Uniq. Eqpmt Sightings: Private Varnish (PV's), Charters, etc

Gentle reminder: People come here to track PV movements, not discuss tunnel dimensions.

Amtrak LiDAR Test Train spotted testing with an amfleet café and an observation car in Connecticut on June 13.

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/739328/
https://www.railpictures.net/photo/739324/

That's Beech Grove,the Business Car,that houses a camera aimed at the catenary.Should be coupled to "Corridor Clipper" Amtrak' main track Geometry car.

Mr. Backshop, it would appear thst "Beech Grove" has become a "former Office Car". Mr Anderson hsd no use for such frivolities, so it appears from Mr. Grice's photos that it has been converted to a track mapping car, and that is how the photos depict it being used.

I'm curious if that's an optics move, or if it's really no longer an office car. A "track mapping car" or a track mapping car if you get my inuendo...

Also, I'm not aware of any airlines having learjets for their brass. I supposed the brass flies in the main product. Last I ever heard of a private plane for airline bosses was Harding Lawrence at Braniff, he and the boys club there had a BAE111 that ferried a plane load to Acapulco on the weekends.

I would think that a business car tacked onto the back of a regularly scheduled train is not as extravagant as a private jet. A complete private train set including locomotive would be more comparable in my opinion.

Tadman wrote:I'm curious if that's an optics move, or if it's really no longer an office car. A "track mapping car" or a track mapping car if you get my inuendo...

"optics" ... HA! ... I don't suppose "Beech Grove" is going to get renamed "Laser Lounger" any time soon.


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Guess I walked right into that one...

Sorry if this is a dumb question but here goes. I willing to bet that most of us can't afford to restore a full passenger car. What if we were to get our hands on something smaller, say a bay window caboose, and be able to restore that. Would Amtrak ever be willing to tack those on to a train or is that against regulations?

In the 1990s, Tyburn RR had that same question about their exCornRail bay window caboose. I suggested that we buy one of the ex-Pennsylvania RR passenger equipped cabin cars that had been used on Mail and Express trains. We dropped the idea after finding that ConRail had rebuilt them in Reading, Pa. shops in 1978 and turned them into regular freight cabooses.

planespotting wrote: ↑Thu Jun 18, 2020 11:58 am Sorry if this is a dumb question but here goes. I willing to bet that most of us can't afford to restore a full passenger car. What if we were to get our hands on something smaller, say a bay window caboose, and be able to restore that. Would Amtrak ever be willing to tack those on to a train or is that against regulations?

The car has to be certified by Amtrak or the AAR for atleast 80/85mph (LD route top speed) or 110/115mph (NEC speeds) and also be equipped with all of the required appliances. The only place they certify cars for that is at TTC in Pueblo. All of that would cost more than the caboose itself.

Good point. Guess I'll continue to dream.
Some fun cars for sale here (if you've got few grand laying around)
http://www.railmerchants.net/

Second Gentle reminder

This is a thread to talk about PV and unique car movements, not how to purchase oR restore a PV.

Please stay to topic.

Amtrak Train #98 arrived this morning into NYP from FL with C&O Chapel Hill Private car.

Should be interesting to see if there is an increase in PV charters during the era of social distancing. It could be a windfall for Amtrak and the charter operators.

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