QUOTE: In 1954, the "North Coast Limited" was upgraded with 10 dome coaches and 10 dome sleepers from Budd. Of each 10, ownership was split NP-7, Burlington-2, SPS-1. In 1957 a protection coach and sleeper were added by NP. The sleepers were somewhat "unique" in that other than 1 built for the GM "Train of Tomorrow" and 3 built for the stillborn "Chessie" on C&O, these were the only other full sleepers ever constructed. Each of the 5 trainsets carried 2 of the dome sleepers, with 1 going to Seattle and 1 to Portland. In the winter, the Portland car was removed. In 1959 the dormant cars were temporarily traded for IC sleepers and ran on the Chicago - Florida IC-CofG-ACL/SCL(1967)-FEC "City of Miami" and the PRR-L&N-ACL/SCL(1967)-FEC "Southwind". The "trading" occured again in the 5 years 1963-1967 except that in 1963 they did not run on the "City of Miami" but ran on the IC "Panama Limited" instead. The cars on the "Southwind" remained in NP colors, but the cars used by IC were repainted (TWICE!) each year. The cars repained to chocolate & orange IC colors each year were: 1959 NP 307-308-310 1963 NP 308-310 1964 CBQ 304 - NP 308-309-310 1965 NP 310-312-313 1966 CBQ 304 - NP 311 1967 NP 305-313 All of the sleepers were originally built as 4 double bedroom, 4 roomette, 4 single room cars. In 1967 NP 307-308-311-312-314 and CBQ 304 were renumbered NP 375-376-377-378-379 and CBQ 380 and were rebuilt, removing 2 of the single rooms, adding a buffet-lounge and changing the dome seating to tables and lounge seats instead of forward facing chairs. NP renamed the service "Lounges in the Sky".
QUOTE: The North Coast Limited was a famous passenger train operated by the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle. It commenced service on April 29, 1900, served briefly as a Burlington Northern train after the merger on March 2, 1970 and ceased operation the day before Amtrak began service (April 30, 1971). In the mid 1970s, the North Coast Limited was restarted by Amtrak, and continued running until it was again discontinued in 1979. The most memorable version of the train was when the train began receiving not only the popular dome coaches known as "vista domes" but also the rare dome sleepers. The two-tone green paint scheme with white stripe was designed by industrial designer Raymond Loewy. The North Coast Limited was the Northern Pacific's flagship train and the Northern Pacific itself was built along the trail first blazed by Lewis and Clark.
QUOTE: Statistics for GN 400 “HUSTLE MUSCLE” SD45 Builder Date: May, 1966 Builder Number: 31598 Transition: Automatic Model: SD45 Length: 65’8” Dynamic Brake: Variable Builder: EMD Width: 10’ Air Brake: 26L Horsepower: 3600 Height: 15’7” Air Compressor: WBO WH-AR: C-C Min Cont Speed: 8.5 mph Fuel Capacity: 4000 Gallons Weight: 369,340 Main Generator: AR-10 Sand Capacity: 56 Cubic Feet Starting TE: 91,999 Alternator: D-14 Cooling System: 288 Gallons Prime Mover: 20-645E3 Aux. Generator: 10 KW Lube Oil: 294 Gallons MU Control: Equipped Traction Motor: D-77 Gear Ratio: 60:17
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