I have just realized it is a lot easier to take pictures of ships than of trains. I can easily get a ship in one shot, and they go slower. Still, that second car says Amtrak on it. I invite my train buff friends to add a comment here telling us about these cars. They were headed south on Saturday morning, August 15, 2009.
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The car behind the Amtrak loco is a UP Budd 10/6 Sleeper without paint. The car in front of the two painted cars is a NYC Budd Tavern/Lounge car. The last two cars are Milwaukee Road Great Dome and Parlor Observation cars.
The last car is the Cedar Rapids and the one ahead of it is a Super Dome. I have the privilege of riding in both of these cars from St. Paul to Chicago and back, every year in November. The cars are owned by a group of airline pilots and are used for charters. The Cedar Rapids has been chartered several times by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson.
In regards to the ex – Great Northern Ry. diesel #400, nicknamed, "Hustle Muscle". It should also be pointed out that the engine is actually owned by the Great Northern Ry. Historical Society, and is currently housed at the Museum known as the Jackson St. Roundhouse in Minneapolis,MN. The Great Northern Hist. Soc. was having their annual convention, this year, in Duluth, and arranged with the Lake Superior Railroad Museum to once again visit the Museum, and operatre on their trackage, and apparently others.
I wish you had photographed the steam engine that was operating part of that week as well. I was not able to take my vacation that week, so missed out. But thanks to you, you captured my favorite cars at the end of one of the trains. The Obs at the end as you know, is an ex-Milwaukee Road car known as a Skytop (lounge car). There were four of these cars built, and they were built in the Milwaukee Roads own car shops in Milwaukee Wiscosnin in 1948. Three of the four cars still exist, but the Cedar Rapids is in operation as you see. I have been lucky enough to ride her two different times, and it is a great riding car! These cars were used on the Twin Cities Hiawatha from Chicago to Minneapolis. They had 24 Parlor car lounge seats, and the solarium had 12 seats, and there was one drawing room. All the cars were withdrawn from sevice in 1970. On a side note, these cars should not be confused with the Skytop sleepers, which had 8 bedrooms. There were six cars in this series, all built by Pullman in 1948-1949 for the Milwaukee Road, window configurations identify who's who. All six were later sold to the Canadian National in 1964. As for the great dome cars, they are known as Super Domes. The Milwaukee Road had 10 of them, and were the first full dome cars ever built. They were all built by Pullman in 1952, they entered service on New Years Day 1953. Hope this helps others,and as for my vacation…we leave for Duluth on August 30th for a week…I can't wait!!
Jeff
We had a SP steam engine that came through the area for a big gathering at the steam museam in Owosso, MI last month. The steam engine was pulling the same of deisel engine to power the rest of the cars that were included in the train. Pretty impressive train. Here is a link of the video: http://www.trainfestival2009.com/video.php
Saw the train in Grand Rapids on Saturday the 15th, and now wish that I had taken notes of what cars were present. I believe there were a few more in the line than are shown in the photos, however. Pretty sure that New York Central is ringing a bell though.
The third car is a New York Central/Mt. Vernon. Hard to tell, could be a coach or diner car.
Hi Ken,
Yes, the lead locomotive is the Great Northern #400, the Hustle Muscle. She was/is the lead loco in the class of all of GN's SD45s, built in May 1966 (1966, a great year for locos and people!) The second loco is one of Amtrak's P42 diesels, providing both extra pull and head-end electrical power for the passenger cars. I do not know what the third car, the silver one, is. The last two are classics. First is one of Milwaukee Road's full dome cars, and lastly, one of the very rare and beautiful Milwaukee Road Skytop Observation car. Great Pics.
Paul R. Sando, Moorhead, MN
This was a charter train going to Grand Rapids, MN & back for the annual national convention of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS), in Duluth August 11-16. It left at 8:45 am, returned about 6:15 pm. The same train is returning to St. Paul at 9:30 am on August 16th as a conclusion to the convention. The NRHS is a 15,000-member non-profit organization of rail history enthusiasts; go to http://www.nrhs.org for info. I'm active in the organization, and was actually in the dome car (the next-to-last car) in your photos of the train.
That second car that says Amtrack on it's side is a locomotive. Yes, trains are harder to take pictures off . They are a lot longer and faster. What I like about Duluth is that I can come there and get great pictures of both trains and ships.
The secound car as you call it is an Amtrack locomotive. The locomotive in the lead is Husel Mussel
an SD 45 from the Jackson st Rail musem in Saint Paul.