

I'd love to see one or two of them wind up in museums, but they'll likely get scrapped instead. None of the bar cars in Chicago wound up being preserved. They got converted into standard chair cars.

IIRC it was the UA thread talking about taking the train to Wacker (is that a name or what... LOL) in down town Chicago.
 
My POP worked on the Penn Central and I spent a lot of time around trains. Took a trip from Columbus to Biloxi via Chicago. Took 2 days with an 8 hour car change (can't remember where).
Bar car and Dining cars were cool, but that was 50 years ago... 😛
 
I'll take an AMTRAK ride sometime in the future. It's on my bucket list

 

[xUT]

As a side note.
There is a great railroad museum in Sacramento:
California State Railroad Museum
 
Many old trains and cars on site including train rides.
 
Been there several times.
 
Check it out if you get a chance, well worth it IMHO.
 

 

[Dog Wonder]

Was there many years ago. Cool place.

 

[700UW]

Pullman in Chicago is interesting as is the Lancaster PA area

 

[eolesen]

Haven't made it out to Sacramento yet, but it's on my list. My son and I used to volunteer out at the Illinois Railway Museum outside Chicago. Largest collection in the US if not the world, with ~500 pieces of equipment.

 

[700UW]

Here in NC, Spencer has the NC Transportation Museum and has a live railroad repair facility on site.

 

[delldude]

I been to Lancaster....Woo Woo
 
Wilkes Barre area too.....Bidenville

 

[xUT]

Me & the Mrs. was wondering where to go this summer and we now have some great ideas. Looks like getting stuck in Chicago was a missed opportunity...
Thanks 'ALL'!
B) xUT

 

[Kev3188]

I don't know how you got a neg rep for your post but I fixed it... LOL

Lol. Thank you sir.
 
 

IIRC it was the UA thread talking about taking the train to Wacker (is that a name or what... LOL) in down town Chicago.
 
My POP worked on the Penn Central and I spent a lot of time around trains. Took a trip from Columbus to Biloxi via Chicago. Took 2 days with an 8 hour car change (can't remember where).
Bar car and Dining cars were cool, but that was 50 years ago... 😛
 
I'll take an AMTRAK ride sometime in the future. It's on my bucket list

I'd like to get on one again as well. Haven't taken a ride since I was about 8 or 10?
 
 

Haven't made it out to Sacramento yet, but it's on my list. My son and I used to volunteer out at the Illinois Railway Museum outside Chicago. Largest collection in the US if not the world, with ~500 pieces of equipment.

Seems like a good thing to add to the summer's to-do list!

 

[eolesen]

Spencer's museum is one of the better funded ones. They've got a major event coming up on May 29-June 1 where 25 locomotives from the 1950s are going to be on display.

http://www.nctrans.org/Streamliners-At-Spencer--May-29---June-1,-2014/May-2014/25th-and-Final-Locomotive-Announced-for-Streamline.aspx

Two of the locomotives are coming from the IRM, two from the Monticello Railway Museum (central Illinois), plus one each from the Lake Superior Railroad Museum & Railroad Museum of New England.

Several railroads who still have operational antiques are also sending them, including Iowa Pacific, Union Pacific, and Norfolk Southern.

 

[eolesen]

Seems like a good thing to add to the summer's to-do list!

It's an easy drive... I-90 out to the Marengo Exit, and then about 5 miles or so to the museum. Depending on your tastes, there are several event weekends out there. I prefer "Diesel Days" and the diesel parade. Avoid "Day out with Thomas" at all costs...

If anyone in the Northern Illinois/Southern Wisconsin area is interested in volunteering out there, let me know and I'll help you get in touch with someone. There's a full blown steam shop, diesel shop, electric car shop, plus departments who deal with track, signaling, and restoring passenger & freight cars. Nothing says fun like re-piping the brakes on a 1930's commuter coach, or grinding corrosion off the inside faces of a 20,000 lb cast steel wheelset frame...

 

[700UW]

I took my son there years ago to ride Thomas and took the tour, they have a cool Piedmont exhibit too.
 
Ironic how Norfolk Southern was PI's largest shareholder before US bought them.