PAR Business Train (ST 100, 101, 102 & 103; PAR 1 & 2)

"Pan Am is creating a potential public relations nightmare with their public-be-damned attitude."

I understand the gentleman's anger; on the other hand, this is a company that has never given a damn about the public or about their public image. Why would they care now? They've pulled far worse stunts than this, and have done so for 35+ years, and there's never been any consequences.

I think it's good that members of the public are calling them out on this crap, but it won't make a difference. It's PAR for the course.

I think it's worth noting that the OCS would naturally be dispatched to pass the Downeaster given that it typically runs non-stop. This might look inconvenient to the passed train but it would certainly be helpful to the opposing passenger service which would hopefully have a "clean" meet with the other trains.

The other flaw in the logic of the complaint is the person is assuming the Amtrak train was on time from it's previous stop.

If it was already late out the gate, which does happen, there is no sense holding up the OCS since as mentioned earlier, it will be moving non-stop.

There is a formal agreement and incentives in place to keep the Downeasters on time. But if they are late getting started then that is not PAR problem.

A short chase of the OCS from Graniteville to Ayer back in September.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRX3_tZhfCA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pan Am has added former CSX car “Mississippi” to the ocs fleet. It will become ST103 and was in Mechanicville, NY last night.

Wonder why Pan Am thinks it needs a 4th OCS car?

So each of the 4 people who ride it have their own car of course.

CSX Mississippi. Collection of G.R. Harper.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2176813" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Well, it's already blue.

That's really cool...
Glad to see its beginning to look a proper train. Interesting car too...1924 SOU sleeper, modernized and given new trucks. (Guess you dont need tri-axels when the rails are welded).
Are there any pictures of the interior? Would love to know if it's still set up with private compartments etc...

Seems like the Mississippi will get a new name. Maybe Cumberland or Kennebec,
or Waterville or Portland. Other suggestions, please.

johnpbarlow wrote:Wonder why Pan Am thinks it needs a 4th OCS car?

Gearing up for their new tourist operation of course

I would vote to rename it Merrimack... be fun to ride it over the NH Mainline and along said river someday.

From what I can see on the interweb, Mississippi is a sleeper (?). Do any of the other three Pan Am OCS cars have sleeping accommodations or will Mississippi be its first sleeper? If so, why would a regional RR need such a car?

Mebbe it's less a need and more a want. Others have bigger trains, so why not?
OTOH, when PAR/S is meeting in Mechanicville with the primus inter pares of the joint venture, the interweb shows not too many nearby options for overnighting, and mebbe the upper echelons may also feel a need for bunking apart where the T&E types might be.
Whether The Blue and Silver Streak might make to vacation lands under the new Amtrak policy is another issue.