SP's Zipper "Rider Coach"

[mcouvillion]

In the 1940s and early 1950s, SP ran the Merchant's Overnight Express (the "Zipper") from Los Angeles to San Fransisco (and vice versa), Trains 373 and 374, usually with a Daylight GS-4, nominally 20 - 40 black Overnight Boxcars, and a "rider coach" on the end. I've seen two pictures of the train with the coach but I can't determine what type of passenger car it is or the color. Does anyone have more information? I am trying to model, in HO, a prototypical train and I had assumed the end was a caboose. Also, were all the Zippers carrying a "rider coach"?

Thanks,

Mark C.

[Anonymous]

Thirty-four hours can be a long time, Mark -- I know!

If you're not getting any action on this web, you should consider posting your request on some of the forums that are more specifically devoted to model railroading.

Good luck!

[mcouvillion]

Allen,

Thanks, I posted on the Model Railroader forum and got an answer in about 12 hours. I suspected that the TRAINS group would be the better source, but the MRR guys won out. Apparently a coach was used as a caboose since their wheels were rated for the speed of the train (60 MPH) and the wheels of a normal caboose were not. No passengers. (I thought it might be for moving around crews, not paying customers, but apparently that was not the case.) I have a reference and enough info to chew on.

Thanks.

Mark C.

[Anonymous]

Also, crews used to sleep in cabooses. Even today, when a passenger train needs employees to hang around awhile, a "dormitory-baggage" car is used. I don't know how often this is done or what the union/RR rules are, but I saw a dorm-baggage car right hehind Amtrak loco no. 518 when the westbound Southwest Chief blew thru Galva, IL, on July 2 at about 5:20 pm.