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Private train car travel

3fingers

One Too Many
Messages
1,797
Location
Illinois
The California Zephyr passes through just north of here. It is a fairly common sight to see private cars on the tail of this train. About 25 years ago I rode the Zephyr to Denver in January and we had a private car on that train.
It was bitterly cold and the car had some issues, which caused the train to stop randomly many times.
In conversation with the crew apparently the owner of the car was an extraordinary jackass who was finally told that if his behavior didn't improve, he and his coach would be left on a siding and he would be on his own.
 

Tiki Tom

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,399
Location
Oahu, North Polynesia
That would be incredible. Yes, yes, yes!
But I'm afraid it's a little bit beyond the comfort zone of my bank account. :(
It reminds me of the private train they used in the 60s TV show "The Wild, Wild West."

lnNWM-1515447011-1901-blog-WWWest_train_main.jpg
 

Haversack

One Too Many
Messages
1,194
Location
Clipperton Island
Back in 1999 during the Dot-Com Bubble, there was an entire consist of five private cars parked on the eastern-most platform of the San Francisco Caltrain Station. It was during one of the big tech conferences at the Moscone Center a few block away. I asked one of the Caltrain conductors, (I was a daily commuter), but do not remember who they said it was. What I do remember is that whoever it was rented all the private cars to create their private train/hotel. It was parked there for the entire week of the conference.

Similarly, my dad, who grew up in Santa Barbara during the 1920s-30s, said you used to be able to tell which extremely wealthy people were in town by the private railcars parked on a particular siding near the SP depot.
 

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