While I was out in Arizona earlier this month, I got a chance to see (and almost to ride in) the Grand Canyon's new, experimental class of passenger accommodations: The Pullman Class.

Contrary to the historical implications of the term, the cars are not "first class" cars with sleeping accommodations, but rather the extremely "basic" accommodations often sought by hard-core railfans: ninety-year-old open-window former SP Harriman commuter cars, minus air conditioning. The Grand Canyon has long had a fleet of these Harriman cars, painted traditional deep green, but of late they have been reserved for use on special occasions such as their Polar Express trains in the late fall/winter.

The staff of the railroad told me that this car was an "experiment," to see what the response was to offering an economy "discount" service to and from the Canyon. (To compare: booking a "Pullman" to and from the Canyon costs $59.00 plus tax and park entry fee for a total of $73.33; "Coach Class," the demotorized "Boise Budd" cars with sealed windows and AC, are $75 plus fees for a total of $91.04; First Class $140+, dome $170+, and Luxury Dome/Parlor $199+.) As of July 6th, only one car had been converted and repainted to match the white GCRY trainsets for this service, the 2152, but I believe another is being refurbished in the GCRY shops.

I have to laud the GCRY for making the effort to offer this railfan-friendly and economy-priced option. Indeed, I would have ridden the train this July 6th behind 4960, but we suffered from a "I thought YOU booked the tickets!" snafu, and instead reverted to "freeloading railfans" status (I saw only two chasers besides us that day, the other a Philadelphian who was en route back to Las Vegas to catch a flight home). The train (two sections that holiday weekend) and the Pullman car were, as far as I could tell, sold out that day anyway, or close enough to it to absolve me of guilt.

Great idea except the part about sullying the name of Pullman and having people coming away thinking Pullman was lesser grade instead of the very best. Maybe EEE can persuade them to use a different name.

Steve

Maybe they should call it "purist" or "enthusiast" class.

I think they're missing the boat.... charge a premium price for the first one behind the locomotive when running steam.... market it as "Foamer Club" service.......

I used to joke with a friend about a special "Emperor of the North" rate--for a dollar, you ride under the train--coupling pin on the cord optional at the discretion of the conductor.

I could accept it better if they were Pullman parlor cars (not sleepers).

Those were way ahead of coach accommodations, and the early ones were not air conditioned.

So it's now a "trial"? What about the 17 or 18 years those cars were used? For the last 6 or 7 years they were economy class....or whatever it was called. Has the demographic changed that much during the 4 years they have been unused in daily train service?

Silly management types......bringing back the same thing as a new idea because the name is different.

Cheers, Jason

Why not call the new service "open window coach"? That's what it is...

On a similar vein, my record remains intact. On the 6 or 8 trips I've made to Western Maryland Scenic over the years, I have NEVER sat down, always riding in an open vestibule or in the baggage section of Man of War. It seems to me that if you have a steam locomotive pulling the train, using sealed window air conditioned cars takes much of the steam experience away. (A smoky diesel with a Hancock might as well be up front). Not to take anything away from WMSR, they do a great job, but perhaps something like a Lackawanna MU trailer, with rollers and decent couplers, could offer a closer look at big steam at work? I think Grand Canyon has the right idea here, aside from using the name Pullman.

Technically that car was built by Pullman, was it not? Or is that one of the Standard Steel versions?

Rob

Answered my own question, she's a class "IC-2" which makes her a Pullman.

So, is calling riding in a Pullman-built "Pullman" that bad?

I guess there could be a "Budd" class or an "ACF Cor-Ten" class to go with it?

Rob

To be technically correct, the cars are not actually Harrimans. There cars were built as class "IC", interurban coach. They were built for commute service between San Francisco and San Jose. They were never used anywhere else, except for a few weekend excursions. They were intended to be converted to electric cars when the peninsula line was electrified. A project still in the discussion stage.

The easy way to tell these cars from a real Harriman is on the "IC" class cars the letterboard stops short of the end doors allowing enough door height for high level loading platforms. Something else that is still under discussion. A real Harriman coach has the letter board run all the way to the end of the car. This leaves a door that is too short for high level loading. I do not believe there was any high level loading on the roairoads west of Chicago.