Hi,
I road one of the last Southern Crescent Passenger Trains just before Amtrak cane to an agreement with SRR to take over the passenger business (1978-79). I am currently making a set of HO scale passenger cars and E9s for each of the cars on the prototype train.
My question is about the one Amtrak through car. It was #2624 with the wild purple hallway carpets on the walls.
Can anyone tell me what type of sleeper Amtrak 2624 was and its heritage? Does anyone know where a photo is so I can model the car?
Thanks.
Doug

First of all, the Southern Crescent was pulled by E8's, not E9's. What was the configuration of AMTK 2624?

The Amtrak Car Spotter (Revised Second Edition) from 1973 gives this information about the 2624:

2624 ex-UP 1431 PACIFIC PATROL
10-roomette, 6-double bedroom sleeping car built by Budd in 1950

Walther's has produced an HO scale models of the UP Pacific-series Budd built cars. These are it's 932-6340 series of model numbers. As of today the Walther's site lists most of these as being out of stock and unknown as to when they may be available. But, Amtrak III and Amtrak IV paint scheme available at discounted price. Check it out by using the advance search feature at http://www.walthers.com/

As I understand it, the SRR pullmans were 10-6 except for a pair of 11-bedroom ex-observation cars.

Northbound
2008 Pacolet River crew 10-6 SOU
2010 Rapidan River crew 10-6 SOU
2004 Enoree River 10-6 sleeper SOU
2362 Royal Arch (?) 11-bed ex-obs SOU
2014 Shenandoah River 10-6 sleeper SOU
2019 Tugalo River 10-6 sleeper SOU

Southbound
Charlotte to Atlanta
3499 Royal Palm 11-bed ex-obs SOU
2012 Saluda River 10-6 sleeper SOU
2017 Tiger River 10-6 sleeper SOU
3400 Emory River 10-6 sleeper SOU
2301 Royal Court 10-6 sleeper SOU

Southbound
Atlanta to Birmingham
3499 Royal Palm 11-bed ex-obs SOU
2012 Saluda River 10-6 sleeper SOU
2017 Tiger River 10-6 sleeper SOU
2624 10-6 sleeper Amtrak

As far as I recall (and I do not recall correctly all the time), the SRR E-8's had been upgraded to basically an E9. I also seem to recall that as far as a model is concerned, the E-8 and E-9 are extremely similar.

Thanks for the help.

Doug

Ahh -- 2301 Royal Court is an 11-bedroom car. All the Southern's 10-6 sleepers were named for Rivers.

From W. David Randall's Streamliner Cars; Volume 1, Pullman Standard:

Originally there were eight Royal series 5-double bedroom, buffet, observation cars built in 1950 and one matching car for FEC in the same pool of equipment:

Southern 2300 ROYAL ARCH renamed LUTHER CALVIN NORRIS in 1950, to 11-DBR in 1957, wrecked 1974
Southern 2301 ROYAL COURT to 11-DBR in 1957
CNOTP 3499 ROYAL PALM to 11-DBR in 1957
WofA ROYAL PALACE renamed CHARLES A. WICKERSHAM in 1952, retired 1960, sold to Jas. Lanier, Mobile, Ala.
NYC ROYAL COURT wrecked on the UP 1951
L&N 3300 ROYAL CANAL retired 1970
L&N 3301 ROYAL STREET retired 1970
FEC AZALIA, to business car in 1960

Besides the Crescent these cars were also used on Chicago to Miami trains.

Were the 11-bedroom cars the ones equipped with the shower on the Crescent?

Wesley

No, the shower was in the "
















Wes,

No, the shower was in the "Crescent" series lounge cars, Crescent City, Crescent Moon, Crescent Harbor and Crescent Shores. The cars contained two drawing rooms, the master room with shower, and a lounge.

Southern also installed a shower in Tugalo River by removing Roomette 10.

Kevin

Thanks for the info.
I recorded the consist while on the Platform in Atlanta and I recorded:

2362 Royal Arch (?) 11-bed ex-obs SOU

This is obviously an error. Royal Arch was wrecked in 1974 and had number 2300.
Was there a 2302 or a 2362? If so, did the car(s) have a name?

Thanks.
Doug

I don't know if it was done by Southern, Amtrak or by Gator Rail Tours, but FLINT RIVER (SR 2005) has a shower installed where the community toilet was originally located, across from the porter's station. I suspect Gator Rail Tours converted the toilet to a shower, but if anyone knows for sure any info would be appreciated.

As a side note, I see on Rail Swap that ALTAMAHA RIVER is being parted out.

Thanks for sharing this. I am the current owner of the Enoree River. It's stored in Chattanooga along with a couple of other "River" cars now owned by TVRM.

Alan Maples

I'm not sure if you are interested in this, but the consist of the trains I rode were:

SRR
Northbound
6904 E unit SOU
6910 E unit NO&NE
6908 E unit NO&NE
6914 E unit NO&NE
2008 Pacolet River crew 10-6 SOU
2010 Rapidan River crew 10-6 SOU
711 Baggage-Dorm SOU
820 coach - 52 seat SOU
827 coach - 52 seat SOU
834 coach - 52 seat SOU
836 coach - 52 seat SOU
2352 Cresent Moon Lounge SOU
3311 Diner SOU
2004 Enoree River 10-6 sleeper SOU
2362 Royal Arch (?) 11-bed ex-obs SOU
2014 Shenandoah River 10-6 sleeper SOU
821 coach - 52 seat SOU
825 coach - 52 seat SOU
2019 Tugalo River 10-6 sleeper SOU
7 business car SOU
19 business car SOU

Southbound
Charlotte to Atlanta

6903 E unit SOU
6905 E unit SOU
6915 E unit NO&NE
6913 E unit NO&NE
706 South Carolina Dorm/bagg/coach CNO&TP
3499 Royal Palm 11-bed ex-obs SOU
2012 Saluda River 10-6 sleeper SOU
3786 coach - 52 seat CNO&TP
3788 coach - 52 seat CNO&TP
828 coach - 52 seat SOU
833 coach - 52 seat SOU
2017 Tiger River 10-6 sleeper SOU
2624 AMTRAK 10-6 sleeper SOU
824 coach SOU
3306 Diner SOU
2353 Cresent Shores Lounge SOU
3400 Emory River 10-6 sleeper SOU
2301 Royal Court 11-bed ex-obs SOU
831 coach SOU
830 coach SOU
1 business car SOU

Atlanta to Birmingham
6901 E unit SOU
6909 E unit NO&NE
6912 E unit NO&NE
6906 E unit NO&NE
706 South Carolina Dorm/bagg/coach CNO&TP
3499 Royal Palm 11-bed ex-obs SOU
2012 Saluda River 10-6 sleeper SOU
3786 coach - 52 seat CNO&TP
3788 coach - 52 seat CNO&TP
828 coach - 52 seat SOU
833 coach - 52 seat SOU
2017 Tiger River 10-6 sleeper SOU
2624 AMTRAK sleeper SOU
824 coach SOU
3309 Diner SOU
1613 Dome ex-CofG
1 business car SOU

Although I can not find the ticket stub right now, I believe that I rode Coach 627 north to Charlotte and then road Tiger River back to Birmingham. I do recall that when I went to the dinner, I had to pass through the Amtrak Pullman and the wild interior color scheme. It was not at all like the high class looking Crescent.

Doug

This consist sounds like pre-1978 to me. The Amtrak car was the transcontinental New York-Los Angeles sleeper which operated tri-weekly.

Crescent Shores was destroyed in the famous derailment at Shipman, VA in 1978 that killed Chef Louis Price. Price's picture appeared in many of SR's passenger ads saying "I make your corn muffins the same way I did when I started on the railroad back in 1941."

The wreck occurred because the engineer was running at 80 on curves with a 40mph restriction. The lead E8 stayed on the track, but most of the trailing E's were destroyed as well. It happened just a couple of months before the Amtrak takeover.

Hi,
I had reservations to ride the Crescent the last week she was to be running. Negotiations between SRR and Amtrak caused a 6-month or year delay before Amtrak took over.
I did not try to reschedule the trip.
The Crescent was tri-weekly south of Atlanta. It seems that I rode prior to the Shipman VA accident .
Thanks.
Doug