Not including Amtrak, Metro North or other "regular" service companies....

Who has the largest fleet of passenger cars in service in the US?

I was thinking possibles are D&S? WP&Y? Alaska? UP?

Something fun to think about......

According to the info found on their latest route map folder D&S has 19 coaches, 1 combo car (ADA Accessable), 16 Observation Gons ( don't know if the Silver Vista is counted in this group), and 3 parlor / PV cars. That would make 39or 40 if you count he Silver Vista. They also have 4 concession cars, 4 boxcars, & 3 cabeese.

Bill

Thanks Bill.

What about the Ringling trains?

Wesley

Great Smokey Mountain Railroad has a fairly high number of cars, I would think they'd rank right up there somewhere.

David Farlow

Hi all

How about the Durango & Silverton RR,,they run 3 trains too Silverton,

Co during the busy summer season. Pat

How about the Grand Canyon RR?

CaTS RR? Running two or more trains a day with cars from Antonito and Cumbres plus the ones in the yard that have been converted to rider. I tried to get a handle on the numbers but not listed at the official site or the Friends.

American Heritage Railway might be the hands down winner!

Grand Canyon has 36 Pieces of “Revenue” Passenger Equipment currently in Service
This includes:
13 Southern Pacific Harriman Style Commute Coaches (‘Subs”)
9 Boise Budds (De-motored RDC’s) via Cal-Train and Virginia Railway Express.
6- “Flat Car” Budd’s…our First Class Fleet without the Domes (lower level on domes is “First Class”)
3 Domes (Cal Zephyr, NP, and GN Heritage)
2 “Luxury” Class Budd Cars (including open end observation ex-ACL 255)
1 CN Business Car used for “Luxury” Class
Plus 2 “Café Cars” (Former PRR 29-Seat Parlor Cars)

Out of Service:
1 “Café Car” used for Photographer Company Offices
4 First Class “Flat Car” Budds (most from the Randy Parton collection, Acadian, Roaring Fork…etc. One from the Montana Daylight, American Spirit)
1 California Zephyr Dome…the Silver Colt
1 Combination Budd Car
5 More Boise Budds

On the Ground…all without Trucks
3 (I believe it’s that many) Harriman Style Coaches (, Minus Trucks)
2 10&6 Sleepers
1 “Flat Car” Budd (wreck damage…thanks UP)
1 California Zephyr Dome… Silver Pony (wreck damage …thanks again UP)


All in All.. we have 45 Pieces of Equipment that Can be made for use in Hauling Revenue Passengers (not counting equip on the Ground, or "Cafe Cars")

I would guess that the WP&Y has about 45 passenger cars as well. I think they often have 6 or 7 train sets in service at the same time in the peak season.

A quick count on a Ringling railfan website lists almost 100 passenger and baggage cars.

Wesley

We rode the White Pass this Summer. Their promotional material claimed a total of 20 locomotives and 90 coaches were in service. Most of the coaches are reproductions (rather nicely-done reproductions, I might add).

On the morning that our ship docked, I counted six trains leaving the dock area; five of them had three diesels apiece, and one train had one of those water-boiling thingies on the front. Each train was approximately 10-15 cars in length. I have to say that I was surprised, and quite impressed with the show that they put on. Skagway Junction is a great train-watching spot!

John Redden

John, John, John. No gold star beside your name today!

I just checked the White Pass website. It says 80 passenger cars -- still a respectable fleet. Average seating capacity is 42 each -- for a total capacity of 3,398. While the company has been buying new cars of traditional design, it has cars that can be traced back to original construction dates in the 19th century.

It has cars originally built by Carter Brothers in 1883 and 1884 [ex-South Pacific Coast], Harlan & Hollingsworth in 1887 [ex-SPC], Hammond Car in 1893 [ex-Pacific Coast], Pullman in 1893 [ex-North Pacific Coast], and American Car & Foundary (Jefferson) in 1903 [ex-Coronado (Clifton, Arizona)] and AC&F (St. Charles) in 1918 [ex-Sumpter Valley].