Most of the streamlined business train cars in use now are former passenger service cars that have been converted to business car use. The GN and Soo cars were built new. The Soo's Minneapolis was the only passenger-carrying lightweith or any kind the Soo owned.
but did they have their open platforms when in regular passenger service?
No. They may be former sleeping cars or parlor cars or diners, even coaches. But no observation platforms or rear facing windows...
RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.
Just to nitpick it a little, the enclosed-end heavyweight observation cars were called "solarium" cars. "Solar" is Latin for "sun", and "solarium" was the Roman name for a sun room (like in a house).
RCDRYE:
As information the Soo's only light weight passenger car was the business car "Minneapolis" that was sold to the Great Northern in 1965. To the best of my knowledge, this car is still on the BNSF executive car roster. The Northern Pacific purchased three Pullman built business cars about 1950 or so. They were the "Yellowstone River" (for the NP president), the "Yakima River" and the "Clark(s) Fork River". I do not know who were assigned the those cars. I heard that the "Clark Fork" was wrecked on the MKT. I believe that the "Yellowstone" is at the Fort Worth campus off its trucks and I don't know the disposition of the "Yakima".
Getting back to observation cars, the NP owned 5 and the CBQ owned one, all for the North Coast Limited. They were remodeled at some point (Wayner's book "Car Names, Number, and Consists" does not indicate a date). and were retired in 1967. I did see a picture of the CBQ's car repainted into silver and on a CBQ train. I had a second shift job at Old Northtown and would see the NCL and GN's Winnipeg Limited on Saturday and Sunday because the Fargo freight train called for 830PM did not run. The "Lounge-in the Sky" cars replaced the obs cars.
It got paid to watch Trains.
RC Drye---please call me 763-234-9306 after about 10AM central time.
Ed Burns
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