Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
Pax train consist makeup and ordering depends on the railroad, the specific train, and the era. Some useful examples. ATSF and a number of other roads ran their mixed first/coach trains in the late 50's/60's with the chair cars at the front, diner, lounge (or reversed, or lounge-diner-slpr. lounge in the case of the later SF Chief; or single car diner-lounge/LC diner lounge), then sleepers. When the train was broken up enroute, cars came off both ends. SAL ran theirs the other way on the Silver trains that originally started out all coach--slpr. lounge, sleepers, diner, chair cars, chair-tavern-obs. SP did the Lark similarly in its dying days--sleepers, grill car (or Russellburger car, or both, then coaches. The San Joaquin Daylight in 1967 ran with a round end observation chair car right at the front behind the RPO--beautiful view! Bags were generally split up at the front with sealed card (usually storage mail and express, the RPO, and working baggage, or RPO and working baggage were reversed. ATSF 23-24 regularly ran with this and then sealed bags on the rear as well into LA. PA Ltd in the 60's ran with a bunch of headend, a couple of chair cars, a sleeper, and a diner-lounge bringing up the rear (because it came off at PIT). Other variations dating earlier into the 50's had different ordering. For example, the MKT-SLSF TX Special in its heyday usually ordered chair cars, chair-buffet-lounge, several sleepers, diner (assumption was that the sleeper passengers were the diner clientele) more sleepers, sleeper-lounge-obs. Some of the Zephyrs, SP Sunbeam/Hustler ("TX Daylight") and Rockets had round end diner-lounge-obs (DLO) cars, so the trains were ordered chair cars, sleepers, DLO. Of course, the ultra-deluxe trains like the Super, Chief, Broadway, General, Century etc. were all sleeper and had lounges and sometimes diners interspersed in the consist for customer convenience. SP's multi-unit diner-lounges also sometimes complicated things, and most of their overnight trains had a blind end tail car that was just a 10-6 sleeper with a rounded roof and taillight on one end. And, on the dark side, in some states during Jim Crow, the first pax car on the train was usually a divided or segregated chair car. With ATK, anything goes. They don't like to switch anyway, so they tend to block trains like the TX Eagle, Sunset Builder and Lake Shore so the through cars (coaches and sleepers) are in a group to make switching easier, so a sleeper can and does usually wind up in the middle of a block of coaches, or the diner is on the head end of the train. I guess my advice is to find the train(s) and era that interest you, and do some research. Usually the specific RR historical society will have access to the specific info you need. Hope this isn't too frustrating.
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag

Update Reply

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Model Railroader Newsletter See all

Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!

Subscriber & Member Login

Edit post

Post Body

Tags (Optional)

Subscriber & Member Login

Users Online

Search the Community